Wealth-induced insomnia- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Phil 1-4
WEALTH-INDUCED INSOMNIA Wednesday, March 31, 2010
MEMORIZE: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” (Eccl. 5:12) READ: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 Wealth without satisfaction is a trap. Those who continue to pursue wealth and desire more and more without becoming contented have entangled themselves in a trap that only God can bring them out. 1 Timothy 6:6 says there is great gain in combining godliness with contentment. To be contented does not mean that you cannot aspire to something higher or desire something better but that at any point in time, you are satisfied with what God has given you. You do not become jittery when your neighbor has more than you. You are not compelled to join the rat race for more just because others are in it. You do things out of conviction and need. You are never covetous or greedy. The Lord will give you satisfaction in Jesus’ Name. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” (Ecc. 5:12). Another problem of the rich is insomnia. Sleeplessness is a common sickness among the rich. I don’t recall any laborer coming to ask me to pray for him so that he can sleep. He is so tired after work that he is half asleep on his way. By the time he gets home he falls on the chair and sleeps. He has to be woken up to take his dinner. On the other hand, the rich man does not do any rigorous work. He leaves his comfortable house for his air-conditioned office. If he is going to the 2nd or 3rd floor, he takes a lift. When he gets home at night, he begins to strategize and make plans concerning his various businesses. He thinks of how to prevent his workers from cheating him. He thinks of steps to take before his staff take advantage of him. He continues his plans propelled by lots of worry and anxiety until 5 am. He would have to take several sleeping pills to enable him catch sleep for one hour. What bondage! Are you in this mess? Come to Jesus with your load of care and He will give you rest. Rich believers know better than to put their trust in riches. They have defined their relationship with money. Money cannot rule a true believer. Money is just one of the tools or resources available to you. Money is your servant. If you say you are a believer and money has become your lord or gotten you into restlessness, it is because Christ is not fully occupying the throne of your heart. Let Him take His place and everything else will fall into place. ACTION POINT:Father, let the wealth you give to me not rob me of my joy, peace, and sleep in Jesus name