Bible Study

Title: Temptation in the Good Times
Date: Oct 21, 2005
Topic(s): Christian Living/Situational
Scripture: Proverbs 30:8-9

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Thomas Carlisle once wrote, "Adversity is hard on a man; but for every one who can handle prosperity, there are a hundred who can handle adversity."

While it takes a lot of faith to handle the tough times, it takes even more faith to remain faithful to God during the good times. One of the greatest adversities you'll ever deal with in your life is prosperity--those good times when only good things are happening to you.

While success often brings new opportunities and new responsibilities, it also brings new temptations. Have you ever thought of success as a curse rather than a blessing? Let's take a look at what the psalmist wrote about prosperity.

What Does God Say?

Proverbs 30:8-9 reads, "Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name" (NLT).

• What might happen if we become too successful?
• Who is ultimately responsible for our success?
• How much "success" should we ask for?

My Thoughts

When you encounter success, you may be tempted to depend on yourself instead of God. You may think it is by your hard work or your own abilities that has brought you this far. When prosperity comes, you may be tempted to forget God. One way to avoid this pitfall is to remember who is responsible for your success. It is God who gave you a house, a car, a job and a body with which to work and earn money.

My Part

List three instances where you have seen a degree of success. Be specific: "I have received two promotions at work in the last year." Under each of these, indicate what you feel God's part in this success was. Then take a few moments to thank God for enabling you to experience this success.

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