We are being inundated daily with news of an imminent market crash and the end of the dollar as we know it. In the past, many have found their wealth gone overnight in a market crash. Some have been left on the street because their business went bankrupt, and that was their only source of income.

God gave us some great wisdom in what Paul wrote by revelation at the end of I Timothy, Chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6:17-18  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but (trust) in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Let’s look at these statements:

1. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded

God tells us here that there are Christians that are rich or wealthy. He does not condemn them, but He does remind them not to have pride in their prosperity. They should remember how much work it was for them to get where they are, and that God was highly involved in their success. They did not do it all on their own

2. Nor trust in uncertain riches,

Then the big one I see here is that God reminds them not to trust in uncertain riches.

Mark 10:24b Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

Proverbs 23:5 When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies to the heavens. Amplified Bible

God reminds us not to trust in our wealth; we are to trust Him, the provider of wealth. God calls riches “uncertain.”  Sometimes they just disappear. When the government outlawed the private ownership of gold in the 1930s, they ordered the banks to confiscate the gold in the safety deposit boxes one weekend. Monday morning the people’s gold was gone. Just like God said, sometimes it just flies away.

3. But (trust) in the living God

God, on the other hand, is trustworthy and stable. He will always provide for us. Many times, He provides us with money, but we are to trust in Him as the provider, not in the provision. We are to trust Him.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Proverbs 18:10-11  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

So, believers trust God when trouble comes. They do not trust the provision. They use the provisions, but they do not trust in them. It reminds me of this verse:

Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

The horse was prepared and was used in battle, but they knew at the end of the day it was not the horse that delivered them, but it was the Lord whom their safety came from.

The foolish that are wealthy trust that their wealth is a wall too high for trouble to climb. But as we have read, at times, what they have put their trust in just disappears.

So, we are to put our trust in the provider, God, not in what He provides.

Where I live, we have many storms that may include tornadoes in the spring. When the storms come, we do not trust the house will take care of us. No! We pray and remind God that He provided this home for us and ask Him to protect us and His provision. We trust God not the house.

The same would be true for money. We do not trust that the money will take care of us, but we trust God will take care of us and His provision.

4. Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

This should be an end to the idea that wealth is evil. God says HE gives us all things richly to enjoy. If you follow God’s way of handling money, you will build wealth. There is no doubt that God’s desire for His children is to be very prosperous. When you read Kenyon’s book, The Father and His Family, Kenyon talks about how God put all the resources in the earth for His children to enjoy and use. Oil and gas, gold, silver, diamonds and pearls, copper, and iron.

Why does He give us these things? So, we can enjoy them.

We are His children, and He wants us to be prosperous and healthy. So, He gives us all things richly to enjoy. But He cautions us not to allow our trust to shift from trusting Him to trusting in His provision – the wealth He provides. He warns us about the snares that await us as we build wealth.  He shows us examples of those in the past that allowed wealth/prosperity go to their head. Then He instructs us on how to handle some of that wealth.

5. 1 Timothy 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

He never asks us to give it all away. He never says we should feel guilty about His abundant provision. He gives us this prosperity so we can enjoy it, but He also instructs us to be giving, to be generous, and to share what He has blessed us with.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

There is a lot in these two verses in 1 Timothy. They are like a summary of the instructions on the handling of money that are given throughout God’s Word.

If you follow God’s way of handling money, you will build wealth. But building wealth is not the goal, it is the end result of being obedient to God’s instructions concerning money. Building a greater relationship with your Father is the goal.

Learning these things and embedding them into your heart is all part of The Prosperous Life.