Squirrelina has been hard at work storing up treasures in boots! Hubby went out on Saturday to put his garden boots on … and lo and behold, his boots were full of stored-up treasures of Big-Leaf Maples seeds!
Alas, boots are not a very safe place for Squirrelina to store up her treasures of Big-Leaf Maple seeds.
All of Squirrelina’s stored-up treasures wound up dumped out in the flowerbed so hubby could put his boots on to go work in the garden.
A paraphrase of Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:19-21 could be:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures in boots, where it could easily get dumped out when feet need to be put into those boots … or in other words, do not store up for yourselves treasures in the stock market which could crash when the economy tanks …
“… or, do not store up for yourselves treasures in the housing market which could tank when companies lay everyone off … or, (as my grandmother did) do not store up for yourselves treasures of antique coins in garbage bags, stuffed down in bins in the garage, where they could easily get thrown away with the trash when everyone is cleaning out your things.
“But rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … where it won’t ever get dumped out of boots … and where the stock market will never crash, and you won’t ever lose it all … and where the housing market won’t tank, and you won’t lose it all … and where garbage bags full of antique coins won’t accidentally be thrown away with the trash.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What does ‘heavenly treasure’ look like??
How exactly do we store up ‘heavenly treasure’??
* “Be completely humble and gentle.” (Ephesians 4:2)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure.
* “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Make every effort to maintain unity … through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
Being peaceful and not divisive – this is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Be kind and compassionate to one another.” (Ephesians 4:32)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Forgive each other.” (Ephesians 4:32)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Live a life of love.” (Ephesians 5:1)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Do not harbor malice in your heart against someone else.” (Colossians 3:8)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
* “Do not gossip, or slander someone else.” (Colossians 3:8, James 4:11)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
“Look after orphans and widows in their distress.” (James 1:27)
Jesus said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
“Keep yourself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
This is how we store up heavenly treasure!
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
Where is your heart?
What are you pouring your heart into?
What are you happily willing to make sacrifices for?
What are you happily spending the majority of your free time on?
What are you happily spending the majority of your health & strength on?
What are you happily spending the majority of your resources on?
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
Where is your heart?
What are you pouring your heart into?
