Week 17: Financial Peace
Weekly Reading:
II Kings 3 - 23
Opening Prayer
Father God,
I know that your desire for each of us is financial peace, peace only found by trusting in you. We tend to overlook how much we have in America, how blessed we are. Father, shake up my thinking, challenge me when I want to buy more. Only you know my needs, and my needs are only in you, Father.
Amen
Study
As we age and gain wealth or possessions, we become more dependent on money. We buy houses, maybe more house than we can afford. The home must be in the "right" neighborhood with "good" schools. Homeowners association, yes, please. Extensive lawns with loads of maintenance, absolutely, we need that. More rooms than children need, formal dining, exercise room, why not? And now that we have a nice house we need a nice car, right? Name brand clothes? Of course. We cannot look like we don't belong. Instead of the financial peace our larger paycheck each year should afford, we see financial insecurity because our competitive lifestyle only dictates more, more, more.
The poor widow we see in her advanced years in II Kings 4:1–7 is struggling. Her husband died in debt, which transferred to her and her sons. The threat of slavery to her sons to pay their father's debts looms over them as they enter adulthood. The poor widow comes to Elisha, humbled to admit the debts of her husband, who was true and faithful to the Lord.
Elisha knew this woman was of great faith, a woman who believed in what the Lord would offer.
Elisha asked her, "what do you own? "
"Only a bottle of oil olive oil, that's it," the widow said. She owned no house, large SUV or minivan, no designer clothes, no furnishings from Target.
Elisha gave her a challenge as large as her faith, no more. "Borrow as many empty jars as you can get, then in the privacy of your home fill the jars from your oil, setting them aside as they are filled."
Widow had two choices: scoff at the odd request or fully trust in the Lord and his miracles. It was a true calling of faith, reminding us of the wall of Jericho and how not by touching it, the Israelites could still crumble it acting in faith (Hebrews 11:30; Joshua 6).
The widow filled all the jars and as soon as the jars ran out, so did the oil. The amount of her faith is what was returned to her. If she only grabbed two jars, that would demonstrate the size of her faith. And that's all that she would have received.
Elisha told her to sell the oil to pay her debts, and what was leftover she could use to support herself.
God wants us to rely on him for our needs, to trust in His provision, and that it will be enough. That through his provision, not our provision, we will be secure.
Financial security and insecurity are topics that are often avoided in our conversations. We are proud of our jobs that provide for our wants and needs but never enough. We find ourselves in debt to others and our mortgages, car payments, and credit cards.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24 NLT
"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money."
Two Masters: God and stuff
I read that verse, deciding whether to dedicate my life to God and retire or keep working a job that was killing my soul because I believed the lie that our lifestyle required me to work in this job which turned me into someone I hated.
It is all about the trust in the security that only God can provide.
See Matthew 6:25 NLT
"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?"
Isn't life more than this big house, this lawn that must be perfect, these clothes that contain all the properties to whittle my waist?
Isn't life about connections to God and others?
Isn't it time for me to stop trying to impress others and start living, just living, for God and in God?
Financial security and financial insecurity, the peace versus the stress: how do we trust as the widow did?
Closing Prayer
Father God,
Only through you can I find the peace I need in a society that is always reaching for more, desiring more, shunning enough, despising contentment in the simple. Lord, give me the ability to see that my desire for more things is my desire for more of you.
Amen
Homework
Where do you need to place more trust in God?
What can you do to cut back and be a financially good steward?
God tells us not to be in debt; where are you in your financial walk? Is it time to check out some resources to get over a spending addiction? Is it time to look at Dave Ramsey for financial advice? These are difficult questions that only you and your family can answer, but know I will be praying for you.
