#1181. Luke 16:9. Do our ‘pockets’ serve God? (5/11/24)

Luke 16:9

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series. Today, from Luke 16:9, we reflect on how we often say that we want to serve God with all our lives and hearts, but are we prepared to serve Him with our wealth as He wants us to!

Luke 16:9

To watch this devotional, select the link below

https://youtu.be/r4XganJpEmI

‘I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.’ (Luke 16:9)

Luke 16:9

i. Let’s learn to be shrewd, but for the right the right things

It’s very interesting that Jesus uses the poor example of this sly but shrewd manager to teach us how we are to use wealth. What on earth can we learn that’s positive from this dishonest and selfish individual that will help us to use our ‘worldly wealth’ healthily?

We see that this man is shrewd in his use of wealth. He knows what he wants and how to get what he wants with the money that he has access to. So, an important lesson that we can learn from him is to know what we want and then use the wealth that God has given to us in order to get it. The important difference being that this man was shrewd in his use of wealth for selfish ends whilst God’s children - ‘Children of light’ - are to be shrewd in using money for the glory of God.

ii. The spiritually shrewd use ‘worldly wealth’ wisely

It’s strange it seems to me that Jesus commands us to ‘use worldly wealth…’ However, He uses this negative phrase - literally ‘unrighteous’ (adikía) ‘wealth or mammon (mammōnâs) - to make the point that wealth is not to be trusted and gives false promises of security and joy. Therefore, it’s to be used for God’s glory rather than idolised as did the shrewd manager; wealth is never to become our security and joy.

Do we know that God has made us stewards of ‘worldly wealth’? Do we know that it can and is to be used for God’s glory and for eternal reward? Are you and I shrewd? Do we put our wealth to work for the best ends? We often say that we want to serve God with all our lives and hearts, but are we prepared to serve Him with our wealth as He wants us to - do our pockets serve God?

Let’s pray together

“Father, I thank you for your provision. I thank you that it’s your will that I steward and serve your purposes with the wealth that you give to me. Please give me the vision and skill to use your money for my needs but also for your glory. Amen.”