True Riches

Have you ever been upset when you see someone who does wrong thrive in society? Have you felt angry that the arrogant, wealthy, successful (by worldly standards) seem to prosper and get all that why want with no punishment? I have wondered about this at times as well. But don't get too upset, if you are in Christ, you have much more than they.

Here's a little bit of what God's Word has to say:

Psalm 73:1-28 -

¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.
⁵ They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.
⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with arrogance they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.
¹¹ They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care, they increase in wealth.

¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
    and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
    you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
    you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I will tell of all your deeds.

In my NIV Study Bible the footnotes on these verses are as follows:

"Two strong themes wind their way through these verses (1) the wicked prosper, leaving the faithful people wondering why they bother to be good, and (2) the wealth of the wicked looks so inviting that faithful people may wish they could trades places. But these two themes come to unexpected ends, for the wealth of the wicked suddenly loses its power at death and the rewards for the good suddenly take on eternal value. What seemed like wealth is now waste, and what seemed worthless now lasts forever. Don't wish you could trade places with evil people to get their wealth. One day they will wish they could trade places with you and have your eternal wealth.
73:20 - Realize that the rich who put their hope, joy, and confidence in their wealth live in a dreamworld. A dream exists only in the mind of the dreamer. Don't let your life's goals be so unreal that you awaken too late and miss the reality of God's truth. Happiness and hope can be a reality, but only when they are based on God, not on riches. Because reality is in God, we should get as close to Him as we can in order to be realistic about life.
73:23-24 - We have the hope of the resurrection. Though our courage and strength may fail, we know that one day we will be raised to life to serve Him forever. He is our security, and we must cling to Him."

Throughout my few adult years on this earth I have experienced the jealousy of those who have more than me. Whether it is more money, a boyfriend, nicer clothes, a better physical appearance, the list goes on. 

The truth that lies in God and His Word is that none of these things matter if we do not have Christ. We would be better off with nothing that this world has to offer as long as we know Jesus and have a relationship with Him. 

Philippians 3:7-9 -
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

It may seem crazy to you that having worldly wealth means nothing compared to knowing Jesus but it is the truth.

If you are struggling and wondering why it seems that people who do not know the Lord "have everything" consider what the Bible says. If they never come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, they will be destroyed and in Hell for eternity.

Personally, I'd rather have nothing; no money, no family, no fame, no home...nothing except Jesus. It is all considered rubbish compared to knowing Him who saves us.
However, as a side note, along with knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior, He richly blesses us with many, many wonderful things. So I'm not saying that you should get rid of your family, job, home, etc. Just remember that Jesus is your true treasure.
Matthew 6:21 -

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"Blind my eyes, I'm looking to heaven, holding all Your promises against my chest. I offer up the life I've been given till my last breath...Your coming is as sure as the sun is rising, here comes the day it's breaking in my heart Your children are running to You."

Look to Christ, remember His promises. He never fails and is with you always. Keep running towards Him to find everything you need. Also remember that His timing is not our timing so do not give up though it can be hard to wait. Be patient. He has a plan.
As one of my most favorite verses and promises says:

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you; declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

-Brit