It strikes in the oddest places and moments...materialism. Like a plague in the hearts of mankind, we fall prey to this dillusion. My recent encounter with materialism involved...the Bible.
I spent many moments pondering what kind of new Bible I would like to have - what size, version, color, translation. I ordered a new Study Bible (thinking that the ESV version I had was too big) because I kept seeing others with it. I don't regret ordering it (though I have yet to see it in the mail) because it will be different from what I have. It will focus on the people of the Bible and their character, which will help me apply the lessons better to my character. I don't regret ordering it.
However, the complication comes when my thoughts become consumed with it, and I start scanning the internet and taking careful note of what everyone else has. In the end, the irony is that my ESV Study Bible is not too big, and I'm going to be digging into it, personalizing it, becoming more acquainted with it. It's a good Study Bible. How foolish are we to believe that the answers to our soul's desires are in a certain kind of Bible.
The Bible is God's Word. There is nothing more powerful or transformative than His words. Even aware of that, I somehow got sucked into this insanity. Satan will use even our desire for God as a way to tempt us and distract us from Him.
Thanks be to God for His love and mercy. With arms open wide, He embraces us as we are and gently calls us back to Him, to truth, and to clarity once again.
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