I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry." But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:19-21
When I read the news, there are times when the Scriptures just come to life. Today's devotion speaks to one such example. It rightly begins ...
Once upon a time, that is, early in the 18th century, a high nobleman in Passau, Germany, had laid up for himself a great fortune in gold and silver coins.
Not wishing to pay taxes on his wealth he gathered up his money, put it in a plain box and hid his coinage in the state library.
The nobleman had everything figured out except for one thing: he died before he could use his fortune and before he told anyone else about its whereabouts.
So the cash stayed in that library. The calendar changed, centuries passed by, empires rose and fell, but that cash stayed unnoticed and unclaimed until, a few centuries later, a custodian stumbled upon the box.
According to the library officials, that story is the best explanation for the multi-million dollar fortune in ancient gold and silver coins that was recently discovered.
You see, Scripture can come alive, and so can the message the Word of God wishes to convey.
The Lord wants us to know that while money is important for our day-to-day living, it's pretty powerless when it comes to eternity.
When it comes to our salvation, there is one thing and only one thing which is needful. There is only one thing which is valuable: faith in Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, your Rescuer from sin, death and devil.
Only faith in the crucified and risen Son of God can forgive our transgressions; only faith can adopt us into the family of faith and only faith can guarantee that we will be given a warm welcome into heaven.
That's why faith in Jesus is the treasure that should be treasured and never forgotten.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, during the course of our lives we will pursue many treasures. Help us realize that no matter which road we travel, the greatest and only needed treasure is having Jesus as our Savior. This we ask in His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Job 1-2 Matthew 7
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