Bill Gates is Poor

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

This morning during my time in prayer, I was praising the Lord for His myriad of blessings. After several minutes of thanksgiving, it occurred to me that I'm the richest person on earth! And it's not merely because I have a roof over my head and a pantry full of food. It's because the Lord gave me the most wonderful husband on earth, the best parents I could've ever asked for, amazing in-laws, sweet daughters, faithful friends, generous and loving supporters, wide open doors for ministry, and most of all, He's given me eternal life through His Son! I'm loaded! I couldn't ask for more! My cup overflows! 

Then, I thought of Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest man on earth. "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" (Mark 8:36). I'm not judging him as a person, because I don’t know his heart. And I'm aware of the fact that he does a great deal of humanitarian work, and he's not an ostentatious man. But, since as far as I know, he doesn't know the Lord, he's infinitely poor!

But that’s not all! This is what blew me away: After I praised the Lord for the priceless treasure of eternal life, my reading in the Psalms brought me to Psalm 49. Here's a few exerts:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me- 

6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 

7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him- 

8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough- 

9 that he should live on forever and not see decay. 

15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah 

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; 

17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. 

 18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—and men praise you when you prosper- 

19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life . 

20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

I have not yet studied this psalm at length. I am certain it contains precious treasures to mine. I see, for example, how this psalm points me to the cross and resurrection of Jesus in v. 15, for Christ himself is the God who redeems my life from the grave. But there’s so much more to discover in this rich psalm. But even in a simple reading of the passage, I love how God speaks to us, confirming our thoughts and prayers in amazing ways. The point is not that I ought to condemn the rich - particularly when I remember that I myself am materially wealthy relative to most throughout the world today and throughout history). Rather, God’s Word encourages us all, whether rich or poor, to view this life and the next through the lenses of who he is. So, whether our meditations be lengthy and in-depth, or brief and limited in scope, may they be our means of renewing our commitment to make Christ our treasure and to thank Him exuberantly for His gracious love and mercy to us.