WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 22, 2022 Â
TOPIC: Â IT IS NOT SAFE NOT TO SAVE
BY T. O. BANSO
âThe wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he getsâ (Proverbs 21:20 The Living Bible).
If youâre not saved, you are not safe. Also, it is not safe not to save. The two statements address two different aspects of your life. The first one addresses your salvation. You must be born again. In other words, you must accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour for you to have eternal life. This is the most important decision of your life you will ever make. It is not negotiable.
The second statement that it is not safe not to save addresses your finances. It is one thing to be born again and another thing to practise the principles that will give you financial security. One of these principles is disciplining yourself to save. There are other principles such as honouring God with your money, investing in Godâs Kingdom, giving to others, and investing your money for good returns.
That you are born again does not automatically free you from the financial challenges that everybody faces. You must learn how to save for the rainy day. Some people erroneously think that praying will substitute for saving. Thatâs not true. Praying is not enough. You must pray but you must also save. You need to plan your finances and budget for your spending so that you can save from your income. Instead of continuing to pray for a windfall, save from what you earn now, even if it is small. Prayer will work better for those who save! Those who do the two will live a more meaningful life than those who only pray but donât save.
Saving does not mean that you should deny yourself of your present needs. Meet your present needs (not unhealthy desires) but save for your future needs. Save for the future but donât lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19).Â
Saving is biblical. It doesnât mean a lack of faith in God. It means being a good steward of what God had given you. In the book of Genesis, it was the advice on a âsaving schemeâ that Joseph gave Pharaoh, and which Joseph was appointed to execute that saved the world from the seven years of famine (Genesis 41:33-36, 47-49, 55-57). If Pharaoh had not accepted Josephâs wise counsel to store up food during the seven years of abundance, many people would have died of hunger. Saving will help you to meet your future needs and provide a cushion for you in times of financial hardship or emergency.
In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul told the Corinthians to save what they would give to God. âOn the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I comeâ (New King James Version). You should not only save for your offering; you should also save for your future needs.
Some people are saved but donât save! That is not safe. It doesnât show wise management of the resources that God has given them. âThe wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he getsâ (Proverbs 21:20 The Living Bible). Donât act foolishly by wasting your money and resort to prayer to God for a financial miracle! The New King James Version puts Proverbs 21:20 this way: âThere is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.â
At whatever level you are, discipline yourself to save. Donât spend all the money you earn. Stop overspending. Save, no matter how little your income, and gradually, your savings will grow. Some people have been postponing saving until when they will be earning a high income! But they may never save even if their income becomes ten times what it is now unless they discipline themselves to save now.
It takes discipline to save. And to save, you must learn to spend less. You donât have to buy everything you see. Buy only what you need and can afford. Sometimes, it is wiser and cheaper to hire some things and return them after use than buying.
For some people, more income means more spending because they have not cultivated financial discipline; they never save. Those who donât save live only for today but those who save, live for today and tomorrow. Avoid impulsive and compulsive purchases. Your needs are few but your wants are many. Some people go into debt just to acquire what they want, not what they need. If youâre currently in debt, have a plan of how to get out of debt and follow through. Psalm 37:21a says the wicked borrow and never repay. Proverbs 3:27-28 says, âDonât withhold repayment of your debts. Donât say âsome other time,â if you can pay nowâ (The Living Bible).
Be faithful with what you have but consider little, and save. Then, God will bless you with more. Luke 16:11 says, âTherefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?â (New King James Version). God tests us with little to see how faithful we are. Matthew 25:23 says, âHis lord said to him, âWell done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lordââ (New King Jams Version).
It is not safe not to save. You could have a surplus today; donât squander it. God gave you this because of the needs He already knows that you will have in future. Donât be wasteful like the prodigal son. After he had spent all he had, there arose a severe famine in the far country he went to, and he began to be in want (Luke 15:14). When he was wasting his money, he didnât know that there would be a severe famine. Save. It is not safe not to save.
TAKE ACTION!            Â
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, forgive me for my wastefulness in the past. I receive your help to repay my debts. Â Henceforth, I shall cultivate financial discipline and spend less so that I can save. I shall no longer engage in impulsive and compulsive purchases or incur new and unnecessary debts. Father, deliver those who are under the burden of debts and help them to embrace financial discipline.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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