Beware Of Covetousness
Help me to prefer obedience to making money!
~Psalm 119:36, TLB
Covetousness is like the lean cows in Pharaoh’s dream: it will devour all the fat cows—spiritual blessings, the word of God, grace and fruitfulness.
~William Gouge
In Luke 12 Jesus is teaching his followers to beware of the Pharisees and their hypocritical ways when He is interupted by a man who wants Him to settle a desputed inheritance. Jesus refused to do so and then turned to His followers and said to them, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed.” Why should we fear covetousness or greed? Because covetousness is a devouring sin that swallows everything in its path. It becomes all consuming and like death and hell, it is never satisfied. It is like the lean cows in Pharaoh’s dream that eats all the fat cows. Greed and covetousness are insatiable; they devour everything in their path. Covetous is also a bewitching sin, as our love for money grows, our souls shrink. Eventually, we will replace God with money and become idolators. We will compromise on principle just to make more money. Money will become our all consuming God.
We must fear God and the consequences of sin. We all have certain weaknesses we are prone to and we must fear those sins most that play to our weakness. Joseph was right to run out of Potiphar’s house. He did’t just turn his head and look at the wall. Potiphar’s wife had already grabbed him; so simply turning his back on her would not work. Joseph did the right thing by running out of the house and away from the seductive Mrs. Potiphar. Why did he run? I think fear was his primary motiviation. He ran because he was afraid. He saw sleeping with his boss’ wife as an act of betrayal against his boss and an act of wickedness before holy God. He was afraid to sin against either his earthy master or his heavenly. I think he ran because he was actually being tempted and was afraid of giving in if he stayed in her presence.
How did this pan out for Joseph? Not good in the short term. Mrs. Potiphar’s rage and her husbands power landed Joseph in prison for ten years. What happpened to young Joseph was not fair, just or right, but God used that prison as a refiners fire and turned a gifted, yet arrogant young man into a noble prince. Eventually, Joseph’s discretion pays off and he is elevated to the highest office in the land other than Pharaoh. Do the right thing here and now {on earth} and God will repay you in eternity. Our reward for doing the right thing may be delayed but it is coming.
How should you and I react to the temptation of greed? The same way Joseph reacted to Mrs. Potiphar. We should shun it; stay completely away from it; have nothing to do with it. Greed will get you! You say, “Don’t fret preacher, I can handle it.” Yeah, right! John D. Rockafellow probably said the same thing. His greed almost killed him. To think, he started out as a store clerk in Cleveland, Ohio, a tither and Sunday School teacher and then he was bitten by the greed bug. What can we do about greed? How do you fight greed? The best way to fight greed is to give. Greedy people, like the farmer in Luke 12, never think about giving. All they think about is saving. A good doctor prescribed giving to ease Rockafellow’s consumption and it worked. He lived several more years after he started his foundations. If you don’t kill greed, greed will kill you. Understand “you” is not your physical life, “you” is your soul. Greed will shrivel your soul to nothing.
- By faith I am going to praise the LORD for the heat wave subsiding. It will be hot today but not as hot, PTL. Got below early this morning for the first time in a while.
- Although I had some technical problems in our out-door worship service, it was a good service and I loved it. Jennifer called me over to their car and said, “Bro. Jack I love the outdoor service.” I quickly responded, “I do too and so does June.” I promised Jennifer we would do two in 27, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND and LABOR DAY WEEKEND. If you are opposed to doing two, let me know soon. Otherwise it is going on the calendar.
- For our Sardis Springs readers, I did make the trip to Tupelo last Friday and had a great visit with Mrs. Inman. She is doing well. Missing all of you. She watches the services on line. It is less than a two hour trip for me and no traffic till you get to I-22 which is about 20 miles from the retirement home were she now lives.
- GOD’S WORD FOR ALL PEOPLE this Sunday September and we are extended it through September 20. Our goal is 108 verses. It is $35 per verse and I am challenging all adults to do a verse for yourself and one for each child in the family.
- Slidder and Hotdog supper Wednesday night September 16. If the weather cools a bit, we will be out at the pavilion. If it stays hot, we will be inside.
- Monday October 26…we are hosting the THE MORGAN BAPTIST ANNUAL MEETING here at the POINT. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I doubt that we have more than 60 people total. The Annual meeting are poorly attended these days. I have asks the 49er to help and this will be our October 49er gathering. You do not have to attend the meeting. Just bring your food and join us for lunch. We will get the KFC, drinks and rolls but we need your help with the other things. It will work if we have a servant’s heart!
- October 28 is our Bill Smith Jambalaya Supper and our November Wednesday night meal falls on Veterans Day, November 11, and we are having a stew and Joe is going to have us a video of our veterans at the round table. After the Stew in November, there will be no more Wednesday night suppers until Spring.
Have a great Monday and thanks for reading the blog!!!!
A special thanks to Brandon and Kimberly Dillard of Falkville. They allowed June and I to watch the game from their sky-box at Bryant Denny. We went down primarily to see Ty who cannot come home on the weekends and June wanted to see the band. We left as soon as the half time band performance was over.
Big Mama Watching the Band
