Give your heart to God

DAILY REFLECTION

-By Dr. Tan Tek Seng 20 Feb 2025

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,”

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭

True success comes from a strong moral compass and a focus on values beyond material wealth and power.

Bernie Madoff was an American financier who orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding thousands of investors out of an estimated $65 billion. His wealth and status allowed him to gain the trust of many high net worth (HNW) individuals and institutions to invest in his scheme. However, his riches were not genuine but built on deceit and fraud. His empire eventually collapsed under the weight of its own deceit resulting in many victims lost their entire life savings, emotional distress and even suicide. He was arrested in 2008 and charged with security fraud and was sentenced to 150 years in prison on June 29, 2009. He died on April 14, 2021, at the age of 82. The Madoff scandal clearly shows the futility of boasting in one's riches, wisdom, or strength, as these can be easily undermined by deceit and moral failure.

Jeremiah 9:23 encourages individuals to reflect on their priorities and to seek a deeper relationship with God, rather than putting their trust in human’s wisdom, strength and wealth. It calls for humility and a return to the foundational values of faith.

“Give your heart to God and fully surrender to Him.”