“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” – Psalm 107:1
In 1923, a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Among them were the president of the largest steel company, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, and the head of the world’s greatest monopoly. Twenty-five years later, most had died broke, in prison, or by suicide. Their pursuit of wealth had led them everywhere except to what they were truly searching for.
This story repeats itself across cultures and centuries because the human heart recognizes that we were made for riches. The question Scripture addresses is not whether we should seek treasure, but what kind of treasure satisfies the deepest longings of the human soul. The Bible traces our search from its most basic recognition to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
The Great Leveling (Psalm 49:1-12)
The psalmist begins with a startling announcement: both rich and poor must listen together. Wealth creates no advantage when facing life’s ultimate questions. Those who “trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches” discover that money cannot purchase what matters most. No amount can “redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.”
Yet verse 15 hints at hope: “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me.” Here we glimpse the One who will not see corruption, the coming Redeemer who will accomplish what human wealth cannot. The psalm establishes the problem and points toward the solution.
The Futility of Earthly Accumulation (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23)
The Preacher takes us deeper into the problem. Having possessed wisdom, wealth, and power beyond measure, he declares it all “vanity of vanities.” The Hebrew word hebel suggests a vapor or breath that appears substantial but dissipates when grasped.
His frustration centers on the inevitable reality that all earthly accumulation must be “left unto the man that shall be after me.” Whether that heir proves wise or foolish, the fruits of a lifetime of labor pass to another. This recognition drives him to despair, but his honesty prepares us to receive what Ecclesiastes alone cannot provide: a treasure that cannot be taken away.
Covenant Riches Spurned (Hosea 11:1-11)
Israel possessed riches beyond imagination in their covenant relationship with God. The Almighty had called them as His son out of Egypt, taught them to walk like a patient father, drawn them with “cords of a man, with bands of love.” They enjoyed healing, provision, and the presence of the Holy One in their midst.
Yet they “knew not that I healed them” and pursued the false gods of surrounding nations. How could they exchange the living God for lifeless idols? The same way we exchange relationship with our Creator for the pursuit of created things. But notice God’s heart: “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” His love remains constant despite their unfaithfulness, pointing us toward the faithful love we find in Christ.
Jesus Redefines Riches (Luke 12:13-21)
When asked to settle an inheritance dispute, Jesus exposes the deeper issue: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The rich fool in the parable has everything the world values but remains spiritually bankrupt.
Jesus challenges the common assumption that material prosperity indicates God’s blessing. The man’s barns overflow, but his soul remains empty. His security rests in what can be taken away in a single night. Jesus reveals that true wealth means being “rich toward God,” storing treasure in relationship with the eternal rather than accumulation of the temporal.
True Riches Revealed (Colossians 3:1-11)
Paul unveils what human searching has been reaching toward: “your life is hid with Christ in God.” In union with the risen Christ, believers possess riches that cannot be stolen, depleted, or transferred to unworthy heirs. This treasure is “Christ, who is our life.”
This revelation transforms everything. Covetousness becomes unnecessary when we possess all things in Christ. The divisions that wealth typically creates—Greek and Jew, bond and free—dissolve because “Christ is all, and in all.” We have found what the psalmist hinted at, what the Preacher searched for, what Israel possessed but failed to recognize.
The Song of the Satisfied (Psalm 107:1-9, 43)
The psalm concludes our journey with the song of those who have found true riches. They were once hungry, thirsty, and wandering, but “then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” God “satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
This is the testimony of everyone who discovers that their search for treasure ends in the person of Jesus Christ. The riches we possess in Him are entirely undeserved—”for his mercy endureth for ever”—yet absolutely secure. We give thanks not because we have achieved wealth, but because wealth has been freely given to us in the gospel.
Living as the Truly Rich
How do we live when we understand that our search for riches has been fulfilled in Christ? First, we stop grasping for what we already possess. Anxiety about material provision decreases when we know our life is hidden with Christ in God. Second, we use earthly resources to advance God’s kingdom rather than build our own barns. Third, we invite others into the riches we have found, knowing that Christ’s wealth is not diminished when shared.
The world continues searching for what we have already found. Our lives should demonstrate the satisfaction that comes from treasures stored in heaven, the security that rests in relationship with God, and the generosity that flows from knowing we are rich beyond measure in the One who gave Himself for us.
Points to Ponder
- What “riches” am I pursuing that cannot satisfy the deepest longings of my heart?
- How does recognizing my wealth in Christ change my relationship with earthly possessions?
- In what ways can I demonstrate to others the riches available in the gospel?
- Where do I see God’s patient love pursuing me despite my tendency to seek treasure in lesser things?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have given us riches beyond imagination in Your Son. Forgive us for the times we have sought treasure in things that cannot satisfy, accumulating what cannot last while neglecting what endures forever. Help us to live as those who are truly wealthy—generous with earthly possessions because we are secure in heavenly treasure, content in every circumstance because our life is hidden with Christ in You. Give us wisdom to use whatever You have entrusted to us for the advancement of Your kingdom and the blessing of others. Thank You that in Christ, we are rich indeed. Amen.
“For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” – Psalm 107:9
Josh Cehulik 