Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 10
Wednesday


RICH
TOWARD GOD

READ:
Luke 12:13-21
_____________________________________________________________

Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be
also. __Luke 12:34
_____________________________________________________________

I watch the fluctuations of the stock market and reflect on the effects of fear and greed. A character in a 1980's movie had this philosophy; "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right! Greed works!...Greed [will] save...the USA!" What foolish thinking!

I think of that occasion when a man asked Jesus to serve as an arbiter and make his brother share their inheritance. Jesus refused the request but went on to do the man a greater kindness. He pointed out the motive behind the man's request and its consequences: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).

Then Jesus told a parable about a man who harvested a bumper crop and began to make plans to increase and enjoy his riches. He concluded: "God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (vv.20-21).

The trouble with greed is that ultimately our goods go. But worse--we go. Better to store up treasure in heaven, invest in spiritual riches, and become "rich toward God." __David Roper
_____________________________________________________________

``````````````````The treasures of earth do not last,```````````````
```````````````````But God has prepared us a place```````````````
````````````````Where someday with Him we will dwell,````````````
````````````````Enjoying the riches of grace. __Branon````````````
_____________________________________________________________

Our real wealth is what we invest for eternity.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 12:13-21*************

13 Then one from the
crowd said to Him,
"Teacher, tell my brother to
divide the inheritance with
me."

14 But He said to him,
"Man, who made Me a
judge or an arbitrator over
you?" 15 And He said to
them, "Take heed and
beware of covetousness, for
one's life does not consist
in the abundance of the
things he possesses."

16 Then He spoke a parable
to them, saying: "The
ground of a certain rich
man yielded plentifully.

17 And he thought within
himself, saying, 'What shall
I do, since I have no room
to store my crops?' 18 So he
said, 'I will do this: I will
pull down my barns and
build greater, and there I
will store all my crops and
my goods. 19 And I will say
to my soul, "Soul, you have
many goods laid up for
many years; take your ease;
eat, drink, and be merry,"'

20 But God said to him,
'Fool! This night your soul
will be required of you;
then whose will those
things be which you have
provided?'

21 "So is he who lays up
treasure for himself, and is
not rich toward God."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Luke's gospel record, more than the other three gospel accounts,
focuses on the parables Jesus used in His teaching. It has been
said that a parable (v.16) is an earthly story with a heavenly
meaning. Jesus used these commonplace illustrations to bring His
hearers understanding of the eternal realities He longed for them
to embrace. In teaching by this method, Jesus built bridges of
understanding that continue to enable us to know Him better today.
__BILL CROWDER