appnotes
DAY
1
READ JOHN 12:1-8
DAY
2
READ GENESIS 41:41-57
DAY
3
READ 1 CHRONICLES 29:10-20
Do you have a change jar sitting around at home? Growing
up, my parents had a huge glass container the size of a water
cooler that they would dump their change into every day. That
thing would fill up past the point of being unable to carry. As I
grew up, I watched it grow and shrink. In these verses in John,
Judas and Mary had two different perspectives on money.
Judas wanted to accumulate. Mary wanted to give. She wanted
to break open the container and spend it lavishly on Jesus.
Judas wanted to hoard it all for himself. What good is having
money if it just sits in our wallets? Mary is a beautiful example
of giving back to God freely what He has given to us liberally.
Have you ever watched the show “Extreme Couponing”? It’s
about people who really know how to use coupons. They end
up with rooms filled with all manner of imperishable items. There
is no doubt that, if hardship set in, they would be fine. Joseph
planned ahead so that he could take care of a whole nation.
When you are smart enough to plan ahead, you can be a blessing
too. What do you do when times are good? Do you save some
or spend it all? Saving some of God’s blessing now allows you to
be generous later. The thing is, you are never happier than when
you get to be a generous giver!
Imagine renting a nice sports car. Wouldn’t you want to see
how much it could handle? Now imagine borrowing your dad’s
classic car that he spent long hours working on to restore to its
former glory. Wouldn’t you drive below the speed limit and park
it at the far end of the parking lot? Why would we treat these two
scenarios so differently? The rented car is owned by some big
company that you don’t care about. But the classic was restored
with the sweat and love of your father. You care for the classic
because you care for the one who owns it. God, your Heavenly
Father, owns everything you have. Your relationship with Him will
determine how we take care of your things.
DAY
4
READ PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13
DAY
5
READ MATTHEW 6:19-24
Does it sometimes feel like there’s some big secret to happiness?
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippian believers, revealed
that the secret to happiness was contentment. Paul was in
prison. If he could be content without freedom, he must know
how to be content anywhere. And isn’t it easy for us to become
anxious when the paycheck is a little short this week, when we
can’t keep up with our peers financially, or we are struggling to
make life work? So, what’s the secret? Paul found that Christ
sustained him even when in chains. Paul found the strength he
needed in his Savior. The next time you’re in need, spend time
on your knees in prayer.
Do you have a safety deposit box? A fireproof box for your
important papers? Do you lock your doors? Why do we do these
things? We do our best to secure our most valuable possessions
from theft and destruction. We work hard for the things we have,
and we don’t want anything to happen to them. But sometimes
even our best-laid plans fail. It’s not bad to try to protect our stuff.
But it’s even better to secure treasures in heaven by serving God.
Our hearts follow our treasures. Take a look at where your time,
energy, and finances go, and you’ll get a glimpse into what you
place the most value on. Then bank on heaven by spending your
life on what lasts: investing in the lives of people for eternity.a
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