A man’s greatest folly lies not in his abuse of riches, but in his ignorance of those riches he possesses. After purchasing a ranch in West Texas, Ira Yates and his wife, Ann, had difficulty making the mortgage and tax payments. Then Ira had an intuition to allow an oil company to test his land for oil. Crews came and drilled an exploratory well on the ranch. What they found instantly reversed the Yates’ fortune. A large reservoir of oil lay beneath their property, covering an area of over 41 square miles.

Many wells would be drilled on the Yates’ property in the years which followed. At peak production in 1929, five of these wells combined to produce over 112,000 barrels of oil per day. With crude oil selling for approximately $1.19 per barrel in 1929, these five wells produced $133,280-worth of oil per day. This equates to the incredible sum of $1,759,213.64 per day in today’s dollars (calculator.net). Ira and Ann Yates were millionaires. They no longer had to struggle to make ends meet. All they had to do was use the resources they had.

The Christian has a treasure of far greater value than the Yates’ fortune. He has all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3), the immeasurable, unchanging love of God (Romans 8:35–39), acceptance by his beloved Father (Ephesians 1:6), forgiveness from all sins (Romans 8:1), and eternal life in Heaven (John 6:47). All he has to do is claim his inheritance. It would be the greatest folly for him to continue living in poverty — yet that is what far too many Christians do.

If, as a Christian, you lack joy, peace, and contentment, then you are living like a poor millionaire — and I challenge you to start digging. Search the Scriptures, and allow the truth of who you are in Christ to sink in. Start claiming your inherited riches today.

This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed. — Patrick Henry

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

In the early 18th Century, the British monarchy had authority over much of the known world. Every colony under Britain’s jurisdiction had to declare allegiance to the British crown. This made the actions of 13 colonies in North America equivalent to high treason when, on July 4, 1776, their congressional leaders gave an explicit oral statement declaring their independence:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

If you are a citizen of the United States, I hope that as you celebrate Thanksgiving today, you will give special thanks for your national freedom. But I want to tell you about a declaration which is even better than that which secured our national sovereignty 235 years ago. It is the declaration of the sinner’s righteousness by Jesus Christ. This declaration, enacted the moment after we believed in Christ, released us from the penalty and power of our sins and guaranteed for us a home in Heaven.

I am thankful to be an American. I thank God for the declaration of my independence from sin. But I believe the best declaration ever is when I tell others of God’s goodness to me. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? Tell someone else about the goodness of God in your life today.

Both gratitude for God’s past and current mercies, as well as hope-filled expectation of His future mercy are the strongest motives to live for His glory. — Scott Meadows

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.