Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
The desire to get rich quick is not a noble desire and persons who are thus disposed will be vulnerable to significant financial risks, as different schemes, and devices of men, and devils would cause many to be exposed to unnecessary failure and distress.
Losing all one’s hard-earned money in what should have been a good investment is bad enough, but to lose it all to conmen who will deliberately plot and connive to deprive persons of their earnings is not only discouraging, it can affect one’s spirituality by triggering bouts of depression and buyer’s remorse.
Throughout history, persons who have made it their sole goal to get rich in a hurry, have splattered their history and legacy with infamy, and in the process many have gone from hero to zero, and collateral damage has occurred in others, as individuals were pulled into the financial quagmire.
The Bible tells us of certain individuals who ran into very serious problems who all had as the root cause a desire to get rich quickly. The argument between Abraham and Lot was the result of Lot trying to get rich in a hurry.
The move Lot later made into Sodom, was largely driven by the inordinate desire, and the end result is before our faces, so that persons might chart a different course, for like so many other casualties of greed, Lot went from hero to zero.
Judas was driven to insanity by the desire to get rich and famous in a hurry, and thus, he sold The Lord of glory for thirty pieces of silver. The move to try and force Jesus to be King, was inspired and initiated by Judas, who seemed to be obsessed with riches.
He later did the unthinkable and thus, he sealed his fate for eternity. When Judas had initially joined the disciples, he was looked up to and greatly respected by the others, but Christ Who sees things differently was not that enthused, for reasons that would only surface later.
Out of the little sums that were supposed to be held in trust by himself, for needs that would arise from time to time, Judas would pay himself and he would reason away his actions under various pretenses, as the other disciples admired his so-called wisdom. But later on, He also went from hero to zero, as will many who track the same course.
As individuals and families become priced out of the housing market, investors see an opportunity to put a renter’s noose around the necks of some persons who may not be able to afford to purchase a home.
And with rental property availability tight, and with prices sky high, and climbing, the urge to make a quick buck has driven some corporations to buy up many of the available homes, so as to dominate the rental market for years to come.
Charles Ponzi, from which the term Ponzi scheme is derived, promised his prospective investors a 50% profit within 45 days, and a 100% profit within 90 days. As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely isn’t true, as many of his clients would find out the hard way, for he also went from hero to zero.
The children of The Most High should avoid as much as possible being caught up in these diabolical evils, for at their core they constitute the devices of devils that are laid for the feet of the needy and greedy.
Gambling, Lotto, Horse racing, and the betting that takes place on major league games all have that one thing in common, namely, to get rich quick. And in our day it has become an oft occurrence for persons to lock themselves away in some basement, surfing the dark web for ways and means to try and phish out credit card numbers, with the collateral damage running into several billion each year.
Crypto was supposed to be a safe way to carry out transactions without the use of a middleman, and it may still turn out to be a tool of the cashless society that is looming, but lo and behold, the hackers have been able to steal, on numerous occasions, billions in crypto currency.
In speaking of satan, we are cautioned in the Bible that we should not be ignorant of his devices, which are numerous and often tailormade to suit the most vulnerable and gullible, in any of the areas where a person’s weakness is made manifest.
And thus, if he observes that persons are prone to buy lotto tickets, and if he notices that persons are fascinated with Powerball and other quick money ventures, he correctly deduces that such a person will be a prime target for financial schemes, and as such, he goes to work in a deliberate and systematic way to deprive such persons of their earnings.
Especially is this the case with the people of God in our day, who have the word of God at their disposal and who should be on a high alert for any incursions that could potentially upend their finances, which in turn could affect the kingdom of God.
Satan hates to see the kingdom of God built up, and as such, he studies with fiendish intensity, how he can deprive the followers of Jesus of their earnings. He often uses the devices of logic, to cause persons to reason away the sacred utterances of the Bible as being archaic, or not relevant to the here and now.
The schemes he often comes up with are amazing, in that they usually make sense to the unwary. Just because something is on sale does not mean that it must be purchased right here and now. “Buy one and get one free” is also used in an attempt to get persons to spend, when they may not really need to.
Fifty or sixty percent off, can cause a feeding frenzy on items that one never needed. Liquidation sales, or going out of business markdowns may also entice buyers to purchase stuff that was not previously on their agenda, and Black Friday often puts stores in the black and some customers in the red. And the list goes on and on.
Then again, he uses stars and celebrities to lead the way to perdition because he has discovered, and he has observed over the centuries that most persons play the game of “Follow the leader”.
Thus, those celebrities and stars, who persons look up to and adore are enlisted in promoting the latest “In-Thing” and the multitudes unvaryingly follow in their train.
That’s why one of the first questions persons should ask, when considering the latest this or that, is “Are the popular majorities jumping on the bandwagon? If this is the case, then God’s will is in most cases, in the opposite direction.
Whenever some new moneymaking scheme dawns on the horizon, the prudent Christian should take the matter to The Lord in prayer, before following these fools down a rabbit hole into neverland.
Never should any stars and celebrities be consulted before getting on our knees to ask counsel of God, who knows the end from the beginning, and who’ll be able to alert us to any unforeseen liabilities, and risks that we may otherwise miss. The scripture is mighty clear on this issue. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own (Mis) understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
2nd Corinthians 2: 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
When satan was permitted to tempt Job, the very first thing he went after was Job’s finances, for he understands that without income, the fine balance that should exist between inflow and outflow would eventually be disrupted.
And he knows by experience that if such a situation drags on for an extended period of time, some folks will become depressed, raising the possibility that the one who is thus experiencing crunch time might end up cursing God, as we’ve read in the scriptures.
Thus, as the veil is lifted from the unseen world, we see the forces of darkness systematically working to shake down all of Job’s employees, and the wealth Job was holding in his portfolio in the form of herds, and livestock, was literally wiped out in one day.
Now, even though it is true that Job had earned his wealth by employing Godly principles, the basic fact remains the same, namely, the purpose of devils to eradicate most, or all of a Christian’s earnings as a set goal. In this way tithes and offerings that should flow to the treasury would inevitably suffer, and the wider work of the gospel is often impeded. Let’s read:
Job1: 12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
What satan does next must be studied very closely, for it is a script that he often refers to when coming in as a flood against God’s people. Note well that he does not go after Job’s family, or his wife at first.
Instead, he seeks to obliterate Job’s, income for he understands that Job’s household will be adversely affected by the incoming financial crash. Income affects outcome and inflow affects outflow so that when a person goes broke, suddenly, pretty weird things can start to happen. Let’s read:
Job 1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them.
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 2: 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job was a righteous man, and the scripture tells us that there was no get rich quick scheme, in any of his dealings. We were just observing the strategies of devils as it pertains to their desire in eliminating whatsoever individuals, especially God’s people, may have.
However, with persons who cultivate the desire to get rich quickly, special battlements, and weapons are often employed so as to cause the most amount of financial damage or carnage for the longest time possible.
This is not to say that all investments are bad, some are good, but if the ways and the means do not pass the smell test of the scriptures, then, most likely we are stepping into a trap. And some of the names of these financial “heroes” can raise red flags.
For instance, Bernie Madoff, made off with billions in cash, robbing so many investors of their fortunes and hundreds of retirees watched in dismay as their savings and retirement funds went up in smoke.
Sam Bankman, as his name suggests, came on the scene as a knight in shining armor, to apparently rescue other crypto platforms that were not doing so well. Following the age-old script, celebrities and prominent persons and popular influencers who the multitudes look up to, and adore, were employed in the advertisement or promotion of FTX.
And like the game of follow the leader, many folks jumped on the bandwagon, for in their minds, if the stars are onboard, then it must be okay. Prominent personalities were thus enlisted, because their own magnetic pull on persons, would all but guarantee that many more would follow their lead.
Celebrities such as Tom Brady, N.B.A star, Steph Curry, tennis player Naomi Osaka, the supermodel Gisele Bundchen, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban from shark tank, just to name a few, led the way, and the multitudes unerringly followed.
But the urge to get rich quickly lay at the foundation of many of the investments thus made, and thus, at its core, the principle that drives the urge is strictly forbidden in the scriptures. The principles, the ways and means God employs and instructs His people to adopt are often vastly different than what the world employs. Let’s read:
Proverbs 28: 22 He that is hasty to be rich hath an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 13: 11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labor shall increase.
1st Timothy 6: 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
As the recent Powerball jackpot soared to over two Billion, some persons found it increasingly difficult to resist the urge to jump in, and many Christians succumbed to the frenzy that was taking hold of the nation.
As the prospect of becoming a billionaire overnight loomed larger and larger some persons cast caution to the wind, and bought several tickets, for as one celebrity says in a certain commercial, “You have to be in it to win it.”
The Bible teaches us that sound investments that have been prayed up are ok, for it was Christ who once gave us the parable of the talents. But coupled with sound investments should be the noble efforts and labors of His people to earn an honest living.
Thus, it was with Christ, as day by day, He would get dressed to go to work in the carpenter shop with Joseph. He learned a trade, as every Hebrew boy was expected and encouraged to do, and in our day, we will find that model very helpful.
Even though many occupations in our day require sedentary work, or skill with computers, yet it will not hurt for persons to learn some trade if they can, so that if things suddenly go south with the electric grid, all of one’s eggs would not be in one basket.
Young men, especially can learn some basic skills in the various lines of trade. It’s really not that difficult to do, your girlfriend will appreciate it, and you may potentially save yourself and family a ton of money, by avoiding the “Stealership”.
Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, yet He did not think it below His dignity to get His hands dirty. He would be found working in the shop with Joseph, honing His skills as a carpenter, and thereby leaving an example for us that all honest labor is honorable.
Indeed, as was stated in a recent Bible study, there are severe shortages of skilled workers, especially in areas where the astronomical prices of rentals, and homes have forced the gentrification of persons in middle income brackets.
It is to be observed that the tech industry is leading the way in layoffs. Wouldn’t it be really cute if some Twitterers could fall back on some skill, or trade to take up the slack?
Nothing is wrong with tech, for the industry is very lucrative, and persons who are thus employed will do well in most instances. However, if some crazy billionaire decides overnight, to call it quits with numerous jobs, the person who has a skill or trade to fall back on, would in most cases, be in a better position than the one who is strictly into tech.
The Biblical model given us is to work and preach at the same time, in whatever one’s trade, or skill may be. Paul was a tentmaker by trade, and there were times when in preaching the gospel, Paul found it necessary to work to support himself, so as not to burden the brethren, even though he could have legally done so.
Peter, James, and John were fishermen, Luke was a doctor, and Matthew who did more sedentary work also preached and worked, preached and worked, until the time came when Christ instructed them to go full-time.
Let those who are skilled in different trades among us, seek to pass on their knowledge to the young and restless, so that they could have a two-pronged approach of tech and trade, if they so choose, just in case one or the other might upended suddenly as we find ourselves living in an increasingly unstable world.
Workshops could be organized, to teach the basic skills so that, at the very least, persons could help themselves around the home, instead of having to shell out green backs for every little thing that may need to be done.
That’s what the Amish do; they pass on to the next generation, skills and trades, learned and practiced by their progenitors, so that the up and coming can sustain themselves, wherever in the world they may find themselves.
Persons will not need a horse and buggy to do this; the opportunities are literally at our fingertips, and since God is more practical and down to earth in His instructions to His people, the least we can do is to consider it, lest some unforeseen disruption cause some to panic unnecessarily.
As we close, it is of tremendous importance for the Christian to consult with God in all the affairs of life. Heroes often become zeros, when the fear and the knowledge of God is not before the faces of persons who are not guided by the Spirit of God.
Let us then pay heed to the counsels given to us in the Scriptures, for they are given for our best good, and the well-being of our posterity. Godliness with contentment is a much more valuable aspiration, than chasing the elusive dream of trying to get rich quickly.
Thus, we will end with a passage of scripture that will help us to navigate the difficulties and perils of the day, and may God bless all well-directed efforts to live in harmony with that which is written. Let’s read:
Proverbs 23:4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
God Bless!