Prosperity Only in God

SCRIPTURE 
The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. 

Isaiah 32:14-15

OBSERVATION
People live so sinfully that they completely ignore God as they live their lives. Their pride, comfort, and security are found elsewhere; they think they can continue without God and the good times will last. But they won't. They will lose everything they hold dear, and only find peace by submitting to the One True Living God.

I have lived through the Dot Com bubble bursting in the early 2000's, a Great Recession later that same decade, and a global pandemic that no one saw coming. Those events taught me how futilely people live their lives thinking their economic prosperity will continue; only to be devastated when they fall into financial ruin.

APPLICATION
Only God can give us prosperity. It does not matter how hard we work, how smart our decisions may be, or how well we treat other people. If we don't live our lives in complete obedience to His will then our lives are meaningless. People understand the concept of our lives in this Earth being temporary. In their heads, they know about death. However, in their hearts they act like they will live forever and waste time chasing after temporary things. When my mom passed away none of her earthly possessions went with her. All of her clothes, jewelry, and material possessions stayed behind and were ultimately given away. Why worry about wealth when you can't take it with you once you die? God is eternal, and will gladly let us live eternally with Him if we chose to.

PRAYER
Lord of all creation,
    All glory, honor, and praise to You alone. May Your servant help others see how truly temporary our lives are here on earth. May I help them surrender to You, and be able to live forever in Your Presence. May I help them know how wonderful You are, and how much greater You are than anything this physical world can provide. May they stand in reverent awe of who You are, and worship You as only You deserve. May they encounter Your love, Your grace, and Your holiness.

Amen

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