February 25 Full Heart

Luke 12:16-21 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
 
I have been reading a biography of Warren Buffet. Mr. Buffet is an extraordinarily wealthy man. He has accumulated a multi-billion-dollar worth through a keen understanding of business and a patience to stay with stocks, even as they were low in price. Of course, this is an oversimplification of his means to wealth. But the essence of his life is that he has worked constantly and steadily with essentially one thing on his mind: make more money.
    And this was not because he desired so much money – he really has seemed to have little use for it over his lifetime. But his money-making efforts have been for the sake of proving to the world his means and ways are right. He has done things differently than most investors these past 60 years. To use the metaphor of today’s Scripture, Mr. Buffet’s barns are surely full.
    In light of Jesus’ teaching here, we must acknowledge one significant truth regarding Mr. Buffet’s wealth: When he dies, the money and his purpose cease to exist for himself. Others will benefit, but it is done for Warren Buffet. Much worse, he denies God’s existence. His eternal future will be of unquenchable fire unless the Sprit opens his mind to prove Jesus’ true wealth to him.
    Most of us move from day-to-day to have money to use for our daily lives. Sometimes we have work. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes investments pay off. Sometimes they don’t. Money and the lack of it is, indeed, an issue for many of you reading this. Surely you desire to have a full barn that will steadily provide for you.
    I pray this is so for you. I also pray, even more, your heart is full and even overflowing with God’s kingdom wealth. I urge you to diligently work to accumulate a knowledge of God. Build your life with eternity in view as you strive for an active, living faith, sure hope and grateful love for a Savior, who has freely given you an eternal inheritance.
    Yes, many of us strive for our daily bread and material needs. In your work, be content to know that on the great day of the harvest, you will be gathered into Jesus’ eternal home. Nothing, nothing on earth matters but to have a heart full of Jesus. May it be so.
 
Prayer: Fill me up, Lord, with your sweet salvation. Feed me with your Bread of Life. May I drink your Living Water. Amen.