Let them come unto Me…
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 6:19
The rain fell and our newly constructed home had more dirt than grass.
I watched the puddles form and waited to welcome the neighborhood children for a weekly Bible club. They came in droves and filled the small chairs borrowed from our church’s nursery, and then spilled onto the floor. I was thrilled to see these little ones so eager to hear stories from the Bible.
While I prepared to lead the singing, I caught a glimpse of my new carpet. The children I’d waited for so eagerly had walked through muddy puddles and dark, wet footprints covered the soft floor. I taught the flannel-graph lesson, but my mind was on the new carpet—I knew I wasn’t handling the issue well at all. Class ended and the kids clutched their memory verse cards and left for home.
As the mud dried, I wrestled with the Lord over my attitude about material things. He drew my attention to the same Scripture the kids were to memorize. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. I knew the next verse and His words penetrated my heart, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I tearfully asked His forgiveness and, while vacuuming, I was reminded the carpet was not mine, nor were any other possessions. These precious little ones with eternal souls were much more valuable than my carpet. God clearly showed me where my heart was focused. But that’s His job … to love me into seeing that my heart belongs to Him, not to the possessions of this earth.
The mud disappeared from the carpet, and so did the mud in my heart. It vanished as I confessed. I recalled the verse God used before we opened our home for the Bible club. Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. And having settled the issue of priorities, I truly rejoiced.
Examine your heart today and see where it is focused. If it fits snugly in the arms of the world, pull it out and hand it to the One who will change it all.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Sujin Jetkasettakorn.
Irene Evers’ early secretarial training led to editorial work for a professional business magazine. She is a wife and mother (two children and three grandchildren) who became the church secretary and a Sunday school teacher for many years. Irene has taken training courses in biblical counseling and taught and trained additional counselors in a lay counseling ministry overseen by a church. She is published in devotional publications.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!
