What do we count as true riches? Those in whose hearts God has worked are hungry for pardon and to know the Lord. But others say, ‘I am not lost; I do not need a Saviour. These are the self-satisfied, the self-righteous. They will be sent away empty. The ones who God blesses are the empty, those who come admitting that they have gained nothing of real value from this life. These he blesses with substantial blessings. If we find ourselves saying, ‘I could do with more money, an easier job, more friends’, set aside those things and go to the Lord and say, ‘Lord, I need communion with thee; I need a heart that prays to thee, that looks to thee, that longs for life in Christ.’ God fills the hungry with the best things. The Christian life is a battle of desires within us. At the new birth we were given a new appreciation of Christ that made us long for him more than for anything in this world, for we saw the blessings he has to give us as lasting, as without hypocrisy, without corruption. All of those things belong to the new nature we received, and that nature must continue to be fed. We must strive to love the things of God more than the things of this world. We must put to death our old carnal desires and long for what is best, for spiritual feeling. We will then grow stronger and stronger as we walk the ascending path to heaven.
Could believers be categorized as ‘the rich’? Yes, if they listen to the devil whispering in their ear, ‘Look good, make sure you possess special things, choose good looking friends, get the best job for yourself, get ahead in this life.’ ‘The rich he has sent empty away.’ They thought they were rich because they set their eyes on things below, on reputation among men, on the goods of this world, but they are sent away from God, the only true source of riches. Be hungry; see your need of grace.