Jesus told the crowd to "avoid greed in all its forms" (Lk 12:15). Then He told a parable about a man who stored his harvest and had "blessings in reserve for years to come" (Lk 12:19). Jesus implied that saving for retirement or for a rainy day was greed. Our heavenly Father works on a daily-bread system (Mt 6:11). He commands us to not worry about tomorrow (Mt 6:34). Even the manna He gave the Israelites in the desert wasn't able to be saved for the next day (Ex 16:20).
If we save our money and possessions, we don't fit into God's system. The Lord has provided enough for everyone but, because we're saving, others aren't getting their daily bread. Millions throughout the world are starving or severely impoverished. In most of these situations, the contribution of our savings would save lives and lead people to Christ.
Missionaries who continually appeal to us for help are not lying. Our giving will literally save lives. In the Bible, God occasionally calls His people to save in preparation for a famine (see Gn 41:48; Acts 11:29). But He never calls for savings when the famine has already hit. When we feed any starving person in the world, we feed Jesus. When we refuse to feed a starving person, we refuse to feed Jesus (Mt 25:40, 45).
| PRAYER: | Father, fill the stomachs of third and fourth world children by emptying my bank account. |
| PROMISE: | "Set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God's right hand." –Col 3:1 |
| PRAISE: | Praise the Risen Jesus, Who is seated at the right hand of the Father and lives forever to intercede for us! (Heb 7:25) |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College