The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 29 February 2020 – TOPIC: CARRIED BY ANGELS

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DATE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020
TOPIC: CARRIED BY ANGELS
READ: LUKE 16:19-31 (NKJV)

19. ” There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20. “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21. “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23. “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
25. “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27. “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
28. ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29. “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30. “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31. “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ “

THE MESSAGE:

There are two popular opinions about the end and means of a matter. Some believe that the means justifies the end while for many, the end justifies the means. For the believer, the former stands. The story of the rich man on earth ended with “died and was buried” while that of Lazarus ended with “died and was carried by the angels.” In life, the rich man enjoyed affluence but ended up with an eternity full of anguish while Lazarus, having been a destitute in pain, received an unending joy and comfort in the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man’s problem wasn’t his wealth but his means, “negligence of God’s precepts.” He missed the means which is “hearing and adhering to the word of God.” Hence, instead of being carried by angels, he was buried into an everlasting torment.

There is no doubt that Lazarus, being a beggar, must have suffered. The fact that he was carried by angels shows that he got his means right and thus ended well. Abraham’s fatherly recommendation is that here on earth we have Moses and the prophets and should hear them. Take heed to this fatherly advice because there is no repentance in the grave.

PRAYER: Father, please grant me the grace to hear and to keep Thy precepts in Jesus Name. Amen.