The Day Wealth Betrays You
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ~ James 5:1
We live in a time obsessed with comfort, accumulation, and “leveling up.” Everywhere you turn, someone is selling the next strategy to build wealth, elevate your status, or secure a lifestyle of “soft living.” Yet Scripture cuts through the noise with a warning sharp enough to pierce any century: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you” (James 5:1). This is not an attack on having money. It is a rebuke of hearts that worship it, misuse it, and build their security on it instead of God.
James paints a picture of wealth gone rotten, literally. “Your riches have rotted… your gold and silver have corroded” (James 5:2–3). In other words, everything people chase today as if it will last forever is already decaying in God’s courtroom. Houses, brands, portfolios, none of them can stand before the Judge who sees motives, hears cries, and weighs righteousness. Jesus warned the same thing long before: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20). Earthly treasure fades. Heavenly treasure endures.
But James goes further. He exposes the darker side of greed, the harm it inflicts on others. “The wages of the laborers… which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you” (James 5:4). God does not overlook injustice, exploitation, or the quiet ways people use others to build their own comfort. In an age of corporate abuse, underpaid workers, manipulative bosses, and systems that reward greed, these words hit harder than ever. The Lord hears. “The cries… have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” Those who were cheated, silenced, or stepped on will not be ignored by heaven.
James then pulls back the curtain on what luxury without God really looks like: “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” (James 5:5). This is chilling. It means people can be feeding their desires while unknowingly preparing themselves for judgment. Jesus told the same story in the parable of the rich fool, “Soul, you have ample goods… relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you.” (Luke 12:19–20). The danger is not enjoying God’s blessings; it’s living as though the blessing is the god.
Finally, James exposes how far greed will go: “You have condemned and murdered the righteous person.” While most people today are not literally murdering anyone, greed kills in other ways, cut corners, crushed reputations, destroyed livelihoods, abandoned integrity. Wealth becomes a weapon when the heart worships gain instead of God.
So what is the call for us today?
Scripture isn’t telling us to avoid wealth. It is telling us to avoid being consumed by it. Wealth is a tool, not a savior. It can serve God’s kingdom or testify against us on the last day. The issue is not your bank account, it is your heart. Jesus said plainly, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). One will rule the other.
The hope is this: God invites us into a better way. A life marked by justice, generosity, humility, and eternal focus. A life where blessings are held with open hands. A life where our security is built not on portfolios, but on the God who owns all things.
Because one day, every treasure we stored will speak. And the only riches that will matter are the ones we laid at the feet of Christ.
Ezekiel 42:1-43:27
James 5:1-20
Psalm 119:1-16
Proverbs 28:6-7
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New Testament: James 5:1-20
Summary:
Warning to the Rich
Patience in Suffering
The Prayer of Faith
Now, in these last days before the coming of the Lord, what does God want in our lives? Let’s talk about priorities. To live only to get wealth is to rob yourself of true riches. It is to worry instead of worship. God knows you have needs and he will meet them if you practice what it says in Matthew 6:33.
And we need patience. If you’ve sown the right seed, you will eventually reap a harvest of blessings. So be patient. If others have exploited you, be patient. The judge is at the door.
God has the final say and God has a plan for your life. All life is lived in seasons. Perhaps God is preparing you for the next season. Be diligent if you’re going through trials, be patient. God is still on the throne.
Don’t forget prayer. Many kinds of prayer are named here as we go through the Book of James Chapter 5, prayer for the sick, prayer for forgiveness, prayer for the nation, even prayer about the weather. There’s no need that prayer cannot meet and no problem that prayer cannot solve. And finally, we’ll read about personal concern.
Once again, James emphasizes ministry to individuals. Can you detect when a fellow believer starts to stray? Are you truly concerned? Will you try to help? Will you wait too long?
Overview: James – Click Here
There is a God who cares for your every need. You should never underestimate prayer’s power, as it is our greatest weapon of defense. For motivation on why we should always pray, watch this video.
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