2020-05-25
John 1:14 MSG
In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases John 1:14 like this: ‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood.’ Jesus came into the world for two reasons. Firstly, to give us eternal life. Secondly, to let us know that He cares about every detail of our lives. Sometimes we can end up thinking that God only cares about certain aspects of our lives, things like our spiritual growth, our generosity, or our relationships. But actually God cares about every part of our lives, including our finances. When Jesus was teaching the people, He covered many different topics, including our relationship with money. God knew that it would be an issue for all of us, whether we have too much, too little, or just enough. Money can become an idol for us, and Jesus went as far as to say, ‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!’ (Mark 10:25 NLT). God cares about the burdens we’re carrying today, including our financial burdens. Instead of doubting God and trying to fix everything on our own, we need to hand our cares over to Him and ask for His help. He’s longing to give us the wisdom and guidance we need about our money. He wants to help us keep Him at the centre of our lives, rather than allowing the love of money to take over our hearts. God loves each of us and wants to bless every area of our lives. We need to start opening up to Him about our finances, asking for guidance about spending and saving, thanking Him for the financial blessings He has given us, and praying for opportunities to be generous towards others.
1 Kings 1-2; Mark 11:12-26; Ps 45; Prov 12:7-9
2020-05-24
2 Corinthians 8:9 NCV
What does it mean to be ‘rich’? Our answer to that question probably depends on where we live and the culture we were raised in. For some people, being rich means owning a mansion, having millions saved up, or having enough money to retire at a young age and never needing to work again. For others it means having enough food for each day, a safe place to live, and the ability to provide for the family. For other people, it might be somewhere in between. But what if we defined being ‘rich’ as having enough to do God’s will? How would we live differently? Would we strive to earn promotions and pay rises? Would we spend our money on the same things we do now? God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and He’ll provide enough for us to be able to do it. It’s not wrong to have money, or to enjoy having it. In fact, in Ecclesiastes we’re told: ‘God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and property he gives them’ (5:19 NCV). But it’s vital that we remember that our wealth is a blessing from God. David said of God: ‘Riches and honour come from you. You rule everything. You have the power and strength to make anyone great and strong’ (1 Chronicles 29:12 NCV). We need to focus less on the blessing, and more on the One who has blessed us. We also need to remember that, because of Jesus, we’re spiritually rich. The Bible says: ‘You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by his becoming poor you might become rich’ (2 Corinthians 8:9 NCV). We have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we’re blessed with gifts and skills, and our real treasure will be in heaven.
John 6:1-15; John 6:25-40; 1 Cor 11:23-24
2020-05-23
Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT
Sometimes we can find ourselves in a tricky situation with money. Maybe we don’t have enough, and we’re not sure how we’re going to pay for the things we need. Maybe we are unexpectedly given a substantial amount of money, and we’re not sure how we should use it. In all of our financial situations, we can come to God and ask for wisdom. James said: ‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you’ (James 1:5 NLT). Throughout the Bible, we see God giving wisdom to those who needed it. He taught Joseph how to prosper during a famine (you can read about this in Genesis 41). And when the disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything, Jesus advised them to cast their nets on the other side, and performed a miracle in front of their eyes. Jesus said, ‘”Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it’ (John 21:6 NLT). God wants us to depend on Him as the source of everything we need. When Jehoshaphat was facing a huge battle, he prayed: ‘We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help’ (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). We need to look to God for help too. And when God answers us by giving us the wisdom we need to move forwards or by miraculously providing for us, we must never forget to thank Him. The Bible says: ‘Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.’ So let’s remember the One who helps us in all areas of our lives.
Heb 11:17-13:25; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 47; Prov 12:4-6
2020-05-22
Proverbs 21:5 NIV
It’s important that we save money to ensure we’re prepared for the future, but if we’re too focused on saving our money, we’re not using it to be generous to others. Balance is key. Firstly, we need to make sure we’re not spending all our money and saving nothing for our future, and the futures of our loved ones. The Bible says: ‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.’ If we’re quick to spend everything we earn, we’ll be less prepared for unexpected expenses or needs that arise. Savings can help us plan ahead with our finances. However, if we’re always saving our money because we’re either wanting to build up riches or because we’re afraid of not having enough in the future, then we need to address these issues. Building up riches should not be our aim. We should be aiming to live God’s way, which means we should be generous and sacrificial. We need to be focused on God and His kingdom, not our earthly riches. Jesus said: ‘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’ (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV). If we’re saving because we’re afraid, then we need to hand our fears and doubts over to God and ask Him to help us believe that He’ll always provide for us. God wants us to live life to the full now, and that sometimes means giving or spending some of the money we’ve been blessed with. Whether we’re spending or saving, we need to have a good balance and keep God as our priority.
Heb 9:1-11:16; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Prov 12:1-3
2020-05-21
Proverbs 11:24 NIV
It’s important for us to have a balance between spending and saving our money. If we’re always spending, then we’re not wisely preparing for our future. If we’re always saving, we’re not using the money we have to be generous to others, or to enjoy life now. So let’s start by looking at spending. It’s a good idea to regularly review how much money we’re spending, and what we’re spending it on. While the Bible doesn’t have lots of specifics about how we should spend money, it does give us a few guidelines to follow: 1) Be generous. We’re told, ‘do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased’ (Hebrews 13:16 NIV). God doesn’t want us to only spend our money on ourselves. We can give to charity and we can share with people who are struggling financially. 2) Tithe. The principle of tithing is to give a portion of our income to the church. Some people feel uncomfortable with this principle, but what God is basically asking is that we use some of our money to help build His kingdom. By giving some back we recognise that it was a gift from God, and it’s an expression of our gratitude to Him. 3) Give cheerfully. In 2 Corinthians, we’re told: ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (9:7 NIV). God’s interested in our hearts. So if we’re just giving money away because we feel like we have to, or because we think God will bless us if we do, then our hearts aren’t in the right place. We need to be giving because we want to bless others, and to show our gratitude to God.
Heb 5-8; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 93; Prov 11:30-31
2020-05-20
Philippians 4:19 ESV
When we have a spiritual, physical, relational, or financial need, God says He’ll meet it. But some of us struggle to believe it. We worry because we doubt whether God will really provide for us. But Jesus said: ‘Don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need’ (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT). God is our Provider. He cares for us, and looks after us. The psalmist wrote: ‘The LORD is my shepherd, I have all that I need’ (Psalm 23:1 NLT). Shepherds care for their sheep. The sheep are dependent on the shepherd. The shepherd takes them to food and protects them from attack. We can rely on God as our Shepherd too. We might be tempted to think that God’s provision is only for our spiritual and emotional needs, but He also cares about our material and financial needs. We might not get everything we want, but God will ensure we have everything we need. Paul wrote: ‘My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.’ God is often called Jehovah Jireh; this means God who provides. Abraham first declared that God was his provider when an animal was provided to be the sacrifice (you can read the full story in Genesis 22). Sometimes we can be afraid because we don’t seem to have enough to get by, but when we take our problems to God, rather than trying to figure out everything ourselves, we can have peace and rest in the knowledge that God will provide.
Heb 1-4; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 88:9b-18; Prov 11:27-29
