Haggai 2:8

"'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," declares the Lord of hosts.'

The statements, the promises, the declarations of Scripture present the absolute truth by which we know the mind of God. And in the process of revealing His heart, the Lord also counters the lies of the enemy, the devil. America has embraced the lie that silver and gold is hers, with so many making and spending as much as possible by whatever means in order to please him- or herself to the fullest. Greed is applauded as praiseworthy ambition, seen as absolutely essential for successful business dealings. Self reigns supreme, garnering more and more silver, more and more gold, little realizing that life does not consist of possessions (Luke 12:15).

Exceedingly grievous to the Holy Spirit is the fact that this spirit of greed is also found within the body of Christ, His church. The spirit of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), who motivated them to lie to the Holy Spirit still works in some assemblies today. Oh, for more churches of the Macedonian sort (II Cor. 8), who, though financially struggling (v.2), gave liberally to the work of their own accord (v.3); stemming from having first given themselves to the Lord (v.5). They understood that giving went beyond the silver and gold, straight to the yielded heart. May we, as well.