Photo of 21 Days of Prayer, Devotion 11, Luke 12:13-13:9

Jesus had been preaching about the fear of God, who can cast us into hell more than we fear men who can harm our bodies. He stressed that whoever confesses the Son of Man on earth will hear Him confess them before the angels of God. He warned against the unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He was talking about eternally vital matters – heaven and hell.

Then, a man in the crowd spoke up and revealed that he hadn’t listened to Jesus! The man was consumed with his problem and had come to get Jesus to solve it. He wasn’t there to have Jesus change his heart. He wanted his problem fixed without confronting sin in his life.

Jesus saw that his words revealed his heart. The man’s heart problem was not his brother’s greed but his own. This man focused on getting what he wanted in this world. Jesus shows him his genuine need was to be ready for the next. So, Jesus refused to be a judge between the man and his brother. Instead, He showed the man how to be rich – rich toward God.

Jesus strongly warned against greed and told a parable to explain. He indicates that we need constant vigilance to avoid this enemy of the soul. We must be on guard daily, or greed will creep in and strangle our lives. Our choice is: Greed or God? Many might say that Jesus was clear when He said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). He did not say, “should not,” but “cannot.” We must choose.

The rich man made a deliberate, thought-out decision (Luke 12:18-19) but left out one critical factor: eternity! His was covered for many years on earth, but not for eternity.

The fool thinks about life but doesn’t include God, judgment, and eternity. So, the fool and his riches are parted for all eternity at death. God says, “Give an account of how you have used what I graciously entrusted you!” The rich fool was weighed in the balance and found wanting.

The world says life consists of things, but God says life consists of being rightly related to Him and others. To be rich with God, you must expend what God has given you in line with His kingdom’s purposes.

Prayer Prompts:

  • Ask the Father to guide your thoughts regarding your financial resources
  • Seek God’s direction on the best use of your financial resources
  • Trust God to be as faithful as He has declared Himself to be