BY GREG CRUM
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Where is your hope today? In what nest have you laid your “nest egg”? In what or whom are you trusting to take care of you in the uncertain financial times ahead? The wise man or woman takes heed to the words of the prophet Jeremiah and puts their trust in the Lord. He’s the river our roots should spread out to, and He’s the only One that can ensure we’ll not go without, even in times of economic drought.
Last week we began to think about the wonderful provision of our God for those He calls His own. We reminded you of an episode in the life of Isaac at a time when the world he lived in was experiencing economic upheaval. There was a famine in the land, but the Lord was able to bless him anyway, and his crops and his herds of animals still thrived. The point? God is no respecter of persons—what He has done for one, He will do for anyone that can believe Him for it.
We are living in curious times, and many circumstances have converged to make this a tough time financially for most people. A lot of people are nervous concerning the future and wondering how they are going to make it if things don’t change soon. Sadly, many Christians have thrown their lot in with the “a lot,” and are just as scared of going without the things they need to live. In times like these we are tempted to buy into the world’s ideas of economics, especially their ideas on lack.
We’ve got to fight this urge because this fear of lack, and our temptation to act on those fears, can be detrimental to our ability to live the life Jesus has provided for us. We must remember that we are called to walk by faith, not by what we see in the natural, and we must strive to base our lives on the reality of the Bible. As believers, children of God, we should have a different understanding of the availability of resources in this world and therefore, a different perspective on lack. We should understand that with God there is always provision; in fact, there is abundance!
Brothers and sisters, do you truly believe that with God there is always abundant provision, or have you allowed past experiences and fears of the future to sow seeds of doubt in your mind? Have you put your trust in government assistance, in your 401(k), in your hoarded-up resources, or have you entrusted your future provision to the only One who can guarantee continued sustenance?
In Proverbs 11:28 we are told, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.” I Timothy 6:17 reminds us to “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.” Psalm 146:3 and 5 tell us to “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Rather, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”
The takeaway from those three passages of Scripture? Our financial trust should be in God and in His ways. Worldly riches are always going to be uncertain to a degree, but God never is. He’s always there for us in abundance when we look to Him alone! Finally, true resource security can never come from man; it can only come from trust in a loving, providing Heavenly Father!
Greg Crum is pastor of Calvary Temple Church in Lovely.