Where Does Your Wealth Lie?

      Have you ever gotten so sick you’re willing to beg for some sort of relief from somebody and it didn’t matter much who? I’ve been there twice in my life and my wife found herself there early last week. We are fragile beings and it doesn’t take a whole lot to totally upset the complex daily operation of our body. Well, she got to spend a couple of days in the hospital getting checked out from every angle, inside and out. We praise God nothing major showed up and the situation is manageable. Hopefully, her health will stabilize and return to some sort of normality, but as we all know, the older we get the more the term normal has to be adjusted to the relevance of acceptable levels of tolerance. We learn to live with certain aches and pains, and chemically alter abnormalities with daily medications. Never are we wealthier in this life as is when we have good health and we tolerate a lot to smile and say, “I feel good today.”


      A young lady said to her girlfriend, “When I press my forehead with my finger it really hurts. And, when I do the same to my cheek, it’s also painful. Even if I press on my stomach it hurts.” The girlfriend suggested a visit to the doctor was in order. A short time later the two met again. “Did you see the doctor about the pains you were having?” asked the girlfriend. “I went to a specialist about it” answered the young lady. “What was wrong?” asked the girlfriend. “Oh, I had a broken finger!”

      Patient: “I have an appointment with Dr. Peterson.” Receptionist: “Dr. Peterson has been called away on an emergency, but Dr. Bezmozgis can see you.” Patient: “Which doctor?” Receptionist: “Not at all! He’s a very highly qualified physician.”

      [Hebrews 13:5] Phocion was a successful politician of Athens. He believed that extreme frugality was the condition for virtue and lived in accord with this; consequently, he was popularly known as "The Good." Further, people thought that Phocion was the most honest member of the Athenian Assembly. However, within this chamber, Phocion's tendency to strong opposition relegated him to a solitary stand against the entire political class. Nonetheless, by both his individual prestige and his military expertise, which was acquired by the side of Chabrias, Phocion was elected strategos numerous times, with a record 45 terms in office. Thus, during most of his 84 years of life, Phocion occupied the most important Athenian offices. (Wikipedia) During the days of Alexander the Great, Phocion was a poor old man. Alexander had learned of Phocion and wished to reward him for he felt it monstrous, a servant and friend of the government should live in such poverty. When offered a gift of one hundred talents, because Alexander considered Phocion a good an honorable man, Phocion’s replied, “Allow me to remain in this state and enjoy that reputation always.” The king’s men said that it was a travesty for him to live such a frugal life. Phocion caught sight of a poor old man walking by, dressed in a squalid cloak, and so asked them which of the two they thought inferior, himself or the old man. They begged him not to make such a comparison, whereupon Phocion replied, “Well, this man has less to live on than I have, and yet he finds it quit enough.” Then the king further offered him the government and possessions of three cities. Phocion refused but did ask for the release of some men enslaved in Sardis, who were promptly liberated. Wealth lies in the knowledge that God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”