Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep me from the snare of love of money and riches so that I may learn to use what You provide for the good of You and others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into complete destruction and utter ruin.” – 1 Timothy 6:9

Those who plant themselves among the brambles of greed for wealth and seek after many great possessions will also suffer the consequences of being pricked and torn by them. They will fall, not only into horrible temptations and dangers, but into snares so tight that they will sink deeper into both earthly harm and eternal damnation. There are so very many examples of this that you’d think people would learn not to make the pursuit of money and possessions of such importance. Even those who claim Christ and His gospel succumb to this treachery. Just look around! We find everywhere, robbery, oppression, usury, credit and loans…there is not a moment that goes by that we do not see an ad, a commercial, a brand name, or some form of marketing because those who are paid to market goods and services know how to work in and with the human conscience and senses to keep us buying and showing our credit card so that we have something our neighbor does not because it is our nature to covet.

Mankind is hellbent on being rich! This is covetousness and also keeps good company with pride. Thinking we are powerful and great for having what our neighbor does not, we put ourselves into great debt on the inside just to look formidable on the outside. But all of it ends in destruction, the fall from faith, and into one snare after another, and as the Lord proclaims, no one will ever be satisfied by the obtaining and pursuing of riches.