The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 17 May 2023 – Beware Of Greed
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TOPIC: Beware Of Greed
READ: Luke 12:13-21 (NKJV)
- Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
- But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
- 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.”
- Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
- “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
- “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.
- ‘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.” ‘
- “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?’
- “So [is] he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus completed a wonderful message on God’s commitment to providing the necessities of life and the need to live lives free of hypocrisy. A man in that meeting asked Jesus “Teacher, tell my brother to divide his inheritance with me” (verse 13). Apparently, the man had not heard the message. He was bodily present, but was too pre-occupied with the thought of property and money to really understand the message. Jesus’ reaction to this man’s request was very strong: “Watch out! Be on your guard.” This was double warning. The Lord is more concerned with higher and noble issues such as salvation, life, heaven and eternity. The mission of Jesus was not to divide properties but to give man abundant and eternal life.
Also Read: Open Heaven 17 May 2023 – God Wants You to Rest
Similarly, today, men find it difficult to sit under the tutelage of God’s word during personal and family devotions, programmes, conferences, etc. Many are more concerned with greed or covetousness for more earthly possessions. This leads to cravings for material things, fleshly indulgence and even snatching what belongs to others. However, a man’s real happiness and comfort does not depend upon what he has (verse15). James warned that the reason for much hostility, murder and other vices in the society is greed (James 4:1-2). So, guard your heart and reorder your priorities to tally with eternal issues.
PRAYER: Pray that God will make us more knowledgeable about Him (verse 21)
