Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “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?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
True Treasure—Think deeply. What/whom are you serving?
Is there anything that needs to change in your life? How so?
As I have much of my retirement saved in the stock market it can get a little alarming as I ride the crazy roller coaster of Wall Street. But life is not defined by what I have saved, what possessions I have accumulated or anything else focused on my personal gains. I have learned that by tithing first and by putting the second 10% in savings, the rest will be enough for me to be content. Although I try not to look at what has been stockpiled for tomorrow, I do sometimes worry if it is going to carry me through my future. But instead of worrying about material things, I want to be rich toward You. Even if something happens that wipes out my savings, You will never leave me or forsake me and will care for me through eternity. Lord thank you that you tell me over and over again not to worry and not to be afraid. Help me to seek your kingdom and trust that all these things will be given to me as well. Amen