"When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes me another promise: Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left."
- Hebrews 12:26-27 NLT
Shopping Scriptures
We all know what the day after Thanksgiving is notorious for . . . shopping. It's even earned the nickname "Black Friday" because this is the day when many retailers finally get out of the red and start to show profits, which are then recorded in black ink. Many of us will spend some time today searching for that special something for our co-workers, friends, and family members. Even if we don't go shopping today, we probably will at some point in the next few weeks. But before we head out to hunt for the best deals, I'd like to call our attention to something that can help us this shopping season.
God's Word tells us that this world is in for a serious shakedown. At the end of the age, God will shake the heavens and earth to their very foundations, until the only things left are those with eternal value. Another place in Scripture tells us that everything in this world will be completely consumed by fire:
The heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. (2 Peter 3:10 NLT)
So what's my point for sharing this before we go shopping? Simply this, there are things that won't last and there are things that will. We frequently fixate on things that will eventually be shaken and neglect the more important eternal matters. I'm not saying we shouldn't get something nice for someone we love, but let's keep things in perspective and not get all shook up over shakable things. Let's keep a heavenly outlook on life and allow it to be our guideline for getting and giving our gifts.
Do you allow the things of this world to shake you up? Why or why not?
Write the above verses down and refer to them over the course of this shopping season.
- Hebrews 12:26-27 NLT
Shopping Scriptures
We all know what the day after Thanksgiving is notorious for . . . shopping. It's even earned the nickname "Black Friday" because this is the day when many retailers finally get out of the red and start to show profits, which are then recorded in black ink. Many of us will spend some time today searching for that special something for our co-workers, friends, and family members. Even if we don't go shopping today, we probably will at some point in the next few weeks. But before we head out to hunt for the best deals, I'd like to call our attention to something that can help us this shopping season.
God's Word tells us that this world is in for a serious shakedown. At the end of the age, God will shake the heavens and earth to their very foundations, until the only things left are those with eternal value. Another place in Scripture tells us that everything in this world will be completely consumed by fire:
The heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. (2 Peter 3:10 NLT)
So what's my point for sharing this before we go shopping? Simply this, there are things that won't last and there are things that will. We frequently fixate on things that will eventually be shaken and neglect the more important eternal matters. I'm not saying we shouldn't get something nice for someone we love, but let's keep things in perspective and not get all shook up over shakable things. Let's keep a heavenly outlook on life and allow it to be our guideline for getting and giving our gifts.
Do you allow the things of this world to shake you up? Why or why not?
Write the above verses down and refer to them over the course of this shopping season.