GOD’S WORD FOR AUGUST 24

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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COUNTERFEIT BLESSINGS

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

D.L. MOODY

Notice that the covetous are named between thieves and drunkards.  We lock up thieves and have no mercy on them.  We loathe drunkards, and consider them great sinners against the law of God as well as the law of the land.  Yet there is far more said in the Bible against covetousness than against either stealing or drunkenness.

ERWIN LUTZER

In the Bible, money is always presented as the most seductive competitor for our hearts.  It competes with God for our loyalty, commitment, and security.  Money makes all of the same promises that God does.  Money says, “I will be with you during hard times.  I’ll be there when you are sick and when you are well; I’ll  be there to feed you, to clothe you, to give you an inheritance so you can have a wonderful retirement.”

Yet, as Moody said because covetousness is primarily an internal matter of the heart, there are no penalties against it.  It’s easy for this particular sin to grow in our hearts without us detecting it.  There is only one way to overcome it; be a generous giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).  We should be generous because Christ has been  merciful and generous to forgive us, to make us heirs of God and joint heirs with Himself.  After all, it is not our money,  we are only stewards of what God gave us.

PRAYER

Father, please help me acknowledge that all I have belongs to You.  May I hold all that I have in an open generous hand, asking You to root covetousness from my heart.

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Philippians 4:19

    “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

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Matthew 6:26

    “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

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1 Peter 5:7

    “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

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Psalm 37:25

    “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread.”

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Hebrews 13:5

    “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

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Proverbs 15:16

    “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”

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1 Timothy 6:6

    “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

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Ecclesiastes 4:6

    “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.”

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Luke 12:15

    “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’”

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James 1:17

    “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

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