But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
“A living man must have a living God, or his soul will perish in the midst of earthly plenty, and will thirst and die whilst the water of earthly delights is running all around him. We are made to need persons not things.”
Alexander Maclaren in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 390.
For years we got a newspaper because it had the advertisements on Sunday to tell us where to shop for good deals. I learned from my daughter, Sophie, that in America you can already see the Black Friday advertisements to shop for things. There’s apps out there that feature the forthcoming deals.
Black Friday is a huge shopping day in America, labeled as such as the big sales help retailers go from having a deficit or being “in the red” to being “in the black” financially speaking. It is the day after Thanksgiving, which is 28 November 2019 this year.
God made us to need and depend on Him rather than things. The worldly, things-centered mindset is a leading obstacle to generosity. When we seek Him first, and ask Him to supply our daily needs, we grasp life. All the things will be sorted when He is in His rightful place.
So, this shopping season, don’t hesitate to save money on things you were going to buy anyway for your living, giving, serving, and loving. But, more importantly, be diligent to seek God first and enjoy and generously share all He richly supplies.
Focus on persons not things, and make God the number one person in your life.