Verse of the Day 6/25

Verse of the Day 6/25

1 Timothy 6:9-10   But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.    English Standard Version (ESV)

After a week away on vacation with the kids and grand-kids, it is time to get back to the "regular schedule".  It was good to get away, spend some down time at the beach, turn off and tune out much of the world and what is going on and spend time enjoying the time together and enjoying part of God's creation, in our case the beach, which included crabs, minnows, sea gulls, the waves and many other things that are not in our every day life.  It was fun to see the wonder and hear the excitements in the grand-kids new experiences.

Reading today's verses helped me realize that yes, money is required to take a vacation, but the love of money can also keep us away from vacation or enjoying so many other things in life and in God's creation.  We can be so consumed in it that we feel that we cannot take the time off, as if the world would fall apart.  How do we find the balance?

John Piper writes, "What is money? I would answer that question like this: Money is simply a symbol that stands for human resources. Money stands for what you can get from man instead of God......God deals in the currency of grace, not money: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!" (Isaiah 55:1). Money is the currency of human resources. So the heart that loves money is a heart that pins its hopes, and pursues its pleasures, and puts its trust in what human resources can offer....So the love of money is virtually the same as faith in money — belief (trust, confidence, assurance) that money will meet your needs and make you happy."

Don't be consumed by the love of money.  Use some of what God has blessed you with to spend time with family and friends, enjoy His creation, enjoy time together.  It doesn't have to cost a lot.  Read the short passage below from The Message a May we pursue a "life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith."

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

1 Timothy 6:9-12 The Message (MSG)

^9-10 But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.

Running Hard

^11-12 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.