Topic: Where Your Treasure Is [Friday 23, December 2016]
Memorise: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. – Matthew 6:21
Read: Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Bible in One Year: Leviticus 20:1-22:16, Psalms 131-132
MESSAGE:
Treasures are highly valued objects or accumulated riches. Physical treasure has at best only short-term benefits and is capable of opening up the owner to various physical and spiritual dangers. However, spiritual treasure is of eternal value and comes from knowing and serving God. The Bible encourages Christians to save for the future and expects good parents to keep an inheritance for their children. It is also desirable to invest wisely. By the special grace of God, these processes could lead to a huge accumulation of wealth. The focus however is not the wealth but the mindset and attitude of the owner.Matthew 6:20 says,
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
The problem is that wealthy people are familiar with how to make earthly investment and acquire earthy treasures, but only a few of them have the understanding of what it means to lay-up treasures in Heaven or how to go about it. The Bible recorded an encounter between Jesus and a very rich ruler with a similar challenge in Luke 18:15-25. Luke 18:22 says,
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven….”
The solution that Jesus offered is simple, if you want to have treasures in Heaven and you have earthly wealth, sow a bulk of it into the lives of the poor. If you go the extra mile to enrich the poor, you will have treasures in Heaven. Your wealth or possessions on their own are worth nothing to God, except they are converted into something of value that promotes the work of God, or affects the lives of others for good. If you use your wealth to promote the gospel or you meet needs with it, you will reap the harvests in Heaven because the principle of sowing and reaping applies there. A way to be rich in Heaven is to be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:16). Use your wealth to better other people’s life, no rich Christian Brother or Sister has a reason to be poor in Heaven. No poor believer should also be poor in Heaven. You are the one to take the decision that will positively impact your eternity. Invest in the work of God by promoting the Gospel and sow bountifully into the lives of the poor.
Prayer Point: Father, please help me lay up heavenly treasure more than earthly treasure.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
