Moth, Vermin, and Thieves
Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:19-24
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Nothing is permanent in our earthly existence. Even the Himalayan mountains will erode. All treasures on earth will also pass away.
Keith and Kristyn Getty capture this truth in their song “My Worth Is Not in What I Own”: “Fame, youth, and beauty hurry by, but life eternal calls to us at the cross.” Even if moths don’t make holes in your woolen coats, all the things we treasure here on earth will “hurry by,” often passing away before we notice they are rusted, rotted, spoiled, or gone.
Nowadays it’s popular to invest in bitcoins, a made-up currency that is not tied to any country’s central bank. Wild fluctuations in bitcoin value mean that people can realize a 1,000 percent increase in their investments within a week. Or they can lose it all just as fast.
Jesus lived here before the blooming of capitalism and stock markets. But in those days there were merchants who invested in trade by ships and camel trains. All investments come with risks. It’s not that Jesus was against trade or investing or becoming wealthy. What matters, he says, is where your heart is. He taught that if we don’t have our heart anchored in God’s eternal kingdom, we will lose everything when we pass away from this earthly life.
Where is your treasure—and your heart?
Lord, you are our treasure; “you have been our dwelling place through all generations.” Help us to find life forever in you. Amen.
About the author — George Young
George Young, a native New Yorker, worked as a taxi driver in New York City before studying to become a pastor. Then he, his wife Ruth, and their children were missionaries for many years in northeastern Japan. They worked with ministers and believers from the Reformed Church in Japan to spread the good news of salvation in Christ and establish new churches. Now George and Ruth are retired and live in the northeastern United States, nearer to their children and grandchildren.
Start your day with quick daily devotions.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!