What does Hurricane Ike, Capital Investments and Barns have to do with each other?

Simple: "Uncertainty"! I know I have been slightly stressed these days about the stock market, presidential race, foreign relations, employment opportunities, Hurricane Ike , etc, etc. I have realized at the end of the day Barns and Capital Investments are symbolic of two uncertainties that Jesus pointed out.

1) Firstly, despite all of our attempts to establish security or financial safety nets God is still the provider of all our resources at the end of the day. God is the one who brings rain and allows natural devastation. Sometimes to remind us of how frail our efforts and establishments are. Jesus made this point by illustrating how protected a "bird" is in comparison to agricultural investors of his time who put food away into "barns".

Matthew 6:25-27 (New International Version)

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?

2) Secondly, despite our efforts to establish security we are all going to die. Again Jesus warns us about the mentality that says "Once I get this__________(you fill in the blanks) I will be happier and finally begin to enjoy life"!

The reality is that you won't enjoy life because there will always be something else you need and work hard to maintain. We as Christians call this obsession, "stewardship"! LOL! Many times it is greed, envy and jealosy in contrast to pure obedience to the will of God despite the result of poverty. "Blessed are the poor", Jesus declared.

In the end when we die the only thing that will matter is the quality of our daily lives, rather then the quantity of our educational degrees, annual salaries, sexual expressions, network of relationships,  vacation homes we posses, etc, etc.

What will matter is how close and passionate were we about God's presence and prestige in this world. Jesus made this point in the following parable,

Luke 12:16-21 reads:

16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

In response to Jesus statement one article I read was titled: "Hurricane Ike shakes Galveston's economic boom" .

What would you do, and what will you do when the Hurricane's of life hit you?

I guess the real answer to that question depends on your answer to the following:

"Are you investing into real relationship with God and the World to Come By Doing Good Here on Earth (The Only True Certianty)"

1 Timothy 6:17-18

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Written by :

Jack Hakimian