April 3

The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble. — Prov 15:6 BSB

How different is the way faith views riches, honor, and comforts compared to the way the world and the flesh see them! The world thinks of riches only in terms of gold, silver, houses, land, or other tangible things. It views honor only as something that comes from other people. And it imagines comfort to be nothing more than satisfying the desires of the body and the mind. But the soul that’s been anointed by the Holy Spirit sees things differently. It understands that the only true riches are the riches of God’s grace in the heart, the only real honor comes from God, and the only solid comfort is the comfort the Holy Spirit gives to a broken and contrite heart. The more we’re filled with the Spirit of God, the more we will agree with faith’s perspective on riches, honor, and comfort. And the more we’re filled with the spirit of the world, the more we will agree with the world’s view of these things.

When the world looked at the apostles, they saw them as a group of poor, uneducated men, fanatics who went around preaching about someone named Jesus, who they claimed had been crucified and risen from the dead. The natural eye saw no beauty, power, or glory in their message. It didn’t recognize that these outcast men, poor and perishing on the outside, were carrying a heavenly treasure within them, and that one day they would shine like the stars forever, while those who despised their message would descend into eternal ruin. The world’s spirit and the flesh’s views haven’t changed. Human nature is still the same, and it can’t understand or love the things of eternity. It can only focus on and rest in the fleeting things of this world.

By this test, we can partly evaluate our own spiritual condition. What are our daily thoughts and feelings about the things of this world versus the things of eternity? Which of these presses more heavily on our minds? Which occupies more of our thoughts and affection? The more our hearts are fixed on heaven rather than earth, the stronger our faith is, and the deeper the work of grace in our conscience.