A Wealth Beyond The Riches of the World

Prayer-Soldier

A Wealth Beyond The Riches of the World

Scripture:

All you that thirst, come to the waters: and you that have no money make haste, buy, and eat: come, buy wine and milk without money, and without any price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy you? Hearken diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and your soul shall be delighted in fatness. Incline your ear and come to me: hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the faithful mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:1-3)

Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or persecution? Or the sword?

But in all these things we overcome, because of him that has loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

Which when Jesus had heard, he retired from thence by a boat, into a desert place apart, and the multitudes having heard of it, followed him on foot out of the cities. And he coming forth saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now passed: send away the multitudes, that going into the towns, they may buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said to them, They have no need to go: give you them to eat. They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes. Who said to them: Bring them hither to me. And when he had commanded the multitude to sit down upon the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up what remained, twelve full baskets of fragments. And the number of them that did eat, was five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:13-21)

Reflection:

What determines if one is rich? So many believe wealth is what may be counted in terms of coin or possessions. So many believe it is found in the size of a house or the price of what is worn. All these things are of the world, but what do they mean to the soul? What we gather today may be gone easily tomorrow. Our wealth of the world is but a storm or war away from being nothing. Our wealth of the world may be coveted by the thief, swallowed by a spark or swept away in a torrent. What do we have, then, when what we gathered is now gone?

We need elements of the world to feed our bodies, to care for one another, but true wealth is found in what we store in the heart. We cannot put coin within. We cannot gather the harvest of the field within, but what we can gather of and give freely of is love. He has given His love to us abundantly, but the wealth of our heart depends upon whether we choose to receive it and what we choose to give from it. He has given us the gift to give of love so that we may share abundantly of our wealth, but it is our choice to do so. Unlike the wealth of the world, what we give from the riches of love yields much more than what we might ever keep.

All the children of His creation were born with great wealth, but so many fail to see it. We may share of it freely so that all may know blessings or we may fall to the ways of the evil one so that what is shared is calamity and strife. It is our choice to receive what He gives. It is our choice to share what He gives. It is our choice to devote ourselves to what shall return to dust or to what shall yield eternal life.

The world we face yields both challenge and blessings. Through the sin of those before us, we face the temptations and wages of evil. From the moment the serpent prevailed in the choice made by Eve and her husband, the children of His creation were put against the world. Our faith is tested by the challenges we face and what we choose to overcome. As we stand alone, the tribulations of the world are overwhelming, but as we stand with Him, there is nothing which we cannot overcome.

In the prisons and torture chambers of tyrants and terrorists, faith is tested. The weak fall, but those who have Him within their hearts endure. Blessed are those who seek Him, for there is no greater power than His love.

Blessed are those who have heard how Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the thousands with but five loaves and two fishes. Some stand in awe that such was accomplished through the hands of one man. What we do not see, though, is what was done was not just one meal. If we think in terms of the world, we are amazed at the feeding of thousands, but have we stopped to think of the billions of hearts He feeds every day? He invites all the children of His creation to His table to eat and drink of what brings eternal life to the soul.

He fed the multitudes and healed the sick before Him, but such moments were small compared to what He offers to all the children of His creation. He offers love to every heart; let us choose to receive it. So that all may be saved through Him, He came down from heaven to teach us His Word; let us choose to live it.

He has given us wealth beyond our comprehension, for even the one who is poorest in terms of the possessions of the world holds wealth greater than the one who is richest in terms of the possessions of the earth. Blessed is the one who cares first for the possessions of the heart, for their happiness shall be greatest. In prayer, we should offer Him thanks and praise for all His blessings, for while He knows our every need, it is through prayer we return a measure of the abundance He grants to us.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier