March 24

Luke 16

Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.

INSIGHT

It’s hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm. Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.

PRAYER

The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday ( Psalm 37:3-6).

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death (Lamentations 1:20).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance….
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:5, 8).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

• Greater faith in God’s providence
• The needs of your friends
• Your activities for the day
• Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).