Key Verse: Verse 24 – “Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.”
Key Words: but every man another’s wealth
Bertha Adams was seventy-one years old. She died alone in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Easter Sunday, 1976. The coroner’s report read: “Cause of death...malnutrition.” After wasting away to fifty pounds she could no longer stay alive. When the state authorities made their preliminary investigation of her place, they found a veritable “pigpen...the biggest mess you can imagine.” One seasoned inspector declared he had never seen a dwelling in greater disarray. The pitiable woman had begged food from neighbors and gotten what clothes she had from the Salvation Army. From all appearances, she was a penniless recluse – a pitiful and forgotten widow. But such was not the case.
Amid the jumble of her unclean, disheveled belongings, two keys were found which led officials to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. The discovery was absolutely unbelievable. The first box contained over seven hundred stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and sold financial securities, and cash amounting to nearly $200,000. The second box had more currency -- $600,000. Adding the net worth of both boxes, the woman had well over a million dollars. Bertha Adams’s hoarding was tragic, and her death was an unusually grim testimony to the shriveled focus on her life. Her great wealth did her no good whatsoever. Its proper use could have meant good health for her and many others.
There are many, who like Bertha, hoard what they could be sharing with others – giving to the work of God. What a shame!
What to do:
✞ Remember, life is tragic for the person who has plenty to live on, but nothing to live for.
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