For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour



Ronald was a young man who was leading a very hectic life.

This was due to the fact he was looking for action and forcing into each day as many activities as he could. Now, normally there would be nothing wrong with such a frantic life, but in Ronald's case none of those activities included the Lord. Indeed, Ronald had almost completely forgotten the existence of God.

Oh, there is one other thing which was a motivating force in Ronald's life.

Ronald wanted to be financially stable. No doubt, that's something you and I also want.

But in Ronald's case the desire to live in a comfortable condition and make sure his future was completely taken care of became an all-consuming force. You would be quite right if you guessed that, once again, the Lord did not enter into Ronald's thoughts or consideration. He was ready to prepare for the future financially, but not spiritually. And it never occurred to him that from life we do not take anything.

The Bible tells us that the love of money is a root of all evil.

We all need money to live, but when the love of cash becomes all-consuming, well, our Bible text is quite clear when it says in such a pursuit some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Thanks be to the Lord that Ronald participated in one of our workshops which we call Equipping the Saints. That program, with its restructured priorities, touched Ronald's heart. Ronald followed up and had some meetings with our pastor that truly opened his eyes to the futility of his mad searchings.

At the same time, those meetings were used by the Holy Spirit to open his heart to the Savior who had given His life so Ronald might be forgiven and granted eternal security.

Today, Ronald understands that it is best to put God before all other needs and desires.

He knows the Lord responds to our requests in a timely manner and according to His will. More than that, believers can be sure the Triune God will do what is right and best for us.

If Ronald were writing this devotion he would tell you, "Remember that the best wealth you can have is trust in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness He gave us by dying on the cross and through His resurrection."

THE PRAYER: Lord, our God, I thank You for all that You give me every day. Help me to not put the love of money before the love I have for You. Grant that I may also give thanks for the love You have for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Murel Ballestero who is a young woman who volunteers to teach Bible courses for children. She is part of our Nicaraguan Lutheran Hour Ministries team which visits clinics where she shares the Savior's story of salvation. She is also one of the speakers in our FM and online radio programs.

Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua is known in-country as "Christ for All Nations" or Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones in Spanish. Launching its Gospel efforts in Chinandega in 1999, LHM-Nicaragua offers Project JOEL, an educational program helping children and young people make healthy lifestyle choices. High school and university students benefit from this program as well. Offering Equipping the Saints (ETS) evangelism workshops to facilitate Gospel conversations and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to build up and edify students of Scripture, inroads are being made into people's lives with the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. Based today in León, this ministry center produces a weekly radio broadcast and 30-second on-air spots. These are augmented with "Radio Cristo Nica," an Internet and radio program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping others in this Central American country of six million people.

See how LHM-Nicaragua is supporting area pastors by supplying them with Bibles and walkers for use by members of their congregations. You can read about this by clicking here and visiting this country's blog.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 15-17    Colossians 2

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