Tag Archives: materialism

Never Enough

Posted on by
Reply

Reading the Word

Proverbs 30:15–16 (ESV)
15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:
16 Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

How much is enough? Today’s passage speaks of two leeches that are named Give and Give, as in “Give me more. Give me more.” They are never satisfied. We then read of four things that never say, “Enough.” The four things are the grave, the barren womb, the desert wanting more water, and fire as it consumes its fuel.

It is interesting to note that this passage follows on the heels of a verse that speaks of those who devour the poor and needy for their own gain (cf. Proverbs 30:14). We certainly live in a world where wealth and possessions is the chief concern of most. Wisdom tells us that we must find satisfaction in what God has given us and also look out for those in need. We must be different than the world. We must find our satisfaction in knowing and being known by Jesus Christ and serving him.

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!

Follow Shaped by the Word on WordPress or Facebook.

Never Satisfied

Posted on by
1

Reading the Word

“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.” (Proverbs 27:20, ESV)

Understanding and Applying the Word

Sheol and Abaddon are words used to speak of death and the grave in the Hebrew Old Testament. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied as they continue to consume more and more. So too are the eyes of mankind. We never have enough. No matter what we have, we always want more.

Have you ever stopped to think about why it is that we want more? Have you ever asked yourself how much it would take to be enough? Most of us have far more than we really need. We often run out of places to keep all of our things, so we either create more storage space or we end up getting rid of things that we once thought we could not live without. The wise person has learned that life is not about accumulating things, but is about finding contentment in God alone because he is the only one who truly satisfies.

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!

Follow Shaped by the Word on WordPress or Facebook.

Love Is Better

Posted on by
Reply

Reading the Word

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.” (Proverbs 15:17, ESV)

Understanding and Applying the Word

We live in a material world. Wealth and possessions and stuff is seen as the ultimate goal and the things that bring happiness and contentment. However, this is simply not true. As this proverbs points out, love is more important than stuff. You are better off with a meager existence (living on vegetables) that includes love than a rich one (living on the best cuts of meat) where love is lacking.

Do not fall for the lie that says that having a few more things will make you happy. Things are unfulfilling. It is love that brings happiness and contentment. We need to love others and know we are loved. Take the time to invest in relationships with others. Those investments will bring true happiness.

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!

Follow Shaped by the Word on WordPress or Facebook.

Are you a writer who might be interested in writing for Shaped by the Word? I am looking for other contributors who would like to write for this page. Contact me by email (csuviking96 at yahoo dot com). Thanks!