Daily text, Friday, May 27. 2016

[Queen Esther]

Guard against every sort of greed.—Luke 12:15.

Greed may start small, but if it is not curbed, it can grow rapidly and overcome a person. The Bible account of Achan illustrates the power of greed. Note how quickly Achan’s greed progressed. He stated: “When I saw among the spoil a good-looking official garment from Shinar and 200 shekels of silver and one gold bar weighing 50 shekels, I desired them, so I took them.” Instead of rejecting the wrong desire, Achan greedily stole the goods and hid them in his tent. When Achan’s wrongdoing came to light, Joshua told him that Jehovah would bring disaster upon him. Achan and his family were stoned to death on that very day. (Josh. 7:11, 21, 24, 25) Greed is an ever-present danger that can overtake us. While we may occasionally have an unwholesome thought or imagine immoral things, it is vital that we bring our mind under control and not allow our desires to escalate to the point that we commit a sin.—Jas. 1:14, 15. w14 8/15 4:13