Chose Today

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

CHOSE TODAY

Luke 6:24-26

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

NIV

What a warning against seeking the fame and fortune of this world. Jesus is warning those who look to the system of the world for their own well-being, filling their pockets with gold and silver, and finding comfort from their great wealth. It is the same type of person who looks to the wealth of the world for comfort and laughs at God. What is most interesting is that it looks like Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God to the kingdom of this world. Blessed are the poor in spirit, but woe to the rich in spirit. Blessed are the humble in spirit, but woe to the proud and haughty in spirit. Blessed are those who have chosen the kingdom of God, but woe to those who have rejected His kingdom for the kingdom of the world. What we are concerned about is whether we have or will try to have one foot in each kingdom. That is, we want to follow Jesus, or at least confess that Jesus is Lord, but then we still fight to gain and store up as much wealth as we can for our future old age. How can we trust in Jesus and trust in money at the same time? Of course, we need some amount of money to live in this world. We have needs, housing, food, clothing, and transportation so we can get to work, which provides the paycheck or income needed to pay for the things of life. But the problem is when we get so invested in the ways of the world, that we forfeit the way of God, maybe try to live both ways, bringing back to one foot in each kingdom. Yet, Jesus spoke directly to that issue when he said that we cannot serve two masters, living in two kingdoms, it has to be one or the other, the kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world. Joshua said it best, “Chose this day whom you will serve, but as far as my house, we will serve the Lord.