A devotional is an in-depth Bible study. A typical devotional should take you anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to complete. Download and print a PDF version of this devotional for yourself, or use it with a friend to create an engaging discussion.

Opening Question

  • What is your relationship with money? Do you love it? How often do you think about it?
  • Do you love what it provides? Do you find your security rising and falling with the increase or decrease of the money you make?
  • If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, then you probably love money. There is nothing wrong with having money, but when it becomes our source of happiness money can replace God and our relationships.

Bible Study

Money Can’t Save You

They trust in their wealth and boast about how rich they are, [7] yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God’s forgiveness does not come that way. [8-9] For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell.
Psalm 49:6-10 TLB

  • It is easy to try to rely on something as tangible as money for security.
  • When we have guilt or shame from sin, we often turn to worldly things like wealth or reputation to feel better, but these cannot save us from the consequences of sin. We still need to take responsibility for our actions and mistakes.
  • What are times in your life when you have faced guilt or regret, and relied on wealth or money, rather than turning to God for forgiveness?

But as for me, God will redeem my soul from the power of death, for he will receive me. [16] So do not be dismayed when evil men grow rich and build their lovely homes.
Psalm 49:15-16 TLB

  • Money doesn’t love you back, but God does.
  • We can end up worshiping money – an object – and forget about God who created us, who wants to have an actual and close relationship with us. When we worship money rather than God, we become vulnerable to destructive feelings such as dismay or envy that steal our peace and fool us into believing that money will save us.

Money Myth: More Money More Happiness

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV

  • We learn something from this scripture about the human heart. When we love money, we never get enough. We could have all the money in the world, have the capacity to buy whatever we want or live however we want, but we still would not be satisfied.
  • Money doesn’t satisfy. God does.
  • When we love God, we want to spend more time with Him. More time with God builds and deepens our relationship with Him. This leads to us being satisfied because God provides and meets our greatest needs.
  • What needs are you trying to get met by money that you can let God meet today?

Money Myth: More Money Less Trouble

The one who puts earning money above his family will have trouble at home, but those who refuse to exploit others will live in peace.
Proverbs 15:27 TPT

  • The Bible teaches us that when we place making money as a higher priority over being with family, it will only cause more trouble.
  • What does it look like when you “put earnings” above your marriage or family relationships? How has this affected you relationships?

Break Free from Greed

You are foolish to ignore the greed and wickedness within you! Shouldn’t the one who cleans the outside also be concerned with cleaning the inside? [41] If you free your heart of greed, showing compassion and true generosity to the poor, you have more than clean hands; you will be clean within.
Luke 11:40-41 TPT

  • The scriptures teach us we must free our hearts of greed. This requires honest prayers to God that help us confess and let go of our greed so we can prioritize God and relationships.
  • Luke 12, the chapter after the above scripture, warns us to guard our hearts against all kinds of greed. How do you see specific examples of greed in your life? Are you greedy for attention, respect, status, success, food, money, pleasure, comfort, etc.?
  • How can you start cleaning out the greed in your heart so that your life can have the impact on others God intended it to?
  • The other way we break free is sharing what God has given us with others. How will you use your wealth to show compassion and build God’s church?

It is important that you use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when this world fails and falls apart, your generosity will provide you with an eternal reward.
Luke 16:9 TPT

  • Breaking free from greed is understanding that it doesn’t matter how much money you have. The important thing is what you do with it.
  • How are you going to use your money to help and change lives?

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This article was created by a member of the Deep Spirituality editorial team.

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This article was created by a member of the Deep Spirituality editorial team.

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