Years ago there was a pretzel stand in front of a building in New York. A generous business man wanted to help the owner. Each day he would put a quarter on the counter and walk away without taking a pretzel.

One day as he was leaving his quarter, the owner said, “Sir…”

Stopping quickly, he said, “I presume that you are going to ask me why I never take the pretzels?”

“No,” she said rather haughtily. “I just wanted to tell you that the price of the pretzels is now fifty cents.”

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he warned them to “Put to death…evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” He asks that we consider ourselves as though we are dead and therefore unresponsive and unable to be involved in a list of sins, ending with greed. He suggests we make a conscious effort every day to remove anything in our lives that would in any way allow these desires to be present and grow and lead to our destruction. We are to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome the temptation to sin.

In these days of economic uncertainty we are much more aware of what we have and do not have. We seem to face more pressures to lay up treasures for our future on earth rather than with God. We seem to rely more on what we can get from God than what we can give to God.

Prayer: Lord, give us a clear vision of what to value. Protect us from desires to put “things” before You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Aesop was a Greek slave who became famous for writing a number of famous fables. One of his stories involved a dog and a bone.

He once told the story of a dog that was crossing a bridge carrying a bone in its mouth. Seeing his reflection in the water beneath him, he thought that the bone in the mouth of the other dog was larger.

In his greed he opened his mouth to try to snatch the bigger bone from the other dog. However, when he opened his mouth he dropped his bone into the water. Then he had nothing for the water in the stream carried the bone to the river and then into the sea.

Paul compares people who are greedy with those who are immoral and impure and assures his readers that they will not inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. In fact, he says, “greedy people are actually idolaters” - and indeed they are. An idolater is one who worships and wants things more than they do God and puts the worship of things above and beyond the worship of God.

It is not wrong to want nice things. But if we want things more than we want God, it takes our minds away from Him and changes our priorities to the things of this world. As Christians we must be careful to focus our mind and place our treasures in Heaven with Jesus.

Prayer: Give us discerning minds and faithful hearts, Father, to desire those things that are best for us. May we be careful and cautious at all times to honor You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 5:5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Years ago there was a pretzel stand in front of a building in New York. A generous business man wanted to help the owner. Each day he would put a quarter on the counter and walk away without taking a pretzel.

One day as he was leaving his quarter, the owner said, “Sir…”

Stopping quickly, he said, “I presume that you are going to ask me why I never take the pretzels?”

“No,” she said rather haughtily. “I just wanted to tell you that the price of the pretzels is now fifty cents.”

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he warned them to “Put to death…evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” He asks that we consider ourselves as though we are dead and therefore unresponsive and unable to be involved in a list of sins, ending with greed. He suggests we make a conscious effort every day to remove anything in our lives that would in any way allow these desires to be present and grow and lead to our destruction. We are to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome the temptation to sin.

In these days of economic uncertainty we are much more aware of what we have and do not have. We seem to face more pressures to lay up treasures for our future on earth rather than with God. Do we rely more on what we can get from God or what we can give to God?

Prayer: Lord, give us a clear vision of what to value and protect us from desires to put “things” before You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture: Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The ring-tailed monkey of Africa is one of the most difficult animals to catch. Few have mastered the art of capturing them. But the Zulus have no problem.

They know that the monkeys enjoy the seeds of melons. So, when they want to trap a monkey, they cut a hole in a melon just large enough for the monkey’s hand.

When the monkey sees the hole, he will put his hand in it and grab as many seeds as his hand will hold. However, his fist becomes too large and he can’t withdraw it from the hole. He will fight and screech and pull the melon after him, but he will not give up the seeds. Then, the Zulus capture him.

Many people love money like that. This is why Paul warns us that the “love of money is a root for all kinds of evil.”

Money can be a good servant, but in the end, make us its slave. We can use it to exalt our selves or glorify God. We cannot serve God and money, but we can serve God with our money.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may I realize the trap that money may set in my life. May I understand that whatever I love becomes the end of my life. Help me to recognize the traps that the devil sets for me and to avoid being ensnared by him. In Your Name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: 1 Timothy 6:10