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One of my favorite things about children’s ministry was our church’s annual Vacation Bible School for the children of our community. One year, a boy came each day carrying a paper bag. At first, I thought his lunch was inside, but by the second day I got curious, and I had him let me take a look. In the bag, I discovered a small collection of the boy’s favorite toys. For whatever reason, he was comforted by having his dearest treasures with him, and they went wherever he went.
That experience reminded me of this verse. Throughout history, people have kept their treasures close to their hearts and made their “stuff” the defining point of their lives. Think about the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs, who had their resting places filled with food and drink, and with gold and silver. Over time, however, tomb raiders have plundered those resting places, making the pharaohs’ treasures their own.
Jesus warns us to not let that happen to us. It’s not a bad thing to have cool stuff, but He cautions us to make our greatest treasure things that are valuable to God. Do we actually think He will be impressed by our cars, widescreen TVs, computers, gadgets and cash? The God who made everything, and who owns everything, is not in awe of such things, but instead, values our obedience. He wants us to show His love to others, and in His economy, the way we follow Him has more value than all the gold in Fort Knox.
Today, focus on doing things that fill your heavenly bank account by loving those around you.
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.