Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow! God granted him that which he requested.
Nothing is clearer to any one who chooses to observe it, than that riches, are not the best thing in life that will cause all sorrows to fly away, and in whose presence is continual joy. Very often wealth flatters and deceives the owner. Delicacies are spread on his table, but his appetite fails, musicians await his bidding, but his ears are deaf to all the stanzas of music; he may take as many vacations as he pleases, but for him recreation has lost all its charms: or he is young, fortune has come to him by inheritance, and he pursues all kinds of pleasures until they become more tiresome than work, and indulgence becomes worse than drudgery. You know that riches make themselves wings; like the bird that roosted in the tree, they fly away. In sickness and times of depression these riches that once seemed to whisper, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry,” will prove themselves to be poor comforters. In death they even tend to make the pang of separation more acute, because there is the more to leave, the more to lose. We may well say, if we have wealth, “My God, do not cast me away with these empty shells; let me never make a god of silver and gold, or goods and property, estates and investments, which in your providence you have given to me. I beg that you would bless me. As for these worldly possessions, they will be my curse unless I have your grace with them.” And if you do not have wealth, and perhaps most of you will never have it, then say, “My Father, you have denied me this outward and seemingly good blessing, enrich me with your love, give me the gold of your favor, truly bless me; then allot to others whatever you will. My soul will wait upon your daily will for my life; bless me with true riches and I will be content.”
