Verse of the Day 1/8
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This period in January is always one of my favorites in reading through the New Testament. I look forward to reading Matthew 5-7 where we find Jesus' sermon on the mount. I never get tired of reading through it. It is so straightforward, practical and easy to understand, but not so easy to apply in our lives. Having just come through the Christmas holidays where so many are consumed about how much stuff or complain because they did not get the right stuff for Christmas, the words written here in red bring us down to earth, they ground us.
One of my favorite pastors and authors from last century, A.W. Tozer writes:
The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things, he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately, forever."
A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (London, 1967), page 20.
After my signature in these posts I always show Ephesians 1:7:
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
If we have these things, what else do we need.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in ev'ry mine;
He owns the rivers and rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine;
Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell,
He is my Father so they're mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
I know that He will care for me.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
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