113. Establish His Covenant
Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
God does not promise wealth, but He does give you the power to get wealth. Wealth, by the world’s definition, can mean possessing more than the bare necessities of physical life. Wealth, by God’s definition, is being content in whatever situation you are. Spiritual wealth is a promise and a blessing and something worth seeking first. When the “kingdom” is secured by daily repentance and faith in the gospel then “all these things shall be added.” The “added things” are the material we think of as wealth.
The real promise contained in this word is that the Lord will establish His covenant with you. God did just that in Jesus’ death and resurrection, He bestows the covenant blessing in forgiveness, He seals it to us in Baptism, and He graces it to us in the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. The new covenant in the blood of Christ is as good a His word, His bond, His guarantee, His pledge and promise that He obligates Himself to keep.
The “covenant He swore to thy fathers” is the call of Abraham in which the Lord promises to give him land, offspring and blessing to the nations. The story of the Bible unfolds for us from there and finishes in the last chapters of the Book of Revelation in which He shows us the final working out of His Covenant for all those who have the faith of Abraham, faith in the Promise. The Promise is Jesus Christ.
The purpose of life in this world, and the enjoyment of worldly wealth, is that the Lord may establish His covenant with us. “This is eternal life that they know you,” says Jesus in prayer to the Father. This is why you are alive. Remember the Lord your God; He will establish His covenant with you. Meanwhile, enjoy God’s riches.