Psalms 9:9
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Mark 10:28-31
“28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

I find that when Jesus says that many (thankfully, not all, but many – most?) who are first will be last it’s a wake up call like a 1000 bugle reveille. It ought to get our attention, especially us in the west. Check out the Global Rich List if you’re not sure where you stand.

The Lord has been a fortress for the oppressed since the beginning. In Matthew Henry’s concise Bible commentary, he writes that His people, by faith, may flee to Him as their refuge, that His people will trust Him with their souls, at all times, to the end. Do our lives merit the trust?

The Lord is a refuge when times are good, and when times are bad.

We who have wealth tend to forget that and don’t use His blessings to further His kingdom. A few do. That’s where the “many” comes in. What are you doing with your wealth to serve like God calls us to serve and live?

I’m a total slacker, a total hypocrite in this area. I barely make enough to support my expenses. It’s not that I don’t make enough, it’s that I spend to much on things for me and not for God. It’s that simple. I’m more worried about what I have in this life, not the next life.

My spending habits show the truth better than my words do.

Where do you stand? You are a blessing to us all if you are one of the few. If you’re like me, it’s time to change direction.