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History is filled with people who believed the grass was greener on the other side.  Israel was no exception of course.  During the reigns of David and Solomon Israel was at the height of its political, military, religious, and economic power.  They controlled a large empire, were prosperous in every way that you can think of, and God was blessing what they did.  But all of this fell apart in a few brief years.

What could lead a nation to collapse so quickly?  In short – greed.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, abandoned his relationship with God in favor of using his friends and his own religion to control Israel.  Why? Because he wanted more power, more wealth and more fame.  In turn, he lost it all.  What followed was a divided kingdom (Israel split into two, Judah and the rest of Israel).  He also went from having the military power and peace that David and Solomon had enjoyed to being overrun by his neighbors.  In fact when Egypt attacked Rehoboam, Israel lost most of the treasure that David and Solomon had acquired.

Rehoboam didn’t always act out of greed.  For a while, he was faithful to God.  But eventually his heart began to change.  The Bible says, “after Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 12: 1).  Rehoboam waited until he was in a position of power and comfort before he began to move away from God.  He waited until he had a lot of stuff, and was comfortable and secure.  That’s when greed set in.  That’s when he started hearing the whispers that he could have more.

But it was an illusion.  His greed led to the destruction of his wealth, power, and country.  Rehoboam couldn’t even afford to replace the stolen treasures.  It got so bad, that to replace the lost treasure Rehoboam used bronze instead of the gold.  In an ironic twist, only a few years before silver was seen as a worthless material because of Solomon’s wealth (2 Chronicles 9: 20).  Now, Israel was stuck with a cheap imitation born out of greed.

I have to wonder, how many times I am stuck with a cheap imitation born out of greed.  How often do I wait until God brings me into a position of wealth and security before I abandon him?  I know it seems like every time my life is going smoothly, that’s when I turn my back on God.  How many affairs have started, athletic careers ended, and businesses failed because someone listened to the whisper of greed?

“The grass is greener on the other side” it says.  “Follow me and you can have it all.”  But we can’t.  Often the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

I don’t want things in my life made out of bronze.  I don’t want a cheap imitation born out of greed.  I want the gold and silver that comes from being a revolutionary.  I want the gold and silver that comes from living out a life of faith.

That’s easy to say now when I am not tempted.  It’s a lot harder to say “I want God over greed” when greed is whispering in your ear.  Lord – please help me to resist temptation.  Help me to fight the urges to be greedy and to think the grass is greener on the other side.