401 (k)

12/17/08…Humbly I come before You Lord trying with desire to understand rich and poor. There are those with much who reference the Book of Job as their reason for accepting Your monetary blessings, and a reason to not empty their bank accounts, or cash in their 401 (k), or downsize their house, or sell their country club membership, in order to feed the hungry and attend to the poor. Surely my life is a reflection of the same indictment I see in others. I might as well hold a mirror up to my face.

Yet, as I read Job, I realize this…before You blessed him this is the order in which Satan was allowed by You to run rampant in his life and strip everything from him. Directed by Satan, the Sabeans killed all of Job’s five hundred oxen and five hundred donkeys; then in turn they killed all of his servants. Directed by Satan, fire fell down from the sky and burned up all of his seven thousand sheep and his servants were killed. Directed by Satan, the Chaldeans raided his livestock and took all of his three thousand camels and killed his servants who tended the camels. Directed by Satan, a mighty wind struck his house and killed all of his seven sons and three daughters. Then finally, You allowed Satan to strike his flesh and cover him from head to toe with boils. The irony is by Your own admission, Job was a blameless and upright man in Your eyes. Blameless, Lord; You could not find one thing wrong with him in Your sight.

So I guess what I am saying Lord, is if You allow Satan to kill my son, if You allow Satan to empty my bank account, if You allow Satan to empty my 401 (k), if You allow Satan to strip me of every possession I own, if You allow Satan to infect me from head to toe with boils, if You look at my heart and call me blameless and upright, then I guess at the end of it all, if You then choose to bless me like You did Job in his latter days, I think I would be very comfortable with the “riches.” Please Lord, understand, as much as I want to glorify You, I would not wish this on my worst enemy. But if You did do this, then I guess I would accept my “riches.” Until then everything You have shown me in Your Word points to me walking away from all my riches to feed the hungry and attend to the poor.