A Treasure Hunt (Day 2 from Cleansing Thoughts)

    The Word of God says, “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 . . . For where your treasure is there will be your heart also” (Matthew 6:10-21, NKJV). Yet all the people I saw in the park that day were busy gathering the treasures of this world, which would fade away. The young children were gathered up by their mother’s and taken home while their treasures remained in their piles, left for another to find. The baseball card will become dog-eared and faded with time until it is traded away to yet another hopeful hunter. The young lovers will finds new love when the pleasure they seek in each other no longer satisfies the desires of their flesh. 

   Oh, how I wanted to share God’s Word with the two men I overheard talking about preparing for the future and placing all their security in gaining wealth; I wanted to tell them that God had a heavenly inheritance reserved for them. 1 Peter 1:4 (NJKV) says it is an inheritance that is “incorruptible and undefined that does not fade away.” Jesus put it this way: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses “ (Luke 12:15, NKJV). Then He went in by giving them a parable in verses 16 through 21 about a man who stored up for himself treasures upon this earth then retired from all his work to enjoy his wealth by telling himself, “Soul you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat drink and be merry.” However, God’s response to such a statement was far different than what one might expect. He stated, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:20, NKJV). Why do you think God used such a strong statement by calling this man a fool? It is because God’s desire for our life is far more than obtaining possessions, and He is giving us a strong warning about the dangers of materialism. The rich fool in this parable was placing all his sect in what he possessed here upon this earth while his eternal banks account was depleted. Time had run out for him, and now all that he had worked for and stored up could now save his soul. In this parable, the Lord is generalizing the fate of this man to all those who see their security in obtaining wealth and possessions by saying, “So is he who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich towards God” (Luke 12:21, NKJV).

   It is not that God does not want us to have these things; quite the contrary, He knows we have material and financial needs, and He has promised in His Word to supply all our need, but He also wants us to have wisdom in our priorities. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 (NJKV)  that we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In the parable about the rich fool, we saw what a person treasures, or place great value on, can reveal his priorities in life. These priorities can also determine his loyalty as well and ultimately his eternal security.