Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Let’s be clear about this: a person does not need to have lots of money to love it. Even if you do not have money, your mind can still be set on it, you can still desire it, think about it, and sacrifice for it, even when you don’t have any of it. There are some people on welfare that covet money more than those who are wealthy but content in their walk with The Lord Jesus. Covetousness and greed are matters of the heart, not numbers in a bank account. Solomon, the richest man of his world, after a life focused on wealth and its use, knew the common myth that wealth = happiness was a lie. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.”
Mark 4:19, talks about the “deceitfulness of riches.” Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness. If you’re living life without God and you’re trying to find satisfaction in affluence and prosperity and things, you will always come out empty. It doesn’t satisfy. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves abundance with its income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 -NASB)
The more we have, the more we want. Only the Savior, not silver, can satisfy our empty souls.
So sadly true… the more we have, the more we want. Solomon warns us of vanity and abundance. But here is an uplifting story we were blessed with at a Clinton Avenue outreach.
An elderly lady from the hills of a Puerto Rico shared with me how her faith in Jesus helped her cope with her advanced cancer. She also shared something related to today’s devotional- could we actually believe that the less we have the less we want? This 85 year old destitute lady taught me an important lesson. The answer to that question can be yes. Through faith.
After the elderly lady shared about her cancer (not seeking pity) she showed me a rubber bracelet she was wearing. It had the word “HOPE” inscribed on it. She asked me if I knew what the word meant since she was not sure I spoke English. I answered “Yes, it means ‘esperanza’ (hope)”. She then told me (in Spanish):
“If someone would offer to trade me a gold bracelet for this one, I would not accept. You see, there is no hope in gold, there is only hope in Jesus…”
I have looked for this lady again on Clinton without success. Although cancer may have taken her life, it was unable to take her hope in Jesus.
“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16
We may love silver, gold, or money. But this cancer striken lady provided me a clear reminder that silver is not love. God is love.
Blessings,
Jose