What does the Bible say about material things? 14 things you should know

This is what the Bible says about material things:

1. It is God who gives us material things.
2. Material things cannot save you in times of distress.
3. Material things belonging to the wicked are insignificant in the eyes of God.
4. You have no idea what kind of person will inherit your material possessions after you die.
5. Your material possessions cannot save your brother from death.
6. You should put your trust in God and not material things.
7. Material things are not permanent.
8. Only God gives us the power to enjoy material things.
9. Do not prioritize the pursuit of material things above everything else in your life.
10. Material things acquired by the wrong means will ultimately be lost.
11. Material things owned by sinners are laid up for the upright.
12. Material things will draw people to you.
13. It is hard for those with lots of material things to enter the kingdom of God.
14. You cannot serve God and material things.

Material things refer to the tangible valuable possessions that a person owns, such as land, money, cars, jewelry, real estate, and many more.

In this article, material things have been equated to riches, wealth, or any other physical possessions owned by an individual.

In this post, we are going to look at what the Bible says about material things. Let’s get going.

1. It is God who gives material things.

The Bible teaches that God is the one who gives material things. We learn this from the following scriptures:

Deuteronomy 8:18

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant, which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

In this passage, Moses was reminding the children of Israel that one does not become rich courtesy of his expertise, knowledge, skill, or understanding. Instead, riches come from God Himself.

This fact is reinforced by a scripture we read in Ecclesiastes 9:11 that says:

“I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill;”

This means that men endowed with understanding do not automatically become rich! Thus, you need both understanding and the favor of God in order to become rich.

2 Chronicles 1:12

“Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you, and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

In this passage, God is speaking to Solomon in a dream after a long day characterized by the dedication of the temple. In this instance, God promised to give Solomon riches and wealth because he had found favor in His sight.

Proverbs 8:18

“Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.”

From this passage, we learn that wisdom from God enables one to become rich and honorable. The passage also teaches us that riches from God are enduring and not short-lived.

1 Samuel 2:7

“The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.”

This verse is an excerpt of Hannah’s prayer after presenting the boy Samuel for service in the house of God.

2. Material things cannot save you in times of distress.

This is according to Job 36:19, which says:

“Will your riches, or all the mighty forces, keep you from distress?”

In this passage, Job’s friend, Elihu, was informing his three friends that in times of distress, one’s riches, wealth, or possessions cannot be of help to him. In other words, only God has the ability to deliver someone from distressing times.

3. Material things belonging to the wicked are insignificant in the eyes of God.

This is according to Psalm 37:16, which says:

“A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked men.”

In other words, God attaches a high premium to the riches that a righteous person has and a very low premium to the vast possessions owned by many wicked people. This is because it is not how much wealth you have accumulated so far that matters to God, but the method you have used to acquire it.

4. You have no idea what kind of person will inherit your material possessions after you die.

This is in accordance with the scripture we read in Ecclesiastes 2:18–19, which says:

“Then I hated all my labor, in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor, in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun.”

Similar sentiments are echoed in Psalm 39:6, which says:

“Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches and does not know who will gather them.”

5. Your material possessions cannot save your brother from death.

This is in accordance with the scripture recorded in Psalm 49:6-7. It says:

“Those who trust in their wealth and boost in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem their brother nor give to God a ransom for him.”

This means that we cannot use the material things we possess as a ransom for our brothers souls. In other words, when their hour of death has come, there is nothing much we can do about it, no matter how rich we may be!

This is why Proverbs 11:28 warns us against trusting in riches, stating as follows:

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.”

6. You should put your trust in God, not material things.

This is according to the following scriptures:

Proverbs 11:28

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.”

Psalm 52:7

“Here is the man who did not make God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

1 Timothy 2:17

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

In this passage, the apostle teaches us not to trust in riches because they are uncertain and therefore not permanent.

7. Material things are not permanent.

The Bible teaches that the material things that you possess can fly away at any time, leaving you a beggar. This is recorded in Proverbs 23:4-5, which says:

“Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

A similar instruction is echoed in Proverbs 27:23–24, which says:

“Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.”

8. Only God can give you the power to enjoy material things.

The ability to enjoy your possessions and riches is God-given. This means that you can accumulate as much wealth as possible but not be able to enjoy it.

In fact, the Bible teaches that the ability to enjoy one’s wealth is a gift from God. This is according to Ecclesiastes 5:19, which says:

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage, and to rejoice in his labor, this is the gift of God.”

This is repeated in Ecclesiastes 6:1-2, which says:

“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.”

This fact is also emphasized by the Apostle Paul in the latter part of 1 Timothy 6:17, which says:

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

9. Do not prioritize the pursuit of material things above everything else in your life.

This is recorded in Psalm 62:10, which says:

“Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”

Similar sentiments are echoed in the following scriptures:

Proverbs 23:4

“Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!”

Proverbs 28:20

“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”

Proverbs 28:22

“A man with an evil eye hastens after riches and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.”

10. Material things acquired by the wrong means will ultimately be lost.

This means that you should only use the right means to acquire wealth. If you use unrighteous means instead, here are some scriptures that describe what will happen:

Proverbs 13:11

“Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.”

Proverbs 10:2

“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Proverbs 20:21

“An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.”

Proverbs 22:16

“He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.”

Proverbs 28:8

“One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers them for him who will pity the poor.”

Jeremiah 17:11

“As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; it will leave him in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.”

11. Material things owned by sinners are laid up for the upright.

This is according to Proverbs 13:22, which says:

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”

In fact, the Bible tells us that God gives the sinner the work of gathering riches and wealth so that, at the appointed time, it gets transferred to the righteous. This is recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:26, which says:

“For God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This is also vanity and grasping for the wind.”

12. Material things are found in the houses of people who fear God.

This is according to Psalm 112:1, 3, which says:

“Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD and delights greatly in His commandments.

Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.”

Similar echoes appear in Proverbs 22:4, which says:

“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor, and life.”

13. Material things will draw people to you.

When you have material things, the Bible teaches that you will have many friends. On the other hand, if you are poor, your friends will be few. This is according to Proverbs 19:4, which says:

“Wealth makes many friends, but the poor are separated from their friends.”

Similar sentiments are echoed in Proverbs 14:20, which says:

“The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many ‘friends.’”

14. It is hard for those with lots of material things to enter the kingdom of God.

This was said by Jesus Christ and recorded in Mark 10:23–24. The scripture says:

“Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!’”

15. You cannot serve God and material things.

This is according to Matthew 6:24, which says:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

In this passage, mammon refers to the possessions, riches, and wealth that a person has.

Conclusion

This article discusses what the Bible says about material things. It was established that: material things come from God; material things cannot save you in the day of distress; material things belonging to the wicked are insignificant in the eyes of God; you have no idea about the kind of person who will inherit your material things after you die; your material things cannot ransom your brother from death; you should put your trust in God and not material things; material things are not permanent; only God gives the power to enjoy material things; you should not prioritize the pursuit of material things above everything else in your life; material things acquired by wrong means will ultimately be lost; material things owned by sinners are laid up for the upright; when you possess material things, people will be drawn to you; it is hard for those with lots of material things to enter the kingdom of God; you cannot serve God and material things. I hope the information is insightful. Thanks, and God bless you.

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