The Things We Treasure

-


Scripture:

Matt. 6:19   “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;  20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Observation:

Jesus knew how easy it was to treasure the things of this world. His comments here focus on having things made of fabric and metal. The wealthy in Jesus’ day had several outfits of clothing — the poor did not. Clothing that goes unworn is susceptible to moths and metal objects unused or uncared for — to rust. In other words, he is speaking to those who have more than what they need and what happens to those items when they are stored up and unused. But maybe those aren't just physical robes but there are also the robes of office. Moths could also destroy these as well!

The word used here for rust could also be worm, which could be a reference back to the manna of old which could only be used on a daily basis. Too much manna and it turned to worms. The entire concept is one of complete and total dependence upon God who will supply our needs.

Real treasure is that which is incorruptible. Heavenly treasure is that which is transferable from earth and into eternity. This is found in relationships both with God and man and is defined by love of God and love of neighbor. This treasure cannot be stolen, nor can it be corrupted by earthly forces. We will be defined by the things that we treasure.

Application:

In the last five years we have moved twice. I really don’t like moving and all the work it entails but one thing it makes you do — is that you sort through all your stuff. Should you move the “stuff” or not? There tends to be a major purging with each move because as you look at the “stuff” you realize that there is so much that you don’t need. There are all the things you haven’t even noticed for a couple of years. Why do you have them? Why should you have them? Who knows! I love cleaning things out and getting rid of lots of stuff and just getting down to what we really need.

Spiritually we need to have these times of evaluation as well. Earthly treasures may not just be things that we accumulate but it may be the ways in which our calendars are filled. What has become most important to us? Is Church attendance still a treasure to us and our lives? What about spending time in the word? How much time do we spend in prayer?

The things that we treasure will define who we are and what we become. Whether we want to admit it or not our treasure pulls at our heartstrings. Therefore our heart can be given away to a sports team, a new car, a new home, another trip or to our well-deserved “free time.” In the meantime there is a world that desperately needs to know the love of Jesus. Sadly, they won’t experience the love of Jesus because the hearts of God’s people are too tied up with their treasures.

Prayer:

Lord, please help me to treasure the things that you would treasure.  Amen.

If you would like to read more "Reflecting the Image"  click on the image to take you to the NPH bookstore.The book is also available in Kindle format on Amazon.com.


http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/nph/itempage.jsp?itemId=9780834135277

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more