A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
Listen to this
message Donate
to this ministry"Accumulations"
"He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there" (Genesis 12:5).
After my Mom passed away in November we went through a lot of her stuff. Many sentimental items were divided among siblings and other items were taken to the Thrift Store. We also took a lot of boxes out to our barn to go through later. With beautiful unseasonably warm temperatures here in Pennsylvania I went through some of her boxes yesterday. It sure brought back some warm memories.
Even though we had been whittling down Mom's accumulations since we moved her out of her home in 2000 she still had quite a lot and she managed to continue to accumulate as well. I am not really sure, prior to 2000, whether my Mom and Dad ever went though anything. They just stored unused items in the basement. It was when we sold my parents' home that we finally disposed of our baby crib though their last baby, my younger sister, was over 40.
I sorted through several boxes of the remaining accumulations of her nearly 85 years of life. And actually there are still several boxes that I want my siblings to go through that have the deepest sentimental value.
Abraham's calling is one of the most instructive portions of the Bible and a great model for all of us in our journey of faith. I am intrigued by a simple phrase in the daily text, "all the possessions they had accumulated." I know they had a lot of animals and household servants. I suppose they had tents, cooking utensils and other supplies as well. It's just hard to imagine that they had to deal with anything like we do here in prosperous America, where a booming business is self storage units for all the stuff people accumulate!
When Brooksyne and I married in 1976 I moved all the stuff I wanted from childhood in a small trailer behind my car to our first house. (My mattress caught fire on the way and I had to pitch it off by the side of the road, with the help of a Missouri highway patrol officer!) Over a year later we moved to Pennsylvania in a larger truck and in 1993 moved to Massachusetts in an even larger truck with a trailer. When we moved back to Pennsylvania in early 2001 it took two trucks! (I think we are back to one truck now though. I sure hope so!)
Accumulations are a part of life and we all have some. But there's a constant need to really remember what is important. Jesus talked about accumulations when He said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." The apostle Paul made the universally recognized observation that reminds us, "We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Amen!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen C. Weber
Brooksyne's prayer: Jesus, I want to place significance in the things that Your Word declares are of great worth and holds eternal value. When I'm inundated by the persuasive advertisements that tell me I'll find greater happiness when I've purchased these items I need the Spirit's prompting. Remind me that material accumulations last only for a season, but spiritual gifts endure for a lifetime. Help me to find contentment in You because You are of great worth. The treasure of a vibrant relationship with You brings much greater joy and fulfillment than any of the temporary treasures of this world.
Several years ago Mike book, a friend of mine, wrote a song that expresses this truth well. Here's an audio version.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552