STOP!

Job 31:24-28 "If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above." ESV

 

This is in toward the end of Job's discussion of what he had done with his life and what had become of it. He outlined that he helped the poor, the widow, the needy. People listened to him, respected him, stood in his presence, ask for advice from him. He didn't rejoice in his enemy's calamity. He helped the foreigner. He invited people into his home. His children were around him and they were happy. He honored his wife. Frankly, this guy was exactly what God said about him…there was no one like him…blameless and upright. Job lived a life that pleased God and it resulted in good. But then…then things went south. Total calamity overtook him. He lost it all and people mocked him.

 

The thing is, back when he had it all he didn't trust it at all. He didn't put his confidence in all of his stuff and wealth. When he had respect he did not congratulate himself. He didn't kiss his own hand. Why? Because this "would have been false to God above".

 

How true. When we trust our stuff, when we trust our bank accounts, when we trust our 401k's and mutual funds we are being false to God above. When we kiss our hands, when we pat ourselves on the back, when we think we are all that, we are being false to God above. Unfortunately, this is the world. This is the way it is. Our money says: "In God we Trust", but that is false. We don't trust God anymore. We think that we can do it on our own. We can make our own way. We can grab the inner strength and be a self made man and then we can tell everyone how great we are. This is deception. This is a lie. This is being false to God above.

 

Why? Because He is the Source of all things. He gave Job all he had. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away". Job knew the Source of it all and he was not going to trust the stuff that God provided or the press clippings that he read. It was all God. It was always all God. It will always be all God.

 

So, when I am tempted to think about my bank account, my retirement fund, Social Security and I start to rely on those things…STOP. When I think that all of the things that I have came from my abilities…STOP. Be true to God.