Rich Beyond Measure
I ended last Wednesday’s poetic devotional with the famous words of Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Did you know this powerful Old Testament theology is applied to money, wealth, and riches in the New Testament?
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”
(Hebrews 13:5-9)
Being rich
is not a money matter:
not big houses
not big bank accounts
not expensive cars
not collections of luxuries.
You can have all these things
and more
and be sadly and miserably
poor.
Building a warehouse of cash
and material things
is not a pathway to
real wealth.
Many have tried,
seduced by feelings of riches
hoping the next thing
will satisfy
only to feel empty inside:
poor of heart.
Poverty is a life of
chasing things that
have no ability
to satisfy.
Being rich,
experiencing wealth
that is
satisfying
lasting
transformative
and producing
a profound gratitude
that captures the
heart
and satiates the
soul
and gives new
meaning to everything
is not a matter of
material stuff
but of identity.
The deepest
most eternally wonderful
of all identities
cannot be earned.
It is not of our
choosing
but of being
chosen.
From before eternity,
our identity—
the only one that
really matters
that makes us
incredibly
eternally rich—
was written
in God’s family journal.
Before the past
was the past
now was now
before earth was
and we were,
God claimed us as
his own,
wrapped arms of grace
around us,
and guaranteed
we would be
forever loved
eternally rich
with satisfied hearts
and peaceful souls
never to be poor again
in the only way that
matters.
If you are God’s child, this is your identity. You are not your possessions. You are not your achievements. You are not your money.
You are the son or daughter of the God of glory and grace. Your father is the King of kings. You are a citizen of his kingdom, one of his priests.
You have been freed from sin by the shed blood of his Son. The one who has showered you with such love reigns now and forever in glory and dominion.
When you get up in the morning, remind yourself that you are eternally loved, that your Father reigns in power and glory, that sin will never have the final victory over you, and that you have been welcomed into a kingdom that will never end.
By grace, your search for identity has ended. By grace, you are rich beyond measure.
A Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to understand true riches. Help me to remember that I am eternally loved, that you reign in power and glory, that sin will never have the final victory over me, and that I have been welcomed into a kingdom that will never end. Lord, by faith I trust you and your provision for me in every way. Thank you that because of Christ, I am rich beyond measure. In his precious name I pray, amen.
God bless,
Paul Tripp
Discussion Prompt for Children:
• What do you think it means to be rich? Why might being truly rich mean more than just having a lot of money?
• Do you think it’s possible to be rich but not have a lot of money? Why or why not?
• What do you think God considers when he refers to being rich?
Reflection Questions
1. In the past, how has your pursuit of wealth been something that has left you unsatisfied or terribly burdened? In what ways have you chased things that have no ability to satisfy you?
2. How have you based your identity on wealth, achievement, status, and other forms of earthly riches? What were the direct results of your pursuit of those things?
3. Why can’t the deepest, most eternally wonderful of all identities be earned? How does grace directly apply to your truest identity? Why is it so important to first and foremost consider yourself a child of God?
4. How does the reminder about who you truly are in Christ affect you day-to-day? Where might the gap be between the truth of who you truly are and how you live each day moment to moment? Why, if you are in Christ, are you rich beyond measure?