2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

From the world’s perspective, it operates on wealth, and specifically financial wealth. Those who don’t have it want it, and those who have it tend to lord it over those who don’t. All of that totally ignores the reality that we are created beings, and our Creator never lacks for anything. After all, there’s an asteroid out there that is largely made up of gold, platinum, and other valuable metals, to the point that there are serious plans to go out there and mine it. However, if all of that were brought to earth at once, it would drive the price of each of those metals down to almost nothing. In human economy, price is determined by supply and demand, and when the supply exceeds the demand, the price plummets. That is demonstrated in what is happening in China right now, with a glut of both manufactured goods and of young people with advanced degrees. With exports being limited by political pressures, the supply of many kinds of manufactured goods greatly exceeds the demand, so they become worthless. With so many young people with college and graduate degrees, wages are so low that there are many people with Masters or even Doctorate degrees working as food delivery drivers, for example. God values each of us individually, and the supply can never exceed the demand there. That’s why we need to get away from the world’s valuations and let the Lord reveal His heart to us. After all, He values us so highly that He sent His Son to die for us! This verse addresses that whole issue. Elon Musk, currently the richest person in the world, can’t begin to compare to the wealth of Jesus Christ, who owns the whole universe! As Paul says here, He set all that aside to come and deliver us from our sins, making available to us His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) When we gain that perspective, material wealth ceases to have much meaning at all.

This is extremely timely, because just last night I was discussing finances with my younger daughter, who happens to be a banker. Because of various circumstances, my wife and I are currently in the very unaccustomed place of no financial anxiety. That in itself produces a degree of anxiety in me, because I am so unaccustomed to it, and I very much want to be a faithful steward of what the Lord has placed in my hands. I am reminded of someone who was in our church years ago who inherited a fairly considerable sum, but through poor financial management, quickly lost most of it, both through buying things and through giving things away. That’s an example of what not to do! My wife and I need to listen accurately to the Lord as to what He wants us to do with the resources He has placed at our disposal, recognizing that the spiritual wealth we have in Christ far exceeds anything the world could possibly give us.

Father, thank You for Your incredible generosity. Help me operate in Your wisdom in relation to the material and spiritual wealth You have poured out on us, so that we may be instruments of Your will being done on this earth, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!