Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:
1 Kings 8:1-66
Acts 7:51-8:13
Psalm 129:1-8
Proverbs 17:1
Let's look at the Proverb. It's very simple and very true. "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet, than a great feast with strife."
Now, we all know that peace and quiet are preferable to yelling and arguing, right? But look at what the writer says here - that it's better to have a little - to live simply and even be poor - and have that peace and quiet, than it is to have riches and the strife that comes with it.
It's not universally true that riches bring strife, but it's very close to universally true. If you look at the lives of people who win the lottery, it becomes very clear that strife and drama and misery almost always follow when someone is suddenly given great wealth. And if you look at the lives of the very wealthy through "old money" and family means, you see a great deal of corruption, strife, and anguish. And those who DO manage to avoid the drama are those who live the most simply and use their wealth to do good and help the poor.
So - keep that in mind when you make plans for your future. Better is a little with peace than great riches with the grief and drama that ALMOST always comes with it.
God, thanks for teaching us to live simply.
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