Thursday March 7
Scripture: Matthew 6: 19-24
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Some thoughts:
As we focus in on Jesus’ life as he heads toward the cross, we see more and more clearly how his life demonstrated the words he spoke. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . .” was played out in his words “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus did not store up treasure on earth. He had no home, no retirement account, no investments, no transportation except walking, no educational degree of any sort. He stayed with friends. When he was killed, he had nothing other than the clothes he was stripped of. He possessed nothing! But what treasures he stored in heaven is glorious beyond our imagination; glory we will one day get to see!
A legitimate question to ask is “How much of my life (my time) is going into things or pursuits that are of little eternal consequence?” A few events can suck money dry in a very short time. Do you see in Jesus’ words, the point is not even the treasures, but once again, the location of the heart? The quality of the treasure is indicative of the quality of the heart. The character of the heart is central, not the treasure. It is for that heart’s affection that Jesus went to the cross. Where is your heart’s affection today?
Is the light in your eyes set on your treasures? If your eyes see the light of heavenly treasures your eyes are good. But we live in a secular world that thinks it is enlightened. It believes in its own wisdom, insight, and brilliance. It is a culture that arrogantly rejects God and biblical moral values. It lauds fame, earthly wealth, control, and power. Jesus’ words were never more true regarding our present world’s views. His words: “If the light you think you have [world] is actually darkness [and it certainly is!], how deep is that darkness [and it truly is dark]. How great is the need for the Savior.
Put as simple as possible, everyone has a choice—heavenly treasure which is eternal and God’s way, or earthly treasures, which are misleading, temporary, and limited to our days on earth. In truth, the latter worthless when you are in the grave, and the former brings great wealth both in your present time here on earth and in the world to come. As your financial planner, invest wisely. The returns are out of this world!
Music: “Be Thou my Vision” Sam Robson
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8t-sQ8savg
Prayer: May God support us all the day long, till the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done! Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at last. —John Henry Newman (1801-1890)