Bible Reading: Luke 12:16-21

Malachi put down the wood for the campfire and hurried to see why Boomer, his puppy, was barking. The little dog stood at the edge of the stream, looking down into the clear water. “What is it, Boomer?” asked Malachi. He looked down to see what was in the water and began to laugh.

“What is Boomer barking at, Malachi?” asked Dad.

“Himself! He’s barking at his own reflection in the water.” Malachi shook his head. “Silly dog! Come on, Boomer. I’ll get you a treat.” The magic word was treat–Boomer immediately left the edge of the water and scurried over to the tent. Soon he had his treat and was stretched out near the stream.

Dad smiled as he watched Boomer happily chomp on his treat. “This reminds me of an old fable about a dog and a bone,” he said. “As the dog carried his bone across a bridge, he thought he saw another dog in the water below, and he bristled.”

“That sounds like Boomer, all right!” said Malachi.

“Yes, and this dog wasn’t going to let that other dog get his bone,” continued Dad. “So he began to bark to make the other dog go away. I’m sure you can figure out what happened when he opened his mouth to bark.”

Malachi laughed. “His bone fell into the water, right?”

“Right, and the greedy dog ended up with nothing.” Dad added another log to the campfire. “Greed makes us want to get things and hold on to them at all costs, but in the end we lose everything we had and more. True riches and fulfillment come from Jesus, not from anything we own. Money and possessions don’t last, but Jesus offers us a gift that lasts forever–forgiveness for our sins and eternal life with Him. To loosen the grip of greed on our hearts, we need to turn to Jesus and trust Him to provide us with everything we need, including joy and contentment.”

Just then Boomer ran up, looking for another treat. Malachi smiled and got one out. “Here you go, Boomer,” he said, holding it out for Boomer to take from his hand. “But it won’t last long, so don’t get greedy.”

–Marilyn J. Senterfitt

How About You?
Do you think having the right things will bring you happiness? Are you so focused on getting and keeping those things that you don’t care about anything or anyone else? Lasting joy doesn’t come from having lots of money or cool stuff–it comes from knowing Jesus. Having a relationship with Him brings us true riches that last forever. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today’s Key Verse:
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (NIV) (Mark 8:36)

Today’s Key Thought:
Seek true riches