“and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'” – Job 1:21

Stanley Kresge was born on June 11, 1900 in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Albion College in 1923 and went to work for his father’s company, the S.S. Kresge Company. The S.S. Kresge Company later changed its name to K-Mart. For much of his entire life, Stanley Kresge was very wealthy man. But he was not spoiled by his inherited wealth. He was a Christian philanthropist who maximized that fortune. During his lifetime he gave away hundreds of millions of dollars to others, and especially to his church. When he died in Detroit at the age of 85, his pastor said this in the eulogy: “He considered what he had as a trust from God, and that he was a steward of all that God had given to him.” Before his death, Kresge told a newspaper reporter why he never let it be known how much of his personal fortune he had given away. He said, “I’d be embarrassed to have anybody think I was bragging about charity.” But quietly and consistently, all of his check payments and charitable contributions were signed exactly the same way: “In the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, Stanley S. Kresge.”

We come into and leave this world with no material possessions. The only true measure of wealth is our ability to praise the Lord throughout our life. Are you going through difficult financial times? Today in prayer, let Job’s words be the prayer of your heart “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

“The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.” – J.H. Jowett

God’s Word: “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” – Luke 12:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN JOB pkennedy@devotional.com