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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." (NIV)
Simon, my dachshund, is a thief. Every morning and evening after he gobbles up his bowl of food, he races over to an older, very patient dog and helps himself to her food as well. He edges in to the far side of her bowl and begins munching away. Even though he is reprimanded daily, he steals shamelessly if I don't keep my eye on him. He is never content with what he has.
Many people are like Simon. They are always wanting more and will encroach on others' property, possessions, and even emotions to try to grab for themselves what is not theirs for the taking.
Individuals do it to one another, even as countries do it to other countries. But God tells us very clearly to keep our lives free from the love of money — which brings with it power and possessions in this world — and to be content with what we have. Why? Because He is with us. He will never leave nor forsake us. His presence and His companionship with us far surpass any contentment that money or possessions can ever afford us in this world.
God has promised us that He "will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV) King Solomon discovered that no amount of money, companionship, travel, possessions, or adventures satisfied him in the end. He wrote, "Meaningless! Meaningless! … Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV)
Matthew 6:19-21 – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NIV)
God knows that the real treasures that we need for fulfillment and self-worth do not stem from the material, but from the eternal. So, let us prayerfully choose to keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have, because when we have God and truly begin to understand the great treasure that is ours, we will have everything that we shall ever need, now and throughout eternity.
Prayer: Father God, open our eyes and the eyes of people worldwide to see and understand the great treasure which is ours for the asking: You, Who have promised that You will never leave us nor forsake us. You and only You have the power to bless us with Your Spirit, Who is able to develop in us the true treasures of Your attributes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
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Amen! God is so faithful.
Beautiful prayer. God Bless.
Thank you, Lynne. It’s amazing what lessons animals can teach us!
So true and a great reminder for us all, Lynne! Thanks and blessings!
Very encouraging devotion. Keep our eyes open for the thief! Thanks.
I so appreciate all the Devotions you write. Very inspiring!
Thank you so much, God Bless.
What a lot you learn from your livestock, Lynne! Good teaching!
Keep up the good work.
Lynne, thank you that for so often with your devotional, you strike me with aha moments of clarity. Your gift with words and stories shared from your life is a treasure and like your message, beyond money.
Truly godliness with contentment is great gain. It’s a circle; we put our treasures in heaven and he gives us blessings from heaven.
Thank you, Lynne and God bless you.
Dear Lynne:
Again…thank you for another wonderful Devotion. I have mentioned in the past how you do excellent illustrations to get your point across and they are all relevant.
Take care and God bless.
Thank you for another of your very special writings, Lynne. You do a great comparison of activities of your pets with actions we may do in our daily lives. Yes, our greatest rewards are what we receive from our Lord, now, and in the time to come, therefore, so important that we seek Him and obey His word. Blessings to you for these mindful devotionals.
Hi Lynne,
Your devotional reminds me that I have a long way to go in totally relying on God! Your words are a challenge that I need.
Hope this email finds you and your family becoming more and more settled and happy in your new home. Sometime, I would like for you to compare Atlin with Tawatinaw as I only remember the bit you told me about Atlin after disaster hit the town.
Hi Lynne
Yes, our dogs can mimic or reflect what goes on in the world by trying to eat the other dog’s food. When we had two dogs the younger one would have done that to his older brother, but we circumvented it by feeding the older one first then the younger one just before the older one finished. When the older one had to have homemade food due to serious health issues, both of them would sit in the kitchen and look at the stove where the food was cooking, licking their chops. We always gave the younger one a small spoonful of the homemade food so he did not feel left out.
I hope you are now fully settled into your new home and community, although from what I have been able to find out about your area, it seems like there are only a few families in the area, which supports a ski hill.
Blessings.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. What a stinker your little dog can be…as can we all! Blessings.