“You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek…”

During the pandemic of covid we all did it.  We stocked up on toilet paper!  We bought more than we needed because everyone else was stockpiling it for unknown reasons other than “just in case.”  In case of what?  I really never understood why toilet paper became such an “issue of tissues” of great proportion, a “clear and present danger” if we didn’t stockpile this national treasure in our homes!  Our FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) was on high alert!  “All we like sheep…”

I wonder if God and his angels were tearfully laughing over what mankind was thinking and doing during this challenging time in our world when we all could have pulled together—in His Name for His glory?  But I also wonder how His heart must have grieved over souls without Jesus who lost their lives while we were busy buying toilet paper and arguing? I wonder how God felt when we who said we were believers who could withstand anything that life would give us because of our faith in God, began to argue and cause division over stupid stuff?  Mask or no mask?  Hoard before others can get what they need?  Close or not to close public places?  And the list goes on and on and still does…

No matter what we think about the stupid stuff, it just doesn’t matter in the end.  The real issue was and is, the condition of our hearts showing what we treasure most—our way or God’s way.  Yikes.

Jesus preaches a better way to live a life of God-worship!  Put down the toilet paper and cling to the lasting treasures of God’s relentless love, tremendous mercies that are fresh with each new day, along with His gifts of grace.  Stockpile the peace that passes all understanding that Jesus provides for us on earth that follows us to heaven!  Pile up wisdom that God generously gives when we ask and use it now to live life to the full!  Store up the eternal joy that fills our souls and transfers to heaven without losing anything in the passage. 

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

Matthew 6:19-34, The Message

A Life of God-Worship

^19-21 “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

^22-23 “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

²⁴ “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

^25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

^27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

^30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

³⁴ “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

FOCUS ON GOD!  I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty silly about buying toilet paper.  Every time I look at a roll of it, I think about how foolish mankind was (and is) and thank God for saving me and teaching me through uncertain times with His blessed assurance. 

FOMO?  Not a chance, if we believe in Jesus and what He has done to save us!  Don’t miss out on the saving grace of Jesus Christ!  He is the treasure that we seek!  His character traits become what we seek as we grow to be like the One who saved us from all our sins!

INVEST!  All the treasures that we should invest in, take inventory of, and stockpile in our hearts, minds and souls grow significantly and exponentially as God does His special work in us.  These are the treasures that transfer to heaven:

“…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”  Galatians 5:22-26

People are drawn to the One who invested His life in us by laying down His life for us.

May our lives tell the story of the glory of our One who died and rose again, “the pearl of great price”, the Hope of heaven, the Savior and Lord of our lives—all because of His love for His created.  He is the treasure that I seek…

In Jesus Name, Amen

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Taking my sin my cross my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down you pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name

Source: LyricFind Songwriter: Dennis Jernigan