We must always resist the urge to let our greedy desires get the upper hand! What am I thinking about when I'm in the non-sleeping mode? Is it winning the lottery or some other type of gambling? Please be advised, my reading friend, that there is no intention whatsoever here to be judgmental in this article. I intend rather to expound on the dangers inherent in seeking the gold in the silver mine of this world.
The gold I am referring to here is the honorable things in this life, like, "Whatever things are true ; whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely and whatever is gracious" (Philippians 4: 8). We should never do anything from selfishness or conceit. In humility, count others better than yourself, even if they are not, for this has great rewards. Man just cannot abide in his pomp (Psalm 49: 12). Always hold on to your dignity. Our commonwealth should be forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
In this present world of silver, the only gold that can be found is in this very day that has been given to us. Remember what Jackie Gleason said once. He said, "Be kind to the folks you meet on the way up, because you're going to meet the same folks on the way down." Makes sense, doesn't it? The gold we want is inside chastity, humility, patience and love. This is the gold that can be found without any price. With these things sought after, we will then begin to displace the negative and non-profitable aspects of everyday living. These things include, but are not limited to, sloth, despair, lust for power, and acrimony.
We should not let our conscience or goodwill be singed by the frivolity of the things we're surrounded by. This includes gambling or a desire to win the lottery. Yes, it would be nice to win, of course, but we are not designed to live in that realm. We would become a slave to that winning.
You know when we build something, we need to have a firm foundation. What is your foundation made of? Is it straw? Is it sand? Is it clay, or is it that rock that endures unto the end? Of course, that rock is Jesus. Make this your own, my friend, and then you can have a foretaste of the Kingdom of God on earth. "Why should I believe in a God when he just seems to let people suffer in this world?" you might say. Not true ! In that context, God does not interfere with man's freewill, and so it is the evil in man that brings about unnecessary suffering.
Are these things about God nonsense? Absolutely not! When we want to have some company over, we invite our guests, right? We clean the house and have everything ready. We prepare for it. It follows that we need to invite our Lord into our lives too, for if he is not invited, he will not come. I must mention, though, that he surely reveals himself to us sooner or later, even at the eleventh hour. Near to the heart of God and from the heart of God flows comfort for those who cry to him day and night. Whether it is a cry for justice or a cry of sadness and despair, God hears. But remember, his timetable is not our timetable.
