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Great is the Lord Jesus
Majestic in glory and splendor,
With his mercy mild and tendor.
Jesus is at God’s right hand,
And to him belongs the land.
No longer in suffering and pain,
He’ll come back to earth again.
Jesus is the Redeemer of the world,
And by him salvation has unfurled.
The Lamb of God he who is pure.
He is God’s word that will endure.
Jesus is higher than all creation,
And to him belongs adoration.
The Name which is above all names,
Unto him the holy angels sing acclaims.
Jesus is the high priest of God above,
And by him come heaven’s mercy and love.
Does your love for money control you?
The world glorifies achievers. Nothing wrong with being an achiever of good things in life. But where the world is in error is where it proclaims the pursuit of money as the end all be all of life. A person who climbs up the Seven Summits is usually given a great deal of respect. However, what’s odd is there’s still even greater respect for those who are billionaires as if they climbed a thousand summits. People will try to verify if a mountaineer used drugs or other illegal methods to cope up with the tough climb but avoid checking if a billionaire is ethical in his pursuit of profits.
I always like doing great things for my country. There are those who shine well in athletics and sports for their fatherland. Some show respect for their nation by doing business and earning lots of revenue and then donating to charity. Others who are a despicable lot, end up being traitors to their own nation for blood diamonds and money. So money itself is neutral, it’s your attitude towards it and your actions to get it which prove whether you are for good or for evil. That is why you must curb your passion towards gaining wealth and instead concentrate on God who gives you the good things of his Kingdom.
God gives you the ability to get money
Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:12-14)
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)
Understand why the love of money is evil
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live. (Proverbs 15:27)
Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. (Psalm 62:10)
So avoid the love of money
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
If you have lots of money don’t put your hope in it
Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28)
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.( 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Always remember..
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Prayer: O Lord Jesus, I pray that I be set free from the love of money. Let me have the right attitude towards money. Give me the wisdom to only use righteous ways to obtain wealth. Give me sufficient money to provide for my family and community. Direct me to the poor and needy and church ministries that reach out to preach to unbelievers, so that I may bless them with both my finances and prayers for them. Thank you God, thank you Jesus, thank you Holy Spirit. Amen.
Further reading: Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21.
Related articles
The need to get out of anxiety and depression
Depression and anxiety tend to have a negative impact on body and soul. People get depressed due to different reasons such as death of a loved one, financial loss, wars, lack of respect and appreciation etc. These may be valid reasons to be depressed. There are also unnecessary worries that cause depression.
Too much sorrow and anxiety puts strain on the nervous system. It causes insomnia, irritability, hopelessness etc. Even your spirit feels down and sometimes broken. You need to start realizing that you need to escape this soon. Maybe you feel at home with depression due long times of suffering but the Bible reminds us of the true nature of sorrow. You’ve got to be genuinely cheerful again.
Psalms 127:2 – [It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Proverbs 12:25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 15:13-14 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
No matter what your reason to be anxious and sorrowful, you need to make a choice to get out of depression and anxiety. Being depressed or anxious won’t solve anything let alone fix the cause of your worrying.
Anxiety won’t help you pay the bills. It won’t get you more beauty. Depression won’t make you more wise. It won’t strengthen you.
Jesus knows all hearts perfectly because he has made them all. No wonder he spoke about the reality of cares and worries. Here’s what Jesus the creator of all hearts had said about worrying:
Matthew 6:27-29 “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled:ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Come to Jesus and give him your anxiety and worries. He will not cast out those who approach him in faith. Doesn’t matter if you caused the mess. Just approach Christ and take it all to him in prayer.
Worldly wisdom is partially right in letting go of your worries and sorrows by speaking it out to someone. But not everyone will hear out your problems. Not everyone cares about troubles you face. They will say please don’t discuss this with me for I don’t have time for this or some other excuse. Some only want to hear of your worries to see how they can take advantage of your situation. I say that such people will get their due judgement for this.
Some people can hear you out but can’t really help you due to their lack of knowledge or human limits. They will not be able to comprehend how badly hurt you are. Some may even find certain worries of yourself amusing though you may not like such people’s response. Only few people can actually listen and help you overcome your griefs.
This doesn’t mean you don’t speak about your sorrows to others. There are genuine Christian counselors who can hear and guide you. I used to hear out different counselors on what they would do to help someone get out of depression. I realized that the most effective one is when makes a free choice to cast his/her sorrows into the hands of Jesus and truly lets go. So I decided to then directly surrender my thoughts to Jesus when I’m faced with negative thoughts. Nobody can help more better that Jesus with the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
Disciples of hope 