There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing: there is one that makes himself poor, yet has great riches. V: 7

In God’s economy, things don’t work like the world’s system. How can one be rich, yet have nothing? How can one who is poor have great riches? Well, that ISN”T exactly right. It says: There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; there is one that makes himself poor, yet has great riches. Our heart’s desire is at the root of this verse.

If I ‘make myself rich’, my motivation is the wealth itself. It is an accepted course to pursue in the eyes of the world. In this situation, though I may be ‘rich’ with a bank account that’s full, in reality it’s as if I had nothing at all. Earthly possessions are never to be the stumbling block to a much greater treasure. No fortune that can be amassed will ever bring me peace with God, or give me the peace of God. A ‘self-made’ billionaire is nothing more than a hopeless beggar in a deserted wasteland.

If I ‘make myself poor’, my motivation is not myself or the here and now. To make myself poor I must deny my flesh…I must choose to say no to things that may very likely get my focus off of Christ and onto me, me, me. It means that my eyes see past the gratification of self, above and beyond…all the way to the worthiness of sacrifice. Herein lies a secure promise of dividends that have no equal.

For Today: The Lord can and does bring material blessings upon His people and of course there is nothing wrong with that. However, that is completely different from making riches a priority for us to pursue. If we do so, they will profit us nothing. No matter what I have and no matter what you have, may we all be reminded through the Word of what happens when we make ourselves poor…when we hunger after wisdom and knowledge more than we hunger after anything else. We have a guarantee of great riches that can be taken to the Bank of the Living God.