From: George Mooth <>
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian
Subject: Our Daily Bread "A Wealth Of Poverty"
Date: Mon, 01 Jun 1998 11:32:32 -0500

June 1 Monday

A WEALTH OF POVERTY

Read: Luke 12:16-21

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. -Matthew 6:21

A band of gangsters in France got away with more than $3.5 million.
But the thieves had a problem. The loot was in French coins worth only
about $2 each and weighing a total of 17 tons!

A Paris newspaper taunted the bandits with this statement: “You
can’t buy a chateau, a car, or even a pair of crocodile shoes with bags
of change. And if you go out to celebrate your coup, the owner of the
smallest cafe will become suspicious before you drop the tenth coin on
the counter.” The article continued, “Their punishment is included in
their success. They will have to spend their loot franc by franc. They
can buy millions of soft drinks. But what else?”

Those robbers had what might be called a wealth of poverty.
Although they were rich, they couldn’t spend their money for anything
worthwhile.

Their situation reminds me of people who spend a lifetime
accumulating things while making no provision for eternity. They have
material wealth but are spiritually poor.

How much better to heed Jesus’ words: “Lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt. 6:20). Anything else is just a
wealth of poverty. -Richard W. De Haan

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I’d rather be His than
have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d
rather be led by His nail-pierced hands.
-Miller

THE POOREST PERSON IS ONE WHOSE ONLY WEALTH IS MONEY.

OUR DAILY BREAD, Copyright 1998 by Radio Bible Class, Grand
Rapids,Michigan. Used by permission.