There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most

and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies.  He took

great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

 

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always

wanted to show her off to his friends. However, the merchant is always in

great fear that she might run away with some other men.

 

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always

patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant

faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always

help him out and tide him through difficult times.

 

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great

contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking

care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife

and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

 

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to

die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4

wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!

 

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the

finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will

you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she

walked away without another word. The answer cut like sharp knife right

into the merchant's heart.

 

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for

all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me

company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm

going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

 

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've

always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you

follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this

time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to

your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was

devastated.

 

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter

where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife.  She

was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly

grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you

while I could have!"

 

 

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives...

 

The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in

making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

 

Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go

to others.

 

The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been

there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to

the grave.

 

The 1st wife is in fact our spirit, often neglected in our pursuit of

material wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? It is actually the only

thing that follows us wherever we go.

 

Author Unknown

 

 

I heard a minister once say that life is kind of like the board game

Monopoly.  He went on to say that just like the board game we go through

life accumulating things and material wealth, but when the game is over,

everything will go back into the box.  It is the same thing with us;

people go through life killing themselves to live a great life and to show

they have "made it in life", but they are spiritually dead and empty

inside.  Please remember that while it is nice for us to have the good

things in life; these things will not be with us in eternity.  Only what

has been done for the Lord will follow us (1 Cor. 3:13-15), and that is

the ultimate reward we can ever hope for when we meet the Lord on that

glorious day.

 

I wish people would sit back for five minutes and really think about their

eternal spirit.  I believe if they truly think about where they are going to

spend eternity and forget about their job, house and material possessions;

there would not be one person who wouldn't get on their knees and ask the

Lord to come into their heart and life.  Our body is temporary and

everything associated with it will go back into the box one day, but our

spirit is eternal and will live forever, somewhere...

 

 

Read and meditate on these scriptures:

 

Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus says "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon

earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through

and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither

moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor

steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

 

James 4:13-14 "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to

such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a

profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is

your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then

vanishes away."

 

All scriptures can be found in the King James Version. 

 

 

In Christ's Service,

 

Dwayne Savaya

Gods Work Ministry

 

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