Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
Devotion
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus warns His people against storing up for themselves earthly treasures. Jesus does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to store treasure up for self. We are to hold it as stewards. Instead, we are instructed to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Like previous kingdom values we have seen, this has more to do with the heart than anything else. Jesus is not against money or work. Instead, Jesus condemned worry, not work. Jesus never told us to stop working. Rather, He called us to correctly focus our faith on God, the ultimate supplier of our needs.
“Storing up” carries with it the thought of investing or saving for the future. The kingdom value here is investing in things of eternal significance. In discipleship, I tell people, “We must live with eternity in view.” If God’s eternal kingdom is a priority in our lives, then we will invest our time and resources in things that have eternal value. Money in and of itself is not evil. Scripture teaches us that “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He was pointing to the reality that our hearts are married to those things that we value the most. If eternal things are not important to you, you will invest in earthly things. If eternal things are important to you, you will invest your time and resources in those things that have eternal significance.
People will always invest their lives into those things that are most important to them. Jesus calls us to examine our own hearts when it comes to our priorities. He wants us to do an inventory of our priorities. If we find that our priorities are not in alignment with the heart of God, then we must realign our hearts to God’s heart. After all, we glorify God when we reflect His character/heart in the world. The Upside-Down life requires living with eternity in view.
Questions to Ponder:
When you examine your life, where are you investing most of your time and resources? What does this say about your heart? Are you able to live your life with eternity in view? How are you currently “storing up” treasures in heaven
Prayer Points
- Hallow the name of God.
- Worship Him as the Giver of all good gifts. Thank Him for being your Provider, Sustainer, and for the joy of partnering with Him in the reality of investing in that which will last forever.
- Invite the Lord to search your heart and see if there is any hidden way in you.
- Ask the Lord to give you His heart regarding giving, investing in things of eternity. Pray for that for the greater one church.
Suggested Prayer
Abba, Father, You are wonderful, glorious, magnificent, and worthy. I love You, Lord, and I praise You for being the King of the universe, Almighty God of heaven and earth! Thank You for providing for me; thank You for loving me; thank You for being my all-in-all. I confess, Lord, my eyes are so often focused on the wrong things, and my heart is fixed on the things of this world. Forgive me, Abba, and bring me back to You. Set my gaze on You, LORD. I ask that You, Lord, quicken my heart when I make money an idol. Keep me on the straight path, Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.