Daily Devotional
Are You a Hoarder?
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”
James 5:1-6
December 4, 2023
Ponder This
I know some people who are making money, but they don't need any more money. They are really just kind of keeping score, and they don’t want that money in circulation. God wants money in circulation; God wants everything in circulation. There is enough to go around. There is enough to take care of everything, and when God created the world, He made everything with a propensity and the ability to give. The sun gives and we have light. The earth gives and we have life. The trees give and we have air, food, and wood. There is a reciprocal service that God has put into humanity, but some people can’t trust the Lord. They say, “I’ve just got to keep hoarding it up. I’ve just got to keep stashing it away.”
A bell, somebody said, is not a bell until you ring it; a song is not a song until you sing it; love is not love until you give it away; joy is not joy until you share it; and wealth is not really wealth until you spend it. What good is paper sitting around somewhere? Use it for God’s glory!
- When have you given generously? How did you receive blessing as a giver?
- Why do we wrestle with the temptation to keep money and things to ourselves? Does this reflect God’s heart? Why or why not?
Practice This
Pray and ask God who you can give generously to, and act on His answer.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
