Next – August 3, 2022

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21

Next

We spend a lot of time thinking about what is next. What is the next thing I need in life? What is the next job or class? What will we do next year?

There is nothing wrong with planning for what’s next. Planning for what’s next is necessary, especially if you are someone God has blessed with an abundance of things or talents.

In our Bible reading for today, Jesus tells us this parable because he doesn’t want us to have too short of a view when it comes to what is next. In the parable, a man does lots of planning for what is next: Build. Store. Relax. None of his plans for what is next matter because he doesn’t live to see them. He spent a lot of time planning for a day that never arrived instead of planning for the day that did arrive.

There is nothing wrong with making plans for this life, but we should also not neglect plans for the life to come. The things that God has given us are tools and instruments not only for here but also for eternity. Our wealth and talents are not just to be used to serve ourselves but to serve God and our neighbors.

In this way, we are ready for what is next.

Prayer:
Almighty God, give me a heart of wisdom that I may number my days aright. Amen.