Acts 5:1-2 – But a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he held back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. (RSV)

Whenever I read this account, I immediately think in my heart, "there but for the grace of God go I"! Isn't it true that even though we have been washed in Christ's blood, and tasted of God's Holy Spirit, we shrink back in fear to the spirit of this world, where money was our god, the thing in which we put our greatest trust? Perhaps we should be thankful that we still live "distanced" from God, as, like Ananias, we might not be tolerated any closer to His presence, if we have tried to approach Him with deceit in our hearts. Could there be a better time to come to God, and confess our lack of faith, our idolatry, and pray that the Holy Spirit cleans us, washes us completely clean in thought and deed? If we don't, and we pretend a faith that isn't true, someday we may be carried out like Ananias and his wife.

Prayer: Father, may you strip us of everything we possess, and leave us as Job, rather than us lying to You, and pretending we have given You our all. We have held back, and have not trusted in You completely. Please, Lord, remake us, give us a pure heart, that we may speak truth when we say, "I have given everything to the Lord." Amen.

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