Devotionals by Raul Ries
MONDAY August 3, 2026
The Miseries of the Rich
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!
James 5:1
James began Chapter 5 with a warning to the godless rich––those oppressing the poor. They were guilty of greed and selfishness and God would judge them. For them, financial misery was just around the corner, and their future looked bleak. In fact, they should weep and howl because of the miseries they were going to experience. The word howl means “to wail and lament, to cry out loud.”
Riches that are selfishly hoarded will fail a person; they will not satisfy them. Riches can bring all kinds of miseries. The rich often suffer miseries of affliction, miseries of emptiness and loneliness, miseries of purposelessness, and miseries of evil passions. The rich worry about their finances, and they experience the miseries of mind, the miseries of insecurity, and, if unrepentant of their greed and crimes against humanity, the miseries of eternity in hell.
Listen, there is nothing wrong with being blessed with wealth or saving for the future. It is wise to plan to lay aside an inheritance for your family; however, having the right attitude toward wealth is very important. Christians need to be wise with what God has given to them. How are you using what God has given to you? Have you set up a budget so that you do not overspend? What do you need to cut back on, and what can you afford to buy? Are you obediently giving to the Lord so He can bless you (Malachi 3:10)?
Sadly, many rich people do not give. None of their money is invested in the Kingdom of God, nor do they help the poor and needy. What happens when it is all gone? At the end of their lives, what do they have to show for it? Absolutely nothing of real value. They failed to use their money wisely.
He who lives only to make money is a worshiper of the golden calf.
~C.H. Spurgeon~
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About Raul Ries
Raul Ries is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs and President of Somebody Loves You Ministries. After his miraculous conversion in 1971, Raul began to read and study the Bible extensively even though he had a limited education. In 1974 he began a home Bible study with seven other committed individuals. Soon, he started to preach and counsel youth during the noon hour at his former high school, Baldwin Park High. Calvary Chapel West Covina grew out of Raul's home fellowship, as well as his Kung-Fu studio, and was soon meeting weekly at an old converted Safeway store. In 1993, the congregation moved to Diamond Bar and occupied a 101,000 square-foot corporate building on 28 acres. Calvary Chapel Golden Springs (as it is now called) draws between 10,000 - 12,000 in attendance weekly.
Author of several books, including Fury to Freedom (the story of his early life and dramatic conversion), Raul Ries has also produced three films: Fury to Freedom (feature film dramatization of the book); A Quiet Hope (a riveting and stirring documentary detailing seven soldier's accounts of the Vietnam War and its aftermath); and A Venture in Faith (a documentary of the history of the Calvary Chapel movement).
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(909) 396-1884