The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

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‘Life is not measured by how much you own.’ Luke 12:15 NLT

In Jules Verne’s novel, The Mysterious Island, five men escape a prison by hijacking a hot air balloon. Quickly they sense the wind is carrying them out over the ocean. They see the horizon receding and realise they are losing altitude. Since they have no way of heating the air in the balloon, they begin to throw some of the excess weight overboard. Shoes, coats, and weapons are reluctantly discarded, and they rejoice when the balloon begins to rise. Soon they draw dangerously close to the waves again and begin to toss their food overboard.

A third time the balloon begins to descend, and this time one man suggests they tie together the ropes that connect the balloon to the basket in which they are riding, then sit on the ropes and cut away the heavy basket. The very floor they had been standing on falls away, and the balloon rises once again. Suddenly they spot land. With not a minute to spare, they jump into the water and swim to an island. Their lives were spared because they learned what they could live without.

Why did Jesus say, ‘A man’s real life in no way depends upon the number of his possessions’? (Luke 12:15 PHPS) Because what you think will be a blessing can end up being a burden. What you strive for today, you may stress out over tomorrow. Jesus said, ‘Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.’ (Matthew 6:32–33 NLT)

SoulFood: Num 25–26, Mark 4:13–25, Ps 37:32–40, Pro 11:7–8

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

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