What Will You Receive?

"To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God" (Ecclesiastes 2:26 NIV).

The writer, who most conclude to be Solomon before his health failed, provides us with nuggets of wisdom and insight that pertain to all--whether in relationship with God or not.

Sometimes, we don't want to hear both sides of the story and there are usually two sides of every story.  We love to hear all the good stuff--the prosperity, fame, victory, etc., but there is another side of the story which will happen whether we believe it or not. In more than one place in scripture (in the Psalms, Proverbs, Zechariah, etc.) we are told that those who gather wealth--outside of a relationship with God--will see those in relationship with God, enjoy their riches.

God has stated in His Word that He has given us (His Children) power to get wealth and when we please Him, we get to enjoy it. When we don't please Him, we won't.  At this stage of life, here on earth, we must be more concerned about pleasing God, than pleasing man. Man's favor may last for only a moment, but the favor of God will last as long as we please Him.

What to do, what to do? For those in relationship with God, there is but one answer. Our conduct and our lives must demonstrate what it is we want to receive from God--from which side of the fence (or the story). Our history--can be written with one of two endings--we lived to please God and enjoyed the abundance of His goodness or we lived to please self and suffered the consequences of our actions--sowing, but never reaping!

In which reception line will you be found? Receiving the wealth by pleasing God or watching others enjoy the fruit of your labor?

O God, help us to stay in position to please You and receive all of Your many benefits that we may be a blessing to others as You have blessed us.