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But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

We all need it, no matter how old or young we are. We need it no matter how much money we have, where we live, where we work, where we worship, or who is related to us. We all need to feel secure, from little ones hugging their stuffed animals to adults paying for cybersecurity. We all want peace of mind. We don’t want anything to cause us worry, stress, or fear. We want everything set so we can live a worry-free, stress-free, secure life made easier because we have everything we need and so much more. So, we spend all kinds of time, money, and effort to make it happen, yet we can miss the only source of true security.

Jesus told the story of a wealthy man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. The wealthy man didn’t just seem to have money. He served money. He flaunted it. Lazarus, on the other hand, had nothing except the source of true security. He trusted in the true God, his Savior, his Lord, his help and hope.

When both men died, everything reversed. The Lord sent his angels to bring Lazarus to the eternal rest of heaven, while the rich man spent eternity in hell, yearning for even a single drop of water on his tongue.

What is Jesus saying to us here about the security we all seek? First, it’s not about the money or lack thereof. Money is a gift from God, but money can never be the source of our security. Instead, Jesus calls us to look to him. We look to Jesus, who became poor that we might have the eternal wealth of heaven. We look to Jesus, who left behind the feasts of heaven to fill the hungry with good things. We look to Jesus, who saw our foolish pursuits for security in this life and instead sacrificed his own security, even himself, to give his true security for all eternity. In Jesus, we have a life of security.

Lord Jesus, like Lazarus, help me to see you as my security for this life and always. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.