Risky Business

The Psalmist has said: “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ” If it bothers you to see financial wealth in the hands of the wicked, you are not alone. Prosperity in the hands of the wicked is also an unmistakable outrage to God.

But one must never forget that God's sovereignty over all of creation prevails despite any appearance that persons committed to sinful purposes can freely assume entrenched lifestyles of ease and comfort.

One whose trust is directed only to money is doomed to an unanticipated consequence of money's limitations. Instead of inheriting an everlasting benefit of God's provision, one who primarily trusts money is subject to money's own finite capabilities.

A close companion of misdirected trust is an arrogance that leads certain people to question whether God can hold them accountable for their practices. As a self-justifying outgrowth of deceit, this arrogance often leads to a misguided sense of invincibility, often taking form in unscrupulous business practices.

Tragically, persons may not realize that their own ruin is the fruit of that deception. Simply stated, bad seed produces an even worse harvest.

On the other hand, one who remains faithful to God's purposes can expect to reap a bountiful harvest, often including the very benefits that unrighteous individuals have plotted for themselves. One may describe this phenomenon as God's sovereign way of redirecting wealth for His people and away from those who pursue riches outside God's plan of abundance.

The enemy seeks frequently to convince God's people that their suffering reflects an absence of God's favor, or that their faith itself is delusional. Concurrently, the world's system sensationalizes the lifestyles of ruthless and corrupt individuals, as they heap up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay. Informed only by outward appearances, one might presume that those individuals are free from the burdens common to man, and not plagued by human ills.

But just as the Psalmist discovered, one's perspective is greatly improved upon engaging the Lord's glory. Fellowship with God greatly reverses the desperation that results when we mistakenly lean on our own understanding.

In God's sanctuary, one discovers that the final destiny of the wicked remains a sudden, complete and multi-generational ruin. Certain doom and a cursed legacy await those who gain riches outside God's plan of abundance.

The challenge for God's people in the marketplace is always to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, trusting that a faithful God has sufficient grace to meet one's needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God has promised not to withhold any good thing from those whose walk is blameless, and as the bible teaches, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.