On January 24, 1848, a carpenter building a sawmill along a river near Sacramento, California, for a man named John Sutter, found some flakes of gold in the streambed.  They became partners and tried to keep the find a secret, but news of the find spread rapidly and they were soon besieged by thousands of fortune seekers.  Their property was overrun, their goods and livestock was either stolen or destroyed, and within four years Sutter went bankrupt.  So, a man who should have become a very rich person ended up losing everything.

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us about a man who had a bumper crop one year as a farmer, and immediately began to plan how to handle the situation.  He decided he needed more room to store his crops, so he planned to tear down all his barns and build bigger ones.  It’s a little puzzling why he did not simply build more barns, but perhaps he did not have the necessary space on his land to do so.  In any case, he decided that once he had gathered in all his crops, he could take it easy for many years, and then concentrate on eating, drinking, and enjoying life. 

        Unfortunately for him, God spoke to him to inform him that his life would end that very night, and God asked him what he would then do with his possessions.   Jesus is the one who told this story to His listeners, and then made the point that the same thing would happen to those who laid up earthly treasures for themselves, instead of being rich toward God.  Jesus concluded that they should take no thought for their life as far as what they should eat or what they should wear, because life was more about food and clothing for the body.

        Jesus then spoke about ravens, and how they never engaged in sowing or reaping, and did not rely on storehouses nor barns, but God still takes care of them.  Jesus concluded that people are far more important than the birds of the air.  He also said that people do not have the ability to add even one inch to their height to be taller.  He spoke about the lilies of the field and how they didn’t perform labor or make clothing for themselves, but their beauty and the glory of their appearance far exceeded the splendor of Solomon, the king of Israel.  He made the point that if God took care of the flowers of the field which did not last very long, He would certainly take care of His followers.  So, let’s be sure to not be spiritually bankrupt.

 Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.