DEVOTION – DAY 187
Matt:6:19-20 “Real Treasures”
Matt.6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Many people spend their lives focusing on how to save and build up their wealth so that they and their families could live comfortably. Many people think that so long as they have a lot of money, they will not need to worry about anything. But the Lord tells us this is not true. The Lord Jesus warned against storing up treasures in this world. Wealth does not bring us a life without worries. In fact, the more wealth we have, the more we need to worry about how we can protect it from thieves and the evil intentions of others. The Lord Jesus instead tell us to store up treasures in heaven that will endure.
Recently, in the news, we see yet again how Jesus’ warnings became a reality. The news reported about a possible financial collapse of a large Property Development company called Evergrande that was based in Guangdong province, China. The news interviewed some customers and suppliers of Evergrande who had descended on its headquarters in Shenzhen to try to get their investments and money owed to them. But they were unsuccessful because the company was short of funds and some of its many construction projects have stopped. A woman cried that her life’s savings were spent on some investments that she bought from Evergrande, and that she thought the company would default in payment. She feared that she had lost all her savings. There were many like her. This is what happens when people put their faith in worldly treasures because it may not last and it can be stolen. Let us look at the case of someone who chose to store up treasures in heaven instead.
Susan was working in Ipoh, Malaysia. She felt God’s call to be a missionary. She resigned from her job and spent time being trained to be a missionary. She is now making plans to spend the next few years as a missionary either in the Middle East or Africa. She knows that God will protect her, provide for her, and empower her to share the gospel to people in foreign lands who have never heard of Jesus Christ. She will not be earning much in what she is doing but the work will have a huge impact on the lives of those who turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is what storing up treasures in heaven mean. We all have to make a choice in how we live our lives. Do we want to live like those people who invests money in companies like Evergrande thinking they will get richer, or live like Susan, to live for others and tell them about Jesus?
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please help us to store up treasures in heaven and not waste our time storing up treasures on earth. Please help us to focus on things that have eternal value for your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Questions
- How do you choose to spend your time? Do you spend it storing treasures on earth, or in heaven?
- If you are storing up treasures on earth, what are the problems and issues or worries you face?
- How can you store more treasures in heaven? What changes will you make so that you can store more treasures in heaven?