Read: Luke 12:13-21 | Listen: Luke 12

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15

People from every walk of life press in on Jesus. The crowd swells to thousands, and a distraught man pushes forward, asking Jesus to settle a financial dispute with his brother. Rather than step in as arbiter, Jesus turns the moment into a lesson for this man and everyone within earshot. He tells them of a rich fool who tears down his barns to hoard a bumper harvest. The man’s plan is to “eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19), giving no thought to God or anyone else. Jesus calls him a fool and calls everyone listening to be rich toward God instead.

Greed rarely announces itself as greed. It disguises itself as caution, as ambition, as simply being careful with what we’ve earned. But greed works like a bucket with a hole in the bottom—no matter how much security or stuff we pour in, we never feel full. The rich fool trusted his barns to hold his future. We can just as easily trust our own savings, foresight, and hustle. God invites us into something different: not less planning, but fuller trust. He asks us to be rich toward him—resting in his provision rather than our own.

TODAY: Before your next purchase or financial decision—even a quick check of your bank balance—pause and pray this line: “Father, may all my spending and saving honor you.” As you pray, reflect on the gracious character of God, who calls you to be rich toward him.