SANDY'S DEVOTIONAL
This devotional was written by Sandy
Craig, who is the Co-Youth Director of our Church, Summit United Methodist
Church of Marshall, Texas. Sandy, along with her husband, Ben, are
tremendous leaders for the youth of our Church. Their testimonials are
most appreciated in our site. Sandy has a beautiful voice and often
contributes to the worship services of our church.
RESISTING TEMPTATION
"Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew
6:19-21.
"For
this reason, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall
eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put
on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at
the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather
into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth
much more than they? And which of you being anxious can add a single cubic
to his life's span?" Matthew 6:25-27.
"For all these things the
gentiles eagerly seek; for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these
things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow;
for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own." Matthew 6: 32-34.
In reading these scripture
passages, I am constantly reminded of how society goes against these particular
scriptures. If one lives by the ways of the world, which the evil
one wants us to do, these messages from Jesus become completely ignored.
One must practice self denial on a continual basis to resist the temptations
that are before us at all times. Discerning the things we really need,
from the things we really just want, becomes a never ending battle between
necessity and greed. I find that
the more I am saturated with things
people tell me I "can't live without", the less and less I want them!
Just because someone says something is valuable, it doesn't mean that it is to
me. Would Jesus place the same value on things (in today's world) that we
do? I would have to say "NO"!
Jesus' words tell us not to be
anxious for anything, because God knows what we need and is more than willing to
provide it for us if we only give him our devotion! The meaning of
devotion is a strong loyalty and attachment or affection. Has God not
already shown his devotion for us through Jesus, his one and only Son? In
return, our devotion to him should be in comparison.
PRAYER:
Dear God, help us to go deep inside and find what is really important for our
growth as Christians. Give us what we need and help us to be satisfied
with what we have. Give us the peace that comes from knowing you, so we
will not be anxious, and give us the wisdom to understand our purpose.
Amen.
Note:
The picture used to make the applet above is courtesy of Ed Schwing's Luv-Lee
Orchids. See our Links page for the URL.
