Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Enhancing Your Heavenly Account
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
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"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."
(Matthew 6:20)
Do I spend more time and energy for things that I shouldn't be preparing for? I am supposed to be occupied with preparing for heaven and the coming of the Lord. I am to pray, study, seek His presence and serve the body of Christ. I am to come out from among the world and be light. We need to be very truthful with ourselves and ask, "What am I preparing myself for?" Am I preparing myself for earth or heaven? What takes my time and energy? God will bring judgment upon all those who are earth dwellers, those who love what this world can provide more than what His presence provides.
What do you do to get ready for the coming of the Lord? You seek first the kingdom. How much time are you putting into learning to trust God? Seeking first the kingdom is about walking by faith, trusting God instead of yourself. You allow another value system to be established in you. The world talks about what success is and the Bible talks about what success is. Which value system do you live by?
The key is providing for yourself treasures in heaven. What are you doing to enhance your heavenly account? Being ready for the coming of the Lord is a heart preparation. Do you love His appearing? Does He mean more to you than mothers and fathers, houses and lands, wives and children? Is being ready to hear that voice, "Come up hither" the most important thing in your life? Do these words, "Well done, good and faithful servant," motivate you in everything that you do and think?
How do you deal with lust, covetousness and all of these different things? You change your treasures. You can't do it in your own strength or by saying, "I am not going to think about those things anymore." How then do you change? You reprogram or renew your mind. Do not think on how not to think about those things. When you start thinking about the eternal and the things above where Jesus is seated at the Father's right hand, you begin to reprogram your thought processes. That is simply how it works.
What are we trusting in or looking for? What are our hearts set upon? We all know the right answer. Are you ready to get out of here? Are you a pilgrim? But at the same time the admonition is we occupy until He comes. We live to be salt and light. We live victoriously. Beloved, the best on earth is a poor imitation of what we have waiting for us. I want out of here. Everyday is a battle with my flesh, sin and a world where evil is worshipped and lauded. What do you want from these people? You can't touch their stuff without getting vexed by their spirit. Everything about the world is a living organism trying to destroy you. The world is not amoral; it is antichrist. The more we embrace it, pursue it, and admire it, the greater the reproach against our God and the greater we devalue the Pearl of great price. Where is your treasure? Where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be (Matt. 6:21).
We prepare the best we can and trust God. He preserves us because no one can take our lives; Father has to offer them up. Don't be afraid. Don't spend your time in karate class and gun class. Don't spend $50,000 on an alarm system and a safe room. Pray and know the presence of God. Learn to walk in the spirit. The real issue is: how full are you of the Spirit of God? Are your lamps full of the oil of God?