shadow

Rita Reid

Greed-Just a Little More!

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“Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Luke 12:15 NLT

girl grabbing money

Jesus told the parable of a rich man who decided to tear down his existing barns in order to build bigger ones. He’d store all of his goods in these bigger barns and wouldn’t have to work for some time. Then, he’d eat, drink, and be merry!  Can’t you picture this dude sitting there on his wealthy behind marveling at how he’s achieved the good life?  His great plan was short lived. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Luke 12:20 NLT

This man was so greedy that he wasn’t satisfied with what he already had. Have you ever been tempted by greed like that? I remember a time when I ditched my collection of shoes in order to buy all new ones. I really only needed to replace one pair of sandals that I’d broken but, I decided that it was time for me to just toss and replenish the whole lot. How hard could that be? My collection of shoes fit well and was still fashionable but I went from need to greed in a hot minute. I ended up waiting for years to properly rebuild my shoes to the right colors, styles, and types because I could not easily find the replacements after all.

Your ‘greedy thing’ may not be barns of goods or shoes. It could be any number of things. But the temptation to want more of everything is present in all of us. Aren’t we then somewhat similar to the man in the parable?

We can never really be free or satisfied by the stuff that we own—real freedom and satisfaction are free gifts that God provides to us when we humbly go to Him each day and ask for his grace and help. Only after doing that can we have the power to resist the strong temptation towards greed. For we read in Luke 12:21, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Are you ‘God-poor’ today due to greed? You don’t have to be. Ask Him to take away your greed for material things and replace it with a desire for godly things. He wants to do it and will if you ask Him.

By grace through faith,

Rita

Lingering–Just One Look Back!

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“One of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” “But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:17, 26 NLT


Years ago some friends and I were at a house out in town when a typhoon warning was issued. We should have headed back as soon as we heard the warning but we stayed a little longer and ran out of time to safely get back onto the military base before the storm hit. So, we had to remain where we were until it passed by. Thankfully, God spared us from harm that day. He could have permitted a very different outcome.

There are times when even though we know what action is required of us, we need a little shove to get us moving in the right direction! Lot knew about the impending destruction of Sodom, yet he and his family lingered there. They had to be forced to leave by a couple of angels! In today’s dose verse, we see that Lot’s wife didn’t abide by the plan that the angels had put together for her family—to run away from Sodom and never look back. She gave into the temptation to take one last look back and it cost her life.

Is there a place in your life that you continue to return, physically or mentally, that you know the Holy Spirit has called you away from? Maybe it’s a previous relationship, or an unhealthy habit that you just can’t seem to shake. Perhaps you constantly entertain or verbalize negative thoughts about yourself.

We’re not immune to the daily struggles of sin and temptation just because we enter into a relationship with the Lord. We continue to be tempted to go back to the familiar, even if it’s destructive, because we’re not really comfortable with change.  ‘The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know’, right?

As we change from the person we used to be into the person God calls us to be, we’ll be tempted to lingeringly reminisce on the old and familiar.

But we must look forward—no holding onto the old ways, because that will result in our destruction. Run and don’t look back! God will provide the angels you need to help you each step of the way!

What price are you willing to pay for lingering?

[Read Genesis chapter 19 for the account of Lot and his wife]

By grace through faith,

Rita

Connected Branch

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“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5, NLT

Luke, chapter eight, gives the account of a woman who’d been afflicted for twelve years with non-stop bleeding. In that day, she was considered “unclean”—someone nobody wanted to come in contact with. As such, she was likely an outcast, not connected in her community, and unable to find a cure for her bleeding. One day, while Jesus was passing through a town, she made her way through the crowd of people in an effort to get close enough to touch Him. She reached His clothing and touched the edge of His robe. Right then, she stopped bleeding. Jesus wanted to know who touched Him. Everyone around Him said they didn’t do it. The apostle Peter told Jesus the entire crowd was pressing on Him because so many people were there.

“But Jesus said, ‘Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.’ When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. ‘Daughter,’ he said to her, ‘your faith has made you well. Go in peace’”  (Luke 8: 46-48, NLT).

This woman had been outwardly disconnected from healing for years. By touching Jesus she demonstrated her faith that He was the true source of the healing power that she needed. Jesus said He felt healing power go out from Him when she touched His robe. She was connected to him in her heart! Read today’s Dose verse.

God wants our lives to be like fruit-producing branches of a grapevine. This happens when we stay connected to Jesus (our vine), and let God (our gardener), prune our lives. It prompts growth and fruitfulness. God’s cultivating, weeding, and pruning within us results in godly character development, progress in our walk with Jesus, and an abundance of spiritual fruit. Remaining in Jesus means to stay connected to him (in all situations) in our hearts, through faith, just like the woman did. We must persist in keeping connected to Jesus, our power source for living godly, fruitful, and productive lives. Without Him, we become disconnected, and therefore, can’t do what He requires of us.

Are you a fruitful branch connected to the Vine today?

By grace through faith,

Rita