Hello there! Today we study verse 9. And today is special! Just listen to the video and you will see/hear!

Hope you like it, I'm planning to do this more often (:

Here is the text:
--------
1 Timothy 6:9, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.“

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul describes three things that happen to those whose primary desire is to get rich. By taking their eyes of God’s way, they stray from the path of righteousness in pursuit of wealth to fall into temptation, fall into a trap, and pursue harmful desires that damage or destroy their faith. In contrast, believers learn to resist temptation and live for Christ.

2. The urge to get rich at all costs can override our ability to discern simply because we have taken our eyes off the Master-of-all-riches to focus on the riches themselves. Instead of hearing His call on our lives, we are tempted to pursue our own course to build a bright future. This temptation is easy because intuitively we believe in our own hard work to get ahead, often forgetting that God knows what is coming, understands our character and has perfect timing. Like sheep straying from their shepherd in search of green pastures on the side of the path, we can be tempted by building wealth in ways the Lord does not intend for us to -- and end up in danger.

3. Those who desire to be rich are susceptible to falling into “a trap." Like bait in an animal trap, the promise of riches can "lure" us away and destroy our ability to accomplish what we should be doing.

4. Intense longing for riches can numb us to our conscience so that we try achieving wealth by lying, cheating, and stealing. These are the harmful desires that not only ruin our reputations and relationships, they also undermine our faith and result in a spiritual -- and even physical -- death as we deny God in our decisions and actions altogether. Their consequence is “ruin and destruction.”

Application.
Brothers, what thought gives us great joy in the morning when we get up?
Do we start the day with thanking the Lord for His goodness and asking for guidance for the rest of the day/week/month OR are we excited about the prospect we have to make money/build wealth?
Each day is different and has troubles of its own so if we are not asking God for guidance then we are most definitely leaning on our own understanding! And if we are not on God’s path of righteousness, then we have definitely gone astray!
May we turn from our old ways of leaning on our own understanding to leaning on Him so that we will not fall into temptation, into a trap or pursue foolish and harmful desires that only result in ruin and destruction!