When We Spend Time Storing Up Treasure In The Wrong Places It Will Eventually Lose Its Luster And Effectiveness And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. (2 Chron. 10:7) Show a Little Bit of Love and Kindness - https://youtube/watch?v=0749T4J5U5w The maxim of our world today is to get wealthy and store it up. Unfortunately, this maxim has also been accepted and adopted by many followers of Christ. We spend a tremendous amount of time working hard at school so that we can get good grades. Once we have achieved the good grades our next goal is to get a high paying managerial job. Once we have this job, our next step is to climb up the success ladder and to acquire as much wealth a possible. We invest in all sorts of instruments so that our financial position can be strong. It is so interesting that we are sometimes unwilling to put in the same amount of effort to gain eternal life. We somehow believe that spending a few hours at church on Sabbath will be sufficient to guarantee a place in God’s eternal kingdom. While we do not find it difficult to work hard for the material possessions of the world, we somehow find it very difficult to train ourselves to spend time in the daily study of the word of God. We find it boring at time to read the word of God. But we never find it boring when we are preparing for exams. No matter how difficult the subject, we will spend the required amount of hours to make sure that we pass the exam. If this means staying up all night we will do it… and don’t talk about the amount of effort we put into making sure that we retain our jobs. We will bend backwards in some cases to ensure that we remain employed. Why do we find it so difficult to spend the same time studying the word of God? I believe we have this problem because our minds are focused on storing up treasures on earth. This morning, James reminds us that our treasures on this earth will eventually lose its luster. I am not sure if you realize how the economies of the world are getting worse each day. Although we have a good salary, it’s becoming more and more difficult to purchase the basic items we need to survive. If we continue to lay up our treasure on earth we are going to lose everything including eternal life. But when we lay up our treasures in heaven, it will never be destroyed. God allow us to have wealth not for us to store it up for ourselves. Like Joseph in Egypt we are allowed to store up wealth to ensure that there is meat in the house of the Lord during the days of famine. God allow us to have wealth so that He can use us to help those who are in need while at the same time teaching us how to become unselfish. This is the lesson He intended to teach the rich young ruler. But unfortunately, this young man loved His earthly possessions more than eternal life. I pray that we will not make the same mistake like the rich young ruler. I pray that well allow God to help us to utilize the resources He has given to us in a manner that will meet His approval. When Abigail returned to her home, she found her husband and his guests participating in the enjoyment of a great feast. Nabal thought nothing of spending an extravagant amount of his wealth to indulge and glorify himself; but it seemed too painful a sacrifice for him to make to bestow compensation which he never would have missed, upon those who had been like a wall to his flocks and herds. Nabal was like the rich man in the parable. He had only one thought,--to use Gods merciful gifts to gratify his selfish animal appetites. He had no thought of gratitude to the giver. He was not rich toward God; for eternal treasure had no attraction for him. Present luxury, present gain, was the one absorbing thought of his life. This was his God. Abigail found her husband in a state of intoxication, joining in the drunken revelry of those around him. She knew it would be useless to tell him of what had happened when his reason was dethroned; but the next morning she related to him the occurrence of the day before. Nabal was a coward at heart, and his excessive indulgence of appetite, both in eating and drinking, had affected his physical and moral powers, and when he had realized how near his folly had brought him to a sudden death, his entire energy and power seemed smitten with paralysis. Fearful that David would still pursue his purpose of revenge, he was filled with horror, and sank down in a condition of helpless insensibility. After ten days Nabal died. The life that God had given him had only been a curse to society. In the midst of his rejoicing and merry-making, God had said to him, as he said to the rich fool of the parable, This night thy soul shall be required of thee. (Signs of the Times, October 26, 1888 – Ellen G. White) pride and vanity took possession of Hezekiahs heart, and in self-exaltation he laid open to covetous eyes the treasures with which God had enriched his people. The king showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not. Isaiah 39:2. Not to glorify God did he do this, but to exalt himself in the eyes of the foreign princes. He did not stop to consider that these men were representatives of a powerful nation that had not the fear nor the love of God in their hearts, and that it was imprudent to make them his confidants concerning the temporal riches of the nation. The visit of the ambassadors to Hezekiah was a test of his gratitude and devotion. The record says, Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2 Chronicles 32:31. Had Hezekiah improved the opportunity given him to bear witness to the power, the goodness, the compassion, of the God of Israel, the report of the ambassadors would have been as light piercing darkness. But he magnified himself above the Lord of hosts. He rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up. Disastrous were the results which were to follow. To Isaiah it was revealed that the returning ambassadors were carrying with them a report of the riches they had seen, and that the king of Babylon and his counselors would plan to enrich their own country with the treasures of Jerusalem. Hezekiah had grievously sinned; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 25. (Review and Herald, May 13, 1915 – Ellen G. White)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 12:06:31 +0000
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