20 June 2014 - decay cannot destroy

20 June 2014 - decay cannot destroy

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal

This reminds us of Paul's call to use "the world as not using it fully.  For the world in its present form is passing away" (cf. 1 Cor. 7:31).  It reminds us of the admonition of Peter that, "You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God" (cf. 1 Pet. 1:23).

Jesus calls us to take stock of where we are storing our treasure.  Our hearts cry out for something permanent.  They cry out for something imperishable.  They cry out for that which is built on rock, not sand, for that which moth and decay cannot destroy.

But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

If holding onto our treasure is causing us anxiety we should take note.  It is probably not kingdom treasure.  If we find our treasure rusting we need to "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (cf. Col. 3:2).  When we do this our eyes will be filled with light.  How do we fix our gaze on heaven, practically?  Listen to Paul: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (cf. Phi. 4:8).  If we do this our eyes will be sound and the light will fill us so much that our "whole body will be filled with light".  This is how we are made to be light for the world.

We tend to live with one foot in the kingdom and one in the world.  We tend to try to serve the LORD but allow temples to Baal to continue existing in our hearts.  No political gain, no earthly love, is worth being thus divided.  Let us purify our hearts just as Jehoiada purifies Israel.  No longer can consort with Athaliah excuse the divisions within us.

Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

Let us be thorough.  Let us be relentless as we seek to rid ourselves of idolatry.  Idolatry?  Any time we seek from the world more than it is made to give us we practice idolatry.  Any time our treasure is here and not in heaven we are, to some degree, leaving the temples and altars of Baal in tact.  The LORD wants to bless us abundantly.  But if we insist on treasure other than what he gives we will ultimately have nothing.  When we purge these idols from our hearts we open ourselves to joy and peace.

All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,
now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword
at the royal palace.

We need to build our treasure houses on rock, on that which lasts.  To do so we must hear the words of Jesus and act on them (cf. Mat. 7:24).  In this way we keep ourselves free from idols and open ourselves more to all God wants to give us.

“If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”