“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT)
With the technology used in making golf equipment these days, the ball can go unimaginably farther and higher.
I played with a big hitter the other day. His tee shots seemed like they stayed in the air for 10 seconds. They would come to rest 350 yards out there—no kidding!—which was at least 100 yards past me. I told him they could build a Super Walmart between his drive and mine. He smiled.
Fortunately, I have a trusty old club that served me well that day. It’s my 5-wood, and I would hit from the same distance where this guy was hitting his 9-iron. Again, no kidding! But sometimes I would knock that old 5-wood right on the green, and this big hitter with a 9-iron in his hand would think a little longer over that shot of his.
The trouble was that I was doing some thinking, too. Maybe, I thought, I need a new club, something that can hang in the air for 10 seconds and more. Maybe I need a driver that can go 100 yards farther. That favorite golf store of mine must have a club like that! They’ll even let me try it for 90 days and return it if I want something that will go 110 yards more.
See, I can daydream with the best of them!
But here’s the thing. Even if our dreams become reality, they do not last. Someday that new club will be old. And someday, so will I. Then I’ll be happy just to hit it 100 yards, period!
When Jesus was teaching his followers on the mount, he spoke of the many earthly treasures with which our daydreams can tempt us. Golf clubs, yes, but also cars, boats, houses, jewelry, electronics, vacations, you name it. Jesus wanted us to see that the things of this world are temporal; they get old and rust away. If you have ever lost or had valuables stolen, you’ll recognize the emotions that rise up when this happens: anger, frustration, sadness. It’s a terrible feeling to lose something you love, even if you know it’s only stuff.
Well, there is good news! Jesus went on to say that if we store up our treasures in heaven, those treasures will not rust or get destroyed. No one can steal from us the things that are eternal: our friend who is Christ and our friends in Christ. Those relationships are the treasures that last forever.
Hold dear the things that really matter, Jesus said. “Where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also,” he originally told a people who had access to far fewer material things than we do. How much more does his message apply to us today!
Our hearts can get caught up in the things of this world very easily. What a great reminder it is that I need to invest each moment of the day into the treasures of heaven.
—
Dereck Wong
August 19, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.