Unfortunately, we are engaged in
warfare with an enemy that knows the scriptures, though he prefers to use it
against us, and as a result knows the promises of God to us as contained
therein. As the bible says, God prepares a table for us in the presence of our
enemies. Our table of promises which reveals God’s goodness for us is laid out
before Him. So he tries, using different tricks, to make it impossible for us
to get all that has been laid out for us on that table. Some of his tricks are
really obvious and others not so obvious. So God warns us to watch for the
tricks so we are can fulfill our destiny. Satan has always used our desires
against us by manipulating the word of God giving us good reasons to be lured away
from God by these desires of our flesh. He tried it with Jesus and failed yet
he continues to try with us and must fail too hence God prepares us; putting us
on notice so that we are always on guard.
1 Peter 5: 8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He
prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
James 1: 14 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and
drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed
to grow, it gives birth to death.”
A lot of us have a strong desire
to be rich which would ordinarily be understandable especially because no one
likes the look of poverty. We desire money to the point, and even beyond, where
we want for nothing; but sadly, man is insatiable so that we never get to this
point. It is always a point in the future for man, believers and unbelievers
alike. The more money we have, the stronger our desire for more. This desire pushes
some to work so hard that they toil. In my Country for example, there is no
such thing as engaging in a vocation for passion; most of us do what we do because
we need to make a lot of money and fast too but with minimal effort; and this
could be any vocation ranging from trading to pastoring and even more. We are
so desperate to ‘make money’ that this desire guides most of our decisions including
even our choice of church to fellowship because we fellowship to network or learn
another godly principle that unlocks yet another door to more money. Ah! I
forgot to mention, we pay our tithes too but not because it pleases God, for
that is the last thing on our minds; but only because we must keep the devourer
away from our purse as well as have God open the windows of heaven and pour so
much money upon us, that we don’t have room enough to receive. We live on and
build our lives around this love and/or desire for money which, according to
scriptures, is the root of evil.
1 Timothy 6: 10 “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of
evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and
pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
This craving or insatiable desire
for money, not the money, is the root of a lot of evil. We need money no doubt
but when it drives most of or all our actions and decisions, then we have a
problem which satan can capitalize on to work against us luring us out of God’s
secret place and into his trap to destroy us, whilst promising us even more
money all the way - deceitfulness of riches. A sad reality of life is that money
can deceive anyone even mature believers and this includes even Pastors. Money
keeps luring one; lying to that one is not rich yet but on the way there though
they already are. It is an attitude of mind that is consistently desperate to
have more money, struggling to attain to a level of wealth that is imaginary
and as a result, unattainable. It lies that if they had a little more money,
then they would be rich; an endless pursuit that leaves one always seeking that
‘little more’ money - saving for the rainy day, and then for the children and for
the children’s rainy day and so on. Or it could put some others in competition
with another who is unaware of and not in competition with them. Unfortunately,
as such persons begin to think they are closing ranks with their competition,
the competition appears to make major leaps. This goes on endlessly so that one
is forever needing to be rich and never able to enjoy the benefit of
contentment. Satan has succeeded in luring many away using this trick.
Mathew 13: 22KJV “He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
Mathew 13: 22NLT “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those
who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by worries
of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”
Money also promises a life that
only God can give and satan knows that; so that as soon as we buy into this lie,
we start chasing money with a view to getting that ‘supposed good life’ which
only God gives and satan’s job is done. Anyone caught in this race is toiling,
albeit innocently, because they are driven by the devil who is wasting their
strength and time, which amounts to their life; pretending like they will get
something at the end of the day. Moreover, it leaves them with very little or
no time for God who gives this life which money deceitfully promises and can’t give.
Please note that whenever we get too
busy for God, it is time to stop so we don’t lose everything. It’s only a
matter of time before one loses what God gives, if they leave Him. We must
remind ourselves that promotion comes from God who gives power to make wealth
and blesses with a blessing that makes rich. To truly succeed, we must keep our
eyes on God which requires a deliberateness regarding our focus.
Mathew 6: 24 – 25 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one
and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday
life- whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t
life more than food, and your body more than clothing?”
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