Discovering True Security

MEMORY SELECTION: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” —I Timothy 6:17

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:16-31

THERE is nothing morally wrong in being rich, provided the wealth was obtained in a legal and moral way. The danger, as our text suggests, is when the consecrated child of the Lord has riches. Wealth is sometimes a stumbling block to those whom the Lord calls, because of the ever present temptation to put the things of the world ahead of the things of the Lord.

We think of our Lord’s experience with the rich young ruler, recorded in Mark 10:17-22. The young man was apparently a sincere young Jew who was under the Law. The Law promised life to any who could keep its precepts perfectly. But even with his best efforts it was evident that he was not gaining life. So he asked the Master, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (vs. 17) The Master replied, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”—vs. 21

The young man was unwilling to dispose of his worldly possessions, realizing that he would be left without the security of the wealth that he had known and enjoyed for so long. Jesus then spoke to his disciples saying, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”—vs. 23

What Jesus asked the young man to do is essentially what is required of everyone who makes a full and unreserved consecration to the Heavenly Father. The Lord requires that, first, we give him our heart. This implies that nothing will supplant God as the foremost interest in our lives. Also, to demonstrate the singleness of mind and purpose, the Lord requires that we surrender our all—our minds, our strength, our talents, and our worldly possessions. It is true the Lord does not require us actually to dispose of our worldly possessions as he did with the rich young ruler, but the spirit of divestment must be there. In other words, we must be in the attitude of mind that we would be willing to dispose of them if we were asked to.

When we give our hearts to the Lord, he expects that we will rely completely on him for our security and for all of our needs. Our relationship with the Heavenly Father is that of a son with his father, and what father would withhold from his son those things that are needful for his development and growth, especially when our Father is the great Creator of the universe?

Our Lord expresses the peculiar position of the consecrated child of God with respect to the watchcare and the provision of the necessities of life thus: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”—Matt. 6:24,25,33,34

Part of our selected scripture deals with a parable uttered by our Lord. It describes a rich man whose lands brought forth abundantly. He was unable to store his great abundance properly and so he determined to tear down his present barns and replace them with a very great facility. “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”—Luke 12:16-21

There is only one real source of security to the child of the Lord, and that is our Heavenly Father, who has promised to provide for and care for his children in every way during their Christian walk. And if they are faithful to their covenant, he will provide an abundant entrance into the kingdom.

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