“[Elijah] arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:10-16).

It was hunger that brought Elijah to the woman of Zarephath. Why? Because he did not have food. But wasn’t he a faithful servant of God? He was, in fact, not just a servant, but actually a prophet who communicated with God. Yet, amazingly, he did not have riches. Even when God blessed the woman of Zarephath by multiplying her food, we do not have any account that she became rich. Nonetheless, the woman, her son, and Elijah had just enough food to be able to eat throughout the period of famine.

Similarly, Elisha the servant of Elijah, another prophet of God, and his servant Gehazi were depending on others for shelter and food. (See 2 Kings 4.)

When Christ came to this earth, did He promise material riches to those who served Him faithfully? Was He Himself a rich man? Let’s find out: “A certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19, 20).

Christ made it plain to the man that the One he was deciding to follow did not have even a place to lay His head, let alone other material things. In other words, Christ was trying to educate the mind of His people away from the riches of the world, meaning that the moment you make up your mind to serve God, you may forfeit many worldly riches and honor.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:23-26).

When Peter reminded his Lord that he and the other desciples had abandoned every earthly thing to follow Him, he asked what would be their reward.

Here is the answer of Christ, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (verses 28, 29).

Here Christ made it plain to the disciples that their great reward would be everlasting life. As a matter of fact, there is no blessing or riches one can ever compare to everlasting life. A life where we never grow old and have no sickness, pain, diseases, or death is more than material wealth. Why? Because material riches cannot guarantee these things in this present world. A very rich person can become ill, grow old, be attacked by robbers, be involved in an accident and, of course, eventually die even if spared the rest of those troubles. Basically, Christ was not interested in material riches but eternal riches. That is why He asked, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36, 37).

Christ is telling us not to focus on this temporal life, but rather to follow Him: “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (verses 34, 35).

Were Christ’s first disciples very rich? Let us recall the experience of Peter and John in Acts chapter 3. Before taking the hand of a lame beggar to lift him up to walk, Peter told him, “Silver and gold have I none” as an explanation as to why he would not be giving him alms - but rather, in the name of Jesus Christ, something even better: restoration.

Undoubtedly, Peter and John were men who served God faithfully all their life and did many miracles through the power of God, but when it came to the issue of riches, Peter clearly had none.

In truth they did not have any riches; these were men who were depending on God for their daily supplies. But, were they faithful people? Yes, indeed.

Let us take heed to the testimony of the apostle Paul:

“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).

Certainly, no rich person relishing a life of ease can pass through all these painful experiences. The apostle Paul often suffered from hunger because there was no food, from cold because there were not enough clothes to keep him warm.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Paul was in a very good position to acquire wealth, but the primary goal of his life was in line with the challenging question: “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Jesus explained:

“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? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:24-26).

Some people may misunderstand this assurance if they overlook 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.

Since our God shall supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19), we should not be so ambitious about worldly things as the unbelievers who do not know God. We are assured that if we serve Him faithfully, He will give us everything we need, though not necessarily all that we want. “The spirit of gain getting, of making haste to be rich, of this all-absorbing worldliness, is painfully contradictory to our faith and doctrines.”1

At this point we also need to ask another question: Is being rich a sin? No indeed; the word of God explains that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Please notice that the problem is not the money but the LOVE of money. Money itself has great value when acquired in God’s own way and used for the advancement of the gospel and for blessing humanity.

“Money has great value, because it can do great good. In the hands of God’s children it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. It is a defense for the oppressed, and a means of help to the sick. But money is of no more value than sand, only as it is put to use in providing for the necessities of life, in blessing others, and advancing the cause of Christ.”2

It is not a sin to be rich, but sin may come in when one who professes to serve God and keep His commandments desires to be rich. “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (Proverbs 28:20). I heard of a pastor who had told his members: if you are not rich, you should ask yourself a question, “Am I serving a living God or a dead god?” Great danger exists in churches with such mercenary aims.

Abraham had great riches, but he dwelt in tents and booths, “for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

When Satan destroying all Job’s wealth and tempted him with the thought that Job was serving God because He had given him riches, Job did not abandon his trust in God. The word of God records: “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all these Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:20-22).

“Then said [Job’s] wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:9, 10).

Job felt ready to be laid to rest - he never knew that God was going to restore anything to him. He declared, “Now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest” (Job 3:13).

God can bless His children in whatever way He wants. He knows whom to make rich, whom to give little, and whom to make poor. But for one to come to God because he or she wants to be rich would be a very great mistake. God cannot honor such ambition. Our God is so good to them that put their trust in Him (Psalm 145:9) that the psalmist says: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:25).

The Lord wants us to understand that He made us, and only He knows what is the best for us. Therefore He will give us exactly what we need and not all we want. This is why He inspired the apostle Paul to admonish Timothy: “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; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (verses 6-12).

“Paul in this letter to Timothy would impress upon his mind the necessity of giving such instruction as should remove the deception which so easily steals upon the rich, that because of their riches they are superior to those who are in poverty, that because of their ability to acquire they are superior in wisdom and judgment - in short, that gain is godliness. Here is a fearful deception. How few heed the charge which Paul commissioned Timothy to make to the rich! How many flatter themselves that their acquisitiveness is godliness! Paul declares, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain.’ Although rich persons may devote their whole lives to the one object of getting riches, yet as they brought nothing into the world, they can carry nothing out. They must die and leave that which cost them so much labor to obtain. They staked their all, their eternal interest, to obtain this property, and have lost both worlds.”3

The word of God says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3, 4).

These two verses explain to us what God will do in His kingdom. Now, if we have everything we want and live comfortably here on earth, what tears shall God wipe away? The truth is that the tears show that this earth is not a very comfortable place for any sincere child of God. We cannot start building mansions and pursue worldly riches because we are pilgrims traveling up the narrow path to a better land.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Real faith in God gives joy, peace, and contentment; and anyone who trusts in the Lord experiences true happiness, and he or she is very grateful to God for any blessing He sends.

But “he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.”