TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 37:16-17.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
British poet John Masefield was often called “the poet of the sea” because of his famous poem, “Sea-Fever.” Masefield did seem to be in love with the water. He ran away to sea at the age of fourteen and spent three years sailing the oceans. Yet it has been discovered that Masefield suffered from seasickness and dreaded getting on a ship.

In a letter he wrote in 1918, Masefield said: “It is too maddening. I’ve got to fly off, right now, to some devilish Navy Yard, three hours in a seasick steamer, and after being heartily sick, I’ll have to speak three times, and then be sick coming home.”

So much for the romance of the sea! What the ocean did to John Masefield’s stomach the riches of the wicked do to men’s souls. It’s one thing to work yourself to the bone and become a hoarder in an effort to get rich. It’s another thing entirely to acquire wealth dishonestly.

Today’s lesson is a corollary to Wednesday’s study. As Christians, we would like to think that we are above the temptation to blur the lines between right and wrong to line our pockets. But if we are as bluntly honest about our hearts as the Bible is (see Jer. 17:9), we know none of us is immune to financial temptation.

At first glance, it might seem that today’s verses reinforce the common conception that to be righteous, a person has to be poor. But the Bible does not equate righteousness with poverty. Little is better only if it is accompanied by a righteous lifestyle.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Bible is very realistic about money. God knows that few of us will be strongly tempted to become poor!

Psalm 37 is a word of healthy exhortation against caving in to the urge to take a little extra for ourselves. This is a very familiar psalm, as you may already know if you looked at its opening verses.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:25-28.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Quoted in an article from McCall’s, an accountant and a psychiatrist give this expert advice: lending money to family members is not a good idea. There’s too much potential for trouble, says the accountant—and the data seems to back him up. One 1995 poll showed that over a third of those who had loaned more than $500 to a relative were never repaid. And, says the psychiatrist, loans can make suppressed family tensions surface.

We’ve always heard that lending your friends money gives them amnesia. Evidently, it may also cause them to remember things we’d just as soon they would forget! Maybe that’s one reason the Bible emphasizes the quality of a generous spirit that is ready to give to those in need.

Paul’s word to the Ephesians on this subject touches on the issue of honesty. These believers were saved out of a grossly pagan environment where lying and stealing were often a way of life. For someone practicing these vices, giving freely to those in need was a foreign concept.

But faith in Christ changed everything for the Ephesians—and for the Galatian believers too, for that matter. One reason we don’t always feel the urgency of Paul’s appeals to help the needy is that for most of us, people in genuine need are removed from our immediate sight.

We may see them on the corner with a cardboard sign appealing for work or watch a television report about a poverty-stricken family. But few of these people will be sitting beside us tomorrow in church.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Bible is very realistic about money. God knows that few of us will be strongly tempted to become poor!According to Paul, Jesus once said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

We often hear this quoted at Christmas, but it’s an all-season truth! In fact, turn to Luke 6:35 and you’ll see that Jesus told us to love our enemies, lending to them without expecting anything in return. That’s a tough one, but read on. We can afford to be merciful to others because we are the beneficiaries of God’s boundless mercy (v. 36).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 19:4, 6-7.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
America’s celebrity culture has generated a unique industry—the various and sundry hangers-on who make up the entourages of the rich and famous. Those who can’t “join the following” might settle for watching television shows devoted to celebrities, reading celebrity magazines, or dining at celebrity restaurants. The glitter of fame and money is a powerful siren call for many Americans.

The world might call the avid followers in celebrity entourages friends, but let the cash disappear and most of them will too. Friendship was never meant to be measured in dollars and cents.

This scenario illustrates a powerful temptation to misuse money in our relationships with others. Money talks in most circles, and there are always people willing to listen. Our nation teems with highly visible examples of those who try to buy friendship and of those who take them up on the offer.

Now you may be thinking, “Fear not. Trying to buy friends is not a problem for me. I can’t afford even a casual acquaintance.” But before you dismiss today’s lesson too quickly, remember this. If trying too hard to get rich is a problem, then so is trying too hard to impress others with what we have—or seem to have.

Jesus did say in Luke 16:9 to use wealth to win friends (as we’ll see on Saturday). But that’s very different. A “friend” you can win with money can be lost the same way.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Bible is very realistic about money. God knows that few of us will be strongly tempted to become poor!This lesson has many applications, all of them important to our integrity as individuals and as the body of Christ. For instance, we need to be alert to the too-common practice of currying the favor of wealthy members in the church (James 2:1-4). How about the temptation at work to “rubber stamp” a questionable decision because we know it will raise our stock in the eyes of our superiors? On the other side, there’s the tendency to shun the poor (Prov. 19:7) for fear we might be “hustled” for money.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In a report that should surprise no one, the Better Sleep Council says Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. In the last twenty years, we have added 158 hours, nearly an entire month, to our yearly work schedules. That doesn’t include time spent taking care of our homes and families. The hazards of sleep deprivation are numerous, from aches and pains to loss of productivity, greater vulnerability to sickness, and more accidents at work and on the road.

The report did not mention fretting over finances as a major reason for this massive inability to sleep. But the fact that many now work almost thirteen months a year says a lot about our focus. Instead of wasting time turning in our beds, we need to turn to the timeless wisdom of God’s Word.

Solomon has a lot to teach us here. The futility of giving our lives to the accumulation of wealth is a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes. Today’s text is helpful because it reveals the core problems with this pursuit and suggests a cure.

Verse 10 contains a truth that is richly illustrated all around us. Part of the seduction of wealth is that its accumulation brings no lasting satisfaction. It has been well documented that people’s standard of living tends to go up in proportion to the increase in their income. The result is more consumption (v. 11) and no real progress.

When finances become the focus, another result is worry instead of sleep. This is true whether we have a lot or a little. The problem is with our wants, not with our wealth.

Many of us reason that if we could just get out of debt and have enough in the bank to be comfortable, we’d stop worrying about money. But the Bible never allows us to fall for that flawed logic. If money is your passion, you’ll fret either about getting it or about hanging on to it.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Will worry over finances rob you of sleep tonight?

If so, try this antidote to nighttime worry, suggested by Psalm 63:6-8: 1. Make the Lord the focus of your thoughts as you go to bed, and turn your thoughts back to Him if you awaken.2. Sing in your heart to the Lord, offering praise to Him through one of your favorite hymns.3. Picture yourself clinging to the Lord like a child to a loving parent, as His mighty hand holds you securely.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ecclesiastes 5:13-20.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In the first four months of 1996, personal bankruptcy soared to the largest four-month total ever, according to statistics compiled by MasterCard International. In fact, personal bankruptcy claims account for all but a few percent of all bankruptcies in the last six years. Three major reasons were cited for the record rate of filings: high levels of personal debt, corporate downsizing, and medical expenses.

Verse 14 of today’s text describes a situation similar to that experienced by a bankrupt person. Someone who loses everything comes to understand a truth we all must face some day: we will take nothing of this world’s wealth with us when we leave (vv. 15-17). The bankrupt person just learns this lesson a little early.

Here is the ultimate answer to the question of why striving to accumulate wealth is so futile. We no sooner “arrive” financially than it’s time to depart. And as author Tony Evans says, the only reason we even leave this world in a new suit is because someone else dresses us!

But a sudden, catastrophic loss of wealth is just one reason the Scripture warns against hoarding. Verse 13 outlines a different problem. This person did not lose his money. On the contrary, he had it piled high. But he still wound up getting harmed. How? Because as we saw yesterday, knocking ourselves out to pile up wealth leads to misery and enslavement to the trap of “more.”

You may be reading this and thinking, “Wait a minute. The rich people I see on television don’t seem to be so miserable.” No one ever said money can’t buy a lot of creature comforts. But from a spiritual standpoint, the person who makes money his god is headed for darkness, frustration, affliction and anger (v. 17).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Will worry over finances rob you of sleep tonight?Some of us are by nature worriers and brooders, fretting over the brevity of life and the unpredictability of wealth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), once a symbol of America’s nuclear readiness during the Cold War, are now just a memory. As part of a 1991 arms reduction treaty with Russia, some 150 Minuteman II missiles housed in underground silos in Missouri have been deactivated and taken out of the ground. The empty silos are being imploded, with the craters remaining open for ninety days so Russian satellites can verify their destruction. Eventually, the land will be offered to local farmers at current market prices.

Many people disagree as to whether it was right or wrong to place our trust in nuclear weapons. Thankfully, we never had to find out whether that trust was misplaced. But when it comes to the issue of whether we should put our trust in money, Scripture clearly says to look elsewhere.

Paul’s word to Timothy is so succinctly stated and so clear that we can’t miss the message. It’s important that the “rich in this present world” not lose their focus—so important that this exhortation is a command, not an option. Timothy was probably not among that number, but Paul told him to flee the money trap anyway (vv. 6-11). That’s how strong the pull of money can be. As usual, God’s Word gives solid reasons for not putting our faith in our finances.

We have already seen that wealth is uncertain (v. 17). By contrast, God is eternally the same. Besides, we don’t lose when we put our trust in Him, because He still provides us with “everything for our enjoyment.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One reason it’s easy to fall into the trap of trusting in money is that it’s human to trust what we can see and hold and count.

How are you tempted to put your hope in wealth? Maybe it’s the temptation to hold back on giving for fear of not having enough, or to relax your spiritual vigilance when things are going well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 5:1-6.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this year a new police department employee in a south Florida city was being shown how to use the department’s computer equipment. The supervisor explained to the woman that if she typed in a person’s name, the computer would pull up any outstanding warrants against that person. “Type in your name so you can see how it works,” the new employee was told.

She did so—and the computer revealed that she was wanted on a bad check charge! The woman was arrested on the spot.

We know that the actions of the dishonest will come back to haunt them. The computer age just makes the revelation happen faster. The people James railed against in this classic passage may not have been on a police department computer, but they were in line for a day of reckoning nonetheless.

The problem was not that they were wealthy. Many righteous wealthy people inhabit the pages of the Bible. These people were unrighteously rich. They had gained their wealth through fraud and outright criminal acts.

James uses the strongest language possible to describe people whose ill-gotten wealth is an offense to God and man. This catalog of their evil ought to sound familiar, since every age has been plagued by those who use their power and position to oppress and exploit the defenseless.

Verses 2-3 echo Jesus’ warning against storing up the wrong kind of wealth (Matt. 6:19-21). Since money is an emotional issue, these verses reveal that those who pursue ill-gotten gain have a serious heart or attitude problem.

Not surprisingly, those who gain wealth at the expense of others commit two common but serious errors. They are hoarders, an attitude we know displeases God. And they use their gain for self-indulgent living, often flaunting their lifestyle in the faces of the people they oppress.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
None of us would want his or her name attached to this kind of an indictment.

Instead, God gives us numerous opportunities to please and honor Him with the financial resources He gives us. Can you think of two things you can do with your money this week to honor God, maintain a good testimony with the world, help those in need, and lay up heavenly treasure for yourself?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 19:16-26.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Experts in the stock market are savvy economic sages who use hard numbers and cold logic to make decisions, right? Not according to another group of experts in what is called “behavioral economics,” the study of how people deal with money and finance.

The conclusion of a recent conference was that people are more emotional than rational in many of the economic decisions they make. Smart investors sometimes make dumb decisions, the experts say, because they have an aversion to risk that has little to do with the numbers.

It’s encouraging to see science attempting to catch up with the Scriptures! God’s Word has been telling us for centuries that money is an emotional issue. Jesus was the original expert in “behavioral economics.”

The story of the rich young man illustrates this fact and confirms the findings of that high-powered conference. But this account holds lessons far beyond just the economic. The man who approached Jesus that day also had an aversion to economic risk. He was economically secure; and, being prudent and cautious, he wanted to see to his spiritual security. So he came to Jesus with an excellent question: “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (v. 16).

If we had been standing there beside Jesus and had heard this question, we would have assumed that the man was sincere. And perhaps in his own mind, he was. Jesus didn’t accuse him of having hidden motives for asking. He simply looked into the man’s heart and saw that he was spoiled by his riches. They had become a huge obstacle to salvation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Removing obstacles to faith and offering our readers an opportunity to know Christ are part of the purpose behind Today in the Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 16:1-9, 13.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Peter Lynch was a successful financier when he left his job in 1990. Only 46 years old and manager of the Magellan Fund, he was seemingly in the midst of a brilliant career.

Why would he leave a great job and a hefty salary? According to Money magazine, to spend time with his family and to be more active in his favorite charities. Lynch remembered that his father had died at age 46 and realized that there was more to life than money. Said he: “Nobody on his deathbed ever said: ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office.’”

Money can be a tyrant, spurring us to acquire more and more and to neglect more important parts of life. In today’s passage, Jesus clearly warns that one who serves God cannot also have money as his master.

On September 10, we studied verses 10-12 of this text. Today we want to examine the parable itself and Jesus’ admonition as we “close the loop” in our three-part outline for the month (see September 1) by considering money and finance from the perspective of man back to God.

The primary focus of the next ten days is on the ministry of giving. Although the parable of the crooked manager isn’t about giving per se, it lays down a principle that is fundamental to a right attitude about giving. Jesus’ point in telling the story was to underscore the shrewd way the man used money to make friends. What was so shrewd about the manager’s actions? He made money his servant, using it to real advantage.

Believers are to do the same with their money, says Jesus. The difference, of course, is that we are to make friends for eternity with our money, not to buy friends on earth. It’s clear that Jesus has in mind using our money to lay up treasure in heaven by investing it in His work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our purpose this month is to encourage and empower you through the Holy Spirit for an effective ministry of giving.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 6:19-21.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Political developments this year in Russia reminded the world that the Communist Party is not dead. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union raised Western hopes for democracy in Russia, but seventy-four years of Communist rule left deep impressions that are not easily erased. Part of Communism’s long-term impact can be credited to the fact that prior to 1991, the Communist Party’s annual propaganda budget was about five billion dollars!

Give Party leaders credit: they knew where to invest their money to achieve the result they wanted. They were investing their treasures in building an earthly kingdom. When you don’t believe in God and have no concern for eternity, what else do you have to spend your money on?

Christians can easily get caught up in competing within the realm of earthly value systems, in being overly concerned with the temporary things of earth. In these few verses, Jesus turns the world’s value system on its head—and puts things in proper perspective!

Notice that Jesus’ emphasis is on what’s best for us from the standpoint of eternity. The treasure we store up when we give to the Lord is reserved in heaven under our name. This is a far cry from the common misconception among unbelievers that all the church wants is our money. God does want our money for His work, it’s true. But that’s not all He wants; neither does He ask for all of it.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s a fun and revealing exercise that can open your eyes to the financial temptations around you—and give your children a wonderful lesson in “spiritual economics.”

For the next few days keep a notepad handy so you can jot down advertisements you hear or read that make you feel as though you’re out of step unless you buy a certain product or possess a certain item. You shouldn’t have any trouble collecting examples!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:9-10.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The Reformation-era Dutch churchman and scholar Erasmus was a prolific writer, called by one church historian “the first best-selling author in the history of printing.” As we might expect, Erasmus was a lover of books—so much so that he once remarked: “When I get a little money I buy books: and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.”

Erasmus’ budgeting techniques may seem a little strange to us. But at least he had a clear idea of what claimed priority on his money. We could benefit today from such single-minded devotion as we practice the grace of giving.

Today’s text pinpoints a key principle of this ministry. For the Israelites the “firstfruits” were just that, the first portions of the harvest that were brought to the Lord as an offering. These firstfruits were called “holy to the Lord.” In other words, they were set aside for Him.

In fact, God claimed the first of everything as His, including the firstborn male of each Israelite family and the firstborn of all the animals.

These offerings accomplished a number of things. They expressed the worshiper’s gratitude to God for His provision. They were also an acknowledgment of dependence on God for the full harvest. Deuteronomy 26:2-11 gives a fascinating description of the ritual the Israelites followed when they brought the firstfruits.

God’s promise of blessing for obedience in the firstfruit offering was very specific for Israel (Prov. 3:10). Most of us don’t have barns and vats, but it is a general principle of Scripture that generous giving results in blessing.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Giving to God first can become a real challenge to our faith when it seems that our paycheck won’t stretch far enough.

There’s no New Testament command to this effect, because we don’t have the detailed instructions on tithes and offerings found in the Law. But setting aside our offering to the Lord first is a tangible way of telling Him that He is first in our affections. It’s also a wonderful way to express our confidence in His ability to meet needs.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 12:41-44.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The late anthropologist Margaret Mead was once asked what she considered to be the earliest evidence of civilization. Her answer seemed puzzling: a femur bone that showed it had been healed after being broken. Mead’s point was that when mankind lived by the law of the jungle, no one would have taken the time to set a broken bone. The victim would have been eliminated or left to die. Treating an injury like this was evidence that care and community had developed.

While rejecting any evolutionary presuppositions about human origins and development, we can agree with Mead that caring for others is a sure sign of community. More than that, it is a reflection of the image of God within us. He is the first Giver, the first Lover of others (John 3:16).

We can’t talk about the grace of giving without visiting the widow of Mark 12. Jesus was not impressed very often or very easily, but He found in the widow a model of sacrificial love for God.

This incident has become proverbial, although the phrase “the widow’s mite” gives the poor woman only half the credit she deserves. She actually gave “two mites” (v. 42, KJV). But trivia aside, the point was that she gave everything she had. And on God’s balance sheet, her gift added up to more than the huge sums tossed in by the rich. It’s easy to spiritualize this remarkable account, drawing all sorts of lessons about the greed of rich people and the piety of the poor. But Jesus’ commentary keeps us on track. He didn’t generalize from what He saw. He simply commended this widow because of her offering.

We can understand why Jesus commended the widow. We can’t give any more than all we have! But why did He contrast her gift with the gifts of the rich? We have a hint in the phrase “out of their wealth” (v. 44). The implication is that they gave God a good-sized “tip” out of their excess.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This story illustrates a principle that is a fundamental guide to giving for us in this age of grace.

That is, we are exhorted to give according to our ability. (Acts 11:29 is another excellent example of this principle in action.) When we do that, our gifts are acceptable to God, regardless of amount.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-6.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
If you want an example of what happens when people give themselves to God unreservedly, you don’t have to look any further than the life of A. W. Tozer.

Tozer gave himself to his preaching and writing ministry, and the church continues to benefit. Tozer’s books, including the classics Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy, have touched countless lives, leading Warren Wiersbe to say: “Happy is the Christian who has a Tozer book handy when his soul is parched and he feels God is far away.”

The Macedonian Christians would have appreciated Tozer’s commitment to knowing God. They understood that the grace of giving begins not in the pocketbook, but in the soul. Their exemplary giving (v. 5) set the tone for 2 Corinthians 8-9, two of the most important chapters on the subject in all of the New Testament.

We will devote the next five days to these critical chapters, which gather in one place the key principles for New Testament giving. These opening verses outline the historical context for Paul’s teaching. He was writing in regard to the offering being collected among the churches for the saints in Jerusalem, who were suffering from famine.

The Corinthians had offered to help also, but for some reason the gift had not yet been collected. So Paul sent Titus to see what was happening and to oversee the completion of this act of grace on the Corinthians’ part (v. 6).

There are some tremendous guidelines for giving embedded in these verses. Consider these principles for a ministry of giving that pleases God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When it came time to meet the needs of their fellow believers, the Macedonians weren’t worried about percentages of income to gift. They just gave generously!

Larry Burkett has a timely word for us in regard to offerings. In Money Smart, he says: “An offering is the second level of giving. After you’ve given your tithe and God brings someone to your attention who has a legitimate need…at this point, you give your offering.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:7-11.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
After several costly wars, William Frederick III of Prussia found his treasury short of funds as the nation attempted to rebuild. So the king asked the women of Prussia to bring their gold and silver jewelry to be melted and used in exchange for the things Prussia desperately needed. Each woman who brought her jewelry was given a decoration of iron or bronze to wear as a symbol of the king’s gratitude. The gifts were so prized that it became fashionable for Prussian women to wear not jewelry but a cross of iron.

Without pressing the analogy too far, we could say that our King also asks us to exchange our earthly goods of gold and silver for a cross. But there the comparison ends, because the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be compared to any earthly king. The exchange He asks us to make is all to our benefit.

The phrase “grace of giving” (v. 7), which we have encountered several times already, serves to remind us that the ministry of New Testament giving is not strictly regulated by statute and law. Verse 8 makes that explicit. Instead, giving is a reflection of the depth of our love for Christ and His sacrifice for us.

Verse 9 is interesting for the terms in which Paul couches this summary of the gospel. Here we are talking about indescribable wealth, Jesus’ position in heaven exchanged for unimaginable poverty, and our sinful souls.

By putting his appeal to the Corinthians on this basis, Paul lifted the discussion above the level of the monetary. Since Christ gave Himself for us, how we can withhold any gift from Him? Talk about a motivation to give! Paul moved right from the theology of giving to the everyday detail of making sure the church at Corinth followed through on its desire to help the hurting believers in Jerusalem (v. 11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Giving is an exchange of value: our temporal wealth for the temporal and eternal blessing of God.

As we said above, the benefit in such an exchange is clearly ours. The problem comes when people try to turn giving into a foolproof plan for financial profit. The only motivation for giving that pleases God is the desire to show our gratitude for who He is and for what He has done for us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:12-15.
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Have you had the joy of helping to meet another Christian’s physical need? Perhaps you have taken a meal to a sick family, or lent a helping hand packing a moving van, or donated money or goods to someone who really needed them.

Many churches have what is called a “benevolence offering,” used by the elders or deacons to meet specific physical needs within the church. We can all participate in this important ministry of giving. When we do so, we act in obedience to Philippians 2:4: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

We know that such giving is for all Christians. The offering of the widow in Mark 12 is a clear example of this (see Tuesday’s study). This truth is reaffirmed in verse 12 of today’s text.

Since giving is first and foremost a heart issue rather than a dollars-and-cents issue, God weighs our gifts by a different scale than the world might use. The Scriptures not only urge all Christians to give as they are able, but they also allow for changes in our financial status.

That is, there are times when we as believers need the help of the body and other times when we can be on the helping end of things. God does not want us to feel ashamed when we are in the former state, and He doesn’t want us to forget the needs of others when we are enjoying plenty.

Paul used Exodus 16:18 to show that when God Himself was providing directly for His people, He was careful to make sure that each person had what he needed. The church should do no less, says the apostle.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As with so many aspects of the spiritual life, we don’t choose whether we will be examples of giving, but what kind of examples we will be.

Think back to your childhood. What are your earliest memories of giving? Then consider your own life as an example. What kind of giving example are you modeling for your children or grandchildren? For your friends, neighbors, or younger Christians? Do you think of giving as a chore or as a joyful act of service?