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Topic: Lesson From The Rich Fool
[DCLM Daily Manna 5 May 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Luke 12:13-21
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
KEY VERSE: “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy Soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” – (Luke 12:20)
MESSAGE:
There is a mad rush in the world to acquire wealth, with the vain hope that the more riches one amasses the happier one becomes. While material wealth can bring a measure of comfort, and give immense pleasure, it cannot guarantee anyone’s fulfilment in life. And worse still, the superficial satisfaction it affords can become an impediment to preparing for life after death.
This is the message our Lord Jesus Christ conveyed when someone asked Him to adjudicate in a dispute with his brother over inheritance. While dismissing the man’s request, He used the opportunity to underscore the right attitude towards the accumulation of wealth. He warned the man to guard against greed and covetousness. He illustrated this with the parable of a rich man who prospered greatly in his business. He had taken plentiful harvest and was suddenly consumed by the desire to amass more wealth.
As he wondered within himself how to achieve this feat, he came to the conclusion that he would have to enlarge his storehouse to accommodate more goods. He thought this would bring him a life of ease and merriment. And just when he thought he had it all worked out, God came to him that night and demanded for his soul. It was clearly foolish of him to go through so much trouble to take care of his comfort on earth without sparing a thought for the afterlife.
As a believer, you should not join the madding crowd that accumulates wealth for its own sake. If God has blessed you with riches, you should establish a flourishing relationship with Him; then, use your wealth to assist other people. This is how to lay your treasure in heaven.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Planning for life before death is wisdom but neglecting life after death is disastrous.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 11-13
