Just
being poor doesn’t guarantee a place in heaven…nor does being rich. Poverty has
stricken nearly 700 million people around the world according to the World Bank
Group on-line. Most of those people are in the Sub-Saharan region of the world
where there is famine and war placing great testing on the Christians, as well
as everyone, who lives there. The sun rises and sets on all the nations of the
world. James wrote that God honors the poor—but in their circumstances, we can
hardly see how God is honoring them. No food for the hungry and battles waging
around them. How does that honor them? Those of them that know that God loves
them have a great testimony as they share what God has done in their lives.
The
rich should boast that God has humbled them…as James wrote to the Christian Jews and everyone around
the world. Being humbled for God or by God is a memorable experience. This adds
to the testimony of those believers. God is love…and He shares and shows His
love to those who believe in Jesus as their Savior. Those who are rich…can
also include those who are rich in spiritual ways. God has truly touched me…I
believe in Jesus, in God the Father, and in the Holy Spirit who lives in me and
through me. Even as I write this, I know that it is God working in me…directing
me and choosing the words I type, because greater is He that is in me than he
that is in the world.
But you belong to God, my dear
children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit
who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4
It is an
awesome thing to belong to God, to be part of His family, to know that
you are an heir right alongside of Jesus. I am blessed…and I’m boasting about
that! Can you do the same? The choice is yours. Come join me in believing in
Jesus as your Savior…and boast about being part of God’s family! Greatest
family ever!
Believers
who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those
who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a
little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little
flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich
will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses those who patiently
endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:9-12
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, I can hardly wait to cast my crown at Your feet, for You are
worthy of praise and honor and glory. Rich or poor—we will stand before and
sing praises to You and to Your name.
Meditate.
Read God’s word and love Him with all your heart.
Verse
of Salvation ~ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you
will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to
understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives
until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of
your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus
Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:9-11
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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