“A Rich Man’s Last Chance.”

I thought about these scriptures many, many times, because I see this story every day here in the country of Haiti. The richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. Two nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought long and hard about these scriptures and actually began to cry. What a picture.

There was a “certain rich man, who was dressed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.” His whole life was built around himself. When the Bible says “He fared sumptuously every day,” it means that every day, three meals a day, he “feasted.” He had more food than he could eat. He didn’t just have a “hamburger once in a while,” but he had the best, biggest steak with everything, and more than he could possibly eat. He would sit there, shove food down his big belly, disgustingly, and look out his door, see that dirty beggar, right in front of his eyes… the beggar that “God placed in front of his eyes, every single day!”

Jesus tells us that Lazarus, a beggar, laid at his gate (someone had to carry him and put him there), and he was full of sores. He was poor, he smelled bad and the “dogs came and licked his sores.” That’s as low as you could get… but, he was so hungry that all he wanted was the “crumbs” that fell from the rich man’s table. This was “God giving the rich man, a chance to have a heart change,” but, nothing happened.

I don’t know who could possibly eat like that, three times a day, with more than enough, and look over at the beggar, and see the dogs licking his sores, and yet, he was only asking for the crumbs! It would have been so easy for the rich man to call one of his servants and say, “I can’t eat all this, take this to that poor hungry man.” Or, “Go find a physician and bring him here to take care of that man…” nothing.

I realized later, that God was giving the “rich man,” one last chance to give up his riches, and bless the poor, and have a “heart change” so that, when he would die, heaven would become his home, too… The Lord doesn’t care if you possess great riches. He only cares if the riches “possess you.”

Always be in tune with the Holy Spirit for your change each day, to give and be blessed. It could be the poor in line at the grocery store, counting her pennies to pay for her food. You could easily put it on your credit card! Always be that one, who wants to be “on the giving end,” and God will bless you!

Sherry