Harvest Daily with Greg Laurie - May 4, 2006
Thursday, May 4, 2006
The Clock Is Ticking
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
A watchmaker who built grandfather clocks inscribed these words on every clock he built: “Lo, here I stand by thee upright to give thee warning day and night, for every tick that I do click cuts short the time thou hast to live.” It reminds us that our life is like a vapor of smoke that appears for a moment and then vanishes away.
Jesus told the story of a rich man who enjoyed great success. Reflecting on his accomplishments, he said, “I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, ‘My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’ ” (Luke 12:18–19). But God told him, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?” (verse 20).
We can find some commendable things about this rich man. He was a hardworking farmer. He probably would have had to work longer and get up earlier and expend more energy than the other farmers of his day to achieve such success.
But his mistake was not being successful in his work. His mistake was not even acquiring possessions. His mistake was failing to make plans for eternity. He was living large. But he forgot the clock was ticking, that life was passing by.
And this man who died, leaving all his possessions behind, is like many people today. They just want to enjoy the moment. “Take it easy!” they say. “Eat, drink, and be merry!” Yet God says that is not the way to live.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.
Copyright © 2006 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
