Elevating your service ∙

Elevating your service ∙

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. – Luke 9:23

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

 1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.

 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.

 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

Many of these estimates are outdated, originating in 2018, decades ago in Internet time. It is estimated that there are between 5 and 10 billion pages on the Internet. There are more than 2 billion websites on the Internet. 4 billion out of the 7 billion people on earth are already online. Facebook has over 2.40 billion users, approximately 30% of the world’s population.

Internet users consume a great deal of bandwidth. In 2016 one zettabyte of bandwidth was used. One Zettabyte equals a thousand Exabytes, a billion Terabytes, or trillion Gigabytes. 85,000+ websites are hacked every day.

Each of us follows something or someone. We scour the Internet and social media for “facts” and opinions. We listen to friends, leaders, or even so-called “experts.” Some of us follow family customs or what are considered accepted societal norms. But all of us follow something.

What we follow, we serve!

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody (Bob Dylan)

To be a servant of the Father takes more than just being one of the children of the King. Right choices need to be made and maintained.

What is the standard?

We are to serve and help up to and beyond your ability. How can this possibly be done? Paul makes it simple. He provides an example, the brothers and sisters in Macedonia. They were “all in” regarding their determination to serve and help. Nothing could keep these people from helping. They begged to help despite personal sacrifice, suffering, and their current poverty. They were determined to help.

The key to their service is found in their very first critical decision. They gave themselves to the Lord and to us (2 Corinthians 8:5). Once you give yourself to the Father, giving things, time and resources follow easily.

REFLECT & PRAY

Elevating your service successfully is not easy; it is hard, sometimes seemingly impossible. But anyone can do it!

Father encourage me to daily surrender control of my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT

To be a successful servant of the Father, we must hear Him and do what He says. It is one thing to hear; it is another thing to do.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!” (James 1:22 – MSG)

We start where we are and acknowledge that the Father is in charge. When we accept Him as our sovereign Lord, it is not a concession. Instead, it is a confession of what is indeed fact. We choose to believe what is already true. We spend the rest of our lives endeavoring to actualize what we believe.

The Father’s intention is for Christ to have His special place in the lives and hearts of each child of the King. Sadly, many of us have snatched Christ’s special place away from Him. We have put ourselves in the driver’s seat instead. Our responsibility, as servants, is to surrender and allow Him to assume His rightful place in our hearts that we usurped from Him.

1 Peter 3:15 Reverence Christ as Lord of your heart.

The Greek term translated as reverence or sanctify is hagiazo, from hagios, which means holy, set apart. Reverence envisions an act of dedication, consecration, or commitment. It has the sense of “serving the Father with a whole heart,” “dedicating yourself,” or “giving yourself to God.”

Such reverence or commitment in your hearts involves continual deep-seated confidence that the Father is sovereign and that the Lord Jesus Christ reigns as Lord of lords and King of Kings.

1 Peter 3:15 can be translated as “In your hearts give Christ a unique place” (Barclay).

Children of the King who have enhanced their service are people for whom the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are of prime importance in life. For them, their relationship with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ is their most precious possession.

If people set their hearts on earthly things, material possessions, happiness, pleasure, an easy life, and comfort, they, of all people, are most vulnerable. Life in our fallen world is unpredictable. They may lose these things at any moment. Such people are desperately easily hurt (Barclay).

On the other hand, when the Children of the King give the Lord Jesus Christ His unique place in our lives, things change dramatically. The most precious thing for us becomes our relationship with the Father. Nothing can take that from us. Therefore, we are completely secure.

Suffering is part of the human condition. No one escapes suffering, but for children of the King who are serving the Father with their whole hearts, suffering cannot touch the things that matter most of all. Suffering cannot rob us of the most precious things in life (Barclay).

The fear of suffering is mitigated by elevating our service. “Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life’ can go on to say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” (Maclaren)

The Father is looking for servants willing to really serve Him, not merely go through the motions. A special delight awaits His servants. One day He will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23)

Trust the Lord Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and allow Him to take control.

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Do not bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit

Do not bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit

Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30

Isaiah 63:7-10

 7 I will tell of the LORD’s unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.

 8 He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.

 9 In all their suffering, he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy, he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.

 10 But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit.  

A young man named Ron was suffering kidney failure. Dialysis was no longer working for him. If something were not done, his life on earth would be short, critically short. He was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Out of nowhere, a young woman named Rayleigh came alongside to help. Although they were unrelated, she was a perfect match to provide one of her kidneys to save Ron’s life. What an act of supreme altruism and remarkable generosity.

The transplant was a success, but that was only the story’s beginning. Her act of sacrificial giving began a journey of mutual attraction and, ultimately, love. Soon Ron proposed, and Ron and Rayleigh became husband and wife. Ron would have a part of Rayleigh abiding within him for the rest of his life. This proved to be transformational. How so? Ron realized that wherever he went, Rayleigh was literally with him. Her presence within him was a life changer. Her presence informed his attitudes, words, and actions. In the back of his mind, he always thought, “What would Rayleigh think about my attitudes, desires, actions, general demeanor, and disposition? Because of her sacrificial love for him, he would never want to bring sorrow, sadness, or grief to her. For Ron, her residence within was a permanent motivational paradigm shift.

In much the same way that part of Rayleigh now lived within Ron, the Holy Spirit lives in every child of the King. The Holy Spirit is present with us wherever we go. And in many ways, a witness, if not a co-participant, in all that we feel, think, say, or do.

Ephesians 4:30 Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.

The Greek word translated as bring sorrow or grieve is lupeo. Lupeo means to sadden, cause distress, grieve, offend, or bring sorrow or unhappiness to another. It has the sense of causing someone to cry. Thus our actions and words figuratively bring tears to the eyes of the Holy Spirit. Thus, alternative translations would include: “If you use harmful words, it will make God’s Holy Spirit sad. Do not do it.” “Don’t make God’s Holy Spirit sad by using harmful words.” “Otherwise, you will only be grieving the Holy Spirit of God . . ..”

Take a moment and visualize the Holy Spirit teary-eyed and weeping because of what you have said or done. When someone loves us, why would we ever want to hurt them or cause them sorrow? Why would we ever want to break the heart of our heavenly Father?

Too often, this verse is quoted apart from its context. Not all things cause the Holy Spirit grief or sadness. What actions or attitudes are named? A partial list includes anger, theft, deception, lying, foul or abusive language, naysaying, and discouraging words.

REFLECT & PRAY

1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure.

Father sadly, I recognize I am just like the children of Israel long ago. Rather than gratefully acknowledging Your grace and loyalty, it is far too easy for me to rebel and defy and ignore You. Envelop me in Your grace and love and draw me close to Your loving heart.

INSIGHT

Causing grief and sadness to the Father via Holy Spirit is equivalent to a betrayal of His love, loyalty, and devotion to us. This was the case, more often than not, during Old Testament times. Regardless of the loyal love and faithfulness of the Father, the children of Israel violated their relationship with them.

The Father is pictured as the devoted, loving husband of Israel. At the same time, Israel is portrayed as His wayward, disloyal, stubborn, rebellious wife.

Isaiah 63:7-10

 7 I will tell of the LORD’s unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.

 8 He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.

 9 In all their suffering, he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy, he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.

 10 But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. 

The people of Israel continually and repeatedly refused to respond as they should to their loyal, loving, devoted husband. “Instead of gratitude and greater faithfulness on the people’s part, ingratitude and rebellion followed the divine benefits” (Young). They rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit. The people were stubborn and defiant. The Holy Spirit was grieved. “Divine love was wounded” (Leupold).

How tragic! It is easy for us to reflect on such defiance 2700 years ago in quasi-disbelief and disapproval.

Yet, although we are children of the King, are we not guilty of the same thing?

1 Corinthians 10:5-12

 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

 6 These things happened as a warning to us so that we would not crave evil things as they did.

 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

 12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

“Likewise, Christians are in danger of failing to appreciate God’s provisions for them in Christ and despising Him. We can feel dissatisfied rather than thankful and content” (Tom Constable).

1 Corinthians 10:12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

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© Dr. H 2022

Forgiven and wiped clean ∙

Forgiven and wiped clean ∙

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. – Psalms 32:1-2,5

Psalms 32:1-11

 1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin

is put out of sight!

 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.

 4 . . . My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

 11 So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all of you whose hearts are pure!

Guilt and remorse for what we have done have terrible, haunting consequences. We are plagued with memories, sometimes vivid images, shame, and fear.

In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare vividly captured the horrible emotions of a guilt-ridden conscience. Lady Macbeth convinced her husband to kill the King of Scotland, but her conscience was racked with guilt. She hallucinated and saw blood on her hands. She repeatedly describes the imaginary stains of her guilty conscience. But her incessant washing and washing is never able to remove her guilt. Eventually, she goes insane.

Almost every child of the King has suffered from agonizing guilt. And no matter what we do, nothing seems to remove it. Human effort and repeated attempts to clean ourselves are inadequate and ineffective to relieve a conscience tormented by guilt.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is this so?” The Father created physical and spiritual laws by which the material and immaterial worlds are governed. They are always at work. When we break the Father’s spiritual laws, we experience real guilt. It is unavoidable. Whatever we sow, we reap!

What is the answer? How can such a terrible, haunting, recurring sense of regret and remorse be adequately dealt with? Are freedom and relief possible? If so, where and how?

REFLECT & PRAY

Galatians 6:7-8

 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Father the guilt and dread of the past torment me. I long for release! Thank you that you sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for my sins and cleanse my conscience from the guilt that I may serve You. As I freely acknowledge and confess my wrongdoings and offenses, thank You that you have promised to forgive me and wipe the slate clean once and for all.

INSIGHT

“Confession clears our hearts spiritually and makes it possible for us once more to experience deep fellowship with God. Unconfessed sin makes us weak, discouraged, and ultimately miserable” (Stanley).

The Lord Jesus Christ died for all our sins, transgressions, and iniquities. If that were not enough, He also died for our guilt and shame. His shed blood is the Father’s answer for each child of the King. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ washes away our sin and shame and cleanses our guilty consciences.

Isaiah 53:4-12

 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

 10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin . . ..

 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

 12 He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

The Father longs that each child of the King be clean and free. When the Lord Jesus Christ came, He shed His blood and died as the ultimate sacrifice of the innocent. As a result, anyone who believes in Him will not perish because of their sins. Their sins and guilt are paid for, forgiven, and wiped clean.

But there is more!

Hebrews 9:13-14

 13 If the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.

 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can serve the living God.

The Father sent the Lord Jesus to cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we might serve Him with a clean and pure heart and no regrets. “That is to say, he did not only win forgiveness for past sin, but he also enabled men and women in the future to live godly lives” (Barclay).

It is as though each of us is like a ship loaded down with a heavy cargo of sin. Further, the ship was firmly tethered in place by the anchor of our conscience.

The death of Christ has done more than unload the sin we carried. He has allowed us to be set truly free from the anchor of our conscience. What external rituals could not do, the Lord Jesus Christ did inside our hearts. Our conscience is now wiped clean of the soil of sin and self. A radical transformation has occurred within. The Father has purged our conscience from its “awareness of failure” (Guthrie).

“What Jesus did puts us right with God, and what he does enables us to stay right with God. The act of the cross brings the love of God to us in a way that takes our terror of him away; the presence of the living Christ brings the power of God to us so that we can win a daily victory over sin” (Barclay).

In Psalm 32, David opens up and lays bare his soul and heart before the Father. He confesses his sin with Bathsheba and all of the collateral damage it wrought. His decision to confess rather than to try to maintain a cover-up came after his encounter with the prophet Nathan.

Sin blocks fellowship with the Father. Without repentance, unconfessed sin prevents us from experiencing the Father’s goodness and enjoying the sweetness of His presence.

“When you find yourself discouraged because you have repeated a certain sin, turn to the Father in prayer. Ask Him to apply His forgiveness to your life and receive His mercy. He loves you and wants to enjoy your fellowship once again” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2022

Spent, daring greatly ∙

Spent, daring greatly ∙

I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. – Acts 20:27

1 Samuel 17:23-58

 23 Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.

 24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.

 26 David asked the soldiers standing nearby, who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”

 31 Then, David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

 32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”

 37 The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”

 41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,

 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.

 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.

 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies– the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

 47 This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.

 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

Theodore Roosevelt, no stranger to criticism or boldness, wrote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.”

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause.”

“Who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Too many of us do not want to get involved. We tend to hold back and wait on the sidelines, watching life go by. We do not error by trying and failing; we error by not trying at all. The Word of God recounts the stories of average people accomplishing great deeds with the Father’s help. Courage is an inner dynamic available to all people who possess Biblical faith.

It is not what you have that matters; instead, what matters is that the Father has you. In our struggle, we are never alone. Our good Shepherd is always with us, watching over us. He is at hand to care for us and carry us when necessary.

I am like the sheep that strays from the rest of the flock. Unless the Good Shepherd takes me on His shoulders and carries me back to His fold, my steps will falter, and in the very effort of rising, my feet will give way (St. Jerome).

REFLECT & PRAY

Instead of being critical of those who do, do!

Father give me the wisdom to know when to act and the courage to do so.

INSIGHT

Courage takes many forms. Sometimes courage advances boldly. At other times, the courage is to show up and remain constant and unswerving.

Courage is the quality of mind or spirit, mental or moral strength that enables a person to face and persevere difficulty, danger, pain, uncertainty, or intimidation without fear. Spiritual or moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of widespread opposition, shame, scandal, discouragement, or personal loss (Richard Zinbarg, Ph.D., Psychology Today).

Father, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference (Niebuhr).

The Scriptures are replete with stories of courageous people who did extraordinary things as they were encouraged and powered by the Father.

Acts 7:55-60

 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

 59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Revelation 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke).

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© Dr. H 2022

Greed unlimited ∙

Greed unlimited ∙

Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.- Luke 12:15

Luke 12:16-23

 16 And He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was very productive.”

 17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’”

 18 Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”

 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”

 20 But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared?”

 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

 22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason, I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.”

 23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

The Great Unconformity refers to a gap in the geologic record of rock worldwide. The Grand Canyon exposures this gap in the rock layers or strata. An unconformity is a surface in the rock record, in the stratigraphic column, representing a time from which no rocks are preserved.

According to evolutionary time reckoning, this unconformity represents a long period of 250 to 1200 million years. The Grand Canyon divides rocks with familiar fossils from those with no fossils or only fossil bacteria. Why does this gap exist? How did it occur? There are many theories, but they are all nothing but educated guesswork. Without human observers or a written record, it is hard to explain why something is present. It is far harder to explain why something is absent. For creationists, the global flood of Noah provides a plausible explanation.

The life and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ are revolutionary. His teachings and principles exposed a tremendous gap between what people should aspire to and seek to be and what they actually are.

People should be rich toward God. But instead, they seek to be rich in the things this world provides. Consequently, they remain destitute, poverty-stricken indigents in their relationship with the Father.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the nonconformist, exposed the Great Unconformity of Greed Unlimited.

Luke 12:16-23 does not prohibit wealth. Instead, it reveals the Great Unconformity lurking within us all.

It is ironically tragic that in pursuing to provide satisfactorily for our own earthly needs, we become fools in the things that matter for eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ warns of the dangerous eternal ramifications of wealth. Wealth can create a seductive tendency toward complacency, self-sufficiency, and covetousness. Though the rich fool anticipates years of ease – a time to eat, drink, and be merry – instead, an eternal destiny apart from the Father is about to begin that night.

REFLECT & PRAY

Poverty and the poor will always be with us. But so will the rich. The real tragedy is to be rich in the things of this world yet poor, destitute in the things of the Father.

Father encourage me to honor You with my life to make my number one priority to be rich in You.

INSIGHT

The wealthy farmer had success, satisfaction, and security. He indeed had personal peace and affluency. What more could he want?

Alas, he was a rich fool. The rich farmer had the “I’s” of a fool. In Luke 12:17-19, the word “my” is repeated four times, while the term “I” occurs 6 times in English and 8 times in Greek. For him, it was all about “me.” The rich man’s ability to see beyond the now, the things that had eternal value, was catastrophically impaired. He never saw beyond himself nor beyond this present world.

Mark Twain defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.”

The Greek word translated as greed is pleonexia. It comes from pleíon – more, and echo – to have. It is translated as greed, avarice, and covetousness. It can be simply defined as the desire to have more.

Luke 12:15 Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.

This rich farmer had an incorrect understanding of life and death. The Lord Jesus Christ and an entirely different perspective. He did not see the farmer enjoying life; He saw him facing death!

Matthew 13:22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

Riches cannot keep us alive when our time comes to die. Nor can they buy back the opportunities we missed while we were thinking of ourselves and ignoring the Father and others. Greed Unlimited and the pursuit of wealth choke the Word of God out of our lives and render it mute (Matthew 13:22). We lose our hunger for it and do not pursue it.

His greatest tragedy is not what he left behind but what lay in front of him, eternity without the Father. The man lived his life without knowing the Father, died without God, and will be in eternity without Him.

What does it mean to be rich toward God?

It begins with salvation and our entrance into a relationship with the Father. The closer and more intimate we grow in our relationship with Him, the richer we become in the things of eternal value.

Solomon personifies wisdom and commends developing a deep relationship with it.

Proverbs 8:17-19

 17 I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me will find me.

 18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.

 19 My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.

The Lord Jesus Christ challenges us to recognize our propensity toward personal peace and affluency (Francis Schaeffer). We need to do a serious self-examination of our values and priorities. Are we driven by greed, consumerism, unethical living, materialistic values, and the need to accumulate?

True satisfaction in life flows out of fulfilling the purpose for which we were created and enjoying an intimate relationship with the Father. As a substitute for the Father, acquiring material excess only makes the heart feel more hollow (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2022