Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 49:1-9
Ps 49:1-9
1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. 4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: 5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me--6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
Luke 16:19-22
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
We read this story of the rich man and Lazarus and often the discussion is all about heaven or hell or what happens to us when we die. This is missing the whole point of the story (or parable – you decide) that Jesus is telling. In the introduction, Luke says that Jesus is talking to the religious Pharisees who put their trust in the riches of this world instead of trusting God.
One of the main lessons that Jesus is teaching is in our quotation. The beggar died and the rich man died also. A difference was that the rich man had a fine funeral and was probably eulogized by all those who knew him. After this, there would have been a procession to his burial place and then in a white-washed tomb, his body was laid to rest. At best, the body of Lazarus was dumped in a hole in a public grave site by some of the city workers. No one noticed he was gone.
On many occasions, Jesus taught us that we are to be ready for death. We all are given some amount of time on earth (some longer than others) and we are to use it to prepare to be with God in eternity. No matter how much money we have, it is not enough to keep us from dying. So rich or poor, we are to live for God.
O Lord God, open my eyes to see how temporary this world is and how fleeting my life is while here. Help me use each moment to draw closer to you and every opportunity I have to help others in their struggles. Today, I offer a special prayer for those who are in Afghanistan and are being killed or persecuted for their faith in you and in Jesus Christ. Give your healing, your strength and your peace to those who are taking treatments for cancer. Give me your wisdom to make the right decisions and strength to do your will. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
