“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life” (Matthew 19:16).
Most of us are familiar with the story of the rich young ruler. He had great wealth and everything others only dream about. One would think the young ruler would not have had a care in the world. He did have a question and in spite of all his wealth, he couldn’t find an answer until he spoke with the one he referred to as, “Good Master.” Jesus quickly reminded him God was the only who could be referred to as good. The young ruler might have known that if he hadn’t been so consumed with his wealth. But he wanted to know what he should do to obtain eternal life. Rich or poor that question can only be answered by Jesus. Unfortunately, the rich young ruler first asked if there was some “good thing” he could do to have eternal life. Many in the world today still think of that first when the question of eternal life is mentioned. It’s like they think they can negotiate a deal with God. God’s grace is not earned or deserved. It is freely given when we repent of our sins and accept the valuable gift of eternal life.
When we stand before God, all our deeds and wealth will not mean a thing. What will matter is what we did after we asked Him how to have eternal life. If we accepted Him as Savior and Lord, we will become the children of God. As though that wasn’t enough, we will become joint heirs with Jesus according to Romans 8:17. We may not have great riches on this earth, but oh the glory that awaits us!
Sue Winchester MissouriPRAY TOGETHER: “Little is Much” Rejoice Hymnal, p. 525, would be a good song to sing or read as we pray concerning the study “How Much Is Too Much.”
