DAY 163 Read 1 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 17.
Today's reading: A wicked king allows his evil wife to commit a great wrong on an innocent man--all because of covetousness.
Memory gem: "Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:14).
Thought for today:
We might call this "The Sin of Sins." As a minister, I have had people confess practically every sin and crime possible to man, but I don't remember one single instance that anyone ever confessed this sin to me. Yet it is the sin back of all sin.
What is this sin? It is the sin forbidden in the tenth commandment.
Covetousness is really selfishness. That is why it is the sin of sins. It is back of all sins--self-exaltation, egotism. The man who, by the Holy Spirit, observes this commandment will not desire glory for himself.
Covetousness and love are opposite poles in the human heart. When one comes in, the other goes out.
Life does not consist of things--a fine home, a new car, and so on and so on. These things are nice to have, and it is not wrong to have them if they are rightly obtained, but life does not consist of them. Remember the story that Jesus told about the rich man who pulled down his barns to build greater, that he might take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Covetousness is a "respectable" sin. It is like pride. Even church members can be guilty of it and not know it. No doubt many who are covetous do not realize that they are. That is why they never confess their sin of covetousness. It is deceitful and prevalent.
God gave Heaven's greatest Gift for our salvation. Jesus Christ our Lord, gave Himself for our redemption. The cure for covetousness is true regeneration, conversion, the power of the Spirit of God, that those who are born as the sons of God may walk in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ who, though He was rich, became poor that we through His poverty might become rich (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).
Let us seek God for the victory over selfishness and the sin we are afraid to mention.
Today's reading: A wicked king allows his evil wife to commit a great wrong on an innocent man--all because of covetousness.
Memory gem: "Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:14).
Thought for today:
We might call this "The Sin of Sins." As a minister, I have had people confess practically every sin and crime possible to man, but I don't remember one single instance that anyone ever confessed this sin to me. Yet it is the sin back of all sin.
What is this sin? It is the sin forbidden in the tenth commandment.
Covetousness is really selfishness. That is why it is the sin of sins. It is back of all sins--self-exaltation, egotism. The man who, by the Holy Spirit, observes this commandment will not desire glory for himself.
Covetousness and love are opposite poles in the human heart. When one comes in, the other goes out.
Life does not consist of things--a fine home, a new car, and so on and so on. These things are nice to have, and it is not wrong to have them if they are rightly obtained, but life does not consist of them. Remember the story that Jesus told about the rich man who pulled down his barns to build greater, that he might take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Covetousness is a "respectable" sin. It is like pride. Even church members can be guilty of it and not know it. No doubt many who are covetous do not realize that they are. That is why they never confess their sin of covetousness. It is deceitful and prevalent.
God gave Heaven's greatest Gift for our salvation. Jesus Christ our Lord, gave Himself for our redemption. The cure for covetousness is true regeneration, conversion, the power of the Spirit of God, that those who are born as the sons of God may walk in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ who, though He was rich, became poor that we through His poverty might become rich (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).
Let us seek God for the victory over selfishness and the sin we are afraid to mention.
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