Welcome to Day 159 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about finding nourishment in the Word of God to get us through the day. In each devotional, I take a variety of scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses each) and build our understanding of what they teach via their context and connecting scripture. My goal is to help you understand how to be the type of human God created you to be. Today’s passage is Matthew 6:19-21.

Matthew 6:19-21

NASB	NLT	VOICE
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in steal.	19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moth eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.	19 Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practiced – don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;	20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.	20 Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door.
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.	21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.	21 For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus expanded his teaching beyond things that we often only classify as religious activities, such as prayer and fasting. Jesus includes a wide variety of daily activities, pressures, and concerns. Storing treasures in heaven isn’t limited to just tithing but includes all acts of service of God. How we go and serve God will help us build our relationship with him and our reputation towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Giving our money to different ministries is like investing in the Kingdom because it extends the outreach of the Good News to people that might not have heard it before.

Jesus made it clear that storing our treasures in the wrong place will lead to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most controls us, whether we admit it or not. What we think about, talk about, or spend our money on can dominate our desires. When we get a new home or car, we often make that our personality for a time. We’ll share the good news about it, the ins and outs, the things we like, the things we don’t. Those things can become our personality for a bit. It’s important to recognize if it starts to become everything we talk about. We must regain control of our hearts. We must remove the things from our hearts and minds that dominate it and replace it with the things that please God. Jesus calls for us to live contently with whatever we have. This allows us to focus on the eternal values instead of the earthly temporary ones. Be content with what you have. It will allow the luxuries of life to be more impactful.

Matthew 19:21

NASB	NLT	VOICE
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.	21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.	21 If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And then come, follow Me.

We are responsible for caring for our own needs and the needs of our loved ones. We should also be willing to do anything God asks us to, no matter how tough those sacrifices will be. This kind of attitude allows nothing to come between us and God and keeps us from using our God-given wealth selfishly. This is not common for us. It’s not common do drop everything to go and do something that God calls us, leaving behind stable careers, marriages, family, and friends. However, let’s look at the message this provides. It, again, allows nothing to get between our earthly desires and the divine plan that God has set for us. It’s a difficult process to go through, but we see it happening all throughout the Bible. Noah was told to leave everything but his wife and kids and their wives. Abraham had to drop his family to do God’s calling. Moses had to be permanently removed from his family to survive. Yet, we see stories of redemptions, success, and blessings coming from that.

Next meal: Manna for the Mind #160