Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:19
I am reading A. W. Tozer’s timeless classic, The Pursuit of God. In Chapter 2, I experienced a paradigm shift regarding wealth. I offer a scathing rebuke of my shallow, self-righteous, toxic embrace of scarcity and a lack of wisdom concerning wealth, entrenched and entangled in a perpetuated fallacy. I do not advocate prosperity theology or the prosperity gospel. Nor any such ideology. I digress…
Back to The Pursuit of God. . . Abraham’s life was marked by extraordinary abundance. Genesis 13:2 tells us that Abraham was a very rich man. He had livestock, silver, and gold. He possessed immense wealth, with livestock symbolizing material prosperity and silver and gold representing financial abundance. Also, he had many servants, a large household, and enjoyed societal respect and influence.
But do you know what Abraham’s most prized possession was? What comes to occupy the place of God in his heart? God knew!
For Isaac was not just a child to Abraham; he was the fulfillment of God’s promise of a descendant through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3, 17:19). Isaac was the embodiment of hope and the physical representation of God’s covenant with Abraham. Consequently, it is not difficult to imagine the immense strength of Abraham’s love for his son.
In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering. This command seemed to contradict God’s promise. It tested Abraham’s faith to the core. Nevertheless, Abraham obeys. He displays unwavering trust in God, believing that somehow God would fulfill His promise, even if it meant resurrecting Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated his profound understanding of possessing everything while holding onto nothing. He showed unwavering trust in God’s faithfulness and sovereignty. Isaac no longer occupied the central place in Abraham’s heart. God did!
There are over 2,350 verses concerning money (wealth) in the Bible. Jesus had a lot to say about this topic:
- Money and possessions are nearly 15% of everything Jesus spoke about.
- Money is the topic of about 16 out of over 30 parables.
Thus, no one is inherently bad because they are poor or because they are wealthy. The rich and the poor must pursue God.
Tozer said it best. And I quote, “I have said that Abraham possessed nothing. Yet was not this poor man rich?”
Keeping God in the right place in our hearts allows us to possess everything while holding onto nothing!
God bless. . . I am Wiley’s granddaughter.
