The devotional for today is continuing one I began earlier last week. It began during a daily devotional when the phrase take heed captured my attention. As I began to study that phrase, I discovered that in the entire Bible, there are only fifteen times that the phrase is used. I might need to add a note that I use the Authorized King James version for all my devotions and personal readings, so if you are using another version, you might not see that phrase in the verses that I highlight in this series of devotions.
The first two devotions focused on the first eight verses where that phrase is found. Before I share the next four verses where the phrase “take heed” is used, Here’s a brief summary of the verses we’ve already discussed that use that particular phrase, and where Christians have been told to take heed of:
- Making sure we give to others as led by the Spirit without drawing attention to ourselves. This is found in Matthew 6:1.
- We do nothing to any child that might prevent them from accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is found in Matthew 18:10.
- We do not let others lead us astray from our faith. This is found in Matthew 24:4.
- We need to truly listen and make sure we are careful in judgment; whatever standard we set for others will be the standard we are held to. There is also a responsibility and duty required of us – the more we learn about our faith, the more accountable we are to do it. This is found in Mark 4:24.
- We need to remember that someday we might be brought up before governmental councils seeking to put us to death over our faith in Jesus. This is found in Mark 13:9.
- We need to remember that His returning could be at any moment; we do not know when He will return. This is found in Mark 13:33.
- We need to remember that we all have gifts, talents, and abilities that are to be used to fulfill needs in the local congregation; if we hold back these gifts, talents, and abilities, we can lose them. This is found in Luke 8:18.
- We need to make sure that we are not dividing our loyalty between the things of God and the things of this world. As a child of God, we should be more reflective of His glory, and not of the things of the world. This is found in Luke 11:35.
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15).
Covetousness is a struggle for many Christians; myself included. It slowly creeps in when we least expect it. Its one of the reasons that the apostle Paul wrote to the early church at Philippi, Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11). It’s hard to be content with what you have when you see other Christians with what you think are better things. When we allow our attitude of gratefulness to become replaced with covetousness, we are no longer in a situation where God can bless us. No longer are we a child worthy of blessings, but now a child deserving of correction. Again, Paul wrote, For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (I Timothy 6:10). The love of anything, to the extent it becomes the focus of our consciousness, is evil. It becomes our idol, it will replace our worship of God.
When Jesus was asked about which was the greatest commandment, he told the young man, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37). We cannot love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our minds when we have all our focus on attaining the wealth of this world. Jesus taught those who would listen during his earthly ministry, No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).
