What would you do with a million dollars? This was a question I have heard many times in my life. I am sure the answer has changed since I first heard it in elementary school. What would you do with $340 million? In January 2023, one man seriously contemplated that question. The man is John Cheeks and he looked up the numbers for the DC Lottery Powerball to see they matched his ticket exactly. Every number was correct, which meant he would get all the $340 million! To be sure, John rebooted his computer just to be sure and the same numbers were there. His excitement cannot accurately be described. John did not know the individual who would get him the money, but he had the matching numbers.

A few days later John went to cash in his winning ticket, but the claims agent for the lottery said none of the numbers matched and the “ticket was no good, just to throw it in the trash can.” His bewilderment, anger, and disappointment cannot accurately be described. The website with John Cheeks' winning numbers was an accidental error. The numbers were just a random example of the winning numbers until the official numbers were to be posted later.

All people have some measurement of success in their minds and how they will receive a reward for that one day. Jesus told of a similar story to the mistaken lottery winnings, but Jesus gave a much worse scenario. We will have a horrific surprise if we think we just need to match some standard to receive the reward of eternal life and not know the one giving the reward.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).

Take time every day to get to know Jesus.