November 5, 2012 Deadly Wealth

Deadly Wealth 1 Kings 14:25-26 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. THE FIRST half of 1 Kings is about God’s great blessings over Solomon in the form of a vast kingdom with great wealth. The second half of 1 Kings is how God takes the wealth away because first Solomon, then his son Rehoboam amid their vast wealth turns their hearts from God. It’s easy to get comfortable in your wealth, isn’t it? Oh, I’m not talking about a vast fortune. I’m talking about Middle Class, average American wealth. Enjoying the benefits of a nice home, a decent car, clothes to wear and food regularly on the table can cause you to get comfortable in your life. Yes, you likely have to work hard for what you have and what you want. But isn’t that too often the problem? You focus on those things. You forget that God has delivered these things of comfort to you. You start to spend too much time accumulating more things or working too hard to keep what you have. You don’t think about it, but slowly and steadily you begin to put those things above your God. Or perhaps God was never actually your greatest priority. Perhaps your main life’s goal has been to accumulate wealth, to gather in things you want because it’s these things the culture defines as marks of success. Who brings to you your wealth? Of course, it is the Lord God, who brings all things to you. Do you put your wealth above God? Do you let it turn your mind from God? That is a dangerous road that will lead to your soul’s destruction. It’s True! Wealth is too often an idol. Worship only the Lord God.