Does God want us to be rich?

Something has been weighing on my mind lately is the concept of whether God wants us to be rich.  Several years ago, when the Army moved us, my husband and I made a decision for me to quit my job and not try to find another one when we moved.  It was a huge leap of faith for me, as money (or the peace of mind that came with it at that time) were very big for me. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't consumed with having a lot of money, but we were very comfortable in our lifestyle and I knew that relying on one income, especially when we were moving was going to be a very big adjustment.  In that time of uncertainty, it was my husband who had the Faith, who told me repeatedly that we would be okay, that God would provide and he has.  We have made adjustments and we aren't as "spendy" as we used to be.  We are still adjusting three years later, but it has been worth it and there has always been enough. We are definitely not rich, at least not in the monetary sense and that is what I am talking about.  Does God want us to be rich with money? 

So, as I am known to do, I hit up the web and Google with that question, just to see the varying opinions, and man, there are some opinions. They are varied from one spectrum to the other and each has some biblical reasoning why they think they are correct.  Then, I decided that I should just see what the Bible has to say about money myself.  I've put some of the passages that I found below, but there are many more verses specifically about wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:18

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Acts 8:20

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Revelation 3:17

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

There were two verses that spoke to me more than all the others.  They are listed below:

1 Peter 5:2-3

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

You see, I don’t claim to be a theologian.  I am definitely not an expert.  As a matter of fact, I admittedly have to use web searches on a regular basis to find specific verses because I am not as knowledgeable as I feel I should be.  I am definitely a work in progress.  However, this is the conclusion I came to about the questions, “Does God want us to be monetarily rich?”  There is only one reason I can think of that God would want us to be rich and that would be so that we could give more, do more.  Greater resources gives us the ability to do more for others.  My question to myself (and others) is, do you share your riches?  Do you give of your gifts?  I hope that in God’s eyes, I am doing that and I strive to continuously improve.  Once again, I am a work in progress.  However, I think progress is the key.