Meekness Changes What You Treasure (Devotional Day 31)
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
When I first started studying the Sermon on the Mount – many, many years ago, I might add – I struggled to see how the above verses fit in relation to a person being meek. All the rest of the outline (see the very first post of this blog, entitled The Key to the Sermon on the Mount and posted on Sept. 26, 2014) worked really well but I struggled with this part. Then, as I went deeper into what it means to be meek in the Biblical sense (see yesterday’s post), it made all the sense in the world.
Those who are truly meek, who are gentle with people and humble before God because they are trusting God and operating in the inner strength that He provides, have a different set of values than those who are not meek. The meek seek eternal treasure while the “unmeek” pursue earthly treasure.
For example, when I was a young man my goal in life was to be a millionaire by the time I was 30 years old. I started a record store and spent countless hours trying to get rich in worldly terms. I made as much money as I could by any means possible and basically bought whatever caught my eye at the time – first my own house and fancy cars, then toys like a dune buggy, a boat, and many other toys that came and went. My treasure was worldly stuff, and as Jesus says, that is where my heart was as well.
And in my pursuit of worldly wealth, it didn’t matter who I took advantage of, stepped on, or hurt in order to make more money and accumulate more stuff. I wasn’t gentle with people; it was quite the opposite as I was often harsh and condemning. My ego was totally wrapped up in my worldly success – I really thought I was something great! But was I meek in the Biblical sense? Humble before God and gentle with people due to that inner strength that comes from waiting upon Him? That is definitely something I was not.
Thankfully the Lord got a hold of me and set me straight. Through a process that started quite dramatically but eventually took years – and still isn’t complete – I have become more meek and more like Christ. And I can tell you that without a doubt I am far happier with heavenly treasure than with earthly treasure.
For the truth is, the more stuff you have, then the more stuff you have to worry about. The bigger your bank account and investments, the more you have to worry about them and guard over them. The more you focus on money and prosperity, the less you focus on God. The more you rely on your assets and your good management of your life, the less you look to God to come and reign in your life. Your daily decisions become all about you and not about Him.
So then, trust me in this for I have been there, being meek has everything to do with what you treasure. If your life is all about the pursuit of earthly treasure, you will find it difficult if not impossible be meek, to have that inner strength that manifests itself in gentleness and a humble heart. Meekness and being like Christ will be the last thing on your mind if you pursue earthly treasure.
But if your life is all about pursuing God and heavenly treasure, the fruit of the Spirit that includes meekness will be yours. As you seek first His kingdom, as you put Him and His reign first in your life, as you live to please Him above all else, the meekness of Christ will be yours. For as you spend both quality time and quantity time with Him, you will know Him better and learn to trust Him more.
And as you learn to wait upon God and follow Him in all things, there will come upon you an inner strength, a power from on high, a perfect peace, an indescribable joy that will empower you to be gentle towards people and humble before God. You will be like Jesus, who invites you to come to Him now: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29)
I answered that call many, many years ago and I have never regretted it, though it has not always been easy. I traded in my earthly treasure, which moths and rust destroy and that thieves break in and steal, for heavenly treasure that will be mine for all eternity. I traded that which I couldn’t keep for something that I cannot lose. I traded earthly treasure that caused me much stress for heavenly treasure that became the greatest stress-reducer in the world – I realized my future is secure in God’s hands.
Changing what I treasure changed my life and the Lord invites all of us to do the same. Come to me, be meek like me, says Jesus, and you will find rest for your soul. Abandon your pursuit of earthly treasure and pursue Me, says Jesus, and you will find heavenly treasure. Seek first My kingdom and My will for your life. Take stock right now, He says, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Give your life to Him right now, my friend, before it is too late. Maybe this is the first time you’ve been encouraged to give your life to Him or maybe it is the thousandth time you have done it. Either way, do it for the first time or do it again. Give him your heart, your possessions, your future, your everything. Trade what you can’t keep for what you can’t lose. You won’t regret it.
Pray with me: Lord, I give my life to you. I give you my life, my heart, my possessions, all that I am. Use me for your glory. I am abandoning my pursuit of worldly wealth and success in order to pursue You and to please You. Help me to change what I treasure day by day, moment by moment, decision by decision. I confess that there are many things and many situations that have kept me from following you whole-heartedly. I bring them before you now, confessing my mistakes and asking for your guidance and help…continue praying as you are led…
Meditate on the meekness of Jesus:
Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV)
Matt 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. (KJV)
For further study: Click on the link below to find more resources.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
When I first started studying the Sermon on the Mount – many, many years ago, I might add – I struggled to see how the above verses fit in relation to a person being meek. All the rest of the outline (see the very first post of this blog, entitled The Key to the Sermon on the Mount and posted on Sept. 26, 2014) worked really well but I struggled with this part. Then, as I went deeper into what it means to be meek in the Biblical sense (see yesterday’s post), it made all the sense in the world.
Those who are truly meek, who are gentle with people and humble before God because they are trusting God and operating in the inner strength that He provides, have a different set of values than those who are not meek. The meek seek eternal treasure while the “unmeek” pursue earthly treasure.
For example, when I was a young man my goal in life was to be a millionaire by the time I was 30 years old. I started a record store and spent countless hours trying to get rich in worldly terms. I made as much money as I could by any means possible and basically bought whatever caught my eye at the time – first my own house and fancy cars, then toys like a dune buggy, a boat, and many other toys that came and went. My treasure was worldly stuff, and as Jesus says, that is where my heart was as well.
And in my pursuit of worldly wealth, it didn’t matter who I took advantage of, stepped on, or hurt in order to make more money and accumulate more stuff. I wasn’t gentle with people; it was quite the opposite as I was often harsh and condemning. My ego was totally wrapped up in my worldly success – I really thought I was something great! But was I meek in the Biblical sense? Humble before God and gentle with people due to that inner strength that comes from waiting upon Him? That is definitely something I was not.
Thankfully the Lord got a hold of me and set me straight. Through a process that started quite dramatically but eventually took years – and still isn’t complete – I have become more meek and more like Christ. And I can tell you that without a doubt I am far happier with heavenly treasure than with earthly treasure.
For the truth is, the more stuff you have, then the more stuff you have to worry about. The bigger your bank account and investments, the more you have to worry about them and guard over them. The more you focus on money and prosperity, the less you focus on God. The more you rely on your assets and your good management of your life, the less you look to God to come and reign in your life. Your daily decisions become all about you and not about Him.
So then, trust me in this for I have been there, being meek has everything to do with what you treasure. If your life is all about the pursuit of earthly treasure, you will find it difficult if not impossible be meek, to have that inner strength that manifests itself in gentleness and a humble heart. Meekness and being like Christ will be the last thing on your mind if you pursue earthly treasure.
But if your life is all about pursuing God and heavenly treasure, the fruit of the Spirit that includes meekness will be yours. As you seek first His kingdom, as you put Him and His reign first in your life, as you live to please Him above all else, the meekness of Christ will be yours. For as you spend both quality time and quantity time with Him, you will know Him better and learn to trust Him more.
And as you learn to wait upon God and follow Him in all things, there will come upon you an inner strength, a power from on high, a perfect peace, an indescribable joy that will empower you to be gentle towards people and humble before God. You will be like Jesus, who invites you to come to Him now: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29)
I answered that call many, many years ago and I have never regretted it, though it has not always been easy. I traded in my earthly treasure, which moths and rust destroy and that thieves break in and steal, for heavenly treasure that will be mine for all eternity. I traded that which I couldn’t keep for something that I cannot lose. I traded earthly treasure that caused me much stress for heavenly treasure that became the greatest stress-reducer in the world – I realized my future is secure in God’s hands.
Changing what I treasure changed my life and the Lord invites all of us to do the same. Come to me, be meek like me, says Jesus, and you will find rest for your soul. Abandon your pursuit of earthly treasure and pursue Me, says Jesus, and you will find heavenly treasure. Seek first My kingdom and My will for your life. Take stock right now, He says, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Give your life to Him right now, my friend, before it is too late. Maybe this is the first time you’ve been encouraged to give your life to Him or maybe it is the thousandth time you have done it. Either way, do it for the first time or do it again. Give him your heart, your possessions, your future, your everything. Trade what you can’t keep for what you can’t lose. You won’t regret it.
Pray with me: Lord, I give my life to you. I give you my life, my heart, my possessions, all that I am. Use me for your glory. I am abandoning my pursuit of worldly wealth and success in order to pursue You and to please You. Help me to change what I treasure day by day, moment by moment, decision by decision. I confess that there are many things and many situations that have kept me from following you whole-heartedly. I bring them before you now, confessing my mistakes and asking for your guidance and help…continue praying as you are led…
Meditate on the meekness of Jesus:
Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV)
Matt 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. (KJV)
For further study: Click on the link below to find more resources.
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Meekness Changes What You Treasure Comments Page.
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Keeping Your Word Pure Comments Page.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
This article is Day 31 of the 40 Day Devotional; the next devotional is Day 32.
Please use this website for personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family. However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy Brockett. To contact Pastor Randy, email him at [email protected].
To be a part of the conversation about the article above, or even if you just want to read what everyone else is saying about it, go to the Keeping Your Word Pure Comments Page.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
To leave your comments, helpful hints, and suggestions about this website overall, use the Comments section of Pastor Randy's blog.
This article is Day 31 of the 40 Day Devotional; the next devotional is Day 32.
Please use this website for personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family. However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy Brockett. To contact Pastor Randy, email him at [email protected].