TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 10, 2016.
COVETOUSNESS
Long for; desire enviously; wrongfully desire what belongs to another; a desire for an unjust gain.
And Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Luke 12: 15.
On many occasions we have watched our children and other children play and often one of them seem to want the toy another child is playing with. It doesn't seem to matter that there may be a dozen other toys or that they could have chosen that toy long before the toy was taken by the other child. The child wants that one and wants it now and many times they just take the toy.
As parents we know that it is not right so we have to intervene. Unfortunately, one of the problems with families today is that a parent does not intervene at times like this and children develop bad traits that stay with them for a lifetime. Adults are covetous just like children. We never think of wanting something, in many cases, until we see someone else has it. When we covet what someone else has we are breaking God's Tenth Commandment.
On the internet there is a web page called, "The Law of Attraction." Evidently this is a popular idea floating around about how to get whatever you want. One must just think and feel what you want to attract.
This positive thinking philosophy teaches that the energy of your dominant thoughts "attracts" your circumstances. The theory is the more desire you have for a thing, the greater will be the attractive force exerted toward its attainment, both within yourself and outside of yourself. To us this sounds like coveting. It seems that this so called law basically offers one the "things" in life that you "want" but do not have. This is certainly not what we learn from the Bible. The Bible has nothing to say about such a law.
WARNING: Do not get caught up in "Laws" like this because they will distract you, at the least, from your Christian walk with the Lord. Look to the Bible for all the right theories. Right theories are based in truth, and God’s Word is truth.
The scripture teaches us that we are to use our God-given abilities and work to provide for ourselves. As believers, we have good reason to be positive thinkers because our heavenly Father understands our needs and has promised to meet them. Because He cares for us, we do not have to be anxious (Luke 12: 22-30). In the verse, Luke 12:15, that we have written above we are warned that life does not consist in the abundance of things that we possess. A wealth of possessions has no eternal value. What does have eternal value is to be rich in God" (verse 21). As believers we store up riches in heaven by obeying God and faithfully serving Him.
In this verse above Jesus tells us to "Take heed and beware of covetousness" because one day, like the rich fool in the parable found in Luke 12:16-21, we will leave our earthly riches all behind. When that day comes for us to go to our Heavenly Father we will have more than we ever dreamed. We will share in God’s kingdom. In the meantime, God promises to care of all our needs. We do not need to follow foolish ideas like "the law of attraction" when we are a child of God. He has promised to supply all our needs, not all of our wants. Our deepest desire should be to be "rich toward God" (Luke 12:21).
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 6:21.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Thank You for the assurance that we have that You will provide all of our needs. Help us not to covet the things of this world but to covet the riches of God. Help my family to continue to seek You daily and make You Lord and King of our lives.
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