Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
I once worked with an elderly African American man, named Bishop. I was much
younger. He was a nice person and a Christian. Bishop was a deacon in a
local Baptist church in Chicago. I was having a difficult time with my
co-workers, who knew that I was a Christian and gave me a hard time
regularly. I worked as a mechanic. They were not born-again Christians. I
was a tender-hearted man working with some cold-hearted men, and the two
just don't mix.
Anyway, Bishop worked in a different department than I did, so he was more of a casual friend at work than a peer co-worker. One particular night while speaking with Bishop while getting some parts from him, he said something that I often think about still decades later. He said, “Brother David, if you don't like the way things are, just hang in there, because things always change; and if you like the way things are going, don't get used to it, because things always change!” I never forgot that advice. He's right!
The apostle Paul puts it this way in
Philippians 4:12-13, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to
abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to
be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me.” Paul said, “I've learned how to take it,
whether things are going good or bad.” Paul said, “I've been instructed by
the Lord to take whatever comes my way, whether it be having plenty or lack
thereof, whether it be a full stomach or hunger.” Paul said, “I have Jesus
Christ, what else do I need?”
No matter what you own, it will eventually become brittle, dry rot, rust, be eaten by moths, or stolen by thieves. If nothing else, death itself will rob you of all your possessions. Luke 12:15, “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” What did Jesus mean here? What did the Lord mean when He warned about covetousness? Jesus plainly teaches that a man's life does not consist of possessions. Ecclesiastes 5:15, “As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.” Covetousness is not being content with what God has provided. We live in a very ungrateful society today in America. We live in incredible times of plenty, convenience and blessing. God has been good to America.
In response to the Lord's hand of blessing, Americans have turned to sin—idolatry, fornication, abortion, cursing in the Lord's name, dishonoring parents, covetousness, drunkenness, and shameful ingratitude toward God. The Lord said that our life does not consist of things. A big house never made anybody happy. A house is not a home. Satisfying the fleshly appetites never made anyone truly happy. Satisfying the lusts of the eyes never made anyone happy. No one ever found happiness from purchasing a boat, car, cabin in the country, or a big retirement account. God created mankind to please Him. Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” A bird was created to please God by flying. A fish was created to please God by swimming. A woman was created by God to please Him, by being a help meet to a husband (Genesis 2:18). Man was created to please God by fearing and obeying Him. Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Nothing is happy that doesn't fulfil the purpose for which it was created. Humanity wasn't created to eat, drink and be merry because one day we die. There's nothing wrong with enjoying life (within the moral boundaries which God has set in His Holy Word), but that's not why we were created by God. God made us to need, love, praise, worship and obey Him! Praise is bragging on God for what He does. Worship is bragging on God for Who He is. God is worthy of our utmost praise and worship!!!
Psalms 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” Very few people today, including Christian believers, delight themselves in the Words of God. The most important thing that we can do as believers is to abide day and night in God's Word. Learn and claim God's promises. Memorize them! Share them! Meditate upon it! The Holy Bible is not just another book; but rather, it is alive and you can rest upon every word! I suggest listening to the King James Bible daily. I prefer hearing Alexander Scourby. Here's the free dramatized version, but I only like the non-accompanied version (just the voice). Whoever added that background noise ruined it! It is a major distraction. I just listened to Isaiah chapter one. It sounds like annoying keyboards, electrified, psychedelic and awful. I have seen quite a few lousy movies, that would have been great movies had they not been totally ruined by the wrong music score. A real symphony orchestra playing very gently would have been much better, but I still prefer only vocal.
People often worry about losing their wealth, losing their home, losing their marriage, losing their children, et cetera. May I say, kindly, we will all eventually lose everything in this life. We will all one day lose everything when we die. Thankfully, there are some things that we CAN take with us! “You Can Take Some Of It With You” (awesome MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles).
