Posted by
TAB on Saturday, July 26, 2008 9:30:51 AM
The Withering Grass, Falling Flower
"For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits." James 1:11 (NKJV).
Our writer, inspired by the Spirit of God has already dealt with the blessing of the poor, or "Lowly brother…" The poor has no one to turn to but to the Lord for their needs. Their daily physical need is met by the Lord and they shall lack nothing. That does not mean they will always have the best, but they will be in their best walk with the Lord.
Like the poor man, the rich will also perish. It does not matter how much wealth the rich man has he cannot buy his health. He might have a better healthcare plan, but the truth still remains, the rich like the poor is going to perish, and no amount of wealth will keep him/her from their appointment with death.
There are those who are poor and have great wealth. They are poor in peace, poor in relationship with God; poor in family relationships; poor in many different relationships; they are indeed the poorest of the poor. They have much of this world but nothing in the next with eternal God.
There are many who are poor in material things and poor in eternal things as well. These are the one’s who will try to get material gain at the expense of others, by taking what does not belong to them; by thievery, robbery, mugging, and killing. They are of their father the devil.
There is a good illustration of this point made just seven miles from my front door last Wednesday evening (03/12/08). In a small Lake Town of Southwest Missouri someone broke into a bank around midnight, broke into safe deposit boxes, took out contents, and no one even knew it was going on, or that it had happened until opening time on Thursday morning. These thieves seemed to know exactly what to do. According to the news reports they had turned the outside cameras around backwards, and spraypainted the inside ones, and somehow had broken in the rear door, and disarmed the alarm before it had time to be set off. How someone can be so smart to disarm and accomplish this crime to take someone elses hard earned cash and valuable papers is not pleasing and honorable to our Lord. They are already caught. They have been caught "redhanded" with their hands in the pot. It may not have been the law enforcement officials, but the Lord of the universe saw them do it, and they will not get away for long. They will one day meet their Judge.
These are those who are too full of themselves to know God. They are poor in material things; and they are poor in eternal things; and their time of judgment will come.
Those who are rich in this world’s things and in God will realize the blessing is from God, and will be led by the Spirit of God to help the less fortunate of their brothers and sisters in Christ. They will also know that they too have an appointment with their Maker, and are also like the grass of the field which withers, the flower that falls away, and its beauty perishes. His earthly pursuits will end, as does his life.
Believe God's Word today.
-Tim A. Blankenship