Claim Your Riches

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2016
Chapters: Proverbs 22-24
Message: Claim Your Riches

Hello My Friend,

Riches, Wealth; opulence; affluence; possessions of land, good or money in abundance. Riches do not consist in having more gold and silver, but in having more in proportion than our neighbors. Everyone has their own idea on what it means to be rich, while many think of having great wealth as being rich, others think of having the most expensive things as being rich. I was never one to get excited over diamonds and pearls, I wanted love and affection over things, if someone got me something out of the pureness and love of their heart, it was more valuable to me than anything. Christians, it is time to claim your riches, if Jesus Christ is your Saviour than you have more than enough, but God does want you to have more than that, He just wants you to get your priorities straight first.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” - I Timothy 6:17-19.

“that they be rich in good works,” Some of the most wealthiest people are the ones who give the most, and I am not talking about giving money to charities to make them feel good about themselves, I am talking about giving their time. Handing money to some beggar on the streets is not helping them, giving them food, including spiritual food, like telling them about Jesus is helping, giving them clothes, including clothing them with the love of Jesus is helping them. When we are rich in good works, no matter what we possess, we obtain the riches of God. The riches of God, His fullness of wisdom, power, mercy, grace and glory, or the abundance supplied by His works. Rich or poor, we are all the same in God’s eyes, and that means we treat everyone the same as well

“The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.” - Proverbs 22:2-4,18-23.

“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches,” Humility, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. Humility does not mean we are to make fools out of ourselves in public, it means we are to be modest, not boastful of all that we have, not think of ourselves as better than anyone else, but to think of others just as ourselves. Love God, have some honor, get saved, and the financial blessings will come. I know siblings who compete to see who can give the most expensive gifts to their parents, and have family competing on who can get the better things. God does not care about what we possess, He cares about what we do through His Son, He blesses us with possessions when we humble ourselves before Him, and do His work.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:8,9,19.

“if there be any virtue,” Virtue, Moral goodness. Here is the key to claiming our riches from God, virtue. None of us are perfect, we all want things, and we have done some crazy things to get them, but to receive the best from God we need to live moral lives. We cannot change our past, but we can change today by being the person God wants us to be. Another meaning for the word riches is an abundance of spiritual blessings. Now, when God says humility and fearing Him are riches, honor, and life, He means it, which is why He tells us not to work to be rich, but be good.

“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” - Proverbs 23:4-8,17,18.

“for riches certainly make themselves wings;” Let me tell you, earthly possessions do not last, in an instant we can lose everything we have. Envying what others have gets you no where, and selling your soul for riches will get you somewhere, but not where you want to be. There are times when I look at someone and wonder why I do not have what they have, then when I realize what they did to get what they got I become ashamed of myself. I have been in the world and got caught up in the money that can be made in it, but then God showed up and gave me a glimpse of where I would be if I continued where I was. I do not know about you, but I do not want to gain any kind of fortune by doing things that are not morally good. I want to claim the riches of God by the honest, hard work that got me where I am, knowing that God is the one who did it all. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” - James 1:17.

The riches of Christ, His abundant fullness of spiritual and eternal blessings for man. The riches of Christ are what we are to claim, and when we do we have more than we could ever possess. “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.” - Proverbs 24:15-20.

“For a just man falleth seven times,” No matter how much virtue we have, we are human, we mess up, we fall, but the difference between us and the world, Jesus Christ. He is the one who picks us up when we fall, He is the one who gets is to rise again. Those who claim earthly riches over Christ’s will fall, and they will fall hard, and while we may want to boast about their falling we cannot no more than they boast about our misfortunes. Faithful Christians are going to fall on hard times, even if they are wealthy, but they have God to help them get back up. Stop worrying about the things that you do not have, take care of what you do have, the more God trusts You with the little things you have right now the more He can trust you with the much bigger things He has waiting for you.

“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” - Matthew 6:30-34.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.” - Proverbs 23:11. Jesus is our Redeemer, and He is might. When we stand before God, He stands there next to us and pleads for us. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” - Isaiah 54:5.

Today's Prayer: God, I may not be the wisest person on earth, but I know nothing I posses on earth will last, in fact, without You nothing lasts. No matter how much I learn, unless You are there with me, it is vain, and I will never be satisfied. I tried to do things my way and all I did was make a mess of things, I am trusting You to guide me as I learn Your truths and apply them to my life. I am claiming Your riches, humility, fearing You, virtue, and the spiritual riches that only come from walking with Christ. Lord, Give me Your power to live in and through Your Son, who makes everything possible, and supplies me with all I need for Your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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