(By Jentezn Franklin) Some of the greatest battles we face come when God has prospered us. When we have been blessed and exalted, there is a danger of life becoming overcrowded and filled with stuff that seems important but doesn’t really matter. The drift into materialism is subtle but real. When life is filled with abundant blessing, the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches can cause us to think more about our stuff and less about God. The Bible is filled with examples of people who had to reach through the crowding and the “stuff” to grab hold of Jesus. Here’s two examples:
- Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus over the crowds. Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector. His life was filled with the pursuit of wealth, to the point of cheating people to enrich his own pockets. When Jesus came to town, the crowds were so huge that Zacchaeus climbed into a tree for a glimpse of Him. After talking with Jesus, he gave away half his riches to the poor and promised to repay anyone he had cheated by fourfold. (See Luke 19:1-9)
- The innkeeper in Bethlehem had a business doing so well he had no room for Jesus. When Mary and Joseph knocked on his door, he said, “Sorry, Jesus, but we’re full today.” His inn was so prosperous that Jesus was crowded out. The innkeeper turned away the Savior of the world. (See Luke 2:4-7) – The devil absolutely loves to entangle us with the cares of life and enthrall us with riches. CONTINUE
