BBD 04.15.08 Treasure in Heaven
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 150 countries.
Celebrating 10 years online since January 31, 1998. Since 1998 the Burning
Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
11,000 subscribers across the world.
The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 500 new subscribers since January 1, 2008
04.15.08
Treasure in Heaven
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break
in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -
Matthew 6:19-21.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who
called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave
five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his
own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received
the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had
received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a
long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. -
Matthew 25:14-19.
You would think that if you put some money in a bank's safe deposit box that
it would be safe. After all that is why you use those boxes so you can have
some peace of mind and know that your valuables are being kept safe.
Apparently that is not true; at least it is not true in the state of Bihar
in India. Dwarika Prasad has found that out the hard way.
Dwarika rented a safe deposit box at a branch of the Central Bank of India
which is owned by the government. Into his safe deposit box he put $16,000
dollars worth of rupees and investment papers along with some silver and
gold jewelry. After about two and a half years he opened up his box and
discovered that the money and investment papers had been devoured by
termites! Even the jewelry had some damage. The bank says it is not liable
for the damage because it posted a warning notice about termites back in May
of 2007. Dwarika says, "I'm shattered. I do not know what to do as I had
kept the money for my old age."
Of course, we do want to protect the material resources that we have in our
possession whatever those resources/possessions may be. The Parable of the
Talents in Matthew 25 gives us the perspective that we are to have toward
those material possessions and resources. All that we have actually belongs
to God and He has entrusted those possessions and resources into our
stewardship. We are responsible to God for how we use or do not use all that
He has given to us and there will be a day when the Master requires us to
account for what we have done with His possessions and resources.
Not only should we take care and not lose what God has given to us but we
should also put those possessions and resources to work in ways that will
benefit the Kingdom of God. In the Parable of the Talents, the man who was
given only one talent hid his talent in the ground. The Master said to this
servant, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not
sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have
deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received
back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him
who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he
will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will
be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:26-30)."
There is a balance in life toward material things that we must try to keep.
We want to use the resources that we have to glorify and serve our Lord but
at the same time we must also provide for our families. Whatever possessions
or resources that we use in serving the Lord are stored up in a very safe
place where termites and earthly decay will never touch them. Heaven is the
ultimate safe deposit box! So, whenever you can, put a little more away for
your eternal retirement.
Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi and Cody who are young boys with
cancer and currently both of these boys are not responding to the treatment
they are receiving. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website
on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and
they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am
always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).
If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org Streaming Videos of some of my
sermons are posted at: http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html
There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.
You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.
You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.