And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’’
Luke 12:16-17
Jesus opens His parable with a story of blessing – a man’s field has produced a record yield. He has a wonderful problem in that he doesn’t have room to store his harvest. It also indicates God has blessed him before, stating that he is a rich man. What is he to do?
When we are blessed with abundance, what do we do? Hopefully we thank God and seek His will for the gift we have been given. We are quick to turn to God for help and comfort in hard times, but when we are successful and full, do we give Him the glory?
The children of Israel were warned ‘When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God’ (Deuteronomy 8:10-11). We must be careful not to fall into this trap either, thinking that we have accomplished something on our own. Scripture tells us ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ (James 1:17). God is good all the time; we must recognize His generosity and give thanks.
Gracious God, we have been blessed beyond anything we deserve. Help us to use Your gifts for the good of everyone and to remember that everything comes from You. Amen.