What a furor! The state lottery has surged to a new high, promising instant millions of dollars to the winner. There are long lines of people willing to risk their last dollar on the slight chance of being the next millionaire.
Is it worth it? They say that everyone wants to be a millionaire and the quickest way possible! The lottery-the stock market-even a television show-all promise instant wealth and gratification. But real happiness?
One man, once called the “luckiest man in Florida” with a $20 million payout, is now trying to dig out of debt by way of Bankruptcy Court. Behind him lies a trail of lost homes, lost business, lost family-nothing is left but the tax debt, which grows bigger every year.
An early millionaire, Cornelius Vanderbilt, spent a lifetime amassing his millions. At his death his heirs divided over $100 million, supposed to be the largest fortune left up to that time. Had it made him happy?
When he was dying, he heard someone mention the old hymn, “Come, ye sinners, poor and needy.”
He exclaimed, “Yes! Yes! Sing that-I am poor and needy!”
It is evident that what people value most wealth-is absolutely worthless in eternity. “For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away” (Psa. 49:1717For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. (Psalm 49:17)). Our Lord once said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:1515And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (Luke 12:15)). He immediately added the story of the rich fool. This man, apparently honest, economical, careful and industrious, gradually accumulated so much that his storehouses were too small to hold all his riches. He resolved to build new and larger ones to provide for many years to come. But he had made the huge blunder of leaving out all thought of God in his calculations. When death claimed his soul, he was totally unprepared to meet God. He was a fool indeed.
Being rich or poor in this world is only a temporary state and not to be compared with the lasting, eternal riches of glory. “As it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor. 2:99But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)).
What is the Lord Jesus Christ to you?