“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Matthew 16:26
Every night they appear on the television screen—a series of numbers. Numbers, which if chosen in right combination, will guarantee wealth and gain. Countless individuals somewhere sit on edge, waiting to see if they have hit the jackpot and won the lottery.
Not me. Besides the moral (and immoral) implications of gambling, the risks are too great. According to the Lottery Syndicate World, the chances of winning the lottery jackpot are roughtly 1 in 13, 983,816. The writer of Proverbs advises, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase” (13:11) and “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall…” (11:28).
Robert S. Thomspon, president of Sage Financial Design, a Connecticut based company whose clients include instant millionaires uses this rule of thumb. “…Sudden wealth will ruin people in three to five years….At the end of five years, the money’s going to be gone or the human being is going to be gone. They either lose their money or themselves or both.”
Christ words still apply. What does it profit? Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where riches are not instant, but eternal.
Sarah Fletcher
Tennessee
PRAY TOGETHER: Our country is at war, both physically and spiritually. Pray for our country daily.
