WEDNESDAY June 15, 2022

Hoarders and Misers

“You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
Haggai 1:6

Remember, God’s people had tucked away their moneybags by burying them in the ground––all their gold and silver coins. The Lord spoke to them through a prophet; He was calling His people back to priorities––God first. But instead of repenting and turning back to their God, they did not listen to Him until He got their attention. Those moneybags had holes in them! The more money they put away, the more money God took out!

Have you ever found yourself asking, “What happened to my money? Where did it go?” Did you know one of the reasons why you might not have much is because you are failing to give to the Lord? Everything we have belongs to Him. He gave it to us, but just as fast as He gave it to us, He can take it away. Job declared this truth: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has LORD taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

People in general are usually selfish. There are some who become misers or hoarders. They love to spend their time and efforts acquiring more and more riches. Such was the case of a woman named Hetty Green. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she may have been the greatest miser of all time. When her father died, she inherited more than $100 million, according to today’s money.

Hetty looked an oddity––a grim, poky-faced woman shrouded in black. She was known for eating cold oatmeal, due to not wasting the heat. She stunk for lack of personal hygiene, only washing the hem of her garments. Hetty became known as the Witch of Wall Street. Her wealth grew to 4 billion dollars at the time of her death. She died miserable and alone.

There are so many poor people who are in need in the world. God would have us invest in His kingdom to help others––not hoard money for self.

God has given us two hands––one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.
~Billy Graham~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!