WHAT TO DO IN THE MIDST OF PLENTY

We read today about the Prince of Tyre, a man described as wiser than Daniel, and a master in trade. As a result, He became extremely wealthy. The verse of Interest lies in Ezekiel 28:5 which is rendered in the NLT as

Your wisdom has made you very rich, And your wealth has made you very proud"

Almost similar to the rich fool in the Gospels who in the midst of abundance exclaimed ‘my soul take it easy, eat, drink and make merry’ (Luke 12:19). And as though a carbon copy of each other, we could almost predict the trajectory of events that follow: God showed up, and passed verdict.

Abundance then always appears to precede pride, but we know God always resists the proud. However, God is El-Shaddai and Jireh- so does He allow us to come into abundance just to entrap us?

Jesus’ discourse with the disciples about the rich man and the kingdom of heaven clarified this. The rich who will struggle to enter the kingdom of God was not a global description. Rather, it encompassed those who “cling to possessions and status for security and who place their trust in wealth and status”. This is the kind of abundance that sponsors the pride which God resists.

Even in the midst of plenty, we are to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, to continue trusting with all our heart, leaning not on our own understanding. We cannot depend on wealth, or wisdom; After all, what makes you so special? What do you have that you didn’t receive as a gift? And if in fact it was a gift, why do you boast as if it weren’t?(1 Cor 4:7)

#sly