Monday, October 25, 2010
Stop and Reflect on God
25 October 2010
Luke 12:16-21 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' (NIV)
The devil loves to ferment a conspiracy between the values of the godless world around us and our fleshly nature. Most people would like to have more money and possessions, thinking that they will be more secure and therefore stress-free. That is also the dream of thieves, gamblers and high risk investors along with those who are banking on a future legacy.
This agricultural story is full of reality. The entrepreneurial business-man was investing his income into real-estate and capitalising his assets, so that he would never need to work again. Jesus describes God's reaction to that mentality. He calls such people 'fools'. They are foolish because they have forgotten that they will die and cannot take any of it with them. They are fools because they will have to endure the pain of the investment without any of its rewards; and they are foolish because, instead of sharing their assets as a kind person, somebody else will distribute them.
True riches will always retain their value; they can never be taken away, spoil or change (1 Peter 1:4). They are not measured by any banking currency, but are the sum of everything we treasure in our relationship with God. In the same way that a poor family may be greatly fulfilled by loving interactions between parents and children, to the point at which poverty has little meaning for they have great treasure in each other, so those who love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and strength, have an eternal investment which will only increase in value in God's presence for ever.
So instead of being far-sighted, this farmer was very short-sighted. He had not counted on God's right to change his lifestyle and end his life. Like him, everybody who fails to invest in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ will lose everything because that is the only key to heaven.
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You for reminding me that my possessions are a small and quickly passing part of my life. Forgive me when I put my trust in what I have, instead of in You who has promised to hold me securely for ever. Help me to make godly decisions about my money, investments and savings so that I will always have enough to give to those in need, to feed my family and to serve You. Help me to invest in my relationship with You so that I can trust You without any fear when the money runs low or the crops fail. May my lifestyle and mind-set display my faith in Your grace rather than the greed which forgets my mortality and Your Sovereignty. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Luke 12:16-21 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' (NIV)
The devil loves to ferment a conspiracy between the values of the godless world around us and our fleshly nature. Most people would like to have more money and possessions, thinking that they will be more secure and therefore stress-free. That is also the dream of thieves, gamblers and high risk investors along with those who are banking on a future legacy.
This agricultural story is full of reality. The entrepreneurial business-man was investing his income into real-estate and capitalising his assets, so that he would never need to work again. Jesus describes God's reaction to that mentality. He calls such people 'fools'. They are foolish because they have forgotten that they will die and cannot take any of it with them. They are fools because they will have to endure the pain of the investment without any of its rewards; and they are foolish because, instead of sharing their assets as a kind person, somebody else will distribute them.
True riches will always retain their value; they can never be taken away, spoil or change (1 Peter 1:4). They are not measured by any banking currency, but are the sum of everything we treasure in our relationship with God. In the same way that a poor family may be greatly fulfilled by loving interactions between parents and children, to the point at which poverty has little meaning for they have great treasure in each other, so those who love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and strength, have an eternal investment which will only increase in value in God's presence for ever.
So instead of being far-sighted, this farmer was very short-sighted. He had not counted on God's right to change his lifestyle and end his life. Like him, everybody who fails to invest in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ will lose everything because that is the only key to heaven.
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You for reminding me that my possessions are a small and quickly passing part of my life. Forgive me when I put my trust in what I have, instead of in You who has promised to hold me securely for ever. Help me to make godly decisions about my money, investments and savings so that I will always have enough to give to those in need, to feed my family and to serve You. Help me to invest in my relationship with You so that I can trust You without any fear when the money runs low or the crops fail. May my lifestyle and mind-set display my faith in Your grace rather than the greed which forgets my mortality and Your Sovereignty. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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