Daily Devotional for August 16, 2016

James 1:9-11
A Christian who doesn’t amount to much in this world should be glad, for he is great in the Lord’s sight. But a rich man should be glad that his riches mean nothing to the Lord, for he will soon be gone, like a flower that has lost its beauty and fades away, withered—killed by the scorching summer sun. So it is with rich men. They will soon die and leave behind all their busy activities.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

In our daily newspaper, I read the heart-wrenching story by New York Times reporter Liz Alderman of a 28-year-old Syrian woman and her four young children who are detained in a refugee camp in Idomeni, Greece.  The family spends their days foraging for food and begging for help for this mother and her dusty, mosquito-bite-covered children.  They are dirty, hungry, tired, and frustrated.  Promises of aid have not materialized…and this mother told Alderman that she would have stayed in Syria and taken her chances, had she known it would be like this. The tone of despair in this report was palpable…and I have to tell you, I was somewhat ashamed of my own material “wealth.”

Just by virtue of where we live, most of us are “rich” by much of the world’s standards.  And yet, many of us perpetually crave more. We measure our wealth – and our worth – in dollars and cents.  We constantly compare ourselves to others…and we work pretty hard to keep up with them!

Today, Greg and I have been married for 42 years. We celebrated by going out to breakfast at a local diner – and we took Greg’s mother with us!  We enjoyed every bite of the meal – and the company – as we reminisced about the years we’ve shared. God has blessed us with more than our portion of “creature comforts” throughout our marriage…but He has also given us a strong bond with our family.  We are rich in His love…and in our relationships with family members and friends.  We try to accumulate memories and special experiences together rather than material possessions and expendable resources.  Don’t misunderstand…we have more than plenty materially.  But “things” do not matter nearly as much as they once did…and we have learned to appreciate the joy and comfort in simple pleasures.

We are both keenly aware how quickly life can change.  We look in the mirror and recognize that youth surely fades…and “beauty” takes on a whole new meaning!  We look around at those who appear to have a good grasp on what makes a person truly “rich”…and we notice that they are busy seeking God and serving Him rather than worrying about their own “wealth” or appearance.  They exude a joy and peace that is captivating – and enviable – and we want this for ourselves!!

I pray that we would never take our “wealth” for granted…both the gift of God’s grace, mercy, and salvation through the blood of Jesus – AND, the physical possessions that we have accumulated.  I pray that God would keep us humble – and grateful for His abundance and the freedoms that we enjoy…that we would never grow complacent about anything or anyone for even one minute!

Should God see fit to give Greg and me more years together, I pray that we will always recognize how rich we are in His love and blessings…and always see each other through the “lens of love” that overlooks wrinkles, age spots and gray hair.  I pray that we would be busy sharing God’s love rather than trying to make ourselves look younger or impressive.

I pray that you would discover for yourself what makes you “rich” in God’s eyes…that you would think of the young refugee mother who just wants her children to be safe and fed - and thank God that you enjoy these comforts every single day.  This automatically makes you richer than a large percentage of the world’s population, praise God!  Do you recognize how “wealthy” He has made you in all things?  Do your words and actions demonstrate your appreciation and gratitude for His gifts and blessings?  Isn’t it time they did?

How “rich” are you today in the things that truly matter for all Eternity?  Aren’t you ready to find out, once and for all?  Will this be the day that you get started?


©2016 Debbie Robus

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