But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 KJV
A little context: Jesus had just taught a young man the place of riches in the kingdom of God. The young man had a question then that still applies to us today: how do I make it to heaven? The young man had it all: riches, wealth and fame, but he knew something was missing. First lesson: it is not what you hold in your hands that guarantees you eternal life, but who you know. Riches come and go; wealth is fleeting. They will not go with you to the grave. You just must work out what is truly important.
The young man had a question and Jesus told him the importance of priorities. You can have all the riches of this world but you must also have eternal life in you. Jesus knew the heart of this young man; he had zeal, but he wasn't ready to make the necessary sacrifice to get what was truly important.
As I live my life from day to day, what contributions am I making towards my eternal dwelling? Am I all about just making the right impression, with no substance, depth or knowledge of God? Second lesson: wealth is good, but it is very limited. Seek it, but don't be ruled by it. There is no guarantee that you will always have it, but if you have God, you can never go wrong at the end of it all.
The young man's reaction is so deep. He went away sad, because he could not imagine a life without the things he owned. And we can be like that sometimes, defining our lives by our account balances, net worth, circle of influence or family inheritance. We think these things can speak for us when the day of the Lord comes, but like God has always said, the day of the Lord is a day of darkness, but for all who know and have God, it is a day of joy. If the Lord were to make a demand for my life today, what would I tell Him? Determine today to sort out your priorities.
And today's extract flows from the statement Jesus made about the difficulty of rich people getting into the kingdom of God. Is it because they rely on the wealth more than they trust in God? Could it be it is because wealth gives its holder a false sense of security? The disciples wondered if the rich could be saved, and Jesus' response here is instructive: by men's standards, things are hard or impossible. With God, all things are possible.
Man is limited; God is limitless. Man strives for relevance through what he has; God promotes a man into impact and relevance through the knowledge of Him. With God, whatever you have in your hand is a mere tool; God is the One who best determines how best to use it to bring about His perfect will. As long as I am living for God, there are no limits to what He can do in and with me. I say again: man is limited. God is limitless. I depend on Him to help me navigate this strange world. I rely on Him to help me understand the right place and time for everything
gives me. May I not elevate created things over and above the Creator Himself. His time of favour is here.
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