Can’t Trust in Riches

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits (James 1:9-11).

These verses can be a bit hard to understand. Why do you think James would write that a lowly brother (meaning someone who is poor) is exalted and a rich brother is humiliated?

When you’re trying your best to understand the Bible one of the best things to do is read a verse
with the verses around them. This is reading a verse “in context”. If you were to read these three verses again (Parents, you might want to do this), does James give us any clues as to what he means?

The key verse is verse 11. It says, “the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits”. If a
person places their faith in their wealth and not in God, they will be humiliated in due time because all money will one day be useless when they’re dead. How many dead people enjoy their money? That’s the point. Our money is not eternal, only God, his word, and people are eternal. So we should be investing in things that are eternal and not temporal things. James wants us to place our hope firmly in God and not money.

Read Luke 12:13-21
1. What do you think is the point of this parable?
2. How can you demonstrate that you trust God more than money?

Prayer
Our Father, thank you that you give us yourself, your Word, and other believers to encourage us. May we invest in eternal things and not those things that are soon to pass away. Help us to have eyes of faith to see that which is most important. In Jesus’ name, Amen.