ALL – Psalm 115:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 27:21-22
OT – Ezekiel 33:1-34:31
NT – Hebrews 12:13:1-25
Interesting passage for the day: Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5, The Living Bible
Thought: Does God want you to stop earning money? Is He against an income (we’ll leave income taxes for another discussion)? Or does God just want your attention on Him rather than on accumulating George Washingtons?
It’s easy to think that money can solve all our problems. Everything we can’t have has a price tag attached to it. We’re constantly told that the primary barrier between us and our dreams is the sheer limitations of our bank accounts.
So we get educated to pursue a higher income. We stuff our consciences away somewhere in the dusty corners of our closets to avoid offending that boss who might just be about to give us a raise. We leave friends and family behind because our career is beckoning. We make money our god—we’ll do anything to deserve its blessings.
God isn’t against work. He spent the first six days of creation working. God isn’t against compensation for work. He says, “The worker deserves his wages.” But God hates to watch His people cry out to false gods for food, clothes, shelter, transportation, joy, security or anything else. If anyone’s capable of providing those things for us, it’s God. Our God has pledged to be faithful to us, to stay with us, never to leave us high and dry.
So should we work? Draw a paycheck? Yes. And breathe a prayer of thanks to Jesus for the strength and opportunity to work, the money He’s provided, the food and clothes and everything else. Pursue more? Not necessarily. Accept raises, promotions, new job opportunities? Often, if we’re convinced that they’re coming from Jesus’ hand. But pursue them? No. Instead, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.”
You can either love God or money. Not both.
Question: Have you ever been uncertain of whether you were about to choose a direction out of love for God or out of love for money? How did you guard your love for God? How did you oppose your love for money?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Distracted
ALL – Psalm 17:1-15
ALL – Proverbs 3:33-35
OT – Genesis 39:1-41:16
NT – Matthew 12:46-13:23
How long do our eyes need to be off the road ahead for us to have an accident? How much of a distraction can a runner afford in his focus without losing the race? How many mouse-clicks on favorite sites does it take to eat up a quarter of an hour’s premium work time? Is distraction really that big of a deal?
It most certainly is.
A moment’s distraction can cost us an hour’s work, the win of a racing career, and even the life of a loved one. If a moment’s distraction can cost us so dearly, what could a lifetime of distraction cost us, especially a lifetime of being distracted from God’s aim for our lives?
In Jesus’ famous parable of the sower, he had some warnings for us about being distracted from the good news of His Kingdom:
The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God’s Word, and he does less and less for God. – Matthew 13:22, The Living Bible
The NIV puts it this way: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”
What a waste! Jesus came to invite us into an eternal, glorious Kingdom with an eternal, glorious King. But we can get so distracted by the cares of a temporary, cursed, fading world and by fleeting opportunities for fleeting wealth that our lives end up being unfruitful, wasted, in vain. And Jesus warned us about unfruitfulness: “The ax is already at the fruit of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10, NIV).
Distraction is deadly. Don’t be deceived. It truly matters what you focus your mind and energies on. Let’s focus on Jesus Christ and following Him.
What distractions tempt you the most? What has Jesus taught you that helps you ignore them?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 3:33-35
OT – Genesis 39:1-41:16
NT – Matthew 12:46-13:23
How long do our eyes need to be off the road ahead for us to have an accident? How much of a distraction can a runner afford in his focus without losing the race? How many mouse-clicks on favorite sites does it take to eat up a quarter of an hour’s premium work time? Is distraction really that big of a deal?
It most certainly is.
A moment’s distraction can cost us an hour’s work, the win of a racing career, and even the life of a loved one. If a moment’s distraction can cost us so dearly, what could a lifetime of distraction cost us, especially a lifetime of being distracted from God’s aim for our lives?
In Jesus’ famous parable of the sower, he had some warnings for us about being distracted from the good news of His Kingdom:
The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God’s Word, and he does less and less for God. – Matthew 13:22, The Living Bible
The NIV puts it this way: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”
What a waste! Jesus came to invite us into an eternal, glorious Kingdom with an eternal, glorious King. But we can get so distracted by the cares of a temporary, cursed, fading world and by fleeting opportunities for fleeting wealth that our lives end up being unfruitful, wasted, in vain. And Jesus warned us about unfruitfulness: “The ax is already at the fruit of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10, NIV).
Distraction is deadly. Don’t be deceived. It truly matters what you focus your mind and energies on. Let’s focus on Jesus Christ and following Him.
What distractions tempt you the most? What has Jesus taught you that helps you ignore them?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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