Description: God desires us to have happy families. However, Satan undermines the joys of home life by inciting greed and unfounded jealousy. Reference: E.G. White, "The Upward Look," p. 93

Full text of the devotional: “Jealousy and Avarice Rebuked,” March 20

They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:9.

Many years ago some things were presented before me in vision in relation to you and your family. One year ago last June, as different families who erred in some things were presented before me, you, in connection with your husband and children, were again presented before me and I was referred back years in the past. I saw you watching your husband with a sort of jealous fear. His heart was devoted to you, yet you feared that he would think too much of others who had no claim to his affections... Your fears were groundless. Yet this fear has been with you through your married life. You have passed through many hours of unnecessary suffering, scrutinizing the words and acts of your husband with a censuring mind, putting a wrong construction upon them.

Satan was ever ready to do his part to... mar the happiness of a family which might be complete. I saw that this spirit of jealousy was cruel as the grave, and caused an estrangement of feeling between husband and wife. In time the children very often understood their mother’s feelings. Her sadness and trouble awakened sympathy in their hearts, and they... became separated in a greater or less degree from [their] father. All this unhappiness was borrowed. Satan has magnified innocent words and acts into a fault... Letter 9, 1864.

You [too] have a work to do, Brother P----- [the husband], to get rid of your supreme selfishness. You are growing too close and love money so well that every penny looks large to you and the whole generosity of your character is changed to love of money, a desire to accumulate and lay up. You have gained some money, but oh, at what a loss! What an expense! The saving power of faith and the truth has been cruelly sacrificed.

Brethren in present truth should let these uncertain enterprises [investing in patent rights] alone. Seek some steady employment, even if the income is small, and do not be given to much change. Many of our brethren involve themselves by engaging in patent rights which look promising to them; but after they are caught in the snare they find themselves disappointed, and their means gone—means which should have been used to support their family and advance the cause of present truth. Then come remorse, self-reproach, and regret, and some conscientious ones cast away their confidence and lose their spiritual enjoyment, and in consequence their health.—Letter 9, 1863, to an early Advent believer.