Craig T. Owens

You know the old cliché: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Yet time after time we buy into the hype…

• “I get all of this for free!”
• “I’ll be able to make this big score and it’s gonna cost me next to nothing.”
• “He agreed to help me out with this just because he likes me. He’s not charging me a dime.”
• “I think they really want to be my friend.”

It never works out that way, does it? Because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Do you know when those with these great offers show up? Right after you’ve done something well. Like Abraham in the Bible when he had just won a dramatic victory.

Here’s what happened. The bad guys swept in, defeated the good guys, and in carrying off the loot from their victory, they took Abraham’s nephew Lot with them. Abraham called out his special forces team and conducted a surprise night raid on the bad guys’ lair. He not only rescued Lot but all of the other captives too.

Abraham comes back loaded with everything he’s just recovered, and the King of Sodom comes out to meet him. This king is a big shot. It would be a career-advancing move to get in good with him. The King of Sodom says to Abraham, “Great work! Just let me have all the hostages, but you can keep all of the other loot. Even the stuff that was mine that the bad guys stole, I’m going to let you keep it.”

But Abraham knew that if it sounded too good to be true, it probably was.

Abraham wisely answered, “I’m God’s man. I’ve given Him my word: I will accept nothing that belongs to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’”

Smart move. Those things that seem to be free always come with strings attached. How much better to simply trust God for everything. So when God makes you successful, no one else gets the credit but Him.

Here’s the simple decision: Trust God or rely on “freebies” from men. Who are you going to trust?