Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Plans" Tuesday, 29 April 2014 - Read Luke 12:13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. 17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ 18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
The rich man said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’”--Luke 12:18-19 (NRSV)
We all make plans. We plan for the holidays, for a place to live, for our jobs, for our children, for our retirement. But life is uncertain. We don’t actually know what will happen tomorrow. Trips are cancelled due to bad weather, holiday celebrations postponed because of illness. We can only plan so much for our children; then they make their own choices. We try to cushion ourselves against life’s uncertainties. We buy insurance for our health, cars, and houses. We plan and save for retirement. Jesus told a story about a farmer who made plans. He built barns to store his grain and planned to enjoy a life of ease. But the farmer did not live to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Jesus concluded the parable: “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). Christians see more to life than insuring ourselves against disaster. We plan to be rich in things that matter to God rather than in material possessions.
The Author: Anne Rasmussen (Somerset, England)
Thought for the Day: How will you plan today for a tomorrow with God?
Prayer: Dear God, help us to plan our lives so that we place our trust in you, rather than in earthly possessions. Amen.
Prayer focus: Financial planners
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