The Pursuit Of Wealth

Daily Devotional
The Pursuit of Wealth
By Bonnie St. John
This week's topic: The Pursuit Of Wealth


When she was alive, my mother loved the movie, The Sound of Music: Beautiful scenery in the Alps, favorite old tunes, and a powerful love story. The poor young woman named Maria failed as a nun, but fell in love with and married the wealthy Baron and adopted his seven children!


But what my mother talked about the most over the years wasn’t the love story. She always marveled at how Maria Von Trapp, the former nun, led her new husband and step-children on foot in the middle of the night over the mountains for days to escape the Nazis. What courage it took to leave behind their palatial home, friends and massive fortune! They went to America with nothing but their faith and God-given talent to become the world famous singing family blessed with new lands, more children, and a lasting legacy.

So many people would have hesitated and been arrested. Or worse, collaborated with the Nazi crimes to avoid capture. The lesson, my mother said, was that having character and standing up for your beliefs was the only real wealth in the world. Believing in God more than your possessions and more than the title and power of “Baron,” made the Von Trapp family able to find not only material wealth, but even more importantly, overflowing love, happiness and freedom.

The little nun who fell in love with Prince Charming and his family didn’t find her happily ever after in his earthly kingdom. Quite the reverse. He and his children were saved by her total reliance on the kingdom of God. And that’s a real happily ever after!

Scripture Of The Day: “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” - Deuteronomy 8:18


Bonnie St. John is a professional speaker and Olympic medalist, who has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, the 700 Club, and Life Today. The author of How