Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
Faith is the commitment to be part of a story larger than yourself. A president must demonstrate faith in the ideals of our country and our Constitution. But the virtue of faith on a believer’s voting checklist goes deeper than that.
A great illustration of temperance was found in President Abraham Lincoln. After the South was defeated during the Civil War, some extremists wanted to wipe all Southerners off the map. Lincoln refused such harsh action, and in doing so, he started a healing process for the nation.
Justice is the bedrock of a free society. We must fight against all manners of injustice. Scripture clearly states that we must care for the poor and needy, widows, orphans, and the unborn. Justice means honoring life from conception to natural death.
Too many leaders, or I should say non-leaders in leadership positions, are like the ones Solomon describes in today’s passage. They fall into the very pit they just dug. They know snakes hide in the crevices of a wall, yet they ignore the danger. They are hurt by the very stones they quarry and logs they split. We need prudent leaders.
As you prayerfully determine whom to vote for, here’s a question to consider: Which candidate has demonstrated moral courage? Look for a record of moral conviction even when it may have threatened his or her political career.
The seasons of life are threaded together by high times and hard times. The great joys that come with relationships, weddings, and a baby’s entrance into the world, are woven together with low times. Broken relationships lead to broken hearts. Death of dreams disappoints.
A bribe is defined as “money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person.” A bribe is anything we give to persuade or induce a certain action. And money in exchange for prestige, power, and position to gain college admission or to change the outcome of a sports game (remember the Black Sox Scandal) is always tempting for some.
I believe that there are two big takeaways from today’s passage. First, when we mistakenly view our wealth as something we have earned rather than a gift from God, we will never truly be able to enjoy our resources. Our hearts will never be truly satisfied apart from Jesus.
A wealthy believer never has to downplay God’s blessings. Wealth should be viewed as a reward for honest hard work. A believer should “accept his lot.” Don’t apologize for God’s gift. We should enjoy the vocation he has called us to do and the rewards we achieve for doing it.
Solomon is not trying to leave us hopeless; he’s trying to wake us up. He is not saying that you live a few miserable years and die. God is the giver of life. Jesus said that he came so that we could “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Life on earth matters! What we do counts! What a privilege it is to live for Jesus!
Solomon didn’t take a survey, but as he observed wealthy people, he noticed that some held tight to their money, sharing it with no one. Others squandered their money on risky business schemes. Both left shallow legacies.
This passage drives home two truths about money: The Rockefeller Principle and the Heart Principle. One addresses amounts, and the other addresses our attitude. Let’s look at them one at a time.