This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
Context: (Luke 12:13-15 NIV)
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool: (Luke 12:16-21 NIV)
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “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.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘
20 “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?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Let’s take a look at verse 21 in two more translations:
(Luke 12:21 NLT)
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
(Luke 12:21 MSG)
“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”
So, what does this mean to you today? On Sunday, my Pastor, Tony Brazelton, mentioned the Parable of the Rich Fool in his message, and he also mentioned Ephesians 4:28. Much of what I share with you today will be based on what I gleaned from his message.
1. Your heart needs to be single (or clear) where money is concerned.
(Ephesians 4:28 TPT)
If any one of you has stolen from someone else, never do it again. Instead, be industrious, earning an honest living, and then you’ll have enough to bless those in need.
(Ephesians 4:28 NLT)
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
(Matthew 6:22-23 KJV)
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
(Matthew 6:22,23 TPT)
22 The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being. If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in!
23 But if your eyes are focused on money, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. How profound will be the darkness within you if the light of truth cannot enter!
(a) God blesses you so you can BE a blessing to others and so you can fund His projects around the world.
— The Apostle Paul talked about working. As he did, he explained that as we are able to earn resources, we will be in a position to give to those in need. This is an important reminder that whatever God blesses us to earn is NOT JUST FOR US!
— The goal of working is not just to pay bills or have fun. It’s more than just so your needs will be met. Part of the goal for your work should be to gain resources so you can be in a position TO BE a blessing.
— The Rich Fool in the parable was storing up money, but he had no intentions of giving any of it to anyone else. He also had no intentions of funding Kingdom projects. He was just focused on accumulating as much money and possessions as he could. He had so much stuff that he had no place to put it all, so all he was focused on was building bigger storehouses to house all his stuff. “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?’
(b) We must keep a clear and clean heart where money is concerned.
— Jesus said that if your heart is single (single-minded and focused), it will be full of light. But if your eye is NOT single (if it is divided), it will be full of darkness.
— The Passion Translation says, “But if your eyes are focused on money, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place.” The love and pursuit of money can cause your eye (or your heart) to be divided where money is concerned.
— One way to destroy a vision is to give you two visions.
— You will be divided between the things of God and the love of money. If you are divided, you will be full of darkness.
— Do not be double-minded where money is concerned. Your heart should be focused on doing whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do with what God blesses you to manage (remember, it all belongs to Him anyway, and you cannot take it with you).
— If the devil can get you to say, “Yeah, I love God and I live to give,” but then, deep in your heart, you develop a selfish attitude about money, your heart will no longer be single, and you will not be able to hear what the Holy Spirit tells you about giving.
— You must have a heart open to God and whatever He wants to do with whatever He blesses you to gain.
— The goal of working is to give! If your eye is single, where money is concerned, your heart will be full of light. But if your heart is not single, and you have multiple visions or desires where money is concerned, it will be easy to become full of darkness.
— This is teaching us that light cannot penetrate those who are double-minded.
— God wants us to have the nature and the heart of His Kingdom!
— When your heart is the heart of the Kingdom… you see finances as a matter of trusting God.
— Single-minded focus on God leads to clarity in purpose.
— When God is the center, everything else falls into place.
— A divided heart leads to a divided life.
— Money is a tool, not a master. It’s essential to understand the role of resources in our lives.
— Generosity is a Kingdom principle. Blessings come from being a cheerful giver.
— True prosperity is internal. Prosperity isn’t just about wealth but about a prosperous soul.
— Do all you can to maintain a heart that is focused on PURPOSE over POSSESSIONS.
— When your heart is right towards God, there is no limit to what He will bless you to manage. A heart aligned with God attracts blessings!
— Alignment with God’s will is the key to unlocking blessings. Just don’t forget that God bless you so you can BE a blessing to others. It’s not just all about you!
2. The Holy Spirit can help recalibrate your heart where money is concerned.
(Matthew 6:33 KJV)
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
— This whole chapter is about Jesus trying to get us to recalibrate our hearts.
— Jesus is teaching us NOT to chase things. He wants us to chase God. If we chase God and His Kingdom instead of chasing THINGS, it will put us in a position where things will wind up chasing us!
— Prosperity is a by-product of seeking God. Your prosperity becomes the by-product of giving God first place!
— When God is first, all things will be possible to him who believes.
— Prosperity is a matter of the heart.
— God takes care of your natural needs when you spend time with Him!
— The only way we can stop depending on money is through prayer. The more time you spend with the Holy Spirit, especially in prayer, the more He will recalibrate your heart.
— If you are being tempted and you know your heart is not right (mainly where money is concerned), the way to fix this is by spending time in God’s Word and His presence.
— If you say, “I got a Word from God, but all hell is breaking out, what should I do?” What is happening is that satan is trying to tempt you to be double-minded. He does not want you to focus on what God said (His promise). The enemy wants you to focus on the problems over the promise so you can be double-minded. Once you are double-minded, your eye is no longer single, and it will be flooded with darkness instead of light. How does this apply to money? Well, let’s say that you and your spouse believe God wants you to give a certain amount to a Kingdom project, and you make a pledge. Believe me, as soon as you do, the devil will do all he can to get you to stop working on the pledge. He will attempt to create situations where you need to spend money on unforeseen things, or he will tempt you to make unnecessary purchases, all becuase He does not want you to fund God’s projects and advance His Kingdom.
— Light cannot penetrate a clouded (or double-minded) heart!
— There will always be reasons NOT to give. But if your eye is SINGLE (fixed and focused) where money is concerned, and you do not sway from God’s promises or your pledges, God will see to it that the money gets TO you. Your part is to make sure it gets THROUGH you!
— God’s blessings follow obedience.
— God honors a heart that prioritizes Him.
— If you are struggling in this area, spend time with God. Prayer is the key to recalibration. Through prayer, we can align our desires with God’s will.
— God’s presence brings clarity. Once you are clear and walking out God’s vision, aligned with His purpose, it will attract favor and create prosperity because your heart is focused on God and not selfish desires.
— A recalibrated heart sees life from a Kingdom perspective!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
In this season of divine alignment, I come before You with an open heart.
I am not swayed by the world’s definition of success; my identity is rooted in You.
Every resource I receive is a testament to Your grace and favor in my life.
I will manage the resources You bless me to have well, and I will seek to advance Your Kingdom, funding Your projects.
My heart is single, focused solely on Your purpose and plan for my life.
I reject the temptation to be double-minded, choosing instead to trust wholly in Your provision.
My work is not just for personal gain but to be a vessel of blessing to others.
I am committed to giving first, trusting that You will take care of all my needs.
Father, as I navigate the world’s financial systems, I am grounded in Your Kingdom’s economy, where giving precedes receiving and trust in You positions me to walk in Your prosperity.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
