Storing Up : Matthew 6:19-21 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Storing Up - Matthew 6:19-21

Key Thought

Jesus wasn't very big on storing up things. The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31) reminds us how easily we can forget that our blessings come from God's grace and are not something we have accomplished on our own. Jesus did not store up things while he was here; he shared them, gave them away, gave them to people in need, and used what he had to bless others. Jesus wants us to confront a couple of crucial questions: What is our treasure and where are we keeping it? Every earthly treasure we have is vulnerable to destruction. Every one of our treasures, except our relationship to God and his people, is temporary. So why do we spend so much time investing in things that will not satisfy or sustain? Jesus urges us to invest in what is lasting, eternal, and ultimately perfect. If we do, nothing can destroy and nothing can steal our blessed assurance that we will be victorious in Jesus.

Today's Prayer

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O precious LORD, thank you for investing so heavily in me and in the world in which I live. There is no one who can love me like you do. Father, please help me focus my priorities and my thoughts on heavenly things as well as placing my treasures in heaven. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

"Don't save treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. So save your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is. "How you look at other people makes you the kind of person you are. If you look at people and want to help them, you will be full of light (goodness). But if you look at people in a selfish way, you will be full of darkness (evil). And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst kind of darkness. "No person can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one master and love the other master. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other master. So you cannot serve God and Money at the same time.

— Matthew 6:19-24 (ERV)

123132: God With Us: 365 Devotionals from the Gospel of Matthew

God With Us:
365 Devotionals from the Gospel of Matthew
By Phil Ware

Join the author of the Gospel of Matthew in God With Us, a devotional that will immerse you in exploring the glories of Immanuel. The book uses one short passage each day and follows the Gospel text from beginning to end. Each day's passage is followed by a brief Reflection to open up the day's Scripture and a Prayer to show how the verses challenge you to live for Jesus.

Comments on "Storing Up":

Get Phil's book God With Us featuring 365 Devotionals from the Gospel of Matthew.

You were raised from death with Christ. So try to get the things in heaven. I mean the things where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. Christ is your life. When he comes again, you will share in his glory. —Colossians 3:1-4 (ERV)

Give this command to the people who are rich with the things this world has. Tell them not to be proud. Tell those rich people to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted. But God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. Tell the rich people to do good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. And tell them to be happy to give and ready to share. By doing that they will be saving a treasure for themselves {in heaven}. That treasure will be a strong foundation —their future life can be built on that treasure. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life. —1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ERV)

Moses grew up and became a man. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Those pleasures end quickly. Instead, Moses chose to suffer bad things with God's people. Moses did this because he had faith. Moses thought that it was better to suffer for the Christ than to have all the treasures of Egypt. Moses was waiting for the reward {that God would give him}. —Hebrews 11:24-26 (ERV)