“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21, NIV)
The other day I pulled an old club out of the garage—a “Heaven Wood.” Some of you might remember this classic club. I thought it would be great to try this club again and maybe put it in my bag. But when I tried to grip it, the grip was so slippery and old, it reminded me of so much more. It reminded me that everything we attempt to possess on earth will rot or fade away.
Yesterday we began a look at how we tend to love possessions and how Jesus specifically wanted his followers to resist this habit. He said, “Do not store up treasures on earth.” Why not? Because earthly treasure is on the way down. It is going to hit the basement when Christ returns or when you die.
Instead, Jesus taught, “Store up treasures in heaven.” Why? Because heavenly treasure is on the way up. Heavenly treasure will last. There moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. We are to invest in heavenly treasure because heavenly treasure has lasting value.
If we give instead of keep, if we invest in the eternal instead of in the temporal, we store up treasures in heaven. Whatever treasures we gather on earth will be left behind when we leave, or fall apart long before we do. Whatever treasures we store up in heaven will be waiting for us when we arrive.
You can’t take it with you. Not a penny, not a parcel.God’s economy is surprising. We can never buy his grace, his forgiveness, his salvation, his love. Yet the Bible reveals that our kingdom deeds—including our generous giving to our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the needy—are being banked by God for our future life. If we have built well upon the foundation of Christ, if we have built with gold, silver, and costly stones, then they will be waiting for us. But, if we have built upon the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, or straw, then there will be no future treasure waiting for us. (Read more in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.)
Financial planners tell us to think not just three months or three years ahead but 30 years ahead. Christ tells us to think ahead even farther, into eternity—300 years and 30,000 years and 30 million years.
Suppose I offer you $10,000 today to spend however you want. Not a bad deal. But suppose I give you a choice—you can have that $10,000 today or you can have $10 million five years from now. Only a fool would take the $10,000 today. Yet, that’s what we do whenever we grab earthly treasure that lasts for only a moment.
John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. After he died someone asked his accountant, “How much money did John D. leave?” The answer should be engraved in stone: “He left all of it.”
See, you can’t take it with you. Not a penny, not a parcel. But if you invest in the heavenly kingdom, you can send it on ahead. That’s what Jesus said to his disciples 2,000 years ago, and that’s what he says to us today.
—
Dereck Wong
Originally published February 17, 2011
Copyright 2011 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Photo by Jouwen Wang on Unsplash