… store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…
Summary: God’s Book is a treasure trove of insights into the truth that our reality is built on. Every story has a lesson for us, often more than one. Today’s lesson is about food.
There is an odd quirk about food; it doesn’t last forever. If you have more than you can eat, the food eventually goes bad. Perhaps the most famous example of food spoiling is in the Old Testament, Exodus, chapter sixteen. It is the story of how God fed the Israelites in the desert. As old as that story is, there are some lessons to be learned there.
God used food to both teach and train the Israelites. God was very patient in teaching Israel about right and wrong. He also trained them to trust him and rely on him. The Israelites were slow to learn.
God, speaking through Moses, told the Israelites to gather a certain amount of manna each day, and twice that amount on the day before the Sabbath. He also told them they were not allowed to keep any of it until morning. They had to trust that God would provide for them what they needed for the day. Some people listened to Moses and obeyed. Many didn’t. Those who did not obey woke up to find the manna was “full of maggots and began to smell.” (Exodus 16: 20)
Our “daily bread” is like that. One of the “do not’s” in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount touches on this topic this way:
“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.” (Matthew 6: 19-21)
If we hoard material wealth as our security in the world, we are going to be disappointed. In the end, physical security is a mirage. It is a false promise made by the Father of Lies (John 8:44).
God provides for the day. Beyond that, we are in dangerous territory. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t assign certain people to manage material wealth for him. Such people are motivated by pleasing God, not pleasing themselves. It is the people who hoard wealth to avoid depending on God who are in trouble.
Application: Practice trusting God with each day that he gives you.
Food for Thought: Why is having treasure on earth dangerous for us?
Note: Minor edit in paragraph 3 – the Israelites collected twice as much on Friday, not Saturday. The text now reads “on the day before the Sabbath.” Thank you JEC for catching this! 🙂
Why is having treasure on earth dangerous for us?
Because we can forget to trust the God who gave us this treasure.
Because we can forget to be thankful even when we don’t have these treasures.
Because we forget which things last and which don’t.
Angela,
Thank you for the beautiful and poetic response today! Well said!
👍
I have often felt led to believe that the treasures Jesus spoke of in this passage are the memories and heartfelt joy that comes from a growing relationship with God and the joy of selfless relationships we form with our neighbors while here on Earth. The things we do not to serve ourselves but to serve those outside of ourselves. That we literally take those memories and feelings with us into eternity and that they are “treasured” there. Everything else that could possibly be considered “treasure” here on Earth can’t come with us to eternity. When we put value in things that can’t pass with us from this life, then we set ourselves up for disillusionment because eventually we realize that we have worked hard for something that is nothing in eternity. Also, a danger in having/holding onto earthly treasures is that is eats up the little time we do have that we could be growing closer to God, and helping/loving our neighbor.
Chris,
Your point about earthly treasure eating up time we could be spending with God is significant. Sometimes I think Satan is happy with the smallest interference in our relationship with our Father.
My son is here for Christmas and he brought his video game system with him. I haven’t played video games in years, so we spent some time together with his game. Later, I spent some time alone on the game was was reminded how much time video games can eat up.
I was also reminded how they pull our minds away from the realities of life and God and into the false reality of the game world.
I’m not judging game players here! I am simply observing that for me, this is a good illustration of what you are describing.
It’s certainly a heart issue, since the heart is deceitful.
Jesus did say, IF you want to be great, you MUST first learn how to serve. If God didn’t want us to have treasure here on earth then He wouldn’t go to the trouble of burying a pearl for someone to go and sell everything he had to buy the field for the treasure.
He wouldn’t have good Samaritans picking people up out of the ditch after they have been left for dead and paying for their recovery and not asking anything back in return.
Then there is the fact that having wealth or flaunting it may be dangerous because the thief will track the person down to come in and take what isn’t theirs to take. If we store it up in heaven it will be in good hands waiting for us when we get there, I guess.
Still kind of unsure what kind of treasure I should be storing, when I can’t take anything with me when I get to go.
I don’t think I hoard wealth, I may be a successful business owner, but that doesn’t mean I am filthy stinking rich. I grew up poor not having much, having to rely on God as a kid wasn’t an easy task, especially growing up poor, looking around me and seeing all the other kids having or at least appearing to have more given to them from God. Going to church their were those that dressed really nice and drove really nice cars, probably had some nice houses too. Growing up poor, I took on some jealousy for sure. I cried out to God several times why do they have it so much better than we do? Why can’t I have this or why can’t I have that? What makes them more special than us? The list would go on to the point where I was blaming God for us being poor, now I understand I should of been thanking Him because even being poor is a circumstance in life.
So the danger with treasure for me is jealousy, God is jealous and deserves it all, it’s all His in the first place and belongs to Him. So when or if I hoard something I am saying that it belongs to me, when in fact it belonged to God in the first place. Yeah, I want to be a rich successful human being, but riches from what I have learned comes in many different shapes and forms as does success. As far as the human being I was created in God’s image, why shouldn’t I strive to great just like Him?
John,
Thank you so much for sharing your insights here. One of the points you make jumps out at me: Everything belongs to God! That is so true! What we thing we “own” is really on “loan.”
Matthew 6:24. We must be sure of whom we serve. Yes, Jeff, I have “mastered” stating the obvious. 😊
Ah, JEC –
You are like the centurion! (Matthew 8:9) Both a servant and a master. 🙂
Dry good devotional and also great responses. I have little left to add. Just my agreement that treasure on earth can be dangerous because it can replace the true God with a false one. The first place my mind went was Matthew 6: 24 – which JEC already mentioned. Jesus always says it best.
Brother Rich,
Yes, he does say it best. The idea that Jesus, a man, should know so much doesn’t sit well with me. It is like my mind wants to compete with this guy who became so famous. Yet when I think about who Jesus is, God in the flesh, then I realize that he speaks not as a man, but as the author, designer, and engineer of all life and all that exists. Such a person speaks with an authority that deserves recognition and devotion. While I don’t like the idea of bowing to another man, I am completely in agreement with bowing to the God of all creation.
Meant very good devotion 😊
Thanks Rich!
I think I knew what you meant, although sometimes my posts can be a bit “dry.” 🙂
12-23-2022, Why is having treasure on earth dangerous for us?
It is a great temptation and could definitely be dangerous.
1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
As believers we should know all we have belongs to God. We are on this earth for only a moment, then it will all disappear, and we will spend all eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ who is our Treasure.
We are called to be good stewards of all God gives us. God provides earthly wealth to many people who use what they have been given to do His work .
Storing treasure for OUR FUTURE SECURITY is a way of telling God we don’t need you.
Great topic and input!
Ron,
The end game, as you point out, is all about eternity. Keeping our focus on God helps us keep everything else in its proper perspective.