There was a man who went into a pub with everything he owned. He sat down at the table to gamble. At first, he bets only a little of what he has. He rolls the dice and a miracle happens! All the dice line up. The man yells, "Today is my lucky day. I will bet more next time!" So he rolls again, but this time with more on the table. A miracle happens again! All the dice line up. The man continues this over and over and everytime he wins; then eventually, everything he owns is on the table, even the shirt off his back. He thought to himself, "Surely I have rolled these dice over and over and they haven't failed me yet." However, the dealer seen the man and thought to himself, "You fool! One day these dice will not line up and everything you own will be mine, for I have worked a long time in this pub and I see it everytime: the dice will one day not line up, and everything you own will be mine." Sure enough, what the dealer said came true and the day came, and everything on the table was taken from him. And because the man didn't have enough money for even a beer, he was cast out of the pub into darkness where he wept because everything he owned was gone. And so it is with every man who trusts in this life and loves his possessions; for everyday is a miracle, but even though we have many days of life, there is a day of death; as it is written, "For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others." (Psalms 49:10)
Then it says, " When he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself—And though men praise you when you do well for yourself— He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. " (Psalms 49:17-19)
For riches do not descend after us; and the praise of man is a snare and a trap; our lives are not worthy to be trusted, for we have no assurance of tomorrow. " Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish. " (Psalms 49:20)
And furthermore it says, " There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. " (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2)
So if we don't enjoy our wealth on earth, how can we in the grave? If we aren't happy with riches while they're in our hands, how will we be satisfied when they grow wings and fly away? Is the millionaire ever satisfied with one million? Doesn't he chase after two? As it says, " He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. " (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
And all of this toil and striving for what? Is there anything we can take with us when we die? Not even our bodies go with us, for the body goes back to the dust from which it came, for God created man from the dust; as it says, " The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. " (Genesis 2:7)
Then it says, " The dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. " (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
For " As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? " (Ecclesiastes 5:15-17)
Everything we think we have, we don't have: we leave it to someone who comes after us; we leave it to him who did not work nor toil for it. So what do any of us really own? But rather it says, " The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. " (Psalm 24:1)
Are these things according to word only? Aren't they also according to experience? Or are we making things up? Ask the ancestors, those who were before us, for they died and in their death they still speak. We are merely stewards of what God has entrusted to us. And if we cannot be trusted with earthly things, who will trust us with heavenly things? If we hold tightly to dust which is borrowed, who will give unto us refined gold? (Luke 16:10-12) Riches do not deliver on the day of wrath; as it says about that day, “They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD.” (Ezekiel 7:19) For all silver and gold and costly stones can forgive even a single sin; as it says, " No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him — For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever — That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. " (Psalm 49:7-9)
As he says, "He should cease trying forever", for that which is costly is freely given by God, humiliating the rich. For God is gracious, even giving freely what is most costly; He who owns everything and gives to everyone, breath and life and all things, also continues in His giving with the most precious, which is beyond price. So God gives freely to the praise of His glory, and the rich hold fast to riches to the pain of his own flesh, for amassing riches brings pain onto oneself; and trusting in them is a futile attempt for safety. Or can a dead image of a king on a coin or an inscription on a bill deliver? If you put a torch to it, it can't even save itself! And when the king was alive, he couldn't save himself, otherwise he wouldn't have died; how much less can his picture save now when he is in the realm of the dead?
So what good comes from riches? There is much in every way, for “Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend.” (Proverbs 19:4) But then it says, “When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?” (Ecclesiastes 5:11) So wealth is good to make friends, but it is not a trustworthy servant and it is not worthy of our affections. For many pierce themselves with many sins and sorrows chasing after wealth in the love of money; as it says, " There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. " (Ecclesiastes 1:12)
For the love of money is a snare among us, a trap which springs and captures and does not release except by the love of the truth; as it says, " The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. " (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
“Who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:5) For why do men do evil, except for the love of things? As it says, “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.” (James 4:2) But here is the nature of God: He does not store up for Himself, but in His riches and kindness He gives freely to everyone who asks, and He is generous to all, even the disobedient and unthankful (Luke 6:35); He dwells in heaven, but all that is on earth is given to the sons of men; even so, He does not withhold that which is most precious, which is eternal, which is stored up in heaven; and this is evident in that He causes the rain to pour down from heaven onto all flesh, the unjust and the just alike. And if it is so with rain, how much more with spiritual blessings? As it says, "It is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12) So who do we really hurt by being rich towards ourselves? If we give, it is to the benefit of others; if we withhold, it is to the hurt of them; as it says, “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man.” (Job 35:6-8) But even so, if we are rich towards ourselves only, and defraud and wrong our neighbors for the sake of money, we hurry along the judgment of God; as it says, " You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. " (James 5:3-5)
For all covetousness is idolatry, and God's wrath is against idolatry, for in it is the worship of the things of the world (Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5). All such worship and service is not toward the one true God, but toward that which is by nature no god. An idolater bows down and serves a statue, which is merely a created thing; how is that any different from a man who serves money?
But rather, be rich toward God. Do not be like the man that says to himself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” " But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:15-21)
For when an animal offering was made, the fat of the offering was burnt up to God, so the fat is the LORD's. And what we have in excess is fat. Judge for yourselves: is it good to see the poor suffering while indulging yourself? See this parable and fear: " And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16:20-31)
What do you think God is asking from you? That you be hard pressed and another be eased? Of course not! But rather in view of the graciousness of God: if you have more than enough, give to the one who lacks, and so by doing you will store up for yourselves " Treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " (Matthew 6:20-21)
Seek the gift of God, which is the reward of righteousness; as it says, " As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. " (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20)
So “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” (Proverbs 23:4-5)