Author: Shaunelius Sterns

I have been married to my wonderful husband for 21 years now. I am a Christian, poet, singer, songwriter, and artist. I have five beautiful children. I enjoy writing and reading my Bible. I also love to pray for others. I love nature and being outside on sunny days. I love spending time with my family and watching shows that makes me laugh.

What Does the Bible Say About Money?

For the love of money is the root of all evil. How will you use yours? For good, or evil? You decide.

The Bible says a LOT about money. Why? Wealth is necessary for survival. In order to eat, comfortably sleep, and stay healthy, you’ll need some form of currency. Wanting money is not wrong. But humans are certainly bad at desiring modest amounts, especially when it comes to money. God is not surprised by this, and so he’s given us ample direction on how to navigate the topic. Today, we’ll dig into 1 Timothy 6:17-19 with the Understanding the Bible Commentary. It gives a great, detailed explanation of the passage. You’ll learn Paul’s thoughts on becoming rich, or what he suggests for those who already have great wealth. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (NIV) The following content is from the Understanding the Bible Commentary. Already Rich With Money After the exalted language of the preceding doxology (vv. 15–16), these words come as such a surprise that some scholars doubt whether they really belong here and suggest they are an interpolation. But if the “logic” of all this is not perfect, there is no difficulty in seeing what has happened. Paul’s Warning to Those Who Want to Be Rich with Money Paul was bringing the letter to its close with a final word against the false teachers, a word that turned out to be such a strong judgment against their greed that it included a warning to “all those who want to get rich” (v. 9). But there would have been some in the church who were already rich in this present world (v. 17), especially those in whose homes the church met (cf. also 5:16). However, since Paul’s first concern was with the false teachers and Timothy’s own role in combating them, he followed his words about them with an immediate final exhortation to Timothy—to keep contending in the noble contest until the End. Now, having given that noble charge to Timothy, he returns to say a few words for the already rich, lest they feel condemned by verses 6–10. What Paul Says About Money in the Bible What he says to them is again predicated on his thoroughly eschatological view of Christian existence, but without the asceticism of the false teachers. Such people may be rich in the things that pertain to the present life; but these things, even though they may be for our enjoyment, belong only to this present age and are therefore uncertain. The rich should therefore hold their possessions loosely, not placing their hope in them but being generous with them, using them for good works. Their hope must be placed in God and their riches used to store up treasures for the future, for the life which is true life. One might note that there are some close affinities in this passage (including 6:7) with Ecclesiastes 5:8–20. What Does Bible Verse 1 Timothy 6:17 Specifically Say About Money? Timothy is called upon to give one more command (the same word as in 1:3, 5; 4:11; 5:7), this time to those who are rich in this present world. Paul nowhere else speaks to the wealthy as a class, but that merely indicates the ad hoc nature of his letters. His theology of the cross clearly recognizes the Old Testament stance that God champions the cause of “the poor” (1 Cor 1:26–31). And in Corinth, where the majority are in this class, he gives the wealthy a considerable dressing down for their treatment of the “have-nots” (11:20–22). But he must often have been the beneficiary of the well-to-do (cf. Philem. 1–2, 5–7, 22), so he is hardly against the wealthy as such. He simply expects those who “have” to be generous to those who “have not” (Rom 12:8, 13; 2 Cor 9:6–15). Paul’s command strikes at the twin perils of the wealthy: not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. The word for arrogant is a compound of two words that mean “to think, or cherish, exalted thoughts” (KJV, “high-minded”; cf. Rom 11:20; 12:16). Arrogance, or pride, is the deadly sin of all people, but it seems to be the special curse of the rich. Not only that, but they tend to put altogether too much confidence in what is so uncertain. The uncertainty of wealth is underscored in the Proverbs (23:4–5); here this theme is tied to its being only for this present world (in contrast to “the coming one,” v. 19). Putting hope in wealth was denounced by the prophets (e.g., Jer. 9:23) and seems to be the one thing above others that closed the door of the Kingdom to some in the ministry of Jesus (cf. Mark 10:17–27; Luke 12:15, 16–21). As with all others (4:10), especially the poor widows (5:5), the wealthy are to put their hope in God. As in the two earlier texts, salvation expressed as hope in God carries a decidedly eschatological connotation, as well as that of trust and endurance. The Bible Does Not Say You Must Completely Reject Money But Paul is no ascetic. That the wealthy should not place confidence in their wealth does not carry with it an attitude of total rejection. Thus, even here he takes a swipe at the false teachers (see disc. on 4:1–5 and 5:23). God, he says, richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (cf. 4:3–4; see also Eccles. 5:19–20). Enjoyment, however, does not mean self-indulgent living (5:6). The reason everything may be enjoyed lies in the recognition that everything, including one’s wealth, is a gift, the expression of God’s gracious generosity. What Does Bible Verse 1 Timothy 6:18 Specifically Say About Money? The “enjoyment” of “everything” as God’s generous gift leads away from “high-mindedness” and false security to the freedom of giving generously. Indeed, the whole of this verse repeats in four ways that the wealthy are to use their wealth for the benefit of others. It begins, command them (repeated from v. 17 for clarity) to do good, which is then repeated with a play on “riches” (cf. 2 Cor 8:9): to be rich in good deeds. And in case that is not clear, good deeds is further defined as being generous and willing to share. Hence true “riches” is found in the giving, not in the having. What Does Bible 1 Timothy 6:19 Specifically Say About Money? Having used “riches” metaphorically in verse 18, Paul now extends the metaphor eschatologically. In so doing, he makes what appear to be some very un-Pauline comments (as in 2:15). But the awkwardness is the result of the metaphor(s), not of a theological shift. Salvation is to put one’s hope in God; it is not achieved by “buying shares in heaven”! The Bible Says to Store Up Your Treasure in Heaven, Not Earth Nonetheless, very much as Jesus said (Luke 12:33; 18:22; cf. Matt. 6:19–21), Paul reminds them that in this way (by generous giving to the needy) they will lay up treasure for themselves…for the coming age. This is not to “buy off” God or to earn salvation. It is simply to emphasize again what was begun in verse 17. True “riches” have not to do with earthly possessions, which are uncertain and belong to this age only. True “riches” are obtained by the generous and liberal sharing of the “riches of this life.” Thus for the rich to give riches away is not to suffer loss but rather to lay up treasure for themselves of a different kind. It is, in a typically Pauline shift of metaphors, “to lay up” a firm foundation for the coming age. In this regard one should note the sayings of Jesus that Luke has placed together in 12:32–33. The Kingdom as gift leads to selling possessions and giving to the needy and thereby providing for oneself “a treasure in heaven.” Take Hold of the Life That is Truly Life Finally, lest any of this be misunderstood, Paul sets forth the nature of the treasure, the same eschatological goal that all believers share (cf. 1:16; 4:8, 10; 6:12): So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. This clause is very similar to what was said to Timothy in 6:12, except that what was an imperative there is here a purpose clause, expressing the final goal of their hope in God and their resultant good works. By so doing they take hold of (or “secure for themselves”) the life that is truly life, meaning, of course, eternal life, eschatologically understood. Additional Note from Understanding the Bible Commentary on The Bible and Money This paragraph is actually a single sentence in Greek that makes a considerable play on the word “riches” and related ideas. The word itself occurs four times in four different forms (a substantival adjective, “the rich”; an abstract noun, “riches”; an adverb, richly; and a verb, to be rich). Thus “the rich” are not to trust in “riches,” but in God who richly gives all things, and therefore are to be rich in good deeds, which then, to extend the metaphor, is their way to lay up…treasure for the future. Go Get It! Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (36 Vols.)

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The Flower Shop, How One Girl Finds God in Her Flower Shop

https://links.skylight.org/C5Wfndgsnqb

Click on the link to watch the video. You can also download the app from the Google Play store, it’s free to download and free to use.

Gorgeous!
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Viruses on hiatus during Covid are back — and behaving in unusual ways

https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/25/viruses-that-were-on-hiatus-during-covid-are-back-and-behaving-in-unexpected-ways/

Click on the link above to read about this important information. I wanted to share this with you all because I didn’t know if you knew about it. God bless.

Protect everyone.
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Verse of the Day: John 20:21

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.20.21.KJV

Absolutely beautiful.
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Why the Children of Our Future Generation?

I cannot understand why so many children are having to lose their life to the hands of others. It is not fair for all of this to be going on in this world. Does the person on the other end other end of the gun realize that they are ruining families’ lives? Do they ever think about the pain they are causing? Do they for one moment think about what the consequences are of their actions? All of this killing is destroying the future generation of our future leaders and decision makers. What makes a person do what they do? What goes on in the mind of that kind of person who thinks about destruction and killing all of the time? Do they not realize that they are killing someone’s child, sister, brother, son, daughter, niece, nephew? Those families will never get to see their children grow up. They will never get to see them get married. They will never get to see them bring home their grandchildren. They will never get to see them experience life, and the joys and sorrows if it. they will never get to sit and talk to their children and tell them just how much they love them. They will never get to hug and kiss them goodnight. They will never get to have family get together’s with them.

Just thinking about this really hurts my heart. Everyone has the right to live a full life whether it be happy or sad. No one has the right to take anyone’s life from them except God. Life is a precious gift, and once it is gone there is no coming back from that. There’re no do overs. Those children did not deserve to die like that. All we can do is pray every day for the families who’ve lost their children due to school shootings. One thing I can truly say is that they will not have to suffer with the troubles in this world anymore. They are in heaven with the Father forevermore.

Please help me pray for the families who lose their children on yesterday, and for all of those who have lost children due to school shootings. They had a bright future that was abruptly taken from them for no reason. Pray for the families, keep them in your prayers, and pray that God will give them strength during this time of grief and pain. Pray that God will wipe their tears from their eyes and comfort them. No one knows except the Father as to why this happened, and what the person who did it was thinking, and their thoughts behind it. Pray that God will give them peace, in Jesus’ name Amen.

This is an invitation to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus today. He loves and cares for you. He laid down His life for us all that we may be free from sin. He is waiting to change your life, and to give you a new life in Him. It will be the best decision you will ever make in your life for your eternal life.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. God bless, stay safe, may the Father’s love shine in you and through you that others may see Him in you. Thank you as always for joining me on my journey with Food for the Soul.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=UGIWQYMQ89o&feature=share
Hold On (Change is Coming) The Sounds of Blackness.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Should this little child get to grow up, and live a full life, kings and queens will be born from them. Our future generation starts at birth.

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4 Steps You Can Take To Overcome the Fear of Failure

https://divasjournal.wordpress.com/2022/05/22/4-steps-you-can-take-to-overcome-the-fear-of-failure/

Bridges helps us to get everywhere, including over our fears of heights.
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Prayer for Today: Matthew 18:3-5

We are all God’s children.

and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. Matthew 18:3‭-‬5 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.18.3-5.KJV

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Spirit of Wisdom Bible Verses

When we were very young, we did not know a lot about anything, but as we began to grow older, we wanted to know about lots of things. As we age, we learn wisdom along the way. We experience things that we never thought we would. As time comes and goes away, we know more than we ever did in the beginning when we were just learning.

True wisdom can be found in the Word of God, but we have to get into it to learn it. I want to share these Scriptures with you, and they are the Spirit of Wisdom. I pray they will touch your soul. Feel free to share them with those you love. God bless.

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

Isaiah 11:2- and the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Ephesians 1:17- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:

1 Corinthians 12:8- For o one is given by the Spirit of the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.

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Deuteronomy 34:9-And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel harkened unto him and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Exodus 28:3-And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Exodus 31:3- and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.

Exodus 35:31-and he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.

1 Corinthians 2:4- And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

Daniel 5:14- I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

Daniel 5:11- there is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy Father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

Psalm 49:3- My mouth shall speak of wisdom; And the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

Ecclesiastes 1:17-And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7- For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Luke 1:17-Andhe shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Micah 6:9- The LORD’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Luke 2:40- And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 13:11- And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

Ecclesiastes 1:16- I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Proverbs 24:14- So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: When thou found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy exception shall not be cut off.

Romans 11:33- O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!

Ecclesiastes 2:26- For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ephesians 3:10- to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.

Daniel 4:18- This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Exodus 35:35- Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Colossians 3:16- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Isaiah 40:14- With whom took counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

1 John 2:20- But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

Acts 6:10-Abd they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

Matthew 24:36-But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Proverbs 14:30- A sound heart is the life of the flesh: But envy the rottenness of the bones.

Ephesians 5:15- See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.

Proverbs 17:16- Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, Seeing he hath no heart to it?

Ecclesiastes 7:4- The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Ecclesiastes 10:2- A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

Proverbs 8:5- O ye simple, understand wisdom: And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Proverbs 15:7- The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: But the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Proverbs 15:31- The ear that heareth the reproof of life Abideth among the wise.

Ecclesiastes 7:11- Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

2 Corinthians 11:19- For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

Ecclesiastes 8:1- Who is as the wise man? and he knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Ecclesiastes 7:12- For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Exodus 36:2- And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

Job 37:24- Men do therefore fear him: He respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

Job 41:24- His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

Psalm 119:80- Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; That I be not ashamed.

Proverbs 2:2- So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding.

Proverbs 2:10- When wisdom entereth into thine heart, And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Proverbs 8:12- I wisdom dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge of witty inventions.

Proverbs 10:8- The wise in heart will receive commandments: But a praying fool shall fall.

Proverbs 11:30- The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that winneth souls is wise.

Proverbs 13:14- The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 15:24- The way of life is above to the wise, That he may depart from hell beneath.

Proverbs 16:21–The wise in heart shall be called prudent: And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

Proverbs 16:23- The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips.

Proverbs 18:15- The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 23:19- Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thine heart in the way.

Ecclesiastes 7:7- Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

Jeremiah 4:21- How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

Acts

Amos 6:5- that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

Proverbs 23:15- My son, if thine heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine.

I have really enjoyed sharing these Scriptures with you. All of these verses are from the King James Version Bible.

If you have not talked to Jesus in a while, or if you have never talked to Him before, He is waiting to hear from you. He is waiting to give you a new life, and that new lie is in Him. He is ready to change your life for the better. Go to God in prayer and pour your heart out to him, and when you do, ask Him to come into your heart to be your personal Lord, and Savior. It will be the best decision you will ever make in your life for your eternal life. He is waiting with arms wide open to receive you today.

As always, thank you for joining me on my journey with Food for the Soul. Stay safe and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

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