"Rich and Foolish" April 17 Readings: Judges 17-18, Luke 12:1–21, Psalm 48:11–14, Proverbs 11:5-6

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Today's Readings - Judges 17-18, Luke 12:1–21, Psalm 48:11–14, Proverbs 11:5-6


Devotional - Rich and Foolish


Jesus, in Luke 12:15, issued a warning that is perhaps more needed today than it was at the moment he gave it.
“Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

Life is about a lot more than the cars we drive, the homes we live in and the money we have stashed in the bank. Paul issued dire warnings, in 1 Timothy 6, to those who would shipwreck their lives with the love of money. Perhaps he had this verse in the back of his mind.

Greed causes us to live our lives going from mirage to mirage searching for water and finding only sand. Those who live for money and possessions find themselves quickly trapped in an empty and meaningless lifestyle.

Jesus followed that statement with a memorable story. A man had a bumper crop and tore down his barns to build bigger ones. There is nothing wrong with being successful or having a little something in savings. But the implication here was that this man was selfish and greedy. He didn't care about others and had no intent to share his bounty with those in need. He just built bigger barns to store more stuff for himself.

Jesus called him a fool. Those were strong words in that day, perhaps even more so than today. He was a fool because he invested himself in worldly things and gave no thought to eternity.
‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ Luke 12:20

 When his life ended suddenly that night, all that he had lived and worked for would become meaningless.

So, here is the question for us to consider. Are we living for that which will have value after death? If my life is about money, then it is pointless once I breathe my last. If my life is about fame, fortune, power, or my own ambitions, those things all fade into oblivion at the end. But if I am invested in the Kingdom of God, in making Christ known, in serving others in the name of Christ, in loving others - those things all have eternal value.

This rich man was a fool because he invested his entire life into things that counted for nothing when death came. Let us be wise because we store up treasures in heaven and invest our lives in that which is eternal.

Father, may I never been caught up in the foolishness of greed or ensnared by the love of money. May my life count for your kingdom. 

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?

Do you live your life for kingdom values or for the things of this world?
We must work, handle money, buy things. There is a fine line between being diligent and responsible with money and loving money. It is a matter of the heart - something only God's Spirit can define in you. Examine your heart for any greed, materialism, or love of money - a true poison of the soul.




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