General Daily Devotion: Our Daily Bread, 8 Feb 03

Our Daily Bread, Radio Bible Class ^ | 8 Feb 03 | Richard De Haan

[xzins]

February 8, 2003

The Devil's Bait

Read: 1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. —1 John 2:15

Bible In One Year: Numbers 11-14

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I once read about an interesting method used by people in North Africa to catch monkeys. A hunter hollows out a gourd and makes a hole in its side just large enough for a monkey to insert his open hand. The gourd is then filled with nuts and tied to a tree.

The curious monkey is attracted by the smell of the nuts and reaches inside and grasps them. The hole in the gourd is too small, however, for the animal to withdraw his fist as long as it is tightly closed around the nuts. Because he refuses to release his prize, the unsuspecting monkey falls easy prey to his captor. Unwilling to relax his grasp, he actually traps himself!

Satan uses a similar method to ensnare us. He tempts us to grasp after more and more material possessions, which we think will bring us security. As long as we tenaciously hold on to them, we are enslaved. How relevant is the biblical warning, "Do not love the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:15). The apostle John also said that "the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (v.17).

Remember what happened to the monkey. Don't be fooled by the devil's bait! —Richard De Haan

Take the world, but give me Jesus—
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same. —Crosby

You can't store up treasures in heaven if you're holding on to the treasures of earth.

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FOR FURTHER STUDY
ATTQ: Does the passage about the rich young ruler teach that Jesus expects His followers to give up all of their possessions to follow Him?

[xzins]

Our Daily Bread ping

prayer, devotion, fellowship, reflection

How's that old hymn go:

I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back; no turning back;

Take this old world, but give me Jesus.

[Ff--150]

With the rich young ruler in Mark 10 after he left disappointed, Peter and the disciples were aghast at what Jesus said about the rich entering the Kingdom, giving us a clue they weren't paupers and were worried.

Jesus assured them and us in Mark 10:30 that what they had given up would return them one-hundred fold now in this life, thus the rich young ruler was walking away from one hundred times what wealth he greatly had...

[xzins]

Awesome....Bill Gates turning down an eternally 100 times what he had in favor of what he couldn't hold onto.

[maestro]

....... enslaved. How relevant is the biblical warning, "Do not love the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:15). The apostle John also said that "the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (v.17).

St.John 6:28-29

Romans 10:17

Maranatha!

[Ff--150]

Awesome is right! Now in this time Gates could get 100 fold back. In Luke 16 in the parable of the unjust steward, the unjust steward was commended by Jesus in verse 8: "because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."

Maybe that is changing???

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[fortheDeclaration]

How's that old hymn go: I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back; no turning back; Take this old world, but give me Jesus.

Amen! Note the words I have decided..., it is a decision that we have to make!