Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

“They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.” — Psalm 135:16–18

Many people dream of winning the lottery. While we
all agree that money can’t buy happiness, it doesn’t
stop us from thinking that a lot of money would make
life much easier, and with that would come happiness,
right?

Consider the story of lottery winners Lara and Roger
Griffiths. They thought winning the lottery was the
greatest thing to happen to them, but now they say
that winning the lottery wrecked their lives.

Upon winning the lottery, the couple began fulfilling
all their long-held dreams. Roger reunited his high
school rock band and produced a record. Lara opened
a beauty salon. The two then bought all the things they
couldn’t afford previously and went on luxury vacations.
Sounds like a dream, right?

However, the dream became a nightmare when Lara
discovered that her husband had an affair. Then Roger
revealed that their money was all gone, spent on
unsuccessful ventures, bad investments, or squandered
by the two. Within years after winning the lottery, Lara
was working in the beauty salon she once owned,
Roger was living with his parents, and the couple’s
marriage was destroyed. They were worse off than
before the big win!

Psalm 135 warns us, “The idols of the nations are
silver and gold” (V. 135:15). Many people worship
money. They crave it, live for it, and love it. However,
money is empty. It is an idol like the psalmist describes,
“They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot
see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there
breath in their mouths.” There is no life in idols or
money, and neither can give us life.

The psalmist goes on to cautions us, “Those who make
them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
” Just as gold and silver are without the ability to see,
hear, or speak, so too, will be those who trust in them.
They won’t see the truth, hear the truth, or speak the
truth. They will be blind, deaf, and speak lies. They
are destined to make bad decisions, resulting in a
messy life.

Is money a bad thing? Certainly not! Money, when
used properly, can help us on our life’s journey and
service to God. However, it is a means to an end and
not an end in itself. Only God can fill us with the joy,
love, and security that we all crave. Only God can
guide us and lead us on a path that will be most
fulfilling. Only God can give us life. And that is worth
more than anything money can buy.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

We long for fire from heaven to silence the skeptics once
and for all, but God doesn't usually work that way. Long
ago He revealed Himself as a helpless baby sleeping in
a dirty feed trough, and today He speaks quietly to
ordinary people like you and me — if only we are still
enough to listen. That is the sentiment expressed by
Emily May Grimes in the words of the hymn,
"Speak, Lord, in the Stillness."

Speak, Lord, in the stillness, while I wait on Thee;
hushed my heart to listen in expectancy.
Speak, O blessed Master, in this quiet hour, let me see
Thy face, Lord, feel Thy touch of power.
Emily May Grimes

Scripture:

“If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the
grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket.” —
Deuteronomy 23:24

Reflection:

To never open the gift and enjoy it would be wrong.
There are, however, a few conditions for enjoying all of the
God-given pleasures of this world. We must be grateful
and mindful of where our gifts have come from. Along
those lines, we must be willing to share our many blessings
with others in need, since all we have belongs to God
anyway. Additionally, we must be careful to treat our gifts
appropriately, never abusing them or taking them for granted.

Look around you. How many gifts do you see? Most people
tend to focus on what they are lacking and miss out on the
enjoyment of what they have. Do you have good food to eat?
A scenic road to walk on? Is the sun shining? Or is warm
rain falling? Make time to enjoy all of God’s gifts. When we
enjoy what we have been given in a meaningful and
appropriate way, we will bring much pleasure both to
ourselves and to our Father above