Proverbs 1:17-19 says he who is greedy of gain lays wait for his own blood. He ambushes his own life. God says you are waiting to destroy your own life when you are greedy. Proverbs 15:27 says the one who is greedy of gain troubleth his own house. You create a problem for your family when you are greedy. Children can get into trouble because their parents have been greedy.

Several years ago when we were starting a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Zambia, a native who was supposed to be our representative was collecting money for the purpose of building the Church and diverting it to his private use. One day, his daughter was playing with their door – a little one installed to stop goats from gaining entrance into the house while fresh air and illumination can come in from the top. Suddenly the door broke off and a loose nail from it pierced the girl’s eye and plucked it out. I prayed for the child, reminding the Lord of her father’s service in the Church. The Lord said I should ask him certain things. I did, further telling him about what God would do if he lied. With his head down, trembling, he said, “I have not been faithful. I have been misappropriating the money sent to me to build the church”.

Those who are greedy may show off their ill-gotten wealth and parade themselves as smart, but as the word of God stands sure, their real pain is on its way. Some are already going through their own pain and are hiding it from the whole world. Don’t get tempted to become like them because you don’t know the sufferings they are hiding in the background.

Greed is an invitation to take unlawfully what is not yours. The interesting thing is, that thing you are greedily desiring can be yours if only you will patiently go through the right process. Those who allow greed to override contentment in their lives will eventually lose what they have. The devil was an archangel but lost it all because he was greedy for what could never be his. A greedy fellow has no gratitude for God’s blessings in his or her life and believes in snatching what belongs to others.

Think about all God has done for you this year and express your gratitude to Him so He can do more for you in 2024.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.