A Nice Story - but Is It Truth?

      The book, Tales From the Arabian Nights, weaves stories of ordinary people who stumble into great wealth. In Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali is going about his business when he witnesses a band of thieves gain entry to their mountain hideaway by uttering the magic words, "Open Sesame". Ali is able to hide until the thieves leave, then open the door to the hideaway by using the words he overheard. Inside he finds great treasure the thieves have spent years accumulating, and helps himself!

     The story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, is one that most are familiar with. When a magic lamp comes into Aladdin's possession he finds, by accident, that simply rubbing the side, will cause a genie to appear and grant him what he desires.

     The stories from this book formed some of my earliest ideas about treasure hunting. Finding great wealth was simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time! Some mornings when I'm standing in a long line at an estate sale it seems that everyone has read these tales and come to the same conclusion!

 Vintage Frederick Cooper Lamp Base

(Nothing happens when you rub the sides)

         The ideas in these stories- and others- take root and grow in our minds. The world views they contain, however, clash with Biblical truth. "Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but money that is gathered little by little will grow." (Proverbs 13:11) has little to do with being in the right place at the right time, but rather teaches that treasure grows over time as the result of hard work!
   
    The genie in Aladdin's lamp waited for Aladdin to make his wishes known, and then did what was commanded. Some teach that we have the right to tell God what we want, and He is obligated to give it to us.

    Matthew 7:7-11 reveals the truth; God expects us to ask Him when we have a need, and in turn knows how provide for us even better  than our earthly parents.  He does not grant us every wish or whim, not everything we ask for would be the best for us. Because He is all-knowing and all-seeing, and we can't see beyond the moment we live in, it is best to leave the answers to our prayers in His loving care.

     How much does the information we are constantly gathering effect what we believe about God? If we don't take time to compare it to the truth found in the Bible, we may never know!