Laying Up Treasure

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” –Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV).

What do you treasure? Where are you laying away treasures? What consumes your time in amassing treasure and making sure it is safe from theft, loss or diminishing returns?

Why are we considering a devotional on treasure? Defined treasure is that which one values, whether it be silver, gold, possessions, houses and lands, any sort of wealth or something more intangible that is held dear. We consider treasure because Jesus made a very cogent statement about it: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He always went directly to the heart of our human situation, pinpointing an area needing attention. For those who have undue stress over or covetousness for wealth, He is able to cut to the quick and offer workable solutions.

He told us to “lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Did he give us clues in the Sermon on the Mount, within which context His discourse on treasures lies, about how to lay up heavenly treasure? He said we are to give alms (Mt. 6:2), pray (Mt. 6:5), fast (Mt. 6:16) and seek to please God and be content (Mt. 6:6). Not only are we to follow these spiritual disciplines but we are to use any wealth we may have not for selfish purposes but for God’s glory, and not wealth only but we are to use talents and opportunities for the good of others. We furthermore refuse to be filled with anxiety: “Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mt. 6:32b-33). Additional instruction about the Christian’s attitude toward wealth is found in I Timothy 6:10 and following: “For the love of money is the root of aqll kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love patience and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses…Let them do good, that they may be rick in go9od works, reaqdy to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (I Timothy 6:10-12, 18-19 (NKJV). And within these instructive verses in Matthew and I Timothy, we have the foundational teachings we need to help us know how to lay up treasures in heaven. Let us pray that we will be obedient, make right personal choices and show the diligence that will help us to become rich in heavenly treasures.