100 Trillion Dollars
How much joy would 100 trillion dollars bring to you?
How much peace of mind?
How much security?
We all would say “A lot”
But in Zimbabwe 100 trillion dollars will not buy you one square of toilet paper
Hyperinflation made Zimbabwe currency worthless in a very short time
How would you buy security of mind?
How would you buy emotional peace?
On American currency are the words “In God We Trust”
Which do you put your trust…
In God
or
The paper it is printed on?
100 Trillion Dollars
In South Africa lies a beautiful
country called Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe used to be a very wealthy country.
The country was a crossing place for
merchants coming down the African coast.
In the Colonial Days people from the United
Kingdom came and settled the land.
Farming became 67% of the country’s wealth.
Tension between the Black
Nationalist and the Whites increased…
Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime
minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has
dominated the country's political system since independence.
His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus
of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of
basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002
presidential election to ensure his reelection.
The ruling ZANU-PF party used fraud and intimidation to win a two-thirds
majority in the March 2005 parliamentary election, allowing it to amend the
constitution at will and recreate the Senate, which had been abolished in the
late 1980s. In April 2005, Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order,
ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction
of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly
poor supporters of the opposition.
President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic
commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months.
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/zimbabwe.htm
The nation entered into the
highest hyperinflation ever known.
The government’s answer was to print
more money, making it untrustworthy.
In 2009, the government stopped printing currency.
At this point a 100 trillion dollar note
was worth 40 United States cents.
Recently, I bought on eBay 100 trillion dollars
Zimbabwe notes to give my grandchildren.
The purpose for the gift was to show them
the danger of putting their trust in money.
To teach them valuable life lessons…
Like money is a good servant,
but a bad master.
We all love to buy things and
when we do it makes us feel good.
Having money in the bank or some investment
gives us a sense of security and peace.
The Bible has more than 2300 verses
on money, wealth, and possessions.
About 15% of Jesus’ preaching was about money.
Out of the 39 parables,
11 were on the topic of money.
Some of my favorites are…
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moths and vermin destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moths and vermin do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
"No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:24
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Some people, eager for money, have wandered
from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:10
Imagine having 100 trillion dollars and it is worthless.
You could not buy the things that make you happy.
You could not buy your peace.
Your trust in your currency, passions,
and wealth could not give you security.
How would you obtain peace of mind and heart?
What would happen to your thoughts and emotions?
How quickly Zimbabwe fell.
The parallels between Zimbabwe and the United States…
Should make us think about how we will
obtain peace and security in our hearts and minds.
On American’s currency are the words…
“In God We Trust”
This could soon be removed, and if it is,
will you still put your trust in God?
If you can’t buy what makes you
happy, will you still be happy?
Here is some good advice for
all of us in Philippians 4:4-7…
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Let God’s peace transcend your understanding.
Let Christ guard your heart and mind,
your emotions and thoughts.
Yes, we all love money and what it can
do for us…
But are we prepared to find security
and peace without it?
The true treasures are not what you leave behind.
The true treasures are what lasts for eternity.
Make those investments in yourself and others.
And do it with a life of worship in the One you trust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG-Tlj1I9cw
Scripture Reading
Matthew 6:19-7:1 NIV
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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