Silver and Gold

 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 5:10

    It's not the rainbow that leads to a pot of gold, it's a trail of corruption. Whenever somethings smells foul in government or business or life in general, there's usually an origin of avarice. What led to the downfall of Venezuela? What fuels the fury behind Russia and to what end? To be king of a heap of slaughter and sorrow?

    The very best of life is not found in the casinos of Vegas, on the coast of Monaco or with the well-heeled of Fifth Avenue. In His parable of the rich fool, Jesus told of a man who had acquired such a surplus of crops that he built bigger barns in which to store it all. But, that very night, his life was required of him and off he went to stand before God without even a pocket. 

    Can a ticket to heaven be bought? Is there a scalper on the road to eternity offering a deal? It's not with wealth that one enters: "For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1: 18, 19)

    When tempted to grab hold of the world's treasures, open your fist and let it flow. It was never yours to begin with. Hear these words from the song, Silver and Gold:

He said, "Silver and gold can't buy you a home

When this life has ended and your time is gone,

But you can live in a world where you'll never grow old,

And things can't be bought there with silver and gold."

    "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Luke 12:15