Rich or Poor - SAME LORD!

Prov 22:2 NLT) The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.

NOTE: Yesterday I made the mistake of actually teaching from 22:3, so I inadvertently skipped over this verse. This morning we go back to it.

This morning we continue in the book of Proverbs - Solomon was a rich man, actually the richest man in the world at the time of his writings, so it's pleasantly refreshing for a man of so much wealth to acknowledge the fact that God does not discriminate based on the size of our bank accounts.

Jesus Himself acknowledged the fact that there will always be some contingent of the poor in the world (Mat 26:11). For a myriad of reasons (self-inflicted or otherwise) there will always be poor among us. And the same can be said for the rich. Whether some like it or not, there will always be a portion of the human race who are exceptionally rich in earthly resources. God has actually used both for His glory.

Solomon was rich and God used him, Gideon was the weakest man from the weakest clan (this includes his financial statement) and God used him. We serve a God that looks past the outward façade in order to peer down into our hearts (1 Sam 16:7). If our divine assignment in life requires lots of money for the accomplishment of it, then the Father has ways of getting that money to us, I am living proof of this, but make no mistake, the money is NOT is determining factor for whether or not He will use us for His glory.

Let me say it another way. If the Lord is looking for someone to accomplish something that will take $50 million dollars to complete, He CAN move upon the heart of someone who already has the money, but He won't if that person's heart is not right. The Father can just as easily move upon the heart of a man who has $50 dollars in his bank account, but whose heart is right, and give that person the favor and ingenuity to generate the resources. The money will come, but the most important thing to God is the heart.

So don't allow money, or the lack thereof, to cause you to despise the poor or envy the rich. The bottom line is that you should treat people based upon the quality of their character, not the size of their bank accounts.

Job, for example, was a rich man and he had plenty of servants. However, he did not allow his money to lead him to think that he was better than his servants. He said the following when discussing his servants and the poor: "Didn't the same God who made me, make them? Aren't we all made of the same stuff, equals before God?" (Job 31:15). Yes Job, you are right!

So what does this mean? Two things:
1. There is ONE LORD and He is the LORD of all. Now, this does not mean that every person is going to heaven (only those who accept Jesus as Lord will do that), but it does mean that our Lord rules over the just and the unjust.
2. The size of your bank account neither qualifies nor disqualifies you from being used of God. So if you have lots of money, don't allow the money to cause you to operate in pride; and if you don't have lots of money, then don't allow your lack of money to make you feel inferior. The Lord can, and will, use both!

Father, I thank You for blessing me according the quality and content of my heart, not the size of my bank accounts. I know You have called me for greatness and I know that where You have given vision, You will also release provision. So I am not overly concerned about money. You give me the favor and the ingenuity required to generate and gather the resources necessary to accomplish Your divine purpose for my life. I am purpose driven, vision focused, and above reproach in every way concerning money. Money is my servant, not my master. You are my Lord and You are the Lord of all! In Jesus' name, Amen!