October 24
When Enough
Is Never Enough
"Don’t be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, ‘I will never leave you. I will never desert you.’"
Hebrews 13:5 (NIrV)
Luke always wanted more. His house was nice, but it could be bigger. His car was sleek, but a newer model had just come out. His vacations were great, but the hotels could be fancier. No matter how much he had, there was always something better, shinier, just out of reach.
He scrolled through his phone late into the night, eyeing a new smartwatch he didn’t need, checking flight prices for another getaway, browsing luxury cars that would stretch his budget. His job paid well enough, and he wasn’t struggling, but there was always something missing—something just beyond his grasp that, if he could get it, might finally make him feel content.
At some point, exhaustion won, and he drifted off to sleep.
Then his phone rang.
The sound jolted him awake. Groggy and confused, he blinked at the screen—Tom, his neighbor. Why was he calling in the middle of the night?
He answered. “Hello?”
“Luke! Wake up! The whole street is flooding!” Tom’s voice was urgent. “You need to check downstairs—now!”
Luke bolted upright. His heart pounded as he threw off the covers and rushed to the window. Streetlights reflected off the water—water that wasn’t supposed to be there. Panic shot through him.
He took the stairs two at a time. The moment his feet hit the ground floor, icy water soaked through his socks. He froze. His beautiful living room—his expensive couch, his massive TV, his designer rugs—was drowning. A chair floated by, bumping against the kitchen island. His fridge had tipped, its door hanging open like a gaping mouth. And outside, his beloved car sat half-submerged, its sleek body useless against the rising flood.
Luke stood in shock, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Everything he had spent his life chasing, everything he thought mattered—ruined. And for what? Had it really made him happy? Had any of it ever filled the nagging emptiness inside him?
He sank onto the stairs, staring at the destruction. A thought whispered into his heart, soft but clear: None of this was ever meant to satisfy you.
Tears burned his eyes. He had spent years wanting more, but what he needed had been there all along. Not money. Not things. But the simple gifts—the warmth of a home, the love of friends, the presence of a God who had never left him, even when he had ignored Him.
Luke bowed his head. “God… I see it now. I’m sorry. Thank You for what I still have.”
The flood had taken much, but it had given him something greater in return: a new heart, finally content.
Prayer:
Lord,
Forgive me for chasing after things that will never truly satisfy.
I see now that no possession can replace the peace that comes from You.
When everything feels lost, help me to remember that I still have You—and You are enough.
Thank You for never leaving me, even when my priorities have been misplaced.
Teach me to be content, to trust You, and to find joy in what truly matters.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
