What is Your Treasure?

What is most important to you today?  What do you dwell on more than anything else?  What do you desire above all?  What are you working for?  What are your goals, dreams, and aspirations?

Today let’s look at Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus is speaking, and these are His instructions, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Let’s look at a scripture where a man’s treasure was more important to him than Christ.  Luke 18:18-20 “A certain ruler asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (19) ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered.  ‘No one is good—except God alone.  You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ 

Let’s stop there for a minute and ponder what has been said so far.  First of all the rich ruler did not recognize who Jesus truly was.  He saw Him as a “teacher” not God and Jesus right away questions that.  Good is from God and teacher is from the world, the two do not go together.  Of course, Jesus knew the man’s heart from the start of the conversation but we are getting a glimpse of it as we read.  Jesus goes on to tell him something he already knows, but notice, Jesus only recites the last five commandments in which the ruler replies,

 (21) “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 

If you will notice, each of these commandments relate to our relationships with each other, not with our relationship with the Lord.  This ruler wanted to make sure he lived a life of integrity and that he did.  As we look further in the scripture we find out where his heart is.

 (22) “When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.’  (23) When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.  (24) Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! (25) Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’  

In this life we have choices to make and the most important choice we make is deciding where our treasure is. In John 10:10 we can see what happens to those earthly treasures when a thief comes in, again Jesus is speaking and He says,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

The rich ruler had no idea that his treasure was right before him.  Jesus was telling him to give away those earthly treasures that will be destroyed and to follow the One that could give him heavenly treasures that would never be destroyed or be taken away. 

So many times we get caught up in this life of ours.  We start out wanting to survive and we end up wanting more and more and more.  Before long our treasures are earthly rather than heavenly.  We get so caught up in earning money that we forget to read the word of God, we even forget to talk to Him.  If we do talk to Him it is saying, give me this, give me that and we forget to thank Him for the treasure of Himself.  Today, I hope you will stop and think about where your treasure is.  Is it in this world?  Are you following the commandments that teach us how to get along with each other but leaving out how to get in touch with God.  Let’s look at what Jesus says is the greatest commandment,

Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind.” (38) This is the first and greatest commandment.” 

The rich ruler remembered the second commandment that Jesus gave, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39) but he was not willing to fulfill the first and greatest commandment.  So many times in this life we can forget that our goal is not to become rich and famous, or to have a specific house, or the newest car but our goal in life should be to store up treasures in heaven by loving our Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, and mind.  Without this we have nothing.

As you seek Him and find Him may you grow closer to Him through His love and may you put Him first in your life and begin storing up those treasures in Heaven.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila