Verse of the Day 12/22

Haggai 1:5-6 (ESV) Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. ⁶ You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

 

I read these verses the other day and I was struck by the last sentence.  Do you ever feel that your wages go into a bag with holes?

 

I recently received my "rewards" statement from my credit card company.  By how much I've spent I receive miles which can't be used towards air travel or other things.  The sad thing is, you quickly see how much you are spending month by month with little left to show from it.  These verses can help me, help us to consider our ways this season.

 

We tend to focus on buying gifts and hoping that we'll be given some things by others that are on our personal wish list.  But, any one of us should be able to realize that these things won't last, they will not bring us lasting happiness (we'll be disappointed when the latest sand wedge won't help us out of the sand trap).  We would be far better off investing in things that will last.  Spending time and sharing joy with family and friends, creating memories that will last and perhaps be passed on to future generations.  True joy doesn't come from within ourselves.  It comes from Christ and grows as it is shared.

 

The measure of our new self in Christ—the renewed mind—is the degree to which we look away from ourselves to Christ as our treasure. If Christ is more to you, you are more. If Christ is less to you, you are less. Your measure rises and falls with your measure of him. Your valuing him is the value that you have. Your esteeming him is the esteem that you have. Your treasuring him is the treasure that you are."— John Piper

 

John Piper's quote combines the thoughts of "treasure" and "measure".  What we treasure will be evident in how much it occupies our thoughts.  Are we consumed by thoughts of achieving or accumulating more of what we will someday lose or throw away?  Let's invest in something that will bring eternal rewards instead of a few miles. 

 

Luke 12:33-34( ESV)  Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Haggai 1:4-6The Message (MSG)

 ^3-4Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: "How is it that it's the 'right time' for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God's Temple, is in ruins?"

 ^5-6And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again:

   "Take a good, hard look at your life. 
   Think it over.
You have spent a lot of money, 
   but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates, 
   but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, 
   but you're always thirsty.
You put on layer after layer of clothes, 
   but you can't get warm.
And the people who work for you, 
   what are they getting out of it?
Not much— 
   a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that's what.