[After Jesus' reply to the religious leader's question about what to do to inherit eternal life, the] man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."
When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
—Luke 18:21-23 NLT
For the rich man, the one additional thing Jesus called him to surrender was huge. Our one additional thing also can be huge. Clearly, this story impacts us in at least three ways:
So the message for you and me, dear friend, is this: We must be generous, and we must not let anything interfere with our wholehearted devotion to the LORD Jesus.
Dear Father in heaven, please never, ever, let anything crowd into my heart and become a rival to your Son. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Ⓒ 1996-2023 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
—Luke 18:21-23 NLT
Key Thought
For the rich man, the one additional thing Jesus called him to surrender was huge. Our one additional thing also can be huge. Clearly, this story impacts us in at least three ways:
- It calls us to be generous and understand the heart of God toward us and others.
- However, it also asks us to look at our life circumstances and determine what is the one thing that is most difficult for us to give up for Jesus.
- Then it calls us to give it up for the benefit of others.
So the message for you and me, dear friend, is this: We must be generous, and we must not let anything interfere with our wholehearted devotion to the LORD Jesus.
Today's Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, please never, ever, let anything crowd into my heart and become a rival to your Son. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2023 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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