What Good is Wealth
The more loot you get, the more looters show up. And what fun is that - to be robbed in broad daylight?
Ecclesiastes 5:11 - TLB
There was once a very wealthy man who when asked the question, “How much is enough?” answered, “Thirty percent more.” Unfortunately, he can’t take it with him, can he? There’s a quiet honesty about money in Ecclesiastes that cuts through every illusion we tend to build around the idea of gaining wealth.
Today’s verse reminds us that wealth—something we often imagine will simplify life—usually multiplies complications instead. “When goods increase, they are increased that eat them.” In other words, the more you have, the more there is to maintain, manage, protect, and worry about.
It’s a picture we all recognize. More income often brings more expenses. More possessions bring more responsibility. More abundance attracts more demand. And in the end, the Preacher, the author of Ecclesiastes, says the owner is left with little more than the ability to look at what he has. The enjoyment is thin. The satisfaction is fleeting.
This is the quiet warning woven throughout the passage: wealth promises security, but it cannot deliver it. It promises rest, but it often steals sleep. It promises fulfillment, but it leaves the heart hungry. Even the simple laborer—who owns far less—often sleeps more peacefully than the one who has much to lose.
The verse also presses a deeper question into our hearts: What good is wealth if it cannot give what the soul truly needs? If all it offers is the momentary pleasure of beholding it with our eyes, then it is a poor substitute for the lasting joy God gives. Ah! The lasting joy that God gives us is true wealth.
True gain, the reality of true wealth, genuine wealth, is that it isn’t found in accumulation but in contentment. Contentment is a very valuable commodity. It’s found in trusting God rather than chasing the illusion that more will finally be enough. Wealth can be a tool with which to bless others, but it can also be a great responsibility. The bottom line is that it was never meant to be the source of our peace or our contentment.
Today, if you’ve found yourself chasing wealth for wealth’s sake, let this verse gently redirect your focus. Let it remind you that God’s eternal treasures of faith, wisdom, generosity, and a heart anchored in God, are the only riches that do not slip through your fingers. And those who pursue Him find a satisfaction no worldly possession can match. So today, ask yourself the question that really matters, “What good is wealth?”
Prayer
Lord, teach me to hold loosely to the things of this world and to cling tightly to You. Guard my heart from the illusion that more will satisfy me, and help me find my rest, my joy, and my security in Your presence alone. Shape my desires so they align with what truly matters and lead me into a life marked by contentment and trust.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
