Overview of: LukeToday's Reading:
Luke 11:1 – 12:59
"Wealth, Worry, and Watchfulness"
Focus Verses: Luke 12:13-48
32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Insight:
Life does not consist of the abundance of possessions. Security is not to be found in things (even lots of things). Worry about things can lead to misplaced priorities: obsession with self; blindness toward the needs of others; disregard for righteousness; failure to recognize the real beauty of today; and distorted values. Our pursuits and treasures indicate whether our perspective toward life is temporal and false, or eternal and true.
Response and Action:
I want to live with the eternal values and perspectives of the kingdom of Christ. I want to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. I want my faith in Christ, my pursuit of his righteousness, and my submission to his authority to determine the way I live and the choices I make. I do not want my faith in self or the pursuit of things to determine my relationship with Christ. I want to seek Jesus, his ways, and his priorities more than anything else. I will put first the things that last.
O God, help me to live for you and through you in thought, word, and deed. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Shape my love for others by the grace and work of Christ in my life. Give me the wisdom to recognize what is true and what has eternal value. I trust you to provide for my needs as I put you first. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.
Old Testament for Today: Ecclesiastes 5:10
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
In Context: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
Proverb for Today: Prov. 9:9
"Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning."
Recommended Reading:
The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty
by Albert Y. Hsu
