"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the
other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and
Money both." Matthew 6:24 (MSG)
The same is true for anything else that takes priority over our Heavenly Father.
What would we do if we inherited a fortune or if we earned billions of dollars
through hard work? What would become our focus?
The Titanic was a luxurious ship, the most advanced technological marvel of the
century. It had 29 boilers, fired by 159 furnaces, fueled by coal, to power the
3 huge propellers. The Titanic was supposed to keep the shop afloat in case of dire
emergency. Besides, its wireless radio capabilities could reach up to 1,200
miles!
In those days, homes used gas lamps. The Titanic, however, had electric lights.
Besides its technological marvels, it also had every luxury possible: Decorative
wood-carved paneling, works of arts all over the boat, massive glass domes and
the best furniture ever. It even had a heated swimming pool and a gymnasium with
all the latest sports equipment. And let's not forget the darkroom, the Turkish
bath, the libraries, and all the different shops and restaurants . . .
There were 3 different classes. The first class was for the rich, the second
class, for people looking for fortune in North America, and the third class was
for poor immigrants who hoped to find a better lot in the Unitrd States.
Unfortunately, this luxurious cruiser was lacking a fundamental necessity: It
didn't have enough lifeboats for the safe transport of all its passengers in
case of emergency. The lifeboats onboard could hold 1,178 people; but there were
2, 208 people on board!
Why this mismatch? Who needs lifeboats on an unsinkable ship? These were the
norms in those days.
On April 10, 1912, at exactly 11:40 in the evening, this unsinkable ship hit the
fatal iceberg and began to do the unthinkable... It began to sink!
The lifeboats were accepting ladies and children first. It didn't matter if you
were rich or not. Any woman could enter the lifeboat and men could only enter if
there were no women or children in the vicinity. Some people panicked, and many
of the boats were dropped into the water only half-full. It was real mayhem.
Children lost their mothers, husbands couldn't find their wives . . . Some
forced themselves on lifeboats, stealing the places from children. The rich as
well as the poor were side by side on these boats. It didn't matter who you
were, as long as you were first in line.
The people who couldn't find a seat in the boats began to panic. There were were
men of faith on board, however, and instead of thinking of themselves, they
started to pray in groups.
One of these, John Harper, said goodbye to his daughter and gave her a kiss
before placing her in someone's arms in a lifeboat. He then gave his own life
jacket to someone who didn't have one. He realized that saving himself from this
disaster was not his top priority. Many would die without knowing our Savior. He
was a man of faith, and he was not afraid to die.
In the mayhem, it was easy to lose sight of this man. Several survivors,
however, saw him praying with people who were terrified of death, introducing
them to the One who mattered the most.
When the boat sank, John swam about in the ice cold waters, continuing to lead
the lost to Christ, encouraging them that there was a bright future awaiting
them in the arms of our Heavenly Father.
We either think solely of ourselves and cherish the meager fortunes we have in
this world, or we trust in our Father who truly loves us more than we can
fathom.
"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children." Psalm 103:17 (NIV)
What's
your take?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.