1 Timothy 6.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." --verses 6 and 7

God is rich. He owns everything...all of the things that are being bought and sold right this very second...all of the stocks that are being traded on the Dow Jones...all of the money that is being deposited and loaned out by all of the banks in the world...all of the cars at all of the car dealerships and factories that exist...all of the trees and plants growing in the most remote parts of the world...all of His precious children that He created in His own image. So why do we have an attitude of entitlement? As if we have done anything to earn the things that He has blessed us with. In fact, the only thing we deserve is punishment for our unending sins...but instead, He gives us unending love and grace. How does that work? Understanding that all that we have belongs to God, we must realize that WE belong to God. Our identities are wrapped up in Him, not any possession we may be blessed with on this earth.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." --verse 10

I think that the devil uses money as a weapon against us much more than we realize. When was the last time you went all day without mentioning money, in one form or another? We talk about it all the time. Now how about this: when was the last time you went all day without mentioning our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? This world has nothing for us...so why do we talk more about the world than we talk about the One who has overcome the world? (John 16:33).

"But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." --verses 11-12

Advice to live by. I'm going to leave it at that.

"...Keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen." --verses 15b and 16

Surprisingly, the part of this verse that sticks out to me is "unapproachable light." I read yesterday in Exodus about when Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the second set of stone tablets (which could be another post entirely). "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord." --Exodus 34:29. If Moses' face was radiant just from talking to God, can you imagine how bright God's light is?! So bright that darkness will never extinguish it! (John 1:5)

"In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." --verse 19

Take hold of the life that is truly life. Take hold of the life that is truly life. I will say it again: take hold of the life that is truly life. We need to seek the Lord so that we can know what that kind of life looks like. I will venture to say that the life that is truly life is the one lived by following the path of God every step of the way. He can do within us abundantly more than we can imagine!