Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Laying Up Treasure ~ Heaven Doesn’t Need It

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20)
Jesus told us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Notice that we do this for our own sakes, not for the sake of heaven. Heaven has no need at all. In fact, heaven is the source for the provision of every need we may ever have. Jesus tells us to treasure up our treasure, not for the sake of heaven, but for the sake of earth. On earth is where we have all our needs.

This is completely upside down from the world’s way of thinking. If the need is on earth, the world says we should therefore lay up our treasure on earth. In this twisted view, storing up treasure in heaven is a waste. At most, it is something you do with what is extra, but surely not something you do with everything.

The truth is that heaven doesn’t need anything from the earth, but earth desperately needs what heaven has. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So we treasure up for ourselves treasure in heaven, not to leave it there, but so it may be blessed with the scent and substance of heaven, to bring forth the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.

What if you gave to the poor, or to the work of the gospel, or some worthy cause? Certainly that is treasuring up treasure for ourselves in heaven. Even those afflicted with the religious spirit understand that. The trouble is that most people only give to heaven instead of giving from heaven. But what if, whenever you give, you give it first to heaven, and then give it on earth to the poor, or the work of the gospel, or whatever you feel led to give to?

And what if you did that with all your resources? What if, whenever you had a bill to pay or a purchase to make, you first gave everything to heaven? Now it has the substance and power of heaven at work in it. If it is blessed in heaven, don’t you think it would be much more powerful on earth in bringing forth the kingdom of God? Are you ready to believe that you can extend the rule and reign of God on earth by paying your electric bill?

Jesus tells us to treasure up treasure for ourselves in heaven, not because heaven needs it, but so it can be blessed by heaven for the sake of earth.

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