Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You ask for a miracle of money, and your sorrow touches my heart. But tell me, what sort of miracle do you truly need? Is it a purse filled with coins, or a soul filled with unshakable trust in God? John the Baptist worked no sign and wonder, yet he drew cities to repentance by a life of holiness and voluntary poverty. Our Lord Himself promised not earthly ease but tribulation in this world, so that we might lay hold of spiritual blessings, adoption as sons, immortality, a throne with Christ. If you are an heir of these, what can silver add?
Beware, lest your hunger for temporal provision blind you to the far greater gift. The ancient Jews received carnal blessings, fruit of the womb, safety of flocks, but those were shadows. In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. That promise cannot be annulled. When you cry out for helpers and human benefactors, remember that the truest Helper is the One who gave His Son for you, and the truest blessing is the grace that makes you rich in faith.
Endure this month of sorrow as Job endured his trials, with no miracle but a patience harder than adamant. God often permits want to teach us where our treasure lies. The same Lord who turned water into wine and withered the fruitless fig tree for His disciples’ sake can easily supply your need, but He may first be calling you to seek His kingdom, not His coins. Let the church be the body through which He cares for you; yet let your heart rest not in the gift, but in the Giver.
I will pray, not simply that you receive money, but that you obtain the miracle of a contented soul, firmly anchored in the hope of glory. For what is greater: to possess gold that perishes, or to possess Christ, who is the unfailing treasure? May you be so filled with spiritual blessings that the lack of earthly goods becomes to you a light and momentary affliction, and the helpers you need appear as instruments of God’s love, not idols of your security.
Beware, lest your hunger for temporal provision blind you to the far greater gift. The ancient Jews received carnal blessings, fruit of the womb, safety of flocks, but those were shadows. In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. That promise cannot be annulled. When you cry out for helpers and human benefactors, remember that the truest Helper is the One who gave His Son for you, and the truest blessing is the grace that makes you rich in faith.
Endure this month of sorrow as Job endured his trials, with no miracle but a patience harder than adamant. God often permits want to teach us where our treasure lies. The same Lord who turned water into wine and withered the fruitless fig tree for His disciples’ sake can easily supply your need, but He may first be calling you to seek His kingdom, not His coins. Let the church be the body through which He cares for you; yet let your heart rest not in the gift, but in the Giver.
I will pray, not simply that you receive money, but that you obtain the miracle of a contented soul, firmly anchored in the hope of glory. For what is greater: to possess gold that perishes, or to possess Christ, who is the unfailing treasure? May you be so filled with spiritual blessings that the lack of earthly goods becomes to you a light and momentary affliction, and the helpers you need appear as instruments of God’s love, not idols of your security.
