Date: Monday, 4th September, 2023
Texts: Luke 16: 19-31; Job 29:12-16
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
Though not so common, it is possible for a man to be rich materially and also rich towards God. Today, we would be looking at what the Rich man in the Lazarus’s story failed to do and what he could have done to avoid the condemnation he experienced.
We will do this using the life of another extremely rich man called Job. By every standard Job was a very wealthy man. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. “He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants.” Job 1:2-3. In today’s language, he was a multi-billionaire.
But despite his material riches, Job was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:3
What was his attitude towards the poor and less privileged?
Job’s testimony in Chapter 29 verses 12 to 16 summarizes it all, “Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”
Job was selfless, a holy philanthropist who sought to promote the welfare of the less privileged. This was where the rich man in the Lazarus story missed it. It is now crystal clear why he found himself in everlasting torment. The Lord personally testified concerning Job, that “he was blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8 May this be your testimony in Jesus name.
Prayer Nugget: Father, make me eyes to the blind and feet to the lame in Jesus name