(Sharing from an old Devotional Guide I am using this week. All that are in brackets are my own expressions. I pray this sharing will bless your heart as you read.) The Reading is from Mark 12:41-44 and the key verse is vs. 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watching the crowd... ... Another area of life that we need Gods help to master (in our lives as Christians) is that of money. The account in the readings states Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and WATCHED... He is watching still! (Watching every step we take every conversation we are involved in, every acts we perform. He is even watching what is going on inside our thought life. If Christ was watching the attitude of people in those days with regards their attitude to money, dont you think he is watching our own attitude today as well? Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.) In the story Jesus told about the sower and the seed, He said 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 Mat.13:22. Notice two things choke the seed:- worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth -the delight of being rich. Jesus did not say riches are an enemy of the soul, but the delight of being rich. In other words, delight in riches for their own sake. Anyone who delights in riches because of the good that can be achieved through them will not receive any condemnation from our Lord (for any purpose of goodwill is in accordance with Gods will. All of Gods will is for His kingdom purpose to be fulfilled. Is your desire for money/wealth for goodwill towards God and humanity?), but those who delight in riches for their own sake - when they become an end in themselves - will hear our Lord say, as He said to the people of His day, You cannot serve both God and Money Mat.6:24. (The struggle for money/wealth today has cause people to be competitive with each other rather than complimenting each other causing strife, anger, bitterness, and all that is sinful to take root amongst us.) Though you cannot serve God AND money, you can, of course serve God WITH money. Ask yourself this question:- Is money my master or my servant? (Let me give some tips to help you with your answer. Find out when was the last time that you freely help someone without complaining. Check how regular you support those who might have given you a helping hand in the past - help to raise you up in your childhood, help pay your school fees, gave you shelter when your were once in need, gave you a piece of bread when you were hungry, gave you a glass of cold water when thirsty, help take care of your children when you had so much to do. Think of all those people who touched your life in either small or big way, from your birth till date. Maybe you are a spiritual leader, think of your followers, how many of them lack shelter and you never offer a corner of your home to them? Think of how many less privileged people you have as followers, people who are struggling to live and yet never stop giving their tithe even though things on the outside is really tough. Think how many times it is just empty words ‘give and it shall be given to you’ that they receive even when their needs are great. People, who should be bankers, lawyers, doctors etc., answered the call to be missionaries. Think how often you sow your money/wealth as seed into their ministries, their field mission work etc. Be honest with your thoughts and God will reward you. Any money/wealth sown freely and cheerfully into the life of anybody regardless of the status of that person, know that God will diligently reward you). (But please) before you answer the question is money my master or my servant, think again about the text of the Devotion Jesus sat opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched... (Note, He is still watching us today. Not only on Sunday when we put our offering but every day as we use everything we have including our whole life and being which is our reasonable sacrifice Rom.12:1. God bless you!!!)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:01:13 +0000
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