Luke 12:15
Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
Over twenty years ago I was asked to visit our county jail and speak with a young man who had been convicted of a fairly serious crime. As I sat down at a table in the visiting room, Ben approached with a wide smile and placed his Bible on the table. It was a very touching meeting as Ben shared from his heart.
Ben told me that a year ago he felt he had it all—a new pickup, a boat and a motorcycle. Ben also had a wife and two kids and his future looked bright. Then he made some foolish decisions, because even with all of his possessions, Ben wanted even more. He committed a crime to get them. As a result he lost his wife and family, house and vehicles.
The smile on his face did not match the story Ben was relating to me. Ben shared how he had given his heart to the Lord Jesus while he was locked up in the county jail. I still can recall as Ben placed his hand on his Bible and said that the only things he could now count as his own were his Bible and a sweater back in his cell. Ben related that with Jesus in his heart he was the richest man in the world.
Ben deeply regretted his sin and offenses and what he had done to his family, but he was rejoicing in the fact that he had passed from death to eternal life and now possessed treasures which are of far more value than anything the world has to offer. It reminds me that when we come to the place that Jesus is all we have, we will find that He is all that we will ever need.
Many passages in Scripture bring us to the vital truth—Jesus is all we will ever need. Like that young man in the county jail, with Jesus in our heart we are richer than the wealthiest man in the world. It is time we start living with that truth.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil