16 Jun, 2009
Don't sleep on it!
How are you investing in your future?
Woman mistakenly junks $1 million mattresssearch for million dollar mattress
JERUSALEM - An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress with $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
The woman told Army Radio that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise on Monday and threw out the old one, only to discover that her mother had hidden her life savings inside. She was identified only as Anat, a resident of Tel Aviv.
When she went to look for the mattress it had already been taken by garbage men, she said. Subsequent searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.
Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told the radio station that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage arriving at the site every day.
He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters at bay.
For her part, Anat said it could be worse. "People have to take everything in proportion and thank God for the good and the bad," she said.
photo and story courtesy AP, June 10, 2009
Matthew 25:14-30 (NLT)
The Parable of the Talents
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about using what we have been given by God?
Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes explain:
25:15 The master divided the money among his servants according to their abilities. No one received more or less than he could handle. If he failed in his assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. Failure would indicate only laziness or hatred toward the master. The bags of silver represent any kind of resource we are given. God gives us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities, and he expects us to invest them wisely until he returns. We are responsible to use well what God has given us. The issue is not how much we have but how well we use what we have.
25:24-30 This last man was thinking only of himself. He hoped to play it safe and protect himself from his hard master, but he was judged for his self-centeredness. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. If God truly is our Master, we must obey willingly. Our time, abilities, and money aren't ours in the first place - we are caretakers, not owners. When we ignore, squander, or abuse what we are given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished.
In today's story, the woman who hid $1million in her mattress knows what it means to "use it or lose it"! She is trying to "thank God for the good and the bad", but can you imagine how sick she must really feel?
An even greater loss is when we waste the time, abilities and money that God gives us when we could be investing it to serve God and bring Him glory.
So, don't sleep on it! Let's wake up and use what God gives us!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our story?
- Make a written list of how much time you invest in serving God through serving others every week....how you are using your abilities to serve God every week....how much of your money you are giving directly to God's work every week. Let God's Spirit help you evaluate whether or not you are being obedient to God's instruction for you to invest in His Kingdom rather than yourself. Let Jesus help you make the necessary changes.
- Put a dollar bill under your mattress every day for one month and ask God to show you how to use it to honor Him. After 30 days, (if no one has thrown out your mattress) invest the $30 in whatever way God shows you.
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Think of someone in your storysphere who is interested in your story and or God's Story. Show, tell, or send him or her today's story about the woman losing the $1 Million in her junked mattress. Talk about what it must feel like to lose this kind of money. Ask your friend how he or she feels they are investing their "treasures"? Share how you plan to invest yours in God's economy.
- Use this DAILYBIDE as a topic for study and discussion with your small group or youth group.
- March 2010 [9]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
