Based on “Greener Grass?” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 5/23-24/09,
Message #2482; Daily Devotional #2 - “You are Nothing?”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Today as we watch TV and read magazines, everything we see says, “You are nothing.” Those clothes we bought last month are not in style anymore, and if we wear them now we will no longer be “in.” And, the TV we own is hardly even worth watching. The picture is so small and the quality is nothing compared to 1080P. The Blu-ray player purchased when it first came out, just to keep up with technology, is only a 1.0. Now with 1.1 and 2.0 that old player just won't do. Advertising in the USA Today is geared to make us all feel incomplete without the newest products. However, our selfish greed is not just a problem in the USA. It is world-wide and even in places you would not expect.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): My brother went on a mission trip to a small community in Mexico a few years back. While he was there he saw people living with less than he had ever seen in his life. Most of them lived in shacks with dirt floors, some with maybe one or two block walls. They would buy a block or two when they had a little extra money that they did not have to spend on food. Over the years when they had enough blocks, they would put up a wall. Now for us Floridians, we can’t imagine living like that. Most of our homes are block and put up all at once with very high standards and always with a concrete floor. They are finished inside with carpet, tile, sheet rock, paint, central air conditioning and indoor plumbing. The amazing thing for me was what the local pastor in Mexico was teaching his flock: The 10th commandment. Do not covet. To us it would seem as if these people had nothing and their neighbors had nothing. Yet, covetousness was still an issue there. Why?
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): No matter how much we have or do not have, things will never complete us. They will never make us happy for more than a short period of time. Joy that lasts comes from Godly contentment. While my brother was in Mexico he said he had never seen people enjoy life as much as the people there. They had nothing, yet they were able to find a joy that most Americans will never experience. It is not about what we have. It is enjoying where God has us and what He has given us. Sometimes it seems the more we have the harder it is to feel content, at least for me. Pastor Mark mentioned going on a mission trip and experiencing how much we have and how good we have it. I completely agree. I have been on a few, and they give you a completely different perspective on the world around you. Your heart is no longer sick for more possessions, but sick for the wastefulness of our daily lives. Not just in food or things, but in the time we waste to get them. Today, sit down for a moment and think about everything you have, then think about those people in Mexico who have only what they need to survive. Thank God for what He has blessed you with. Examine yourself to see if you are being as generous as He would like you to be. Ask for the spiritual gift of self control. In light of the rest of the world living below what we would consider the poverty level, examine your true needs. Ask God to help you experience the joy of your salvation. Share it with someone else, and that will be the gift of the greatest worth you have ever given. In the eyes of Jesus everyone is someone. Find out the “someone” you can be when you are content in Christ.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 1Timothy 6:17-19;
Proverbs 16:8;
Psalm 32
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.