EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
THURSDAY APRIL 09, 2026.
SUBJECT: MONEY AND THE LOVE OF MONEY!
Memory verse: "For the love of money is the root of all kind of evil: for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (First Timothy 6 vs 10.)
READ: Matthew 6 vs 19 - 24:
6:19: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal:
6:20: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal:
6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
6:22: The light of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
6:23: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
6:24: No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will be loyal to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
INTIMATION:
I know that money is a sore subject that a lot of people want to avoid, but in my considered opinion, learning how God views money is basic Christianity. The importance of this subject is reflected in how much the Bible teaches about it. The Bible has more to say about money than most Bible doctrines like heaven and hell or faith and prayer. The influence of money in our lives is very real, so it isn't surprising that Jesus taught more on the subject of money than any other single topic like prayer and faith.
In the anchor Scripture we read today, the apostle Paul used money and people's attitude toward money to reveal their hearts. Our integrity often meets its match in money matters. It is ideal that we make wise use of the money opportunities we have toward realizing our eternal inheritance in Christ. For instance, if we use our money to help those in need or to help others find Christ, our earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. When we obey God’s Will, the unselfish use of possessions will follow.
It's a common scenario in our present time to see those who love money take exception to the Lord's teaching on money. We are in the age that measures people's worth by how much money they have. God doesn't operate by the world's value system, and it's more important for us to understand how God's financial system works.
Jesus says that we can have only one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind, and would not know what happens to all that wealth thereafter. For many, their desire for money and what it can buy far outweigh their commitment to God and spiritual matters.
Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. If you store up your treasures in heaven, definitely your thoughts will be heavenly bound. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap of busy pursuing after money to acquire wealth because “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Many who chase after money, to be rich at all cost, fall into temptations, traps, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition, thereby piercing themselves through with many sorrows.
Scriptures recognize that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. Money is not evil. What is evil is the materialistic heart that is obsessed with obtaining it. In some people’s desire to satisfy their thirst for wealth, they have marginalized their relationships with friends, family, others, and even God. The sorrows that they produced through their striving to be rich manifest the error of the greedy motives of their hearts. If one sacrifices his or her good works in relationships because he or she has no time for others as a result of running after riches, then his or her spiritual life is void of the very foundation of the community of God.
Money is a hard master, a deceptive and dangerous one. It is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. It is so deceptive that it can take God's place in one's life. Most people will trust in money rather than God to solve their problems. This is sinful, and those who pursue its empty promises will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made, and lost overnight, and it is noteworthy that no amount of money can assure one of good health, happiness, or eternal life.
Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasures leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most controls us, whether we admit it or not. If possessions or money become too important to us, we must re-establish control or get rid of unnecessary acquisition of riches. Jesus calls for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen eternal values over temporary, earthly treasures. Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth.
Always aspire to a spiritual vision of money, that is, visualizing it from God’s perspective. Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from his point of view. But this spiritual insight can be easily be clouded. Self-serving desires, interests, and goals block that vision. Serving God is the best way to restore it. A ‘good’ eye is one that is fixed on God.
Money can become our master. How can you tell if you are a slave to money? (1) Do you think or worry about it frequently? (2) Do you give up doing what you should do or would like to do in order to make more money? (3) Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions? (4) Is it hard for you to give money away? (5) Are you in debt? A sincere answer to these questions will reveal truly your attitude toward money.
Prayer: Abba Father, You are above all things and by You all things consist. My most sincere aspiration is to love You and adore You above all things. My utmost heart desire is to serve You our Creator, and not serve Your creation. Nothing can ever take first place in my life, and nothing other than You will I serve, rather they will serve me as I serve You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
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