On treasures...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust 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

But treasures on earth are so much fun! I don't know what I'd do without my I-phone, my computer, my TV, my dvr and dvd and Roku and all the rest of it.  And my writing--how can I possibly live without putting pen to paper (so to speak)?  

Some treasures are literal--other treasures are figurative.  We have the beautiful possibility of devoting ourselves to God.  We can look at our treasures and turn them over to God.  Not that we would have to literally turn them in to the community church--we only have to realize that the comforts that we enjoy are a gift, and we are to possess them only, not let them possess us.  In other words, have them, use them, but don't be so into them that they take over your life.

I am writing this at 5:40.  I used my Iphone before this to talk with a friend who is hurting. I used Facebook before that to hear about other friends' problems and pray for them (yes, I played some Candy Crush, too!)  Everything has its time, and God doesn't want you to live a life without pleasure.  But you can devote yourself to him in the midst of that pleasure.

So lay up your treasures.  Enjoy those that you have here, but realize that they will one day be parted from you.  Be sure that you also lay up treasures in heaven, so that when you get there, you will find them waiting for you.

Okay, then, before I close, what on earth ARE treasures in heaven? How can we lay up treasures in a place where we have never been?  Sweet reader, if you really believe that you have never been there-never touched Heaven's gate, then you don't understand heaven.  When you pray, you are touching Heaven's door.  When you worship, you are sweet perfume in the air of Paradise.  When you give yourself to another without regard for your own reward, you are piling up treasures more costly and beautiful than anything we can imagine down here.  And when you give your life for those that are beloved of God, you bring the love of God down upon yourself in a way that you can only imagine.  Do we see it here?  Not nearly as well as we'll be able to see it there.  We have a glimmer, but "now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face".  

And that's the true mystery of these treasures.  They are valuable, they are wonderful they are ours--but they will mean next to nothing when compared to the wonder, glory, and majesty of our Father, our Brother, our Friend--our Bridegroom.  He is our true treasure.  His smile is priceless-and he waits for us.  So come quickly, Lord Jesus!