Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)

Yesterday we saw that the first step to achieving healing through forgiveness was to acknowledge that we have been chosen by grace.  The second thing I am reminded of is that we have been cleansed of sin. In the passage from Zechariah, which we read a few days ago, Joshua stood before the Lord with filthy clothes that represented sin. We need to get the full impact of the picture here. The word "filthy" literally means "excrement." Joshua’s sin was like dung in the presence of God.

Notice that the Lord didn’t let Joshua off the hook by diminishing his sin. And, when the Devil accuses us, our defense is not to explain away sin because all sin is a nasty, stinking mess before a holy and pure God. Even when Jesus, the righteous Branch came, He didn’t just wink at our sin. He didn’t ignore it or pretend that it wasn’t as bad as it was. Jesus dealt with our ugly sin by dying an ugly death. At the cross, our sin wasn’t excused. But it WAS erased.

Baptism, no matter which form you may practice, is a beautiful picture of the cleansing of God’s grace.  As the candidate completes the baptismal act, with water flowing off him, it pictures the washing of the soul by the grace of God.  No wonder the scripture teaches us that God’s forgiveness is so complete that our sin is separated from us “as far as the east is from the west.”  I know you’ve heard it said before of this verse, but it bears repeating for emphasis.  While the distance from the north to the south may be measure, since both have a beginning point, the distance “from east to west” has no such measurement.  God takes our sin forever away from us.

Under the old covenant people were forced to sacrifice animals for their forgiveness of sin.  However, it left them feeling guilty because the sacrifice was always incomplete. When Christ came, he took away sins once and for all. We are encouraged to draw near to the presence of God, not under accusation, but with the full assurance of faith that our hearts have been cleansed from a guilty conscience. The great hymn of faith says it so well:

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

So, when the Devil begins His assault, sing those words with confidence. You have been cleansed of your sin.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! (Psalm 84:8-12 ESV)

For the last few mornings we have been looking at the healing that comes from forgiveness. In order to experience the healing of God’s forgiveness, the first thing we ought to recognize is that we have been chosen by grace. Just as the Lord had chosen Israel and had rescued her from the Egyptians, the Caananites, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Samaritans like a stick is snatched from a campfire, so He has rescued us. Israel had done nothing to earn God’s favor. Their salvation was an act of His mysterious grace. So is ours.

We live in a world of performance. In 1988, the Houston School District nominated bus driver Lillie Baltrip for a safe-driving award. As she was driving a busload of her colleagues to the awards ceremony, she turned a corner too sharply and flipped the bus over sending herself and sixteen others to the hospital. Now, do you think she still got the award? No! Even though she was accident-free for a whole year, she ended up with a poor performance. Most airlines will give you a free seat, but only if you earn the advantage miles. Universities will give out diplomas this month, not because they’re loving institutions, but because the students have earned them. The Boy Scouts of America aren’t in the habit of handing out honorary Eagle Scout badges. Our world is perpetuated by performance. Acceptance, acknowledgment and applause are earned through achievement. Satan uses that same mentality to accuse the Christian. He tries to convince us that God will only award those who perform well. Heaven is reserved only for the upper-level saints. And so, when we remember some past sin or present failure, we feel condemned by our own lack of performance.

But the Scriptures say something completely different. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." In other words, salvation is a free gift of God, not trophy that we can earn because we do well in life. In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul reminds us that God has saved us, not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. In Titus 3:5, we learn again that we have been saved, not because of any righteous things we have done, but because of the mercy of God.

God didn’t chose any of us because of our accomplishments, our manners, our net worth, our intelligence, loving attitude or good looks. Rather, He chose us out of His grace. That is, we were destined for God’s righteous judgment but God chose to rescue us from His wrath. Every Christian is a burning stick snatched away by the righteous Branch. Mark Twain once wrote that heaven must be based on grace because if it were based on loyal performance, we’d be rejected, only our dogs would get in. So, when the Devil begins to accuse, remind him and remind yourself that you are a sinner. But just as your performance didn’t gain you a seat in heaven, neither can your failure cause you to lose what God has given by His wonderful grace.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:7-11 ESV)

Yesterday we saw in Zechariah, chapter 3, a very tender and encouraging passage. It looked at the very real strategy of the Devil to bring up "old business" in our lives and God’s immediate defense on our behalf. Today, I hope that we can learn how to reflect on the past, but not dwell there.

In today’s verses, Satan is the "accuser of the brethren." That’s why he’s called "the Devil." The title means "one who accuses or opposes." His chief work in the life of the Christian is to remind us of past failure. He strives to overwhelm us with memories of sin. He puts us on the witness stand and then submits records and evidence to intimidate us. And, when the devil reminds us of that thing we did two years ago, or that habit that we’re still hoping to overcome or those bad decisions we made before we knew Jesus Chris. When the finger of opposition is put in our face, our spiritual momentum wanes. All kinds of feelings well up within us. We experience guilt, that painful sense that we’re unclean and unforgiven. Next come questions of doubt. Does God really love me? Is the cross big enough for my sin? Then comes fear. Maybe I’m not saved. God must be really angry with me. I’ve lost my salvation. Finally comes hopelessness, a discouraging sense of defeat. You and I know that, just like the Samaritan opposition of Zechariah’s day halted the building of God’s spiritual house in Jerusalem, so Satanic opposition can halt the building and growth of spiritual people today.  Then, like today, the Lord comes to our defense. The Devil’s courtroom is not fair because he never presents all of the facts. His evidence is always weighted for the prosecution.  Our defense rests in God’s grace in choosing to adopt us into His family, extending all the privileges and rights of true heirs to His Kingdom.  We are fully forgiven and nothing can change that truth. 

In the next three days we’ll look in depth at some practical truths to use in answering the accusations of the devil.  They are first, we have been chosen by grace; second, we have been cleansed of sin; and, third, we have been clothed with righteousness.  Today, rest in His unchanging grace and tell the devil to take a hike!

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by. And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” (Zechariah 3 ESV)

When Jesus encountered people in desperate need, he often linked healing with forgiveness – the woman taken in adultery, the man lowered on a pallet by friends, the woman with a jar of ointment, the man born blind. None of them came with a confession of sin. All came because of their raw need for help. All had been marginalized, if not outcast and stigmatized, because of their "impurity." Jesus responded to their isolation first, engaging them as humans who were neither better nor worse than others.

Ann Lamott’s intriguing novel, Crooked Little Heart, is a contemporary story of repentance. In it, 13-year-old Rosie has been cheating on close line calls to win crucial tennis matches. Rosie’s shame grows, as she is unable to stop herself. She even hurts herself in a physical attempt to get her mother’s attention, but she is trapped by her compulsion to win. There is an ominous man, an outcast named Luther (!) who comes to every tournament, watching her, but she knows he will not tell. To simplify the story unmercifully, Luther finally invites Rosie beyond her self-absorbed guilt with his own confession: "I did what you did." "What do you mean?" "I cheated." As her secret becomes visible to both of them, Rosie calls herself a cheater. "No," Luther says, "you cheated." Then he tells her that other people cheat, too. By doing that, he invites her into the company of flawed humans. He also gives her a way to claim her identity as one that can make different choices, who can tell the truth. He makes room for her repentance to begin. Rosie begins to change. The sportsmanship committee reprimands her, but they allow her to continue playing. In the final game, she over-compensates; not calling points out because she wants to avoid the appearance of cheating. Then she finds the courage to call a long shot correctly and Luther stands up to leave. "Aren’t you going to stay and watch Rosie win?" her mother asks. "I already have," he says and disappears from the rest of the story.

Whatever your sin today, “the Branch” has already come and made it possible for you to be free from guilt.  Just agree with God today about your need for His forgiveness. He promises to forgive you of every failure.  With Him there is no rejection! It is all of His grace!

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17 ESV)

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all. It was John Riskin who said, “I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them; that they could not do or be anything else than God made them.” Andrew Murray said, “The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others praised while he is forgotten because he has received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not Himself, and who sought not His own honor. Therefore, in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ he has put on the heart of compassion, kindness, meekness, longsuffering, and humility.”

There is perhaps no other checkpoint more difficult to travel through.  I find in my own life that it is often easier to think about justice and kindness than humility.  The very act of being just and showing kindness toward others is a tool in the hands of our enemy to tempt us toward pride and arrogance.  The bane of many pastors are those people who do something for the church and then have their feelings hurt when they have not been recognized or thanked sufficiently enough.  Real humility does not expect or demand recognition.  The following true story illustrates this truth so well.

One Sunday morning after having preached a message about grace and forgiveness I found an envelope on my desk in the study.  It was plain, though I noticed it had more than just paper in it.  I really thought it might have been some little gift for me made by one of the preschoolers in our extended session.  What a surprise when I opened it and found a diamond ring with a note attached.  It was obviously from a woman and the gist of the note explained that the ring was a tenth year anniversary gift and the only jewelry that she wore other than her wedding band. She wanted to give it to the church so that it could be sold and the proceeds applied to a building project we had going on at the time.  And, it was unsigned!  The story is long and somewhat complicated.  In the end, however, this simple gift challenged everyone to pay off existing debt and build a wonderful Activities Center for use in the community!  Though I later learned who the donor was, I could never break her confidence and publicly recognize her gift. I am confident she will be recognized someday by our Lord in heaven! That’s what happens when we practice humility. M. R. De Haan has said, “Humility is something we should constantly pray for, yet never thank God that we have.”  How’s your humility?

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:17-32 ESV)

Yesterday we began to look at the three checkpoints of life.  The first of those was to do justice.  Today we see that the second is to practice kindness. Alexander Maclaren said, “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”

Mamie Adams always went to a branch post office in her town because the postal employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before Christmas one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone pointed out that there was no need to wait on line because there was a stamp machine in the lobby. “I know,” said Mamie, ‘but the machine won’t ask me about my arthritis.”  I wonder how many people just like Mamie Adams are in our circle of acquaintance and travel each day.  Someone once said that we ought to be kind to everyone we meet since we may be entertaining angels unaware. I found the following recently.  Perhaps it will serve as a reminder and encouragement to you as much as it did me.

Just for Today …Smile at a stranger
…Listen to someone’s heart
…Drop a coin where a child can find it
…Learn something new, then teach it to someone
…Tell someone you’re thinking of them
…Hug a loved one
…Don’t hold a grudge
…Don’t be afraid to say "I’m sorry"
…Look a child in the eye and tell them how great they are
…Look beyond the face of a person into their heart
…Make a promise, and keep it
…Call someone, for no other reason than to just say "hi"
…Show kindness to an animal
…Stand up for what you believe in
…Smell the rain, feel the breeze, listen to the wind
…Use all your senses to their fullest … Just for Today!

“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8 ESV)

The first time I traveled south along the West Bank in Israel I was amazed at the number of checkpoints.  At each stop armed Israeli soldiers who looked on our bus and checked for things or people who did not belong with us stopped us.  At first I was a little indignant at being stopped and searched, however the more I thought about it, the safer I felt.  They were simply checking to insure our safety.  God has those checkpoints established for us on our journey through life.  The prophet Micah lists three of those: justice, righteousness, and mercy.  Today we’ll look at the first.

The first checkpoint is an examination of our action in doing justice. As believers, we are to stand on the side of justice. We must stand for what is right and just. We must do this because we have a moral obligation to society. It must be our concern as citizens of this country and as participants in this society that true justice is dispensed. Where we see injustice, we must let our voice be heard. Part of being salt and light is to stand for justice. Our moral obligation to society should be shown in our commitment to protect the innocent and weak. Psalm 82:2-4 says, "How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Vindicate the weak and fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." There is a good reason why we are to defend the innocent and weak. It is because we live in a time of devalued human life. Although man was told to have dominion over everything, almost everything today has dominion over man. In fact, human life seems to be valued far less than any other kind of life.

Some years back a 40-ton humpbacked whale accidentally wandered into the Sacramento River. Scientists were frantically concerned that immersion in fresh water would kill this whale, which they named Humphrey. They considered this a great potential tragedy. As these scientists specializing in marine activities began to try to save Humphrey’s life, bystanders collected on the banks of the river. Some launched out in boats, while others aimed binoculars and cameras at the unsuspecting whale. The scientists tried hammering underwater on metal pipes and playing underwater tapes of other humpback whales feeding. Their hope was to lure Humphrey back to the ocean. Meanwhile, Humphrey seemed oblivious to all this concern. He wandered about in typical whale fashion, surfacing from time to time to exhale, emerging in great leaps and diving down with loud slaps of his tail. Eventually he did swim out of the river and back into the ocean. The scientists, of course, claimed a great success. Incidentally, Humphrey showed none of the debility from fresh water that the scientists predicted. These efforts cost the state of California $60,000. The scientists requested donations to one fund or another to replace this money, to enable science to proceed to other necessary, "scientific" efforts.

Why do I cite these things? Is it because I do not believe ecology and our environment is not important? In fact, I do believe that we must carefully consider the impact on the environment, which our actions produce. I share these things to point out a particular irony. The irony is this: many of the same "scientists" who will launch into moral diatribes against killing a fish will not think twice when an unborn baby loses its life. In fact, there are some American scientists who have this obsessive belief that it is their duty to monitor all that moves on this planet — except human beings. Human life is important. Whether we are talking about the unborn, born, or aged, we should be more concerned for human life than we are for snail darters. Atrocities are happening all over the world. In various parts of Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, Tibet, Communist China; in Syria and Africa: Libya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe; Latin America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua; and most recently Somalia. We are right to cry out for justice and to do something for more than political considerations. We ought to reexamine our actions in “doing justice.”

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. (Mark 9:1-8 ESV)

The voice of God came to Jesus at all the great moments of His life. It came at His baptism, when He began the work that God gave Him to do; it came on the Mount of Transfiguration, as He again affirmed taking the way that led to Jerusalem and the cross; and, it came when the human part of Him needed the strength of the Father to face the ordeal of the cross. The voice of God comes to us also.  However, for many it is very difficult to hear His voice.  Let me make some practical suggestions today to help you hear God’s voice clearly.

• Don’t go for the quick fix. There’s not a method to follow. Your relationship with God is the key to hearing when God speaks to you. The object of prayer is intimacy with God, not quick answers. Over time you will know His voice. The sheep know the shepherd’s voice because they spend time with him.
• Don’t ask unless you’re willing to accept God’s answers. Don’t ask for guidance unless you are prepared to act on it and have a desire to know and do all the will of God. He is always willing to make His purpose known, but He will not show you His will if you are merely considering doing it.
• Don’t expect God to shout. Quiet is essential to effective listening. You can’t jam your mind with carnal influences twelve hours a day and expect God to reveal His plans to you during a commercial. Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).
• Be aware of unconfessed sin. If you are passively or openly rebelling against God in some area of your life, you are blocking the channel God uses to deliver His messages. Your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).
• Be willing to be God’s fool. God gave us common sense and He expects us to use it. Most of the time, His will makes sense to our reason and intelligence, but not always. Sometimes His direction cuts across all human reason, and even goes totally contrary to it. When the inner voice of God speaks clearly, obedience may be counted as foolishness in the eyes of the world. But if you are willing to be God’s fool, then you will see His power.
• Strike the balance between God and the Bible. God’s guidance will never go against scriptural principle. The Bible is a record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. His will is expressly revealed in the Scripture. If you look to the Spirit alone for guidance, without the Scripture, you can open yourself up for possible deception. If you look to circumstances alone, without the Scripture, you can be deceived. You can’t see the agreement if you have no time for prayer and Bible study and the only advice you’re getting is from nonbelievers.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)

These were some of Paul’s “last words.”  He wrote them while imprisoned and waiting Nero’s judgment. They are full of optimism inspired by his deep sense of faith in the promise of God.  There are plenty of opportunities in our lives to choose between optimistic faith and pessimistic belief. Consider the following “proclamations”:

• "This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." — Western Union internal memo, 1876.
• "Everything that can be invented has been invented." — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
• "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" — David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
• "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." — Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
• "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." — Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
• "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year." — The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
• "But what … is it good for?" — Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
• "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
• "640K ought to be enough for anybody." — Bill Gates, 1981

It’s amazing that we’ve accomplished so much technologically in this country considering the pessimistic views held by so many, some of them coming from people who at one time held the pessimistic views themselves!  What is your vision for the future? What would you like to accomplish? More to the point, what would you like to see God accomplish through you? There will likely be someone around you ready to tell you that "it can’t be done", or "we’ve tried that before with no success", or "it’s too much trouble". Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May the God who can do more than we can even imagine be with you this day!

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.     There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. (Ecclesiastes 5:10-17 ESV)

An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "Only a little while." The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor." The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York City where you will run your expanding enterprise." The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "Oh, no more than fifteen or twenty years." "But what then, señor?" The American laughed and said, "That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." "Millions, señor? Then what?" "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

We ought to remember in the midst of our busy lives that it is the love of money that brings about our ruin.  Money and success are not the problems.  Today, ask yourself, “what am I in love with?” If you find the right answer to that question, then you will find the time to do some of the other things in life you may have been “too busy” to do lately!