Truth #95 - The only riches that last are the riches of God - Job 27-28

Job 27:19-20
He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
Terrors overtake him like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries him off.

We are such in the pursuit of something that can disappear in a moment.  In this country, every day, people take a job primarily based upon what the job pays.   Promotions are sought in regard to what the pay step will be.   The world is obsessed with wealth and the accumulation of it.  Men chart their earnings, their savings and their investments.   Riches produce prestige and access and that produces power ... by the world's standards.   Yet:

Proverbs 27:24
for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?

The chasing of riches is like chasing the wind.   You might catch the affects of the wind, but the wind can't be captured or contained.   Job is in the midst the worst experience of his life.   He has had riches and now they are gone.  His health is gone.  His family is gone.   His prestige is gone.   He went to bed one night offering a fat calf as a sacrifice for children he had thought "might" have sinned and he woke up the next morning completely devastated by loss.  Riches are not corrupt ... but the pursuit of them over the fear of the Lord leads to corruptness.   Job is not condemning riches.   He is exposing their frailty and, hence, the despair of those who trust in them.  This is not a seminary class from a giant syllabus Job is teaching.  This is a testimonial of epic proportions Job is confessing.   In this chapter Job is telling us that everything he has is subject to God's movements and God's plan.   He maintains his integrity (Job 27:1-4), but he also submits to the power of God and the will of God.   Jesus told us to pray for "daily" bread, because that is what God promises to provide.   Yet, we accumulate our "bread" and store it up for a "rainy" day fund.  There certainly is nothing wrong with preparation and planning, but how many worship that planning and trust in the planning over God's provision?   If God is blessing today, the story of Job teaches us that He can allow even the man with the most integrity to wake up the next morning and have "terrors overtake him like a flood."   The truth is we need to put our trust in God not in our degree, our ability to earn, or the number of zeros in our bank account.   The only riches that last forever are the riches of God:

Psalm 112:3
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.