Daily Lesson for August 17, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Acts chapter 8 verses 17 through 23:

17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

The bitterness of envy can be so deceptive and also so destructive.

We look on what others are doing and we think, "If I only had that I would be a success.  I would really be something -- something for God.  I would do anything to have what they have."

So then we do just about anything to get it. We shuffle and huck and do whatever else we can to get the attention of the city and let them know just how blessed and anointed and relevant we are.

And that lasts for about 5 minutes until somebody else does something big and amazing and now we have to try them to emulate them. And it's a vicious, vicious cycle trying to keep up with the Joneses and the Joneses church.

Thank God there's this word from Peter this morning which sees through it all, "Your heart is not right, and you need to change."

When envy and bitterness set in and we start wanting what others have so badly that we'll do anything to get it, then we've lost our way and are in danger of losing ourselves.

It's then that we most need somebody to tell us the truth.