"So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:21)
It could be, "not rich into God." The NAS Exhaustive Concordance says that the word translated, "toward," means "indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, purpose, or result." Do we not want, "the point reached," in our lives to be our Living Triune God?!?
This does not mean that we ignore our work, or make no attempt to earn money, any more than the Mary/Martha issue justifies laziness and condemns work. Richness, "into God," or, "the purpose of God," means that everything we are and have is under the Lordship of Jesus, that we are the people of, "Seek first the Kingdom of God...." The Greek word for, "first," is, "proton." It not only means, "first," but also, "before." Before I "seek" anything or anyone, I seek Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. What a difference in a day, if this is our purpose in that day. The key in our text is that each day begins, "toward God," rather than toward, "treasure." What/Whom are you, "toward," today? Or we could ask, "What/Whom are you 'into'"?
The vast majority of us spend relatively little of our time in "church meetings," prayer meetings, worship gatherings, missions, etc. Our lives our lived out in our places of business, shops, homes. It is precisely in these settings that the depth of our, "rich into God," is most revealed. Religious activity, no matter how deeply spiritual and genuine, is the "easy" place to manifest what can just seem to be, "rich toward God." In the businesses, the shops, the schools, the homes, now this is a different matter, no pretense allowed here, no religious talk or posturing or pretense will work here---- and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for that.
Our text rings throughout the ages of the Church. Our text is a further revelation that, "out of the heart," is Life in Jesus, not out of the mouth or out of my activity. "My son, give Me your heart," is the cry of Jesus Christ, not only in the Book of Proverbs, but from the day of our birth. Would we want Him to say anything else to us?
Father, in Jesus' Name, while my life may at times seem feeble in walking out our text, I thank You that You created me to be, "rich into [You]."
It could be, "not rich into God." The NAS Exhaustive Concordance says that the word translated, "toward," means "indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, purpose, or result." Do we not want, "the point reached," in our lives to be our Living Triune God?!?
This does not mean that we ignore our work, or make no attempt to earn money, any more than the Mary/Martha issue justifies laziness and condemns work. Richness, "into God," or, "the purpose of God," means that everything we are and have is under the Lordship of Jesus, that we are the people of, "Seek first the Kingdom of God...." The Greek word for, "first," is, "proton." It not only means, "first," but also, "before." Before I "seek" anything or anyone, I seek Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. What a difference in a day, if this is our purpose in that day. The key in our text is that each day begins, "toward God," rather than toward, "treasure." What/Whom are you, "toward," today? Or we could ask, "What/Whom are you 'into'"?
The vast majority of us spend relatively little of our time in "church meetings," prayer meetings, worship gatherings, missions, etc. Our lives our lived out in our places of business, shops, homes. It is precisely in these settings that the depth of our, "rich into God," is most revealed. Religious activity, no matter how deeply spiritual and genuine, is the "easy" place to manifest what can just seem to be, "rich toward God." In the businesses, the shops, the schools, the homes, now this is a different matter, no pretense allowed here, no religious talk or posturing or pretense will work here---- and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for that.
Our text rings throughout the ages of the Church. Our text is a further revelation that, "out of the heart," is Life in Jesus, not out of the mouth or out of my activity. "My son, give Me your heart," is the cry of Jesus Christ, not only in the Book of Proverbs, but from the day of our birth. Would we want Him to say anything else to us?
Father, in Jesus' Name, while my life may at times seem feeble in walking out our text, I thank You that You created me to be, "rich into [You]."
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
