Time to Flee - November 02, Readings: Ezekiel 11-12, 1 Timothy 6:3–21, Psalm 119:105–108, Proverbs 26:25–26

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Only cowards run away from fights, right? Strong men and women face their troubles and defeat them (in the power of God, of course). They don't back down, they stand and fight.

But strangely, there are times when the inspired Word commands us not to stand and fight, but to flee. Some battles are so intense that wisdom tells us that we should not try to face these foes, but run away. In other scriptures, we are told to run from sexual immorality. The temptation toward sexual immorality is so strong and the consequences so devastating that we should run away from anything that brings temptation.

Here, in 1 Timothy 6, we are told that there is something else we need to flee from. Verse 11 instructs Timothy, the "man of God," to "flee from these things." What was it that Paul had been discussing? What was it that Timothy was to flee from? Verses 9-10 make that clear.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Greed. Materialism. The love of money. The desire to be rich. This temptation to live for financial gain instead of the purposes of God. It is a besetting sin in American culture and has even been baptized by those who preach, contrary to the weight of God's Word, that God desires for all the redeemed to be immensely wealthy.

But greed and materialism are not to be trifled with or treated as godly desires. We must run from them, flee! Materialism is a soul-killing, foolish desire that plunges our lives into ruin and destruction. The love of money is a root from which grows all kinds of evil. When we follow the desire to be rich, we wander away from a simple faith in God and pierce ourselves with pains and troubles.

We must run from this, right into the arms of God. We must reject completely the love of money and instead give ourselves over completely to the love of God.

Father, I belong to you, bought by your Son' blood. May I never live for any reward but your pleasure and may I never invest my life in anything but your kingdom.