Are You Hoarding God’s Blessings? - Devotion for Saturday August 3, 2019

Devotion for Saturday August 3, 2019

Topic: Are You Hoarding God’s Blessings?

Text: Luke 12:13 – 14

While teaching on greed, Jesus gave a parable about this man mentioned in our text. The Greek word for greed literally means the thirst for having more. Working to provide for you family’s need is not covetousness. However, while we work for our needs, we must be rich towards God by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Little did the poor fool (though materially rich) in our text, so wise in matters of earthly business, suspect that the awful doom was close to him. He forgot what Solomon said, “Do not boast about tomorrow” (Proverbs 27:1).

Jesus used this parable to teach the dangers in greed and covetousness. This farmer saw his wealth as an opportunity to please himself. He had no thought of others or of God. There’s certainly nothing wrong in following good business principles, or even with saving for the future (1 Timothy 5:8). But this man in our text had a false perception or view of life and death. He thought that life comes from accumulating things and death was far away.

On March 11, 1856, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal, “That man is the richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” He also said, “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.” Being wealthy is not sin rather making wealth your god (Colossians 3:5). The man lived without God and died without God and his wealth was but incident in his life.

What about you? How do treat God’s blessings upon your life; are you hoarding it for you and your posterity or you are using it to please yourself or to please God? Beware!

Food for Thought: Wealth and pride are enemies of salvation

Memory verse: Luke 12:19

Prayer: O God, make me rich towards you by seeking first your kingdom and His righteous in Jesus name. 

Hoarding Attracts Curses

Devotion for Monday January 8, 2018

Topic: Hoarding Attracts Curses

Proverbs 11:26

Part of our scriptural reading yesterday says, “And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty” – Proverbs 11:24b.  Our text today expatiates on that. Hoarding as we have in our text can mean two things – hoarding goods in anticipation of price increase or one who is a miser that cannot give out what he or she has. The earlier meaning is very common in our country. We have witnessed it among petroleum marketers and other traders especially those that sell food stuffs. Their aim is to make much gain but the bible says that they are under curse. People will curse them and blessing will be upon those that sell. Do our Christian brothers and sisters who create artificial scarcity through hoarding read this passage of the scripture? If they do and still continue to partake in evil, I wonder their kind of Christianity. On the other hand, when you hoard your seed, talent, gifts and wealth, the person is invariably incurring curse upon himself or herself. We know that extortion is sin but the worst extortionist is he who takes advantage of a public calamity to fill his own coffers at the expense of the poor. This should not be seen among Christians. So many Petrol stations lock up on Sundays but check their dispensing meter on Monday morning. They have adjusted it to make gains yet they were in the church the previous day. Beloved, avoid the curse of men and heaven by doing what is right. Sing A&M 184

Food for Thought: Do you hoard your wares for sale; your gifts, your talents and wealth? Repent to avoid curses.

Memory verse: Proverbs 11:26

Prayer: Almighty God, grant that I will not hoard my wares for sale, gifts, talents and wealth in Jesus name. Amen.

Are You Hoarding God’s Blessings?

Devotion for Thursday August 3, 2017

Topic: Are You Hoarding God’s Blessings?

Text: Luke 12:13 – 14

Jesus while teaching on greed gave a parable about this man. The Greek word for greed literally means the thirst for having more. Working to provide for you family’s need is not covetousness. However, while we work for our needs, we must be rich towards God by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Little did the poor fool (though materially rich) in our text, so wise in matters of earthly business, suspect that the awful doom was close to him. He forgot what Solomon said, “Do not boast about tomorrow” (Proverbs 27:1).

Jesus used this parable to teach the dangers in greed and covetousness. This farmer saw his wealth as an opportunity to please himself. He had no thought of others or of God. There’s certainly nothing wrong in following good business principles, or even with saving for the future (1 Timothy 5:8). This man had a false perception or view of life and death. He thought that life comes from accumulating things and death was far away.

On March 11, 1856, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal, “That man is the richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” He also said, “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.” Being wealthy is not sin rather making wealth your god (Colossians 3:5). The man lived without God and died without God and his wealth was but incident in his life. What about you? How do treat God’s blessings upon your life; Are you hoarding it for you and your posterity  or you are using it to please yourself or to please God? Beware!

Food for Thought: Wealth and pride are enemies of salvation

Memory verse: Luke 12:19

Prayer: O God, make me rich towards you by seeking seeking first your kingdom and His righteous in Jesus name.