Heavenly Treasures - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 3
Heavenly Treasures
By Annie Yorty
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)
On a recent road trip, I traveled a section of highway I had driven many times before—but not recently. This busy truck corridor cuts through a wide valley of farmland situated between mountain ranges. Normally, the patchwork quilt of green, brown, and gold fields framed by a bluish-purple ridge in the distance steals my breath.
Instead of a scenic panorama, warehouses now dotted the landscape along the highway. Enormous storage buildings bigger than my entire neighborhood streamed past. Some had signs that declared ownership: Amazon, Target, Walmart. Others were more generic holding tanks for the goods consumers demand. Even in the empty spaces where I could still glimpse the expanse of farmland, I noticed evidence of more behemoth distribution sites in process.
What, I wondered, could occupy all that space? Did the toiletries, hair dryer, book, and dog food I ordered online the other week really necessitate that much storage capability?
Several decades ago, business practices turned to inventory methods that procured products for manufacturing and distribution at just the time they would be immediately used. This reduced the expense of warehouse storage space and kept goods fresh. Now, the demand for massive repositories for consumer “treasures” has exploded.
Without a bucolic landscape to distract me, my thoughts turned to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s Gospel. He said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth” (6:19 NLT), yet these buildings are piled high with earthly goods. God’s Spirit within me prompted self-evaluation. Before I condemn the businesses that construct massive barns for consumer goods, perhaps I should examine the storehouses I own—my home and my life.
If a stranger were to poke around my house, what would my belongings tell them about my priorities? The food in my pantry, the stash of yarn in my closet, the extra rolls of toilet paper in my basement, and the collection of children’s books reveal something of my heart’s disposition. Perhaps you, too, have accumulated some “treasures” in your attic, basement, garage, the shed out back, or even a rented storage unit. All these resources and collections need our scrutiny with assistance from the Holy Spirit.
Jesus warned about the temporal nature of earth’s treasures. Susceptible to the ravages of time and the elements of nature, they deteriorate over time. Moths and rust creep in and destroy unused inventory. Furthermore, our stockpiles attract would-be thieves.
Our Lord also contrasted the types of treasures we should collect, and where they reside. He said, “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20 NLT). We typically hoard the things we value. Jesus said value and save only what will last into eternity—God, His glory, His Word, the gospel, and the souls of people. Whatever we do in His name remains forever.
Does that mean we can’t enjoy our home or other material possessions God has given to us? Should we stop saving money for a rainy day or preparing for the future? Absolutely not. When we study the entire counsel of God’s Word, we find His support for both these activities.
In this passage from Matthew, Jesus shows us how money and possessions indicate our spiritual condition. “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21 NLT). He urges us to evaluate the level of our dependence and trust in Him. To what degree, if any, do we depend on our possessions for happiness, security, or comfort? Can we say we trust God even if, like Job, we lose our livelihood and the things we hold dear?
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24 NLT). Anything we own has the potential to own, or rule, us. Let’s pause at the beginning of this new year and evaluate how—or if—we use our material possessions. Do items in storage simply take up space, money, and time to organize? If you sold or gave them to someone in need, would they better serve their purpose?
These questions should not prompt changes derived from guilt, and we cannot compare our responses to the choices of other people. Instead, we should open our hearts to allow God’s Spirit to reprioritize any part of our lives that is out of line with His best for us.
Friends, let’s commit ourselves to building a stockpile of heavenly treasures that will follow us into eternity.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Ask God to help you recognize any part of your life where you may not be fully trusting and depending on Him. How would your life become more purposeful as you begin to submit these areas to Him?
Further Reading:
Matthew 6:19-24
Luke 12:16-31
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/NiseriN
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