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Treasures in Heaven
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:19–21
When George Truett was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, he was invited to dinner at the home of a wealthy Texas rancher. After the meal, the host led Truett to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing north at a field of oil wells, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” He then turned and pointed south at vast fields of grain and said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged,
“They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “All of that lumber is all mine too.” Truett pointed up and gently asked, “How much do you own in that direction?”
Whether we have great wealth in this world or are barely getting by, everything around us is temporal. Our focus should be not on the things that are fleeting, but on the things that are eternal. The wealth of this world will vanish in flames. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). But what we have done for God, what we have given to His work, what we have invested in the lives of others will remain. It cannot be taken away, for what is established in Heaven is eternal.
Matthew 6:19–21
When George Truett was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, he was invited to dinner at the home of a wealthy Texas rancher. After the meal, the host led Truett to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing north at a field of oil wells, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” He then turned and pointed south at vast fields of grain and said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged,
“They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “All of that lumber is all mine too.” Truett pointed up and gently asked, “How much do you own in that direction?”
Whether we have great wealth in this world or are barely getting by, everything around us is temporal. Our focus should be not on the things that are fleeting, but on the things that are eternal. The wealth of this world will vanish in flames. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). But what we have done for God, what we have given to His work, what we have invested in the lives of others will remain. It cannot be taken away, for what is established in Heaven is eternal.
Today’s Growth Principle:
A life that is focused on eternity will be lived with a generous and giving heart.
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