Today's Devotional

September 3, 2005

Subject:  Thanks For The TV

Proverbs 28:8 - "He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor."

The images from New Orleans are really horrifying to watch.  People are resorting to all types of means for survival.  As I've stated in other messages, this should be "prime time" for us, the body of Christ, to show what we're made of, or more accurately, to show what He's made us.  There are many people hurting and we need to be doing all that we can to help them in their time of need.  That means gathering whatever we can however we can and making it profitable for others.  

Some of the Hurricane Katrina victims have a different mentality.  There are those who have decided that they would use this opportunity to walk into hurricane-damaged stores and take out televisions and stereos and things of this sort.  These items have little to do with personal survival such as the food, water and clothing that some are taking and need.  While they may think it's honest gain to take these unnecessary amenities, soon they will realize that those very same items will be left behind when they are evacuated out of the city.  In the end, they will realize that they have profited nothing.

This is as true for those people as it is for us.  We do a lot of things to "manipulate" circumstances so that things go our way or so that we get this thing or that thing and it eventually comes to nought.  A small lie on an application for a new car or house can turn into a nightmare after receiving the item.  Frequent problems and perhaps even the eventual loss of the item serves as a reminder that unjust gain does not increase our substance.  

The irony of all this is that those very same stores or the chain of stores that were looted in New Orleans, are donating thousands and perhaps millions of dollars in goods to the victims.  So after all of the unjust gain is done and the items are left behind, those same items will probably end up in the hands of other victims, donated by those who care enough to do such.  The verse above says just that.  

Today we are all rich compared to those in the Astrodome or remaining in the Superdome.  Pity the poor and God will provide the increase so that you can give.

Carlen