Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 5 of “Fan or Follower – Invest Wisely” (LISTEN HERE).
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
The Lord loves to talk about wealth and material things. In fact, he is the greatest owner of wealth in the world…the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.
So wealth and material things aren’t bad, wrong or sinful. The Lord would not engage in such things.
However, all the good things which the Lord has created and allows us to partake in can be a threat to the heart of every individual, including yours and mine.
So he takes time out of love to guide our heart and our relationship with possessions so we invest our time, energy and effort wisely.
Treasure has a one-to-one correlation with our heart.
Our heart has a one-to-one correlation with our treasure.
What do I mean?
Simply what Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Do you find this verse seemingly backwards? Didn’t Jesus mean to say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also”?
Nope.
Jesus knows that what is most important, what we spend our time on, what we invest in, will be the path our heart follows. What we treasure, we love.
So where is your treasure?
A short answer would be, “Of course, my treasure is with the Lord!”
I would say the same thing, until I consider Jesus’ words to the rich ruler in Mark 10:21:
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
There is a word I have always missed in this encounter, “Jesus looked at him and LOVED him.” What Jesus says to strike his heart is because Jesus LOVED him enough to point out what was threatening enjoying the greater riches of heaven.
Jesus LOVES us enough to do the same.
He loves us enough to ask, “Where is your treasure?”
What if you were in hurricane Ian and lost everything of earthly wealth? (Maybe you as a reader experienced that).
Look around your home and/or business. Could you sell it all and give it away? (Wow…tough!)
Does material wealth represent a level of safety, security, or stability? (Am I trusting wealth for something I should be trusting God?)
Jesus LOVES us enough to get us to contemplate where our treasure is. He’s not just “talking about money again.” He is working on our heart to reorient us to the treasure that is lasting and eternal…heavenly treasures. He wants us to enjoy the created things he has given to us, but he doesn’t want what he intends to be a blessing to be a curse to us following him and spending eternity with him.
So he calls our hearts away from earthly treasures to himself…because he LOVES us!
Apply: Consider the question, “Where is my treasure?” Let God reveal what is being valued more than our relationship with him.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for LOVING us enough to challenge the loyalty of our hearts. Forgive us for treasuring the temporal over the eternal. Reorient our hearts to the heavenly treasures that are eternal and everlasting. AMEN.