Stress Test Devotional May 4
May 04, 2024
MATTHEW 6:19-21 | 19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The third verse of our hymn begins, “riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise…” The great preacher Peter Marshall once prayed, “give us clear vision that we know what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we will fall for anything.” The God-centered life frees us from the disaster of empty, inadequate, and false pursuits. When traveling on a plane, it is frustrating to be rerouted to the wrong destination, or to miss a highway turn and lose precious time. But in reality, many take the wrong turns in life or fly to the wrong destinations, wasting not hours or days, but years and decades.
Jesus also, in the Sermon on the Mount, warns against investing our time, our energy, and our dreams on accumulating things that don’t last, whether material goods or public acclaim.
Do you heed riches or praise?
Gracious God,
Help us to live as people who store up our treasures in Heaven. Keep us focused on the right destination and the right path.
Amen.
