THE FAILURE OF SUCCESS
APRIL 1
Bible Reading: Luke 12:13-21 Key Verse: Luke 12:20- “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
Key Words: Thou fool
As you read the story of the rich farmer in Luke 12, you read of a family dispute over money. Jesus could have settled the family dispute but he refused to do so. The brother who came to Jesus wanted him to solve his problem, not change his heart. So it is with many today, they look to Jesus as a problem-solver, not a heart-changer. So Jesus tells the story of a farmer who many would have declared a success, but Jesus called him a fool. The rich farmer knew how to make money, but had failed to learn how to live. In 1928 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: the president of the largest utility company, the greatest wheat speculator, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, a member of the President’s Cabinet, the greatest “bear” of Wall Street, the president of the Bank of International Settlements, and the head of the world’s greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples. Twenty-five years later, this is what happened to these men: The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, insolvent. The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison. The member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. The greatest “bear” of Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide. The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. The head of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide. All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live.
What a shame!! Do you know that living for Christ is the only real way to live? What to do: ✞ Put God first in your life and your money will follow.
FALSE SECURITY
APRIL 2
Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:1-9 Key Verse: I Timothy 6:9- “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” Key Words: But they that will be rich
The key words in verse 9 reveal the will and desire of many. They desire and will to be rich. Their security is in money, riches, and wealth. But God’s Word warns us about this false security which leads to three things: 1. Falling into temptations, 2. Falling into a snare, and 3. Falling into many foolish and hurtful lusts...
And all of these drown men in destruction and perdition. Many people think money is security, but I Timothy 6:10 warns that it can be just the opposite. A few years ago, columnist Jim Bishop reported what happened to people who won the state lottery: Rosa Grayson of Washington won $400 a week for life. She hides in her apartment. For the first time in her life, she has “nerves.” Everyone tries to put the touch on her. “People are so mean,” she said. “I hope you win the lottery and see what happens to you.” When the McGugarts of New York won the Irish Sweepstakes, they were happy. Pop was a steamfitter. Johnny, twenty-six, loaded crates on docks. Tim was going to night school. Pop split the million with his sons. They all said the money wouldn’t change their plans. A year later, the million wasn’t gone; it was bent. The boys weren’t speaking to Pop, or each other. Johnny was chasing expensive race horses; Tim was catching up with expensive girls. Mom accused Pop of hiding his poke from her. Within two years, all of them were in court for
nonpayment of income taxes. “It’s the devil’s own money,” Mom said. Both boys were studying hard to become alcoholics. All of these people hoped and prayed for sudden wealth. All had their prayers answered. All were wrecked on a dollar sign. I trust today that your security is genuinely in Christ, not riches.
What to do: ✞ Be careful what you wish for.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR
APRIL 3
Bible Reading: Psalm 19 Key Verse: Psalm 19:14- “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Key Words: Let the words of my mouth
We need to be careful of what we ask for – for we may get it. This is true of our desire for money and financial gain as well. W. E. Thorn tells about the first little country church where he served. After attending many clinics on stewardship, he came to the conclusion that the trouble with his church was that it didn’t have a unified budget. So, for several Sundays in a row, he We need to be preached on “The Unified Budget.” Finally, in a church business meeting, one of careful of what the deacons asked an embarrassing question. “Pastor, what is a ‘unified’ budget anyhow?” The we ask for – for young preacher fumbled for words, finally asking for the discussion to be delayed. we may get it. That afternoon pastor Thorn asked the treasurer how he handled the finances. “There are two items in our budget,” he said, taking two fruit jars down from a shelf. “There is the flower fund and there is the preacher’s salary.” Thorn noticed right off that the flower fund was in a quart jar while the pastor’s salary was in a pint jar. So with great indignation he said, “We need a unified budget.”
The treasurer squinted at the young preacher and said, “Okay pastor, if that’s the way you want it.” He then took the pint jar and emptied it into the quart jar. That was the last time pastor Thorn mentioned a “unified” budget out there! So I repeat, be careful what you ask for, for you may just get it!
What to do: ✞ Live for God, not money.
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. Proverbs 11:4
HOW SAD!
APRIL 4
Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:10-21 Key Verse: I Timothy 6:10- “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Key Words: for the love of money
In a recent survey, money ranked with love as man’s greatest source of joy. What a shame! Raymond McHenry writes: “What would you be willing to do for $10 million? From survey results found in The Day America Told the Truth, one of four respondents would abandon their entire family, twenty-three percent said they would become a prostitute for a week, sixteen percent noted they would leave their spouse, and three percent confided they would put their children up for adoption. Sergio Hernandez, twenty-eight, was arrested and charged with stealing television sets and other electronics during the 1992 rioting in Los Angeles. This appears rather strange for a man who won $3 million in the 1989 California lottery. Kathleen Pizzi was a restaurant hostess when she won a $3.2 million jackpot in the 1985 Connecticut lottery. In 1992, Miss Pizzi wound up facing attorneys in a Palm Beach,
Florida, bankruptcy court. Many folks seem to think money is the cure-all to their problems.” What a shame that man has known the truth of I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”, yet men still love money more than God. What a shame!
What to do: ✞ Love God and others, and use money; but when you love money, you will use God and others for personal gain.
THE VALUE OF MONEY Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-24
APRIL 5
Key Verse: Matthew 6:21- “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Key Words: there will your heart be also
In law enforcement they say: “In order to find a thief, follow the money”... so it is with a Christian. We know our values by how we use “our” money. A miser, who never stopped worrying about the safety of his possessions, sold all his property and converted it into a huge lump of gold. This he buried in a hole in the ground near his garden wall, and every morning he went to visit it and gloat over the size of it. The miser’s strange behavior aroused the curiosity of the town thief. Spying on the rich man from some bushes, the thief saw him place the lump of gold back in the hole and cover it up. As soon as the miser’s back was turned, the thief went to the spot, dug up the gold, and took it away. The next morning, when the miser went to gloat over his treasure, he found nothing but an empty hole. He wept and tore his hair, and so loud were his lamentations that a neighbor came running to see what was the trouble. As soon as he had learned the cause of it, he said comfortingly, “You are foolish to distress yourself over something that was buried in the earth. Take a stone and put it in the hole, and think that it is your lump of gold. You were never meant to use it anyway. Therefore, it will do you just as much good to fondle a lump of granite as a lump of gold.”
This fable by Aesop has a very significant moral for every Christian: “The true value of money is not in its possession but in its use.” So where do you value life? You can tell by where you spend your money. What to do: ✞ Re-evaluate your financial priorities.
“Nothing that is God’s is obtainable by money”
WISDOM OVER MONEY
—Tertullian APRIL 6
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:11-19 Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 7:12- “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”
Key Words: wisdom giveth life
The point of our key verse is that both wisdom and money are used for protection, but only wisdom gives life. George W. Truett, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, was invited to dinner in the home of a wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then, pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.” He paused, expecting Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward, simply said, “How much do you have in that direction?” The man hung his head and confessed, “I never thought of that.” Although that wealthy Texan had succeeded in making money, he had failed to prepare for eternity.
I trust that money isn’t keeping you from the most valuable thing in life – salvation.
What to do: ✞ Real wisdom is not in how much money you have, but in those things which are eternal.
He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages.
--Roger L'Estrange
STEWARDSHIP OF TIME Bible Reading: James 4:1-17
APRIL 7
Key Verse: James 4:14- “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Key Words: that appeareth for a little time
Robert Hastings writes: “When I was a boy, we hung a four-cornered card in the window each morning during the summer. The numbers 25, 50, 75, and 100 were printed in the corners. It was our way of telling the iceman how many pounds to bring. If mother had waxed the kitchen floor, she spread newspapers to catch the dripping water, for ice melts in transit. You never have as much when you get there as when you start. Time, too, melts in transit. It gets away from us. You never have as much left when you get where you are going as when you left. Some people boast about ‘saving’ time. Hogwash! Ask anyone to show you the time he ‘saved.’ You can save money, but you can’t save time. It slips away. Oh, you can find quicker ways of doing things. You can cut corners, timewise. But you can’t hold time back. You can’t put it on deepfreeze, or lock it in a vault, or reverse the pages of the calendar. James 4:14 reminds us that our life is ‘even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ And Psalm 90:6 compares man to the grass which in the morning flourishes, but in the evening is cut down and withered. And then the insights of Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.’ Yes, time, like ice, melts in transit. It’s your life! Use it or misuse it, but you can’t hold on to it; which is what some mean when they say it is better to wear out than to rust out!”
What to do: ✞ Be wise stewards of your time. I prioritize things as follows: 1) necessary, 2) needy, and 3) nice. Do the necessary things first.
STEWARDSHIP OF RESPONSIBILITY Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-27
APRIL 8
Key Verse: Luke 19:13- “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”
Key Words: Occupy till I come
I realize that this portion of Scripture is speaking of money and is a reference to the Millennial Kingdom, but the point is clear that we are responsible for what the Lord entrusts to us. Two young men were arrested robbing a service station. When the trial came up, one of the men had four or five high-powered lawyers – his family was wealthy. The other boy had a court-appointed lawyer; he had been in reform school and had spent two years in Sing Sing. The two boys were obviously guilty; they had been caught in the act. The judge sentenced the boy who had been in Sing Sing to three years; the other boy was sentenced to ten years. The lawyers howled. The judge said, “This boy is a graduate of Choate Preparatory School and of Yale University. His father was an outstanding man in the community; this boy has sinned against his preparatory school and against Yale University. He has sinned against the whole American standard of ethics. Tremendous opportunities were made available to him, yet he turned against all that he knew to be right. He turned against the code of ethics of his family, his school, his university; he deserves a worse punishment.” The judge acted in a Biblical way, for God says, “To whom much has been committed, much shall be required.” The fact that we name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ increases our responsibility before God. The more education you have, the more you are
answerable to God. The more knowledge you have of the Bible, the more you are answerable to God. The better your health, the more answerable you are to God. The minute that God gives you any advantage whatsoever, the more you are answerable to God. Amen and amen!
What to do: ✞ Be a wise steward and be faithful to God to carry out your responsibility as a 1) father, 2) mother, 3) laborer, 4) Sunday School teacher, or 5) whatever your responsibilities may be.
STEWARDS OF GOD’S CHILDREN Bible Reading: Psalm 127
APRIL 9
Key Verse: Psalm 127:3- “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
Key Words: Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord
Parents are to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6a). This is not a request but a command. It’s not optional. As parents, it is our parental duty to be good stewards in the training of our children. I came across a parent’s prayer. I trust it will bless you as you strive to be Godly parents and wise stewards of God’s children. O Father, help me to treat my children as You have treated me. Make me sensitive to their needs and frustrations. Help me to listen with attention, insight, and understanding to what they have to say. Help me to treat them as a person of Your design and therefore of real worth. Help me to respect...their times to talk without interrupting or contradicting them...their ideas...their need for freedom to make choices and to take responsibility as they are able. O, give me the wisdom and understanding to teach my children as You have taught me.
Let me not forget they are children and not little adults, being patient and helpful as they are developing skills and mental abilities and to allow them mistakes and accidents without laughing at or belittling them. Thank You for the provision of my need as a parent in charge of this flock of God. Thank You that in the Lord Jesus You have given all I need to be what I ought as a Christian parent. ~ Anonymous
What to do: ✞ Train up a child in the way he should go – not the way he wants to go.
TRUE WEALTH
APRIL 10
Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:1-11 Key Verse: Proverbs 13:11- “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”
Key Words: Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished
The Word of God warns us about desires for wealth and riches. In Proverbs 11:4a we read, “Riches profit not in the day of wrath” and in verse 28a, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall.” The British ship Britannia was wrecked off the coast of Brazil. Stored in the hold were many kegs filled with Spanish gold coins. The crew, hoping to save them, started to carry the barrels on deck. But the vessel was breaking up so fast that they had to abandon their efforts and rush for the lifeboats. Just before the last one pushed off, a young midshipman was sent back to see if anyone had been left behind. To his surprise, a man sat on the deck with a hatchet by his side. He had broken open a few kegs and was heaping the gold up around him. “What are you doing?” shouted the sailor. “Don’t you know this ship is going to pieces?” “It may go down,” said the man, “but I’ve lived in poverty all my life, and I’m determined to die rich.”
This man, along with many others, needs to learn that “the measure of a man’s wealth is how much he’d be worth if he lost all his money” (John Henry Jowett).
What to do: ✞ Remember that wealth is a wonderful thing, but it’s possible to pay too high a price for it.
THE PITY OF WEALTH
APRIL 11
Bible Reading: I Corinthians 10:1-24 Key Verse: I Corinthians 10:24- “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”
Key Words: but every man another’s wealth
Bertha Adams was seventy-one years old. She died alone in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Easter Sunday, 1976. The coroner’s report read: “Cause of death...malnutrition.” After wasting away to fifty pounds she could no longer stay alive. When the state authorities made their preliminary investigation of her place, they found a veritable “pigpen...the biggest mess you can imagine.” One seasoned inspector declared he had never seen a dwelling in greater disarray. The pitiable woman had begged food from neighbors and gotten what clothes she had from the Salvation Army. From all appearances, she was a penniless recluse – a pitiful and forgotten widow. But such was not the case. Amid the jumble of her unclean, disheveled belongings, two keys were found which led officials to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. The discovery was absolutely unbelievable. The first box contained over seven hundred stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and sold financial securities, and cash amounting to nearly $200,000. The second box had more currency -- $600,000. Adding the net worth of both boxes, the woman had well over a million dollars. Bertha Adams’s hoarding was tragic, and her death was an unusually grim testimony to the shriveled focus on her life. Her great wealth did her no good whatsoever. Its proper use could have meant good health for her and many others.
There are many, who like Bertha, hoard what they could be sharing with others – giving to the work of God. What a shame!
What to do: ✞ Remember, life is tragic for the person who has plenty to live on, but nothing to live for.
OUTRAGEOUS
APRIL 12
Bible Reading: Matthew 27:1-10 Key Verse: Matthew 27:3- “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”
Key Words: the thirty pieces of silver
What’s the most outrageous thing you would do for $10,000 cash? That’s the question posed recently by Chicago radio station WKOX, which attracted responses from more than 6,000 full-tilt crazies. The eventual winner: Jay Gwaltney of Zionsville, Indiana, who consumed an 11-foot birch sapling – leaves, roots, bark and all. For the event, he donned a tux and dined at a table set elegantly with china, sterling, candles and a rose vase. Armed with pruning shears, the Indiana State University sophomore began chomping from the top of the tree and worked his way, branch by branch, to the roots. His only condiment: French dressing for the massive birch-leaf salad. The culinary feat took eighteen hours over a period of three days. When it was all over, Gwaltney complained of an upset stomach. Evidently the bark was worse than his bite. Some people will do anything for money. Now, if you think what Jay Gwaltney did is outrageous, think about what Judas did. He betrayed the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver. (The silver was probably a shekel or a dram which is equal to a penny – so for thirty cents Judas betrayed Jesus.) Now, Judas is not the only one who was outrageous. Think of those who refuse to give to God’s work in order to enjoy the pleasures of this world; or think of those who put money before worshipping God on the Lord’s Day. Let’s face it, there
are those who do some pretty outrageous things because of their desire for “money.” Surely you’re not one of those, are you?
What to do: ✞ Put God first in your life – this includes your checkbook.
WHAT YOUR MONEY SAYS ABOUT YOU
APRIL 13
Bible Reading: Matthew 25:1-28 Key Verse: Matthew 25:25- “And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.”
Key Words: hid thy talent in the earth
The word talent means “gold” or “metal.” It means in our language money. The unwise servant buried his money rather than investing it for his master’s gain. The principle is clear: we should invest money for God’s gain, not hide money for selfish reasons. Where we spend our money and how we use it tells a lot about our character and relationship with God. Godfrey Davis, who wrote a biography about the Duke of Wellington, said, “I found an old account ledger that showed how the Duke spent his money. It was a far better clue to what he thought was really important than the reading of his letters or speeches.” How we handle money reveals much about the depth of our commitment to Christ. That’s why Jesus often talked about money. One-sixth of the gospels, including one out of every three parables, touches on stewardship. Jesus wasn’t a fundraiser. He dealt with money matters because money matters. For some of us, though, it matters too much. Remember, it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil. He who doesn’t put God first with his finances is pulling your leg when he sings, “Oh, how I love Jesus.”
What to do: ✞ Remember, the joy of God is worth more than the joy of money.
TOUGH TIMES
APRIL 14
Bible Reading: II Chronicles 7:1-14 Key Verse: II Chronicles 7:14- “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Key Words: If my people
The American government is trillions of dollars in debt. General Motors, AIG,
Bank of America, and other institutions now belong to and are being run by the government. Unemployment is over 9%. The President has announced that he is pushing for a “national health care” program that will cost the American taxpayer trillions of dollars more. America is on the verge of no longer being financially solvent. We borrow almost daily from China and Middle Eastern countries in order to stay afloat. Gas prices are going higher; government is growing while everything else is shrinking. The baby-boomer generation which had dreams of retirement now has nightmares of what might have been. Now, with all that being said, we are still pretty well off, are we not? What we are … so let us let experiencing is nothing compared to what Israel has been through as a nation. Imagine wandering our light shine through a wilderness with no food or water and no place to call home. Or even imagine in more and our salt recent days living in Europe during the Great War (World War II): no food, millions homeless, preserve. sickness on every hand and bombing raids continually. Or even yet a more recent time: remember Rwanda? Thousands upon thousands died due to a famine, homeless, helpless, and hopeless. Think of Chad, Africa, where over 50% of the population has died or is dying because of famine and sickness. Imagine as a mother watching your children starving to death, and you are helpless to stop it. And even worse yet, imagine those who will be left behind after the rapture to go through and merely exist during the tribulation period. It’s time we as believers stop our “doom and despair” attitude, and begin to cry out to God to save not just our nation but the souls of men and women, boys and girls all across the world. We are the light of the world; we are the salt of the earth, so let us let our light shine and our salt preserve. I close with the words found in II Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn
from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
What to do: ✞ Do right – not by your standard but by the standard of God’s Word.
THE JOY OF GIVING Bible Reading: Luke 6:27-45
APRIL 15
Key Verse: Luke 6:38- “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Key Words: Give and it shall be given unto you
Stephen Olford relates the following story in his book, The Grace of Giving. “My father served the Lord for thirty years in Angola, West Africa. Throughout that whole period he was never on salary. In fact, he had no guarantee from one month to another that financial support would be forthcoming. But, thank God he never lacked! He not only maintained the overhead costs of a missionary program, but he also brought up his family which included three boys. In later years when he returned home, he discovered people all over who had sacrificed greatly to support his work. In almost every case, these people had been blessed by his ministry but had chosen to remain anonymous. If these people had been weary in well doing, what would have happened to a lonely missionary and his family in the heart of Africa?” I believe prayer is us pouring our heart out to God. Giving is letting God pour out His heart to others through us. Supposing today were your last on earth, The last mile of your journey you’ve trod. After all of your struggles, how much are you worth? How much could you take home to God? Don’t count on possessions, your silver and gold, For tomorrow you leave them behind. And all that is yours to have and to hold, Are the blessings you’ve given – Keep that in mind.
Just what have you done on your journey along, That was really and truly worthwhile? Do you feel you’ve done good and returned it for wrong, Could you look o’er your life with a smile?
What to do: ✞ Memorize the following: What I’ve tried to keep, I’ve lost; but what I have given to God, I still possess.
YOUR MONEY
APRIL 16
Bible Reading: Haggai 1:1-12 Key Verse: Haggai 1:5- “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”
Key Words: Consider your ways
There is an old saying that goes like this, “If money talks, all it ever says to me is goodbye.” But you know, money does talk. How you spend your money and how you feel about money says a lot about you. Let me show you. Your money tells others where your heart is. Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Your constant pursuit of money tells others where you are spiritually. I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith.” Your money tells others about your obedience to God. I Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” It tells others about your compassion. James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?” It tells others about your priorities. Haggai 1:4-5, “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways.”
It tells others about your love for God. John 1:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” It is a command of God that we give and when we fail to do so, it demonstrates our lack of love for God.
Yes, your money does talk. Now let me ask you, what is your money saying about you? I trust you are a giver, not just a talker. What to do: ✞ Be a giver, not just a talker.
LOVE OF MONEY Part One
APRIL 17 Bible Reading: Joshua 7:1-26 Key Verse: Joshua 7:21- “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”
Key Words: I coveted them
Achan certainly had a love for money and the material things of the world. In I Timothy 6:10 the Apostle Paul warns Timothy about loving money. He said, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” This verse reveals to us a three-fold danger in regard to loving money. 1. The love of money causes us to covet. 2. The love of money causes us to err from the faith. 3. The love of money causes us to have many sorrows.
It is for this reason I have developed the philosophy that I will give more to God each month than I give to anything or anyone else. My largest financial outgo each month will always be to God. This philosophy helps me in the following ways. It causes me to place God first in my finances. It causes me to pray about major purchases. It keeps me from over-committing myself financially. It keeps me from buying impulsively.
It keeps me from breaking the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” It keeps me from breaking the tenth commandment: “Thou shalt not covet.” It certainly helps me keep my budget in line. It causes me to ask God to supply rather than to depend on myself.
I am convinced that many families are strapped financially simply because they do not apply any spiritual principles to their purchases. Let me close by saying something I always say in regard to money, “Show me where you spend your money and I will show you where your heart is.” We are told in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” May our hearts always belong to God and then the money problems will cease to exist. Really, they will.
What to do: ✞ Apply Biblical principles to the use of your finances.
LOVE OF MONEY Part Two
Bible Reading: Revelation 4:1-11
APRIL 18
Key Verse: Revelation 4:11- “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Key Words: for thy pleasure they are and were created
Sometimes I must admit that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry over the financial crisis we are in. I don’t mean laugh like it is funny, but laugh like in “I can’t believe what the government and businesses are doing.” For the fourth time in less than six months the government is going to bail out the AIG Corporation. The government has scolded the banks such as Citibank and Bank of America. They have rebuked the auto industry and put over one trillion dollars...that’s over $1,000,000,000,000,000...into the sinking economy; but still the economy continues to sink. It is this same government that scolded the banks and rebuked the automobile industry for not being good watch dogs over their finances that just loaned itself $410 billion, because they had out-spent their own budget and lived outside their own means.
Today, government, business, families, and even our churches are hurting financially which raises the question during these tough economic times: what can your family do to remain financially sound?
Here are a few things that will certainly help: 1. Put God first in your finances. Are you giving your tithes and offerings? Good! I recommend that be done...and through your local church. See I Corinthians 16:1-2 and Haggai 1:1-6. 2. Establish a budget and live within that budget (Luke 14:28). This is not only possible, it is do-able. It may be painful, but it can be done! 3. Live off cash, not credit cards. Credit card companies have a lot of benefit plans to lure you in, but don’t fall for it – it’s a trap. 4. Pray about major purchases. Ask God to supply before you commit to signing your name on the dotted line (Philippians 4:6). 5. Never borrow for pleasures, this includes such things as vacations, Christmas and birthday gifts, etc. (James 4:13-15). 6. Don’t confuse needs with wants. You may want a large house, a better vehicle, designer clothes; but you don’t need them (Philippians 4:11, I Timothy 6:6). 7. If you are in financial bondage, confess it as a sin and ask God for wisdom to get out, and be willing to apply the above principles as well (James 1:5, I John 1:9).
Always remember to put God first in your life (Matthew 6:24). Life isn’t about money or making money – life is about God. We are told in Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Right now, are you a pleasure to God?
What to do: ✞ Live for God’s pleasure, not your own.
TITHING
APRIL 19
Bible Reading: John 4:1-15 Key Verse: John 4:15- “The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”
Key Words: If ye love me
The commandments of God teach us to givers: Luke 6:38, I Corinthians 16:1-2 to name a couple. We are also told to be wise stewards (I Corinthians 4:1-2). Did you know that “Only about four percent of professing Christians tithe”? ~ Table Talk, 1991 Once Martin Luther railed against his congregation for being stingy with God’s money. He said, “You ungrateful beasts!! You are not worthy of the treasures of the gospel. If you don’t improve, I will stop preaching rather than cast pearls before swine.” The following article was written in the Baptist Journal in 1992. “Are most of your church members living beneath the poverty line? You may be surprised. In 1992, the Department of Health and Human Services released the following breakdown. For a single person the poverty line is $6,810; for a couple it’s $9,190; a family of three is in poverty if they make less than $11,570; four in a family moves the line up to $13,950; and $23,470 is the break point for a family of eight. If you multiply by ten the total of what each church family ‘tithed’ this past year, you might find that a clear majority are claiming by their ‘tithe’ that they live below the poverty line. In general, the average church of 100 families could increase their weekly budget by $1,000 if each family only made $20,000 and faithfully tithed. Such obedience would generate an extra $20 billion among all American churches. To put that in perspective, $20 billion would produce a stack of new $1,000 bills, two and one-half miles tall. With such commitment, more Americans might look to God’s Church for solutions rather than turning to the government.” James Kraft, founder of the Kraft cheese industry, once said, “I don’t believe in tithing, but it’s a good place to start.” I close with this remark, “Give according to your income, lest your income begin to match your gift – for we reap what we sow.” What to do: ✞ Ask God to match your income in proportion to your giving. If you’re afraid to do that, that tells you a lot about your gift.
WHY I OPPOSE THE STIMULUS PACKAGE
APRIL 20
Bible Reading: Proverbs 14:23-35 Key Verse: Proverbs 14:34- “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
Key Words: Righteousness exalts
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the 787 billion dollar stimulus package into law. Both our President and Vice-President tell us that this plan will do the following. -It will give immediate action to create new jobs. -It will give immediate relief to struggling families. -It will give immediate assistance for homeowners and business owners. -It will help solve our current financial crisis.
Now, I’m not a sadist, but the stimulus package is not going to work. The reason is that the problem our country faces is not a financial or economic problem, it is a spiritual problem that has at its core “righteousness” or a lack of righteousness.
Let me list for you seven areas of unrighteousness in our country. 1. We are unrighteous in our abortion of over one million babies each year (Psalm 139:14-17). 2. We are unrighteous in our educational system that bans prayer and the Bible. 3. We are unrighteous in our sexual conduct. Forty percent of all adult men are involved in pornography on the internet. Seven out of every ten teenagers are involved in immorality before they graduate. 4. We are unrighteous in that we look to the government for answers, not God (Haggai 2:8). 5. We are unrighteous in that we love the dollar more than we love God (I Timothy 6:10). 6. We are unrighteous in that we as believers are ignorant in our knowledge of God’s Word. Let me prove it to you. Answer the following questions without looking up the answers. A) Name the three sons of Noah. B) Name five of the Ten Commandments. C) Name half of the sixty-six books of the Bible. How did you do? 7. We are unrighteous in that we have failed to stand for righteousness in our church attendance (Hebrews 10:25).
The stimulus package will not work because finances are not our problem, righteousness or the lack of it is our problem. Dedicate yourself to righteousness for as David said, “I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.”
What to do: ✞ Put God first in your finances and your life. “The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” – Ronald Reagan
EARNEST GIVING
APRIL 21
Bible Reading: II Corinthians 8:16-24 Key Verse: II Corinthians 8:16- “But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.”
Key Words: earnest care
The church at Jerusalem was going through a tough time because of persecution. Paul was led of the Lord to write to other churches, including the church at Corinth, which were not hurting financially. As you can tell from the Scriptures, Titus is in charge of collecting the offering for the church at Jerusalem from the church at Corinth. Paul encourages the church to be just as earnest in their giving as Titus is in his care for them. Mark the word earnest. It means to put your money where your mouth is. Earnest giving is putting action with your words. We all, as believers, should be earnest in our giving. We all should put our money where our mouth is! In Chile Missionary Karen Wright experienced a bizarre tradition at the funeral of a Catholic neighbor. During the service an offering was collected. The priest then said, “Thank you for participating in the salvation of this man.” After hearing these words and seeing only small change in the offering plate, Karen thought: If
these people really believed their offering would help save this man, wouldn’t they sacrifice and give more? She then made her thoughts more personal: I and many others profess the truth about salvation through faith in Christ, yet if someone really believed in Jesus, wouldn’t they give more than a token financial gift? Wouldn’t they give earnestly – not to be saved, but because they are saved? Let me encourage you to do some earnest giving to God through your local church.
What to do: ✞ Put your money where your mouth is.
EXALTED GIVING Bible Reading: II Corinthians 9:1-6
APRIL 22
Key Verse: II Corinthians 9:5- “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.”
Key Words: make up beforehand your bounty
Mark the word bounty in our key verse. It means “worthy of praise.” Our financial giving to God (through your local church) should be worthy of praise. I call that exalted giving. There is a great example of exalted giving found in Mark 12 beginning in verse 41. Jesus is sitting over against the treasury which is by the wailing wall. It is there that the Jews would bring their financial gifts. It is there you would find thirteen collection boxes, and each box was labeled or designated. One would be for the “poor,” another would be marked “temple,” another would be labeled “Levites,” etc. Jesus called the disciples over and pointed out a widow who had just given two mites, which by the way, was all she had. Jesus then tells the disciples that everyone else had given from their abundance but she had given all. Jesus praised the widow – this is exalted giving. In our Bible reading for today, Paul is encouraging the church at Corinth to give bountifully or give a gift worthy of praise. An evangelist I know told me about a revival he preached in a church in the South. That week, he said, God moved and many decisions were made, and he added, “To God be the glory!” At the end of the week, he was presented with his
love offering which was in an envelope. He said, “I am seldom shocked when I receive the love offering; but on this occasion, the $50 check caught me off-guard.” Needless to say, this is not exalted giving.
On the other hand, the same evangelist said the next week he received a check for over $2,000. The difference is that the church that gave the $50 ran in attendance in the hundreds. The church that gave the $2,000 ran in attendance in the dozens. One is pathetic giving and the other is exalted giving. Which do you do?
What to do: ✞ Give bountifully.
EXCITING GIVING Bible Reading: II Corinthians 9:6-11
APRIL 23
Key Verse: II Corinthians 9:7- “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Key Words: for God loveth a cheerful giver
Note the word cheerful. It means “hilarious, full of laughter.” It carries the idea that financial giving is full of excitement. In Acts 2:45 the people sold possessions and brought the financial gain from their sale and shared All giving to their money with those who had needs. From the context of Scripture you can tell that these people’s God is giving was full of cheer. exciting… All giving to God is exciting, but giving financially brings great joy to one’s heart if they would but pause for a moment and think about the impact their giving has on missions, souls of men and women around the world, the printing of gospel tracts, the purchase of Sunday School material to teach our children about the Lord, the purchase of fuel to pick up a “bus” child who otherwise would never hear the gospel, and the list could go on and on. Giving really can be exciting when our giving is done from and with a heart of cheer. Sometime back in our Wednesday night bus church one of our workers told the children what Jesus had done and could do for them. When the lesson was over,
the worker asked if any of the children had any questions. One little girl shocked the teacher when she asked, “Teacher, who is Jesus?” The worker had the privilege of giving that child the plan of salvation. Now, that’s exciting, and that’s one of the reasons I and others give hilariously, because of the impact giving can have on others for God’s glory.
What to do: ✞ Give cheerfully – because your financial giving is helping to reach others for Christ.
EXPERIMENTAL GIVING Bible Reading: II Corinthians 9:10-15
APRIL 24
Key Verse: II Corinthians 9:13- “Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;”
Key Words: the experiment of this ministration
Paul was thanking the church at Corinth on behalf of the church at Jerusalem for their financial commitment; but there is a word in verse thirteen that catches my attention. It’s that word experiment. It means “to put to the test.” Experimental giving is putting God to the test. In Malachi 3:10a we read, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts.” Experimental giving is putting God’s Word to the test. We serve a God Who will not fail – Who cannot fail. A consecrated Jewish believer, Dr. Max Reich, gave this testimony: “When my wife and I were first married, we felt called to full-time Christian service. God blessed our ministry and many people accepted the Lord. Although our income was small and we had few worldly possessions, our hearts were full of joy. One day, however, my wife said, ‘Max, there’s nothing to eat for dinner!’ I didn’t reply at first but stood listening to the birds singing in the trees. Suddenly these words from a well-known Gospel song flashed through my mind: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ Immediately I said, ‘If our Heavenly Father feeds the birds, surely He’ll take care of us!’ Just then a lady knocked at the door. After introducing herself she said, ‘My husband was a hopeless alcoholic. Every time he got his check he’d spend most of it to get drunk, so the children and I were often hungry.
Recently he heard you preach the Gospel, and the Lord worked a miracle in his heart. Now he’s a changed man! For the first time in years he brought home a full week’s pay, and I was able to get a good supply of groceries. I thought as I was cooking, part of this food really belongs to Brother Reich. I was going to bring you some later, but I felt compelled to do it immediately. Here’s half of the chicken I fried and some biscuits fresh from the oven!’ We were so happy that we sang, ‘Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!’ To this moment the Lord has never failed to give us our daily bread.” May I add: “He never will”?
What to do: ✞ Give experimentally. God will never fail.
FINANCIAL BONDAGE Part One
APRIL 25 Bible Reading: Romans 13:1-8 Key Verse: Romans 13:8- “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
Key Words: Owe no man anything, but to love one another
Financial bondage is a curse on our society. It is robbing our families of their love, joy, and peace. Financial bondage produces worry, fear, anxiety, and stress. To mishandle finances is a sin! This devotion is certainly not intended to be a lecture but rather a blessing and a help for God’s people to be wise with God’s money. If I were to ask you, “Are you in financial bondage?” the average person would say no. So let’s look and see if you are, by looking at the financial bondage test. 1. If you cannot or do not give at least your tithe to God, you are in financial bondage (I Corinthians 16:2, II Corinthians 9:6-7, Haggai 1:6). 2. If you are envious of the property of others, you are in financial bondage (Psalm 73:1-3, I Timothy 6). 3. If you are insensitive to the needs of others, you are in financial bondage (II Corinthians 9:8, Luke 6:38, James 2:15-16). 4. If you do not pay back in a timely manner that which you have borrowed, you are in financial bondage (Psalm 37:21, Romans 13:7-8).
5. If your home is in turmoil over financial matters, you are in financial bondage (Proverbs 17:1, Proverbs 23:4). 6. If your happiness depends on money and materials, you are in financial bondage (I John 2:15, Luke 12:15, Proverbs 28:20, Luke 15:11-13). 7. If you have a “just a little more” mentality, you are in financial bondage (Hebrews 13:5, I Timothy 6:8).
I trust if you are in financial bondage that God will grant you victory over the sin in your life. We are told in I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What to do: ✞ Decide that by God’s grace and with God’s help you are to be free financially.
FINANCIAL BONDAGE Part Two
APRIL 26 Bible Reading: I Corinthians 16:1-9 Key Verse: I Corinthians 16:2- “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
Key Words: as God hath prospered him
The average family is “head over heels” in debt with no way or hope of being delivered from their financial bondage. We blame high interest rates for our financial problems, but in reality the real reason for financial bondage is a lack of selfdiscipline in controlling our desires. The purpose of this devotion is not to lecture or condemn but rather to give some direction toward being free from financial bondage. 1. Confess your sin to God of being in financial bondage (I John 1:9). 2. Develop a systematic program of giving to God first (I Corinthians 16:2, Malachi 3:8-10). 3. Always stop and pray and take time to meditate in God’s Word before making major purchases. 4. Never borrow for pleasure (or for items of pleasure). 5. Get rid of your credit cards and pay cash only until you have both your finances and desires under God’s control.
6. Develop a financial plan (a budget) and live within your means. Some creditors will work with you on lowering your monthly payments (be careful that they don’t hike the interest rate). Don’t allow your creditors to take the initiative. 7. Avoid impulse buying. Plan, pray, and prioritize; but do not buy things on impulse.
These are certainly not all the things that you can do, but it is certainly a good start. I trust that God will grant you His grace and you will get your financial life in order.
What to do: ✞ Ask God for wisdom to help you become free from financial bondage.
THE TREASURER’S REPORT Bible Reading: Malachi 3:1-10
APRIL 27
Key Verse: Malachi 3:10- “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
Key Words: Bring ye all the tithes
The Word of God tells us of the importance of giving. For example, we are told in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Again in Malachi 3:10 we read, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” We are also told in Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This sowing and reaping would also include our giving. I read an interesting story some time back. I went like this: “The treasurer of a rural church resigned and was replaced by a man who managed the local grain elevator. The grain operator agreed to the new position on one condition; the
church could not require a financial statement or ask him any questions about the finances for one year. The church members were confused by the request but obliged him because he was a successful and trustworthy man. At the end of the year, the secretive treasurer gave a glowing financial report. The $25,000 debt had been paid off, there were no outstanding bills, and there was a cash balance of $12,000. The congregation was elated and wanted to know how he managed to accomplish such a feat. He replied, ‘Most of you bring your grain to my elevator. When I paid you, I simply withheld 10% on your behalf and I gave it to God through our church in your name. You never missed it, and now you have seen what God can do when we all give back to God what He has commanded us to do.’” We would all be amazed what could be accomplished for God’s glory if every member of the church was a tither. I hope you are a giver for, indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
What to do: ✞ Be a giver, not a taker.
THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S Bible Reading: Psalm 24:1-10
APRIL 28
Key Verse: Psalm 24:1- “<<A Psalm of David.>> The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Key Words: The earth is the Lord’s
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that everything belongs to God, and we are simply stewards of what He has entrusted to us. Juan Ortiz, in A Call to Discipleship, writes the following.
So when man finds Jesus, it costs him everything. Jesus has happiness, joy,
peace, healing, security, eternity. Man marvels at such a pearl and says, “I want this pearl. How much does it cost?” The seller says, “It’s too dear, too costly.” “But how much?” “Well, it’s very expensive.”
“Do you think I could buy it?” “It costs everything you have – no more, no less – so anybody can buy it.”
“I’ll buy it.” “What do you have? Let’s write it down.” “I have $10,000 in the bank.”
“Good, $10,000. What else?” “I have nothing more. That’s all I have.” “Have you nothing more?”
“Well, I have some dollars here in my pocket.” “How many?” “I’ll see: thirty, forty, fifty, eighty, one hundred, one hundred twenty – one hundred twenty dollars.” “That’s fine. What else do you have?” “I have nothing else. That’s all.” “Where do you live?” “I live in my house.” “The house, too.”
“Then you mean I must live in the garage?” “Have you a garage, too? ”Do you mean I must live in my car, then?” “Have you a car?”
That,
too.
What
else?”
“I have two.”
“Both become mine. Both cars. What else?” “Well, you have my house, my garage, the cars, the money, everything.” “What else?”
“Are you alone in the world?” “No, I have a wife, two children... .” “Your wife and children, too.” “Too?”
“Yes, everything you have. What else?” “I have nothing else, I am left alone now.” “Oh, you too! Everything becomes mine – wife, children, house, money, cars – everything. And you too. Now you can use all those things here but don’t forget they are mine, as you are. When I need any of the things you are using, you must give them to me because now I am the owner.”
And He is, you know. What to do: ✞ Take care of what God has entrusted to you.
THE OBEDIENCE TEST Bible Reading: I Samuel 15:10-23
APRIL 29
Key Verse: I Samuel 15:22- “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Key Words: to obey is better than sacrifice
We are quick to condemn the disobedience of Saul, but have you ever given any consideration to what I call the servant’s checklist? Let’s look at our own obedience for a moment. Consider the following. Have you presented your body as a living sacrifice today (Romans 12:1)?
Do you think more highly of yourself than you ought (Romans 12:3)? Is your loyalty divided between God and mammon (Matthew 6:24)? Do you have a daily prayer life and Bible study (II Timothy 2:15)? Do you stir up strife and division (Romans 13:13)? Are you an ambassador for Christ each day (II Corinthians 5:19-20)? Are you honestly seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)? The Word includes the following: 1. Giving God the first hour of the day. 2. Giving God the first day of the week. 3. Giving God the first-fruits of your labor (tithes and offerings). 4. Giving God first place in your decision-making. 5. Giving God first place in your home.
I close by leaving you with this thought: one pessimist can pull down five optimists a lot easier than five optimists can lift up one pessimist. Many fail the obedience test because of who they listen to.
What to do: ✞ Take the test, then live it.
LOVE OF MONEY
APRIL 30
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 11:1- “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
Key Words: for thou shalt find it after many days
The principle of Ecclesiastes 11:1 is that we are not to be takers but givers. God blesses a cheerful giver. In I Timothy 6:10 the Apostle Paul warns Timothy about loving money. He said, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” This verse reveals to us a three-fold danger in regard to loving money. 1. 2. 3.
The love of money causes us to covet. The love of money causes us to err from the faith. The love of money causes us to have many sorrows.
It is for this reason I have developed the philosophy that I will give more to God each month than I give to anything or anyone else. My largest financial outgo each month will always be to God. This philosophy helps me in the following ways. It causes me to place God first in my finances. It causes me to pray about major purchases. It keeps me from over-committing myself financially. It keeps me from buying impulsively. It keeps me from breaking the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” It keeps me from breaking the tenth commandment: “Thou shalt not covet.” It certainly helps me keep my budget in line. It causes me to ask God to supply rather than to depend on myself.
I am convinced that many of our church and school families are strapped financially simply because they do not apply any spiritual principles to their purchases. Let me close by saying something I always say in regard to money,
“Show me where you spend your money and I will show you where your heart is.” We are told in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” May our hearts always belong to God, and then the money problems will cease to exist. Really, they will.
What to do: ✞ Give your heart to God.
I deeply appreciate the help of Laurie Blankenship Trisha Bookout Kathy Endicott Cathy Fortenberry Sandy Lancaster Cathy Lang Pam Lee Marie Moore Mary Parsons John and Tascha Piatt Reba Pontbriand And my lovely wife, Linda
Without God using these people to help this devotional would not have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse