Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 5
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 49
"Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him - the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough - that he should live on forever and not see decay.
For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to himself.
Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper - he will join the generations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." ( vs 1-3, 5-20)
I have struggled for six months to find something to add as commentary for this Psalm, yet nothing comes. I believe it really says it all.
We will all die, and someday, we will face God whether we believe in Him or not. I truly believe this and so what happens here is only important on the spiritual realm. Where are we at really with God? In this new year, let us renew our vows and commitments and if this is new or foreign to us, let us seek it out.
We truly are mists, here today and gone tomorrow. Let's make it count.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for creating us. Life is so beautiful, despite its ups and downs. We know and believe that You exist and that You reward those who earnestly seek You. We want to seek You. We want to recommit to serve You and we want to be pleasing to You in all we say and do. You are truly all that matters. Turn our eyes away from the worthless things of this world and all that glitters and charms us. Grant us an undivided heart that we might serve You wholeheartedly. We know that You are able.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I afraid of anything that is going on in the world today? How can I turn it over to God and trust in Him to take care of it?
2. What is my attitude towards money? Is it trying to take first place in my life? How can I have a correct attitude about wealth?
3. Do I get overawed by the wealthy and the "successful" in the world's eyes? Who are my heroes and what does that say about myself?
4. What is my life focus? What am I striving for, and what am I putting my energy into on a daily basis? Is it moving people towards Christ?
5. Where am I with God really? Have I lost my first love? Am I wholehearted in my devotion? Am I focused on the spiritual?
Showing posts with label wealthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wealthy. Show all posts
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/15/10 (9/15/09)
Focus Letter - O
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 15
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)
This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not. We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes. Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30). He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)
Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had. Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart. He told him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (vs 22b)." In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive. He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it.
In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad. He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well. We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out, we don't want to do what it takes to obey. We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life. Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways. Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn. We pick and chose what we will obey. But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts?
I don't believe they do. It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"
So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm. This is who will make it:
"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)
This is a high calling. This is probably not what we expect. Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals". We figure if we don't murder, or steal, if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay. But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)" It is all about who we are deep down. Can we say we are blameless? I can not. Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone? I can not. Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good? Often it is the opposite for us. Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do? Or is it easy to just blow things off? Are we above reproach? No. We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us. We know what we are really like. Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.
So what are we to do? The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad. Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)" A good question to ask when we look at what is needed. The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)"
And with this we praise God. We can be saved. We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven. Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God. He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died. We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness. The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different. With God, we can do it. The impossible will be possible. Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.
This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.
"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (I John 1:5 - 2:6)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You. We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it. All things are possible with You. Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed. We have all fallen short. We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus. We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins. We long to never be shaken. Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for me? Why?
2. Do I hate evil? How can I hate evil without being self-righteous? Do I honor what God honors? Do I honor those who fear the Lord? Why or why not? How can I change?
3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for? Why? How can I stop?
4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)? How can I overcome this?
5. Am I walking in the light? Am I open about my sins with anyone? Do I have any accountability in my life? Why or why not? Who can I talk to about issues I may have? How will this help me?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 15
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)
This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not. We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes. Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30). He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)
Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had. Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart. He told him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (vs 22b)." In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive. He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it.
In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad. He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well. We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out, we don't want to do what it takes to obey. We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life. Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways. Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn. We pick and chose what we will obey. But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts?
I don't believe they do. It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"
So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm. This is who will make it:
"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)
This is a high calling. This is probably not what we expect. Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals". We figure if we don't murder, or steal, if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay. But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)" It is all about who we are deep down. Can we say we are blameless? I can not. Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone? I can not. Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good? Often it is the opposite for us. Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do? Or is it easy to just blow things off? Are we above reproach? No. We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us. We know what we are really like. Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.
So what are we to do? The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad. Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)" A good question to ask when we look at what is needed. The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)"
And with this we praise God. We can be saved. We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven. Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God. He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died. We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness. The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different. With God, we can do it. The impossible will be possible. Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.
This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.
"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (I John 1:5 - 2:6)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You. We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it. All things are possible with You. Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed. We have all fallen short. We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus. We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins. We long to never be shaken. Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for me? Why?
2. Do I hate evil? How can I hate evil without being self-righteous? Do I honor what God honors? Do I honor those who fear the Lord? Why or why not? How can I change?
3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for? Why? How can I stop?
4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)? How can I overcome this?
5. Am I walking in the light? Am I open about my sins with anyone? Do I have any accountability in my life? Why or why not? Who can I talk to about issues I may have? How will this help me?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Daily Devotional - 11/13
Prayer Focus - Needs
Day 2
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world
One thing that is needed in your country
Pray about:
How it will help those concerned with their spiritual life
How it will help those concerned with their physical life
How it will help those concerned with their emotional life
How it will help those concerned with their mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 73
"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." ( vs. 1-2)
"This is what the wicked are like - always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning...When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely You place them on slippery ground; You cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when You arise, O Lord, You will despise them as fantasies." (vs. 13-14, 16-20)
"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (vs. 21-26)
Day 2
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world
One thing that is needed in your country
Pray about:
How it will help those concerned with their spiritual life
How it will help those concerned with their physical life
How it will help those concerned with their emotional life
How it will help those concerned with their mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 73
"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." ( vs. 1-2)
"This is what the wicked are like - always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning...When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely You place them on slippery ground; You cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when You arise, O Lord, You will despise them as fantasies." (vs. 13-14, 16-20)
"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (vs. 21-26)
It is easy to lose sight of what is important. When we look around at others and compare ourselves with others, especially those not following God, we can end up dissatisfied with our lot. Those who are chasing after what the world offers can achieve quite a bit and I believe that Satan rewards them to help lead others astray. We can look at their schedules, which often have more free time and leisure activities, and begin to envy them. We can also envy their financial success as they often use unethical methods to get ahead. We can look at their fancy houses, clothes, and the like and then wonder why we are struggling and trying to do things God's way. But God does not promise wealth and success. God promises spiritual rewards.
If we lose sight of this we can easily slip. It is not hard to get to this point and we become like brute beasts when we start envying. We lose all of our dignity and integrity. This is not what we want nor is it what God wants for us. We need to get back to God and enter His sanctuary. We need to remember what will happen to all those who do not know Him. They will not endure. Whatever they are enjoying is for this life only. When we die, we take nothing with us. Naked we came and naked we go. Without God, they will leave it all here and enter eternity impoverished. They will be like a dream that is despised in the morning. ]
I don't want to be a bad dream to God. I want to be a good memory, and not even a memory, a good and faithful servant always with Him, serving Him for eternity. The amazing thing is, that with God, this is possible. God is still with us, even when we are faltering. He is holding our hand and guiding us in the way that we should go. Everything may fail but God will not. God is our strength forever.
"But as for me, it is good to be near God." (vs. 28a)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We know You are good. We have always known this in our souls, yet we slip so easily. We are like Peter who took his eyes off you when he was walking on the water. We sink. We begin to look at those around us and begin to envy their prosperity and ease. Help us to enter into Your sanctuary on a daily basis so that we will remember their final destiny. Help us to remember what life is all about and that the eternal is what truly matters. We ask to not be like brute beasts but like those that have integrity and uprightness. We do not want to be a bad dream to You. We do not want to be despised when You awake. We do not want to be swept away by terrors or cast down to ruin. Help us to live for eternity and to live clearly and simply. You are here guiding us. Help us to not fight Your guidance, but to embrace it. We thank You for being our strength and our portion forever. You are all we have. There is nothing better than You. We desire nothing else than to please You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What things cause me to envy the most? What circumstances and people cause me the most trouble? How can I combat this?
2. Do I ever feel that I am trying so hard and yet it is all in vain? Do I feel this way when I am forgetting all the good things that God has done for me? How can I rekindle my gratitude?
3. How can I enter into the sanctuary of God on a daily basis? What places and settings help me to remember my spiritual perspective and get back to being grounded in what is important again? How can I incorporate these things into my daily life?
4. How is God guiding me? Am I receptive to His leading through His word, others, and my inner conscience? How can I become more receptive? Am I being still so that I can remember that God is God and allow myself to hear His voice?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Daily Devotional - 10/19
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 5
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 49
"Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him...For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper - he will join the generations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." ( vs 5-20)
Why should I fear when evil days come? Men are nothing. Men cannot save, only God can save. All perish and wealth gets passed on. It is so easy to envy those who seem to have it all together, especially monetarily. When you are penny pinching and see someone living in luxury, it is easy to think you missed the boat and are doing things all wrong. That is until you take a look at life from an eternal perspective. Then it all makes sense. Wealth is fleeting. We store up and then have to pass it on and we have no idea if the next person will be wise or foolish with what we worked so hard for. Everyone dies. There is no escaping it so we need to focus rather on pleasing God and being upright so that we will be redeemed and be taken to
God, Himself. We just don't endure!! We are fleeting so make a difference. The upright will rule over the the evil in the morning. God will redeem me from the grave. He will surely take me to Himself. Do not be overawed. Riches don't follow us, only God. A man who has riches without understanding is like a beast that perishes.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for taking hold of us and moving us toward You. We are grateful to have all the time we do with our brothers and sisters in Christ and we are so grateful to be learning more and more how to be close to you and how to worship you appropriately. We want to let go of all of our temptations to envy those around us that appear to have it all make. No one knows the pain those people might be going through and we have the answers. WE do not have to be apologetic and sad. We need to be remembering the fleeting nature of life and all that we have to share. Help us to not be afraid and help us to have understanding. We want to glorify You and we pray that we can through every avenue available.
In Jesus' Name,
Day 5
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 49
"Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him...For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper - he will join the generations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." ( vs 5-20)
Why should I fear when evil days come? Men are nothing. Men cannot save, only God can save. All perish and wealth gets passed on. It is so easy to envy those who seem to have it all together, especially monetarily. When you are penny pinching and see someone living in luxury, it is easy to think you missed the boat and are doing things all wrong. That is until you take a look at life from an eternal perspective. Then it all makes sense. Wealth is fleeting. We store up and then have to pass it on and we have no idea if the next person will be wise or foolish with what we worked so hard for. Everyone dies. There is no escaping it so we need to focus rather on pleasing God and being upright so that we will be redeemed and be taken to
God, Himself. We just don't endure!! We are fleeting so make a difference. The upright will rule over the the evil in the morning. God will redeem me from the grave. He will surely take me to Himself. Do not be overawed. Riches don't follow us, only God. A man who has riches without understanding is like a beast that perishes.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for taking hold of us and moving us toward You. We are grateful to have all the time we do with our brothers and sisters in Christ and we are so grateful to be learning more and more how to be close to you and how to worship you appropriately. We want to let go of all of our temptations to envy those around us that appear to have it all make. No one knows the pain those people might be going through and we have the answers. WE do not have to be apologetic and sad. We need to be remembering the fleeting nature of life and all that we have to share. Help us to not be afraid and help us to have understanding. We want to glorify You and we pray that we can through every avenue available.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I afraid of anything that is going on in the world today? How can I turn it over to God and trust in Him to take care of it?
2. What is my attitude towards money? Is it trying to take first place in my life? How can I have a correct attitude about wealth?
3. Do I get overawed by the wealthy and the "successful" in the world's eyes? Who are my heroes and what does that say about myself?
QFT
1. Am I afraid of anything that is going on in the world today? How can I turn it over to God and trust in Him to take care of it?
2. What is my attitude towards money? Is it trying to take first place in my life? How can I have a correct attitude about wealth?
3. Do I get overawed by the wealthy and the "successful" in the world's eyes? Who are my heroes and what does that say about myself?
4. What is my life focus? What am I striving for, and what am I putting my energy into on a daily basis? Is it moving people towards Christ?
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