Solomon - “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever.” (Proverbs 27:23-24)
DAILY DEVOTION
Do you ever get stressed out over money? Have you ever felt like you had too much month and the end of your money? Have you ever felt like you needed to learn how to make and manage money in better ways? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, there is help for you today in the form of the Bible, the Word of God. There are over 2,350 verses in the Bible that deal with money and possessions. There is a wealth (pardon the pun) of information in the Bible about making and managing money. Sixteen of Jesus’ parables and around one sixth of the writings of the Gospels actually deal with money and possessions. It’s difficult to turn a page in the book of Proverbs without encountering the subject of finances. Why is there so much material in the Bible about making and managing money? Because how we make and manage money says so much about who we are and about His priority in our lives.
The Lord has blessed us immensely. However, He also expects us to be good managers of His blessings. The Lord wants us to know the condition of the assets we have accrued. We need to keep good records of what we own, what we owe, what we earn, and on what we have spent. Failing to keep track of our finances plus easy credit most often equates to disaster in our financial lives.
The Bible teaches us that managing our money well is a measure of our faithfulness to God. The Lord has not called and chosen every person to be wealthy, but He has called us all to be good stewards of what He has given to us. Jesus once said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11). To Jesus, money was a very little thing compared to the true riches the Lord has for us. Nevertheless, our ability to handle our finances and the finances of others is a measure of our ability to handle true riches.
The Bible teaches us that managing our money well is a powerful witness to unbelievers. A Christian who cannot pay his bills and is apprehensive about the future nullifies, in the eyes of the world, God’s promise to provide for His children. To put it bluntly, who wants to serve a God who is not able to take care of His children? God has promised to provide for our needs (not our wants). The Apostle Paul writes, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) How we manage His provisions can be a great witness to the world.
The Bible teaches us that managing our money well frees us to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. Honestly, God is not really all that concerned about whether we are rich or poor. He does, however, want us to be free from concerns about money. He wants us to be blessed so we can tithe and give to other ministries. If this is the case, we need to be concerned with how to manage our finances.
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY
Would you describe yourself as a good manager of the finances with which the Lord has blessed you? If so, write out a prayer of thanksgiving to God, thanking Him for His blessings and asking Him to show you how to honor Him further with your finances. If you’re not a good financial manager, get help as soon as possible. Here are three websites that may be helpful to you: www.ramseysolutions.com, www.debtorsanonymous.org, www.crown.org
If you’re leading your family through this devotion today, have a discussion about the importance of managing finances well. Then, pray as a family, asking God to help each member manage his portion of the family finances well.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, thank You for your tremendous blessings in my life. Help me to always be a good steward with the resources with which You’ve blessed me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.