“It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.” – Pro 10:22

A man can be rich in many ways. But there are so many riches that do not leave him satisfied. He wakes up Monday morning and regrets the choices he made the past weekend. These riches are what most men spend their time getting. They get sick or they lose a best friend and begin to regret the lost opportunities. The choices come with a price so that often men look back on their lives with sorrow. They regret the waste of time. They regret the loss of precious relationships. They regret the loss of dignity with through their desire to be rich or popular. The man will regret what he did to lose his most precious relationships, his reputation, his life, and especially his soul. The pursuer of the worldly riches will regret his life.

The clarity of age and experience gives perspective. Even in works which may be noble, there is a futility in them. It is what Solomon reminded that “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” Eccl 1:14. There’s always going to be regret when we look back on our lives and realize we didn’t put God first. Solomon built great houses, planted magnificent vinyards, and had acquired much, but he concluded, “and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.” Eccl 2:11. Describing worldly pursuits, he says, “What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?” Eccl 3:9. Why do we not learn and pursue what has true worth and leaves no regrets? Unless a man learns, he will regret that we traded away our soul and lost the favor of the LORD.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:7.

God blesses in many ways temporal and eternal. There’s no downside or regret accompanying the blessings He gives to those who trust Him. And there is one particular blessing, a singular blessing of the LORD, which is the acceptance He gives to His children. To be made right and forgiven from all our trespasses is a singular blessing from God. To have eternal life when we see Him face to face and to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” will be a moment of exquisite joy without sorrow. You Christians who have this won’t ever be sorry for choosing the path with Jesus.

Now it occurs to me that there are many Christians who have lived hypocritically. They ride the fence because they want the best of God and they want the best the world can give. They are just fooling themselves. God isn’t fooled for a minute when a Christian practices this duplicity. Jesus said you can’t serve God and mammon, Mt 6:24. But these are always trying to prove Jesus wrong. This kind of Christian life will leave the soul in sorrow. He will lament the time he wasted. Or she will regret the good works that could have been done. God wasn’t all in all to him or her and it leaves sorrow and regret.

Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are them that mourn, and blessed are the gentle and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and blessed are the merciful and pure in heart, and blessed are the peacemakers and those who got persecuted, Mt 5. The worldly man won’t get it, but the disciples of Jesus treasure this singular blessed state of God’s favor.

Pursue God’s riches and you’ll never be sorry for it. Since you believe in Jesus Christ and let His light shine through you, you will be rich. Follow Jesus and you won’t be wishing you had gone a different way. The blessing of the Lord never loses it’s tarnish and never decays or rots. Read your Bible and learn eternal truths. Pray and build a closeness to Jehovah that will last through the ages. Make disciples unto Jesus and know that heaven’s borders are enlarged. Worship God and bring your friends to worship Jesus. You won’t regret bringing a friend to Jesus.

It is with humility that I offer this word of encouragement. – Dan Mayfield

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