READING: 1 Samuel 22-24, Luke 12:1-31
“And now who will own what you have prepared?”
Luke 12:20
Years ago, I remember a New Testament professor of mine talking about how much he did not like the Gospel of Luke, primarily because the book has much to say about the foolishness of living for “stuff” – and my professor had much stuff. In fact, he listed his home, his cars, his boat, etc., even as he spoke of his discomfort with the book. At the time, I could not relate well to his story, for my rented apartment and my teal Chevy Cavalier hardly compared to all he had. Living for possessions made little sense to me when I did not have many possessions.
Those days were a long time ago, and Pam and I have gained a lot of stuff since then. So, the story of the rich fool hits home more today than it did back then.
The man in Jesus’ illustration found his land to be especially productive – so productive, in fact, that he decided to tear down his smaller barns and build bigger ones to hold his “stuff.” Satisfied and comfortable with his wealth, while seemingly giving little thought to God, the man said to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). He rested in the security of his possessions, but God dramatically showed him the fallacy of his thinking. “You fool!” God said, “This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20). All the stuff for which the man had lived would not matter at all when he was unexpectedly gone.
This word demands that I do some honest work with my heart. Pam and I support our church financially, and we seek ways to give to others. We love the fun and joy of helping others out of the abundance of God’s blessings to us. What I must admit, though, is that it’s frankly easier to live that way when our giving truly is out of our abundance. It’s easier to share out of your barn when your barn’s already bigger than it used to be. Because riches can be so deceitful, we need to continually monitor our hearts to make sure we’re not living for the security of gain, even when we do indeed give sacrificially. At no point should we ignore Jesus’ simple but profound words: “Not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
Instead, life consists of following the God who takes care of all we need when we seek His kingdom first (Luke 12:31).
ACTION STEPS:
- If you remember the hymn, take some time to “Count Your Blessings.”
- Give sacrificially to help someone in need today.
PRAYER: “God, forgive me when I live more for stuff than for You. Make me satisfied in You.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 1 Samuel 25-26, Luke 12:32-59