Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"Where Your Treasure Is There Will Your Heart Be"
November 26, 2017
And He (Jesus) said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
~ Luke 12:15 (ESV)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
There is an older gentleman I know who recently joined the church.
He asked one of the senior members of the church to take care of his bank book. The church member accepted the request. One day, the senior church member asked the older gentleman why he wanted him to keep his bank book. The old man answered, "I have a grown son and daughter and am worried that their intention is not to take care of me but rather that they were waiting for me to die, so they can inherit my money."
He has a will that states they will inherit his money after he dies, but he is afraid they do not value his care, just his money.
The old man wears worn clothes, lives in a small shelter, and tries to cook and clean for himself, something which he really is not physically able to do. He meets with the church member who is looking after his bank book at least two or three times a week to make sure his money is safe. Along with that, he is always talking bad about his neighbors and his neighborhood. He is restless in every aspect of his life.
He is just like the fellow in the Bible who cannot sleep well because of his large properties.
When asked why he does not use his money to properly take care of himself, the man does not have a good answer. He says he comes to church for his safety and then he immediately wants to change the topic of discussion.
This man has the money he needs to take care of himself, but chooses to live miserably.
In this regard, Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Our life on earth is short, as Job spoke, "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away, he does not endure. Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed" (Job 14:1-2, 5).
We do not need to dwell on dying, but rather to recognize that our time on earth, compared to our life in heaven, is very short. If we do, it is easy to lose perspective and allow ourselves to become greedy and jealous. This can make us paranoid of other people, including our friends, neighbors, and family members. We think as though some people are our enemies and are after us. We feel that some people are following us, and it is possible for us to become very suspicious of our nearby friends, neighbors, and even our own family members.
Far better for us to trust in the Lord. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. His blessing of salvation, which comes through faith in and forgiveness from the sacrificial substitution of His Son, shows the depth of His care.
Truly, if the Lord has done that for us, why would we think that He would now turn around and leave us uncared for and defenseless? It is unthinkable, and it is against the Savior's promise that He would always be with us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord forgive us when we think we must do everything ourselves. Let us rather rejoice that the Savior has already done what we could not. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion comes from our Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Ethiopia. It was written by Berhanu Moges. Moges, Lutheran Hour Ministries' director in Ethiopia, has attended Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. There he took courses in personal issues, biblical studies, finance, and computer.
Established in Addis Ababa in 1996, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Ethiopia shares the Gospel in this country of more than 100 million people through Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program, working in partnership with church congregations to organize these workshops. Sports events, dramatic performances, Bible competitions, and other activities have been effective in engaging young people between the ages of 12 and 35. Moreover, evangelism rallies have proven wonderfully successful in reaching people, drawing thousands and including non-Christians and Muslims. Here films, music and drama are offered -- all designed to share the Gospel message.
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
There is an older gentleman I know who recently joined the church. He...
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