That money talks

I’ll not deny.

I heard it once:

It said, “Goodbye.”

–Richard Armour

******

Riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird. –Proverbs 23:5

It’s true that money can be gone in an instant. (Think Enron Bernie Madoff, the current economic downturn, stock market crashes, etc.).

I had no idea how attached to money I was until my husband’s job was cut. It quickly became clear that when push came to shove, my security really was in the size of our bank account.

As the season of unemployment dragged on and the bank account grew smaller, my fear and anxiety increased.

This was a test of my faith.

It’s easy to say that you trust God when all is well and the money is flowing.

But what happens when it stops?

As our friend Bill so wisely told us, “Your job is not your provision. Your God is your Provision.”

We now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that that is true.

My God promises to meet ALL of my needs. He owns it all and is perfectly capable of providing for me. In fact, one of His Names is “God Will Provide.” (Genesis 22: 13-14). Nothing is impossible with Him.

He has provided for us in so many miraculous and wondrous ways…ways that we could never have imagined…and always just at the right time. I am in awe of how creative He is!

I am also in awe of how faithful He is. He means what He says in His Word. All of His promises are true and He will always prove trustworthy.

Here are some of those promises:

…God Himself has said, “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake you, nor let you down nor relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! “–Hebrews 13:5

Your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him. –Matthew 6:8

…Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. –Psalm 34:10

…my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:19

I have lived those words; I know that I know that they are true. They are not just pretty words or wishful thinking…they are full of life and power and truth.

Even as I am writing this, these words are scrolling across the screen of  a national news channel: “Stocks slammed as inflation spikes and Japan nuke fears grow…double dose of bad economic news causes quaking stocks.”

Just another reminder that our financial bottom line can change at any time.

No amount of money can prevent earthquakes and tsunamis.

No amount of money can prevent a cancer diagnosis.

Money cannot prevent a car accident.

Money cannot provide a happy marriage or good kids.

Money is a very shaky foundation on which to build your life.

So what’s the bottom line?

Having money is NOT a bad thing.

However, the security we seek to find in our finances is only a poor substitute for the unshakable confidence that is available to us in God’s unchanging nature and lavish provision.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. –I Chronicles 29:12