Yesterday the importance of not being lazy or slothful was big and it was only day 4. What an incredible devotional to get to be reading through by a great group of people. After searching for a devotional to kick off four days back, searching in the bible.com site for “dad” and scrolled through the many devotionals I have completed then this one just popped out from the scrolling, and here we go. Today’s devotional shares, “Most sin can be traced to one of these seven sins. So, know them. Fight them in your home. Fight them in your heart. Be the example that maybe you didn’t have growing up. You can learn to overcome the sin that’s holding you back.” So let’s take the next week to learn to be ready and prepared to fight them in our homes and hearts!
Scripture from today’s devotional:
‘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.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”’
Luke 12:15-21
‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ‘
1 Timothy 6:6-10
‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘
Matthew 6:33
God’s Word is true and never changing! God’s Word is powerful and purposeful to lead us into all truth! God’s Word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God or that you, a man of God, may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. So today, let us choose to live our lives to the full in alignment and in accordance to God’s will, God’s way, and God’s Word!
Let’s be the dads who are “on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions“! Let’s be the dads who turn to God when we receive an overabundance of blessings and provision from God who is the provider of everything as everything belongs to the Lord and we are to be good stewards of what He gives us! Let’s be the dads who don’t take for granted what we have been given and store it away or hide it away but instead choose to use it for the glory of God and the purposes of His kingdom! Let’s be the dads who make the most out of our today because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and so we need to make the most of what today will bring! Let’s be the dads who don’t miss out or lose out on what God has provided you today by focusing on tomorrow rather than living in the today and in the moment! Let’s be the dads who are more interested in storing up treasures in heaven than here on earth where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal! Let’s be the dads who aren’t greedy but rather are generous with what God has given to us! Let’s be the dads who choose to be rich towards God rather than man!
‘ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ‘
Matthew 6:19-24
Let’s be the dads who are focused more on being content than on acquiring more gains in money and finance! Let’s be the dads who are focused on taking care of our wives and our kids and being generous to the people of this world without getting consumed with trying to amass large quantities of stuff! Let’s be the dads who avoid “falling into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” by focusing on becoming rich in the eyes of this world! Let’s be the dads who are focused on loving God! Let’s be the dads who are focused on loving our wives! Let’s be the dads who are focused on loving our kids! Let’s be the dads who are focused on loving the people God has brought into our lives to pour into! Let’s be the dads who avoid the temptation and the trap that will lead us towards evil, “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil“! Let’s choose to be the dads who aren’t consumed with or chasing after money and then find out that we “have wandered from the faith and pierced ourselves with many griefs“!
Let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! Let’s be the dads who “run every decision we make with our time, money and energy through the filter of how it will first accomplish the Lord’s purposes“! Let’s be the dads who “run every decision we make with our time, money and energy through the filter of how it will second accomplish your Jesus community’s purposes“! Let’s be the dads who “run every decision we make with our time, money and energy through the filter of how it will third accomplish your individual purpose within and in support of those higher purposes“! Let’s be the dads who are trusting that by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, that’s right putting first things first, that God will take care of the rest!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Manhood Journey.
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
For more information, please visit https://www.manhoodjourney.org/.
Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Greed“
- Ever heard, seen, or been someone that resembles the statement “Boys and their toys“?
- Ever noticed how new and shiny things impact or attract your attention?
- Ever noticed how even after getting that new shiny thing that it doesn’t really satisfy you?
- Are you getting that thing to try and fill a hole in your life and then discover it didn’t work?
- Ever noticed how even after getting that new shiny thing that it isn’t good enough?
- Ever noticed the cycle it triggers of needing more to provide a temporary fit/fix?
- Ever noticed how it isn’t really a fit or you wouldn’t be looking for the new and next thing so soon?
- Ever noticed how many of your friends are doing the same thing with the mentality of more is better?
- Let’s be the dads who cling to God’s truth and God’s Word and don’t get fooled into believing that more is better!
- Let’s be the dads who cling to God’s truth and God’s Word and don’t get fooled into believing that the new shiny thing will fix things!
- Let’s be the dads who cling to God’s truth and God’s Word and don’t get fooled and slip into the sin of greed!
- Let’s be the dads who cling to God’s truth and God’s Word and grab onto the reality of what Jesus wants for us and demonstrated to us and what contrast that life, His life gives us to live a life consumed with greed!
- Do you remember how Jesus was homeless?
- ‘Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ‘ Luke 9:58
- Do you remember how Jesus loves us so much that He stepped out of heaven in order to make the way even though the earth had very little to offer Him?
- Let’s be the dads who choose to realize that “Whether it makes sense or not, greed has wrapped its strong stingy fingers around the hearts of the best of us“!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that “Greed is the inordinate or insatiable longing for unneeded excess“!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that greed isn’t about need but rather longing and excess!
- Let’s be the dads who can stop ourselves from wanting more than we need!
- Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that “like most sin, greed is a want gone wrong“!
- Let’s be the dads who can pause before fulfilling the want in order that “our eyes are opened more widely to how far-reaching greed is“!
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory of what we have versus what we need!
- Let’s be the dads who respond to the realization we have from taking that inventory!
- Today’s devotional gives a very interesting example for us to use and apply when we consider all areas of our lives:
- Let’s be the dads who pause to consider where greed has, is, or is trying to impact our lives!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that “another issue with greed is that it is not merely limited to material possessions“!
- Let’s be the dads who consider if we are being greedy “with our time, our words of encouragement, and our approval“!
- Let’s be the dads who fight against greed by being generous!
- Let’s be the dads who fight against greed by giving our time!
- Let’s be the dads who fight against greed by giving our money!
- Let’s be the dads who fight against greed by giving our personal possessions!
- Let’s be the dads who want to be known for our generosity rather than our greed for the glory of God!
- Something hit the news today and it makes me wonder if generosity without doing it for the glory of God will be of much good. Remember there is only one way into heaven and it isn’t by our works or else we could boast about it! We are saved by grace through faithso that nobody can boast! We can’t be a good enough person to get into heaven, it requires that we have faith and we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior! So what about the people who are planning to give all their wealth away? Are they doing it because God wants them to? Are they doing it out of love for God? Are they doing it so that there is less of them and more of God? Why are they doing it? I met Bill back in Canada in a large group during a COMDEX conference but nothing too personal. Yes, all these years later, I wonder where his heart and mind are at because I think about his ex-wife and his kids and it saddens me that someone who was at one time the richest man in the world could find himself here. I pray for him and his family and hope that there will be an encounter with God that will make a way for them. Even as the scripture about the rich man I quoted from Matthew 19 speaks to both how it is easier for a camel to make it through the eye of a needle and yet how nothing is impossible with God.
- ‘Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ‘ Matthew 19:16-26
- I pray for Bill Gates and his family, for other rich people who may or may not know the Lord and are dealing with the pitfalls of so much money like Jeff Bezos and wondering about other rich people like Warren Buffett and their motivation around philanthropy. Different people have been given different gifts and some of them have the gift of making money, but do they realize God gave them the gift, and are they choosing to live out their lives to glorify God? I wonder what are the similarities and differences between people like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, and David Green when it comes to generosity and eternal purpose, and destinations. Guess we will know for sure when we get to the final destinations!
- So back to today’s devotional, we see in its closing:
- “As forceful as greed can be, it does have a weakness. Giving. Try it. Give something away. Money. Time. Personal possessions. It doesn’t really matter what it is, giving it away will change you. “
- “As we try to put off the sin of greed, let’s put on contentment and the delight that comes from giving.“
- Today’s devotional closes with the following prayer:
- Today’s devotional closes with the following thought to reflect upon:
