We all have our ideas about God and how He operates. It is reported that some Jew, discouraged by the persecution of the Jewish people, said “If G’d lived next door, I would throw stones at his house.”

Quite often people question the very existence of God because events in the world do not match their idea of how things should go if they were God, and in ultimate control. A god who conforms to our human understanding is no god at all, but a reflection of our human nature.

God is God because He Is, Yahweh, creator of the universe, who has revealed himself to His people, created in His image, and called us to be united with Him by faith in His unique Son, Jesus.

We should stand in awe of God, or perhaps better, bow before Him and acknowledge that His ways are not our ways. We should constantly bow before His power and majesty. Who are we to question the one who made us, and who gave Jesus to die for us?

Many people who come to Jesus and attempt to follow Him do not have the proper respect for the power and authority of God. The ultimate example of the result of failing to honor God in our inner being is found in Acts 5:1-11, the fate of Ananias and Sapphira—“

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet.”
“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’"
“And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.”
“Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’"
“Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.’"
“And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.” NASU

Why did Ananias and Sapphira die? Because they failed to honor the power and presence of God. Instead of God, they chose to honor the presence and power of money. They were more interested in keeping their money than feeding the helpless.

If God killed every Christian today who has held back their money from helping the helpless, because they trusted the power of money to provide for their own future, how many would be living? But Ananias and Sapphira are an example for us, so that we should be aware of the all knowing presence of God, Who knows out thoughts. We therefore should always be honoring Him in our heart, preferring to use what He gives us to help the helpless, trusting Him and His people to give us future security. We Christians must not quench the Spirit of God within us.

The love of money is idolatry, because one worships money in the place of God. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters, for we will love one more than the other. We cannot serve God and money at the same time. Remember the judgment scene in Matthew 25.

May we be warned by the example of Ananias and Sapphira, who loved money and praise more than they loved God and His people. May we learn to honor the presence of God by caring for the helpless, especially among God’s people.