Sowing And Reaping

It was overcast; the sun had now just peeked above the horizon bathing the sea in bright yellow light. Mr. Bostic sat on the balcony of his 5 million dollar mansion that overlooked the eastern seaboard and watched as the sun took its time to extricate itself from the confines of the ocean. It was if a string was pulling it up wards. He breathed in deeply and savoured the breath of a new year. Another year gone and what a successful year it was. It made him a billionaire. He now had his new jet parked at the airport and his yacht berthed in the harbour. He smiled. He had come a long way since those penniless days and he was not finished yet, not by a long shot.

This year he said to himself I have to get a bigger jet and a larger yacht. It is not good enough that mine is the smallest in the hanger and my yacht does not even have a swimming pool. At the end of this year I must be in the first five of the fortune five hundreds. Then I’ll relax and enjoy the wealth that I worked so hard for.

As he reflected on his goals for the New Year his thoughts came to rest lovely Susan, his former wife and trusty. He believed in her, worshipped her, provided her with anything she needed. He loved her to the full capacity of his being and yet she deceived him, taking with her 10 million dollars and alimony of $500, 000 every month. His anger rose in him like a Tsunami.

Suddenly he felt a tightening in his chest, a pain shot out from his sternum and wrapped itself around his ribs, he gasped for breath as his fingers sought to create new pathways to his lungs by tearing at his throat, but to avail. In a few minutes his brain starved for Oxygen stopped working and his heart was relieved of its duty.

All bodily functions ceased and Mr. Bostic was dead.

This modern adaptation of the rich young ruler brings us face to face with life greatest life’s greatest tragedy. That a man may acquire all the wealth he desires and yet not live to enjoy it. It is sad that more often than not we prepare and plan for our physical existence but no effort is placed in preparing for our spiritual existence.

This should not be so! Jesus sums up the story in Lk. 12: 20,21 in this manner;

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Solomon puts it this way in Ecc. 6:1,2

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is common among men.

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but astranger eateth it: this is vanity and it is an evil disease.

It is interesting to note that God calls this man a fool. Why should he be considered a fool. In the context of the story this man is aware that there is a God.

He is aware of what God demands of him;

tithe;

offering ;

service to his fellow man

He is knows all these things but he has never stopped to consider them in the past nor did he consider them as he made his plans for the future. He behaved as one who did not know of God. As far as he was concerned God did not exist and therefore his requirements had no effect on him!! So, therefore, he must be considered a fool. Only a fool would ignore God!

We should know that you cannot ignore God.

Pharaoh tried it

Jonah tried it

Balaam tried it

The Jews tried it

Men throughout history have tried it.

In the end God must be acknowledge. In fact the Bible tells us Is. 45:23

I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

We have to acknowledge God’s presence and influence in our lives. Not to do so is to live in peril of losing our souls.

What would you say of a man who blatantly refuse to pay his rent, or taxes and made it known to the government and to the house owner. He would be considered a fool. He would be removed from the house and cast into prison!