08162026 You Are Rich

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of all resources. Whatever the need, God is able to supply it. No matter the realm of life, God can provide blessings.

Missionaries are not generally perceived as being rich. In fact, through the years, the opposite picture has often been painted. You know, their car is on its last legs, they live on rice and beans, and everything they own is second-hand. It is true that some of God’s most devoted servants have lived with great deprivation, at least for portions of their lives. It is also true that God takes care of His children, and I am confident you have experienced that in some wonderful ways.

Here is the bottom line. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

God is well able to do this, because God owns all the resources. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 50:10-12).

On the other hand, if we are hungry, or if we have some other need, we can go to God and ask Him to provide. “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isaiah 41:17).

Certainly, we are thankful for the practical provisions of God which He has shown us many times. Most, if not all of us, probably have experienced amazing instances of that – stories that raise goose bumps or that cause our eyes to well up with tears.

As we grow in maturity, we become more and more aware that God’s greatest gifts are not practical, but spiritual. When we consider the spiritual side of things, we realize that God has blessed us beyond measure. In fact, we are quite rich.

“For ye know that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). When we look beyond the external trappings of life, we are aware that our previous condition was one of squalor and deep poverty. Jesus temporarily gave up His riches in heaven to humble Himself on this earth; through His great sacrifice, we have been saved and have been lifted far above our previous condition.

My mind goes to a few Biblical examples. Who could have been in a worse position than Rahab? We don’t know her full history, but many prostitutes are driven to that profession out of desperation, selling their bodies in an attempt to provide for their needs. Certainly, from a moral perspective, she was quite poor. The Bible does not reveal precisely when she was transformed, but she came to believe in the God of Israel. In the end, she alone was redeemed out of all Jericho. She found the stability and provision of marriage and became part of the line of Christ. She went from deep poverty to great riches.

Saul/Paul is another example. His outward position was much different. He would have appeared wealthy and powerful. But internally, he was poor and depraved. When God transformed him, everything was reversed. He ended up living his life of ministry with few material resources, but with profoundly rich spiritual blessings. Reading Paul’s writings reveals his awareness of how richly God had blessed him.

One such passage – which I always think someday I will come back and spend some time in – is Ephesians 1. Paul starts out by recognizing that God “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (v. 3). What riches do we have in Him? Here is a quick list.

Divinely chosen before the foundation of the world (v. 4). Being made holy and blameless before God (v. 4). Being made the children of God (v. 5). Experiencing the pleasure of God (v. 5). Divine acceptance (v. 6). Redemption and forgiveness (v. 7). Abundant wisdom (v. 8). Revelation of God’s great will and plan (v. 9). The anticipation of a future gathering to Him (v. 10). An inheritance (v. 11).

I’m sure a deeper study would refine that list and make it more meaningful and perhaps more thorough, but even some of the words and phrases reveal the richness of our position in Christ. “Blessed.” “Spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” “Chosen.” “Children.” “Accepted.” “Beloved.” “The riches of his grace.” “Abounded toward us.” “Good pleasure.” “An inheritance.” “Sealed.” “Redemption of the purchased possession.” In verse 18, Paul prays that his readers would understand and know “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

Congratulations! You are rich! May God comfort you with your position in Him. And may He truly enable you as you seek to share with others the riches that God desires to give them. Not a health-and-wealth gospel. Not a magical prayer of Jabez. But true riches that meet the needs of the soul, that can transform a wretched life into one of blessing.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA