Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) 

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “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. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Sometimes we want miraculous miracles to happen to prove to ourselves that God is there. People will pray and ask God for him to do something crazy just so we can know He’s really there. We may do something like ask for a lot of money. Then if God gives it to us we can reassure ourselves that He is actually there. We may pray and ask God to send a lightning bolt in the middle of a parking lot, just to satisfy ourselves.

In Luke 16:19-31 it talks about a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man. Since Lazarus was given a name in this parable it shows that he was important. (Lazarus means trust in God). The rich man feasted sumptuously every day, whereas Lazarus begged for the crumbs from the rich man’s table. When both Lazarus and the rich man died, a great reversal happens. Lazarus is in heaven feasting with Abraham, and the rich man is in anguish in hell.

The rich man begins conversation and ask Lazarus to come and cool his tongue. Abraham answers by telling the rich man that he had a well life while Lazarus suffered. Then the rich man asks Abraham to warn his brothers by raising someone from the dead so they will believe. Abraham replies by telling him that God gave the prophets like Moses for people to trust.

Today we don’t have the prophet Moses just hanging around so we need to use God’s word to guide us. When we are doubting God, or our trust is failing, we can pick up the bible and there will be great hope for us lean on. God’s always going to be there, but if you’re ever just having a bad day you can pick up your bible and read the hope given to us. Since we believe God’s word, which tells us that Jesus is there for us, we can have this hope.

Have you ever felt like you needed to test God presence?

Did you resort to something other than the prophets in the bible?

Talk about how you can as a family read the bible together to overpass anything bad going on in your life.