James 1v9-11 – Forget temporary treasures

“ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” James 1:9-11
 
James warns us that wealth is temporary. Material wealth will not last into eternity and so a life devoted to the pursuit of it is wasted. We are not to boast in our wealth or fine our identity in it. Everything this side of eternity is temporary and will wither and fade away. Our exaltation comes from God,through realising we have been adopted as sons and daughters of the King, that though we are in a lowly state now there will come a day when we are welcomed into the courts of the King. Our humiliation comes from remembering all that Jesus did for us on the cross, from acknowledging it is not because of any worth of our own or our own good merit that we have right-standing before God, but purely because of the grace and mercy shown by Jesus dying on the cross in our place. That humbles us and should stop us chasing after temporary treasures, because we have the one true source of happiness that will never fade or wither – the joy of salvation!