Nguyen lives in the U.S., but immigrated from Vietnam in 2001. He admitted to ESPN while he won money in poker rooms in recent years, he lost a lot of money playing baccarat. "I decided myself to stop gambling," Nguyen said before the final table. "I will only play Baccarat for fun now ... small amounts and go home.”
That's a lesson many people who go to casinos should learn. Stay too long in a poker room or playing some other game, and odds are you'll lose a lot of money. There's a spiritual parallel to that....
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?... - Isaiah 55:2
We've heard preachers over the years turn this into a nutrition commentary - for whole wheat bread, and against "Wonder Bread." But we think there's a deeper point. There's more to life than the labors of work, or the indulgences of nice food:
...Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. - Isaiah 55:2b
What should we be eating for our souls? This may seem weird to some, but....
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.... Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever. - John 6:51, 58
Jesus Christ said those words - and many people had trouble with them (verses 52, 60). While it can refer to a communion or "Lord's Supper" celebration, it also can refer to feasting on the things of God every day - through reading and studying the Bible, for example. After all, many people pray....
Give us each day our daily bread. - Luke 11:3
Jesus called Himself "the bread of life" (John 6:35). Living by His example can lead to eternal life - something far more fulfilling than games of baccarat, or even a WSOP bracelet. We hope Qui Nguyen comes to see his need for that bread of life - and that you will, too.
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