Grains of Sand

Google Images Material possessions and worry go together like cheese and crackers. The second half of Matthew 6 deals with both. From verses 19 to 24, the Lord warns His listeners not to focus on gaining stuff that can be stolen, or destroyed. Rather, we are to work to gain what is eternal. “ ...store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do no break in and steal ” (vs. 20). Why is that important? Verse 21 nails that down: “ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also .” Our hearts and minds need to be directed toward those things that matter most to God. To focus elsewhere is to be blind, to be “in the dark” (vss 22, 23). We are then told that a choice has to be made. We have to decide to direct our attention to the things that matter to God or to concentrate on the stuff that will eventually be destroyed. We can’t do both (vs. 24). God isn’t just one of many priorities in our lives—He is THE priority. But it i...

Google Images Last week a friend of mine suffered a heart attack. Even without all the modern technology at the doctors' disposal, they would have known where to find her heart as they worked to repair the damage. It's not always so easy to find a believer's spiritual heart. " 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, NIV). As the Fall approaches, the last flurry of garage sales appear. In the Spring the junk collected over the winter is displayed in the hopes that it might be someone's treasure. In the Fall, the stuff accumulated over the summer heads to the curb with the expectation that others will haul it away before its owners need to come up with a creative way to store i...

Youthwork International, Google Images He did everything except build it himself. David's dream of building a temple for God would not become a reality in his lifetime, but that didn't stop him from doing everything in his power to prepare for it. Despite what must have been a disappointment for him, David displayed a cheerful submission to the will of God. Perhaps knowing that his son would be the one to finish what he had started brought him consolation. In his instructions at the end of 1 Chronicles 22, David says this to the leaders who would work alongside Solomon in this project: " Now devote your hearts and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build… " (22:19, NIV). David's dream was building this temple. Sometimes we get so caught up with realizing our dreams that they end up replacing God in our lives. David's instructions to the leaders of Israel remind us of a truth that David learned, a truth than prevented him from allowing his dream to...

“ Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God ” —Colossians 3:2, 3 A “hidden” life? You wouldn’t think “hidden” would be a hard word to understand, but I looked it up anyway. The obvious meaning came to the fore: concealed from view . But I liked this definition the best: “ [ intrans. ] ( hide behind) use (someone or something) to protect oneself from criticism or punishment… ” because it fits in the context of these verses from Colossians. Because the old me “died” when I accepted Christ as my Saviour, when God looks at me, He sees His Son. He doesn’t see all the sins I’ve committed, He sees His Son’s sacrifice to remove every one of them—past, present, and yes, even future. Written in my study Bible is a note reminding me that what Paul says earlier in Chapter Two is connected to these beginning verses of Chapter Three. The gist? Rules can’t control my desires, but because Christ is now my life, I’m not so much l...

If there ever was a question that requires constant self-examination, this one is it: "What should be your priorities today, Lynda?" I read Matthew 6:21 this morning, and while the context has to do with our attitude toward material things, the verse can be applied to everything else in life, everything and anything that might be "treasure." Matthew writes: " For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also " (Matthew 6:21). What, or who, do I treasure most? What, or who, receives the majority of my attention and effort? What am I most anxious to obtain? Who am I most anxious to please? The context of this verse carries a warning label. This passage is part of the famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells His listeners to examine the durability of their treasures and to make a priority of those things that have eternal value. It's a good criteria by which to measure all the activities of today: "Does _____________ have eternal value?" ...