Tag: sorrows

The Love of Money

The Love of Money

People who have an unreasonable love of money and a lust to accumulate it have fallen into a trap with inbuilt dangers.  These dangers plunge people into ruin and destruction.  The enemy of our souls uses this extreme love of money to control and rule the world, and even to destroy many Christians.

Let us turn to the Bible:

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.  This too is meaningless.  (Eccl 5:10 NIV, underscoring added)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  (1 Tim 6:10 NKJV)

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.  (Mt 6:24 NIV)

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  (Lk 12:15 NIV)

Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  (Mt 6:19 ISV)

From the Scripture verses above we learn:

  • When a person loves money, they can never have enough.
  • The love of money can drive people to commit sin and to perform evil deeds.
  • The love of money can drive people away from faith in God.
  • We cannot serve two masters:  we must choose to serve God or to serve money.  We cannot serve both.
  • Be on guard against covetousness (greed, materialism, avarice).
  • Learn to value eternal things over and above real estate; savings accounts; stocks & bonds; and possessions.  When we value the eternal, we please God.

Money is not evil.  It can be used for good or evil.  King David was wealthy, but it didn’t control his heart. 

Do not give your heart to money or allow your monetary concerns to control your decisions or your actions.  Tithe and give offerings faithfully as the Lord guides you.  Be generous and help others wherever and however you can as the Holy Spirit directs you.  Use your abundance to bless and help others and to earn the blessings of God in response.  Don’t be stingy with your prosperity.

Be content with what you have and with your situation in life.  If you would like things to change, pray and ask for God’s direction.  He will hear and answer your prayers.

Don’t rely upon or trust in money.  Trust in and put your faith in the Lord and in His Word.  Obey the Lord and His Word and maintain a loving relationship with our Savior. Cultivate an eternal perspective.  We all must remember that wealth cannot go with us into eternity.  But Jesus will be with every believer throughout eternity as long as their relationship with the Lord is alive and vital at the time of their death.  Hallelujah!

Longing for Our Heavenly Dwelling

Longing for Our Heavenly Dwelling

Here’s a truth worthy of deep reflection: 

Our spirits within us long for our heavenly, eternal home.  We yearn to have our flawed, imperfect humanity swallowed up by eternal life and eternal love.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  (2 Cor 5:1-4 NKJV, emphasis added)

He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.  (Isa 25:8 NKJV)

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  (1 Cor 15:53-54 NIV)

When Isaiah 25 speaks of God wiping away tears from all faces, I believe that He is referring to our arrival in heaven, when all of our past shame and guilt AND any possibility of future sin will be extinguished forever.

All sorrows, sins and shortcomings from our earthly lives will be forgotten, and the prospect of eternity in the presence of our God and King will be our entire focus and purpose.

Just think about eternity spent in an atmosphere of perfect, unconditional, unfailing LOVE!  That is our beautiful, blessed destiny.

Inner Strength

Inner Strength

God gives inner strength to every person who trusts in Him and in His salvation.  Here are several Bible passages on the topic:

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  (Isa 41:10 NKJV)

I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves . . .  (Eph 3:16 GNT)

. . . strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy . . . (Col 1:11 NKJV)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  (Phil 4:13 NKJV)

This is one of the blessed benefits of our salvation—to receive inner strength and perseverance from God, our Savior.  Whenever we face difficulties, challenges, sorrows, or calamities, we may cry out to the Lord in our trouble and He will deliver us. Take note of these Bible verses:

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.  (Ps 107:6)

. . . persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.  (2 Tim 3:11, emphasis added)

What a loving and mighty God we serve!  Look at just some of the blessings that He pours out upon each and every one of His people:

  • He is always with us and will never reject us. 
  • He upholds and sustains us.
  • He gives us grace to enable us to serve Him and to fulfill our callings. 
  • He provides health, healing, reconciliation, and mercy continuously. 
  • He justifies us and grants us peace with our Father God. 
  • He loves us perfectly
  • He has given us a salvation that will provide us with joy in the presence of the Lord now and for all eternity.

Become aware of and use the inner strength that God has given to you.  Study these blessings and benefits of our salvation in order to support and to sustain your inner strength.  Blessings upon you!

Joy Comes in the Morning

Joy Comes in the Morning

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.  (Ps 30:5)

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  (Ps 126:5)

These verses of the Bible have been a great comfort to me many different times in my life.  I understand that the challenges and sorrows of life haven’t been a result of God’s anger, but rather because Satan is the enemy of our souls.  He and his minions are at work in this world and manifest themselves as evil works, heinous crimes, and calamitous events.

This verse reminds me that God’s favor is upon me forever; and it surrounds me as a shield. (Ps 5:12)  This truth encourages my faith when difficulties arise. 

In another way, these verses remind me that I may experience weeping (sorrow; sadness) for a season, but it will be surely followed by joy.  In fact, whenever I DO cry, the Lord tells me that He saves my tears in a bottle.  (Ps 56:8)  This indicates that God does not consider my tears wasted, and that they’re very important to Him.

In Hezekiah’s story (Isa 38:5), the Bible clearly states that God saw Hezekiah’s tears and extended his life due to Hezekiah’s tearful prayers. 

Let’s remind ourselves in times of trial, pain, or sorrow, that God sees our pain and our tears.  We sow our prayers in tears before the Lord.  They are very important to Him; and as we pray to Him and trust Him, He will reward us with deep and abiding joy.  Praise the Lord!