Treasures | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. Today we are going to study treasures! If you think about popular action adventure movies, you will recall there is usually a good guy and a bad guy both seeking lost treasure. The thrill of the hunt is what draws so many to the edge of their seats. If you have a favorite mystery novel, it is the journey to solve the mystery that keeps you turning the page. So what does the Bible say about treasures? Is the most important thing the journey or the treasure? Today we are going to explore what the Bible says about treasures and what we are to do with our treasures. Let's start in Matthew.

MATTHEW 6:19-21 (19)Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.

It is good to have treasures. Treasures are by definition, according to Merriam-Webster, "wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up, or hoarded; wealth of any kind or in any form: riches; a store of money in reserve; something of great worth or value; a collection of precious things." There is nothing in the Bible that says you cannot have nice things or extra money. Treasures such as money or valuable items may be fun to have down here on earth, but Jesus tells us not to get caught up in all these things down here, because it is easy for someone to steal our things or eventually they may decay. So what should we do?

The Bible says that we should store up our treasures in heaven. There is no sin in heaven so nothing will corrode and there are no thieves that will break in and steal. It is a safe place to put things you treasure most. But what do we treasure most? Is it our money? Our home? Our car? Our profession? Our family? Our vacation destinations? There is nothing wrong with enjoying those things, but what is your most treasured possession? What do you love more than anything else? What could you not live without? For me, it is my salvation and relationship with Jesus. I love my family and it's nice to have money, go on trips, have reliable transportation, and a good job, but nothing is worth more to me than Jesus. He died for me. He died for you, too. He gave up everything for you and me. What can we esteem worth more than that great sacrifice? Luke says it best.

LUKE 12:15 And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

This statement was made by Jesus. He said to be careful and pay attention to coveting. It is easy to look at what someone has and desire it. It may seem more appealing in the hand of your friend or coworker. Maybe the idea that it's not our own can make something more desirable, but Jesus makes a profound statement here. He says a man's life is not valuable or detestable based on what he does or does not have. He tells them it is not about the stuff! It is not about how many things you can collect or purchase. The real meaning of a person's life is not about what they own. When we die, we do not get to take our china collection, cabinet of guns, or all the money in our safe. We take nothing with us. God used gold for pavement! He is not interested in our "wealth" on earth. He created it. He owns it all. It is not rare or precious to the One who spoke it into existence.

If we continue reading Luke's gospel, Jesus continues to share about the things we get so preoccupied with on earth: our clothes, our food... because our Heavenly Father knows our needs and He meets them. The world is concerned about what they will wear and what they will eat, but we should not worry about those things. We do not need to be so consumed with these things. Jesus says in verse 30, "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that have need of these things." Jesus said God knows what we need, so we do not have to try to keep up with the world. Our Heavenly Father will take care of all of those things for us. What should we treasure then? What is the most important thing?

Luke 12:31-34 (31)But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (32)Fear not, little flock; for it your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. (33)Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. (34)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

I spoke with a friend in Alabama who told me of a young man that played the stock market. He had invested a lot of money and was doing very well. All at once, the stock market turned and the money he invested was gone. He was not "rich" anymore. He lost so much money that he was bankrupt. We all know that the stock market ebbs and flows. It goes up and it goes down and it bounces back up. The young man was so devastated that he took his own life. The stock market was his treasure and he thought he lost it for good. He lost his hope. He lost what he thought was his future, and I guess he was right. Friends, I am not against wealth or nice things in this life. I am not telling you that having a nice home or a new vehicle is a sin. I do not believe that at all. The Bible does not say that. It does tell us that we should not value these things more than our relationship with God.

As you study these passages on your own, I encourage you to take a notebook and write out some things you may be holding too tightly. What treasures are you holding on to that maybe are not as important as you once thought? What can you do? Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." How can you seek God's Kingdom? How do you seek His righteousness?

My family had a nice weekend recently with my sister-in-law and her husband and children. We were going to a dirt race track where my husband used to race. My son wanted to take his wallet but he did not have pockets in his shorts. He gave me his wallet stuffed with money he had been saving up. He knew that if he gave me his wallet and I put it in my purse it would be safe. I was going to keep it for him until he asked me for it. He put it in my care. That is the same thing we need to do. We must take our prized possessions: our money, our home, our car, our jobs, our family, and give them back to God. We must let Him keep them for us and then we know they are safe. There is no security here on earth. There is full security with God. He is able to keep whatever we put in His hands. 2 Timothy 1:12 says, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."

Our true treasures should be the things that matter to God. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, grace, mercy, generosity. These should be at the top of our list, too. Can you imagine a world where these things are the most valued? Whatever we choose to value most is where we will find our heart. If we treasure earthly things our hearts will be on the earth. Our focus will be on the world around us. Society and culture will drive our actions and inaction. If we treasure heavenly things, our hearts will be with God. Our focus will be on doing things that make God happy. We will choose to please God with our words, thoughts, and deeds. Where are your treasures? Where is your heart? 

I pray that this week's study has given you some food for thought. As you read through these scriptures on your own, pray and ask God to show you areas of your life you have not fully submitted to Him. Ask Him to reveal to you where your treasures are and there will your heart be found also. I will be doing the same! I hope something I have shared has been strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

 

What Gift Is For God? | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

This time of year people are rushing to finish their Christmas shopping. Due to the pandemic many are ordering online and having packages delivered to their homes or the homes of their loved ones. Often gifts are exchanged and many times these items are not what is needed and sometimes it is not even what the other person wants. I know of someone who refused to buy their grandchild a toy they wanted because it was expensive. They chose to buy the child a bunch of poor quality items but they were cheap and so the gift giver thought it was better to give a lot of items than one item. The child's mother told me later their child never played with any of it and it left the burden of the mother to deal with these items. Why are we truly giving someone a gift? What is our real motivation?

There's a trendy movement towards minimalism. If one is not careful that can lead to consumerism as well. It doesn't sound like it at first, because the idea is to get rid of the things you have too much of so you can enjoy the things you keep. Some people feel stuck and do not know how to get started so they hire someone to help them. They buy books and worksheets and downloads. Special cleaning supplies are purchased at the advice of "experts" and sometimes items purged impulsively have to be replaced so there is that extra cost. They spend a lot of time and energy working on it. That's not to say it's not worth the effort but we must be careful that we aren't trading in one method of consumerism for another. 

Jesus is the reason for the season. He wants us to enjoy fellowship with friends and family. It's a time of togetherness. During the pandemic it might look different. We can get creative with ways to stay connected that doesn't involve spending a lot of money we don't have. We should pay our bills before buying big ticket items for others. Planning ahead for Christmas gifts takes a little thought and consistent practice to save money each month so no one has to scramble to find funds at the end of the year. Remember that experiences and connections are great gifts that cost little. Spend time helping someone. Pick up the elderly neighbors groceries so they don't have to get out. Call your relative or friend that you haven't spoken to in a while just to see how they are doing. Thank the workers at the fast food place you frequent for their hard work during these trying times. Those gifts honor our King and mean even more than anything you can buy at the store.

What do we treasure here on earth? Money, careers, power, influence, time, food, relationships, reputation? Do we treasure God's Word and hold it dear to our hearts? How is our relationship with Jesus? If we pray to Him does He recognize our voice? Are we that familiar to Him? Do you hear Him speak to you? Can you recognize His voice? Is He familiar to you that you recognize His presence? The Bible tells us treasures are great but where we keep them is important!

MATTHEW 6:19-21 (19)Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Some like silver but it will tarnish. Some like gold and we know God used that for pavement. Some like precious metals but it can rust. Your favorite outfit will fade, can tear or become ruined. Your big screen television or expensive electronics can be stolen. Jesus is telling us the earth is not a safe place for our prized possessions. The earth will pass away but God's word will never pass away. What should we treasure and how can we keep these things in heaven?

We must treasure wisdom above silver and gold. We must wear the garment of praise before we pick something from our closet. We must treasure the free gift of salvation which cost God's only Son his very life. We should hold tight to healing and freedom and liberty. We should highly esteem love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, and meekness because they are fruits of the Spirit. Let's be kind to someone and that deed goes before us into heaven. Let's show forgiveness to others and our Heavenly Father will forgive us. When we give the homeless a meal we do that for God. When we take our time to help a relative in need we are taking that time for God. When we help someone sick get better, we are nursing God back to health.

You may argue God does not need food, our time, or healing but the Bible clearly states that what we do for the least of these, we do to God. And it goes on to tell us that what we don't do for others, is the same thing we are choosing not to do for God.

MATTHEW 25:31-46 (31)When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: (32)And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: (33)And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (34)Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: (36)Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. (37)Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? (38)When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? (39)Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. (41)Then shall He also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: (43)I was a stranger and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. (44)Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? (45)Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. (46)And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

God wants us to have gifts. He gave us gifts of the Spirit. He gave us the gift of His Son, which is the gift of salvation. We have the opportunity to use our faith, our time, our resources to bless and help those around us. Instead of worrying and stressing over the holidays and what to give whom, why not stop for a moment and think about what we can do for God this year? Let's count our blessings and then do something for those less fortunate. Let's remember the homeless, those incarcerated and away from family or friends, and let's pray for those sick in the hospital battling for their life with Covid or Cancer or a host of other conditions. Let's truly keep Jesus at the center of holiday.

How much money do we spend on gifts? Now compare that to how much money we tithe and give to our church, our local food pantry, the homeless shelters, and organizations that minister to the needs of the least of these. What can we do to give to those places? It's fun to exchange a gift with friends and family but imagine being the person who has nothing to give and nothing to receive. Let's bring joy to the world by sharing the reason for the season: JESUS with everyone we can!

As we enter the weekend, let's store up our treasures in heaven. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens