Thought for the day
A man was going up to bed, when his wife told him he'd left the light on in the garden shed - she could see it from the bedroom window. But he said that he hadn't been in the shed that day. He looked himself, and there were people in the shed, stealing things. He rang the police, but they told him that no one was in his area, so no one was available to catch the thieves. He said OK, hung up, counted to 30 and rang the police again. "Hello. I just rang you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed? Well, you don't have to worry about them now, I've just shot them all."
Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, an Armed Response unit, the works. Of course, they caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policeman said to this man:
"I thought you said you'd shot them!" He replied, "I thought you said there was no one available!"
The same thing happens frequently in my life. Someone asks me to do something and I respond, "I don't have the time." Often, what I mean by that is, "I don't regard this as important enough." The truth is, we find (or make) the time to do whatever we regard to be important.
Someone has said you can tell a person's priorities by looking at his checkbook. There is a great deal of validity to that. We are willing to spend money on the things we think are important. But perhaps a greater indicator of our priorities would be our planning books -- a record of how our time is spent. For all of us, choices must be made. We don't have time to do everything, so we must choose those things which are of greatest importance to us. Just be careful that your choices are those things which are also most important to God.
The greatest men and women in the Bible were not those with the greatest resources or talents, but they were men and women who made themselves available to be used by God whenever He called. May God never hear us say, "Sorry, but I'm not available!""Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Eph. 5:15-17, NIV)
Verses
Hebrews 11:6
Now, without faith it is impossible to please Him at all. For he who comes to God must of the necessity in the nature of the case believe that He exists, that He also becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out.
Matthew 8:17
so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
Psalm 1:1-3
Happy the man who never goes by the advice of the ungodly, who never takes the sinners' road, nor joins the company of scoffers, but finds his joy in the Eternal's law, poring over it day and night. He is like a tree planted by a stream, that bears fruit in due season, with leaves that never fade; whatever he does, he prospers.
Prayer
Father, help me not to strive for worldly riches that would cause me to place my hope in material wealth that is only temporal. I know that money cannot buy love, joy, peace, forgiveness or lasting security. I cannot expect my riches to fulfill my greatest need since money cannot solve matters of the heart, but You do. For the riches You have entrusted to me I want to be wise, accountable, and generous toward those who have less, all the while laying up treasures in heaven that await me when I get to my final and lasting home. Amen.
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