Page 22 - The Prosperous Way _ (APRIL 2024 v3)

THE PROSPEROUS WAY

• People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin
and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of
evil. Some people, eager for money , have wandered from the
faith… (1 Timothy 6:12)

• Then Jesus said to his disciples “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a
rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mark 10:23)

• No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and
Money. (Matthew 6:24)

So then, which is it? To be rich or not to be rich? Is the Bible
contradicting itself? Absolutely not! What the above Scriptures warn
against is not money itself, or the acquisition of money, but “the love of
money.” It is greed, (the desire for more and more) and idolatry (placing
material possessions above worshipping God) that these Scriptures
condemn. The fact is that God is absolutely pleased to bless us with
material wealth. However, riches that come as a blessing from God will
only come to a person whose heart can remain faithful to God, trusting
in Him only and not in their wealth. That person can be rich and yet at
the same time walk in uncompromised devotion to God.

GOD’S REWARD

We consistently see in the Bible that God has blessed those who
wholeheartedly put their faith in Him with material wealth. Consider
the following examples from the Scriptures:

• And Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female
donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Abram
had become very wealthy in livestock, and in silver and gold.
(Genesis 12:16 & 13:2)

• Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a
hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. The man became
rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very
wealthy. (Genesis 26:12-13)

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