Do you trust in God or riches?

To the people of this world, money and social status is the main thing. So they chase after world goods such as luxury goods, swanky palatial houses and posh cars.

If not careful and deep-rooted enough to adhere to Biblical principles, Christians may covet these worldly trophies of social status, as well. The danger is when we pursue such riches to glorify our success and elevate our independence from God by starting to think that we 'have arrived' in this life.

Our ultimate trust must be fixed on God alone regardless of whether we are rich, poor or somewhere in-between. That's the bottomline. We are richer or poorer depending on our relationship and fellowship with God. The constant refrain for us to address is: "Where is God's place in our daily walk with Him?" 

Oughtn't we allow God to be LORD over all aspects of our lives, which He Himself has given to us in the first place?

Let the Word of God speaks to us and remind us that we ought to trust in God and not in riches so that we can refine our value of what is sacrosanct to God for our own sake.

"But God will break you down forever;

He will take you away and tear you away from your tent,

And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.

The righteous will see it and fear,

And will [scoffingly] laugh, saying,

“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

Taking refuge in his wealth.”" (Psalm 52:5 - 7; Amp).

""“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."" (Matthew 6:19 - 21; NIV).

We need to be heavenly-minded enough and God-centered enough to trust God and His Word so that we can truly be in this world and yet not of this world.  Riches do not accord us with a permit to do as we please and we must not allow riches to detract us from worshipping God who is all powerful and owns everything.

How Do You Know That God Loves You?

One of the way by which you know that God loves you is when He chastens you. God loves you so much that He doesn't want you to stay the same. He will prune you like a gardener and mould you like a potter.

Chastening is never pleasant and not easy to embrace. To survive chastening, you need to begin with the end in mind; to see yourself a son or daughter who brings honour and glory to the household of God.

Chastening is not the wrath of God. It a process of divine discipline or training of the LORD. “Discipline” means the whole training and education of children stemming from the Father's love and correction. 

Forms of chastening may include trials, affliction, agony and anguish. The following are 4 examples from the Holy Bible: 

1) King David - retributive (punishment).

2) Job - corrective training (refining) when his pride was tested. "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10 NKJV). Gold is not afraid of the fire. 

3) Abraham - educative (be a man; you are My prophet) 

4) Paul -preventative (preservation) as the thorn in his flesh kept him from pride and kept him to depend on God.

Thus are the sons of of God who do not despise chastening nor become discouraged in the face of chastening and learn to submit themselves cheerfully to the process of chastening which works out a glorious good in and through them.

Joshua's encountered with the Commander of the army of the LORD is instructive. 

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV). 

The preincarnate Christ who appeared to Joshua was neither for Joshua nor for his enemy. He has not come to take side, but to take over and take charge of the army of the LORD.

When Christians (parent and children; husband and wife; cell group leader and members; pastor and leaders; employer and employee) have disagreement, the reflex action is to ask God to take side. But, what is needed is for us to submit and follow the leading of the LORD Himself. It is about His Personal Presence and Powerful Provision.

And, what is the purpose of chastening? That we might be partakers of His holiness and enjoy the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: 

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:50-11 NKJV).

As true sons and daughters of God we can expect chastening (personalised son-training or daughter-training) which produces perseverance, character and hope in the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 5:3-5).

This article is adapted from what Rev. Choong Tsih-Ming has shared at City Harvest Church (CHC) 5 pm service on 9 March 2019. He is very excited as this year CHC will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary as a church and noted that the 30th year is the year when children crossover to adulthood in Jewish culture and that Jesus Himself launched His ministry on His 30th year.