Monday, July 26

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Psalm 24:1

Begin your week with God by spending a few moments acknowledging his sovereign ownership of all things – from the earth itself – to the chair you are sitting on – to the totality of human civilization – all of it belongs rightfully to him!


“Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:19-24


Everyone has treasure. Your treasure may or may not be a pile of money in the bank – but you do have treasure. Your treasure might be a vintage car, your high school letter jacket, or the heirloom grandfather clock passed down through your family – but you do have treasure!

In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not questioning whether or not we should have “treasures” – but rather he is questioning the nature of our treasures. In a nutshell, he is teaching us that there are two kinds of treasures – earthly treasures and heavenly treasures. Jesus simply wants us to know that earthly treasures, while necessary in many ways, are material and temporary. Like the beautiful new car that inevitably winds up in a junk yard somewhere – earthly treasures either lose value or disappear over time. On the other hand, spiritual treasures are eternal in nature. These treasures do not rust away and cannot be stolen. Heavenly treasures represent an investment that provides an eternal dividend. The question is – what are they and how do we make such an investment?

The Bible teaches that only two things in human experience are eternal – the Word of God and people. Once we understand this truth we begin to understand the nature of heavenly treasure. When I buy a new car – I make an investment in myself that will last as long as that car functions. The return on my investment ends the day I sell, trade or junk that car. On the other hand, when I serve, for example, in Vacation Bible School – and help an eight year old understand how much Jesus loves her – I make an investment in a person that can last for all eternity. When I give a portion of my financial wealth toward the purposes of God’s kingdom, giving to my church or to a missions organization, I make an investment in that which is eternal – in sharing the Word of God with people.

Jesus want’s us to store up treasure! He just wants us to store up the right kind of treasure – treasure that promises an eternal return on the investment.

Take a few moments to think deeply about the treasures of your life and heart. Ask God to help you increasingly to shift your personal investment strategy from earthly treasures to heavenly treasures!

Brian Coffey