25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ - Luke 16:25-26
Dear Jesus,
You told this parable to help all of us realize how short and fleeting earthly life is. Our wealth and possessions are irrelevant to eternal life. None of our personal circumstances will last. This is both a comfort and a confrontation. It makes me wake up and listen to you and whatever you have to say about the meaning of life and the salvation you bring. What you had Abraham saying to the rich man who was in hell, echoes in my mind, "In your lifetime you had good things but now you are in agony." I don't want to get caught up living for this life and all that passes away. Help me to enjoy your blessings but to use them for the good of others and to your glory. Help me to hold them loosely in my heart so I don't get dislocated when you pull them out of my grasp. Make me a free, powerful, force for gospel goodness in this life.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
If you feel discombobulated when God wrenches a blessing from your life, it's a sure sign that it was not as good for you as you had once thought.
Additional Reading: 1 Timothy 6, James 1:9-11