10/22/18 CHOOSE YOUR TREASURE CAREFULLY
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CHOOSE YOUR TREASURE CAREFULLY
Our area, in fact all of the southern east coast, is strewn with the debris left by Florence and Michael. I saw a large sailboat that was torn from its mooring ball and driven ashore on a beach in Morehead. I continue to see the interiors of really large homes, dragged to the street to be hauled away. Sometimes the piles of debris are taller than a person, and stretching the entire length of the house. It is not just the furnishings, but the walls, the floors, the ceilings, the electrical work, appliances, carpeting, rugs, books, magazines, electronic components, insulation, studs, clothing. Some houses are not being gutted, but torn down completely. In some communities there were entire neighborhoods blown and washed away by the storms.
The problem for the houses that are being gutted and having their furnishings removed is mold. Expensive sofas, chairs, mattresses, beds, carpeting, dressers, cabinets, curtains and drapes got wet and then sat for a short time in the sweltering heat, providing a hot bed for mold, mildew and other growths which are not only destructive to the furnishings, but even deadly to the inhabitants.
A great amount of the ruined belongings were personal treasures to the victims. They were treasured belongings for various reasons. Some items were very expensive; some were personal favorites that they had owned for a long time; some were gifts with sentimental value; some were rare objects or antiques.
Treasures to Trash in a Moment of Time. Possessions with special meaning and value, which will never be replaced. Gut the mold took over. Still, with the dangers involved, some folks are not willing to give up their Treasures Now Turned Trash. They want to hold on as long as they can, even though it will even trash their health or the health of loved ones.
Of course, I view these aspects of natural disaster as spiritual truths. I have traveled the roads of life for years, seeing great numbers of people ruined by the sin storms of life. They have accumulated and lost material Treasures through the years, either because they were moth eaten or turned to rust or they were stolen by robbers. Though some of these Treasures are more enduring than others such as gold, silver, jewelery, these too will be gone.
There are other Treasures that are truly valuable. I am not talking about gold or silver or artwork or precious gems. I am talking about relationships with friends and family. But sadly, people put these Treasures above a right relationship with God, and even these Treasures can become Trash.
We see the earthly Treasures piled high in a Trash heap along the curb, in front of the storm struck house. The former Treasures and now useless, worthless, waiting to be carried away to a land fill or burned. The person will have to start over. Maybe they will have to scratch out a living. But their lives go on, though their Treasures have been turned to Trash.
This is the way it is with people who suffer the loss of relationships. When their lives have been gutted of loved ones and everything that they hold dear, because of death, failed relationships or wrong decisions. If they cannot recover or restore their lost Treasures, they must move on, start over, building and developing new lives and relationships.
Sometimes the Treasured relationship they have turns to Trash because the other person is toxic, because of drugs, anger, deceit, philandering or some other sin. The consumer of alcohol becomes consumed by alcohol. After years of suffering through difficult situations, the toxic person is finally gone, through death or separation. For whatever reasons, the survivor then builds another relationship with another person who has the save toxic personality as the other loved one, and again their Treasure becomes Trash.
What is your Treasure? What do you hold onto? What has your affection and commitment? If your focus, if your Treasure is not Jesus, they you have the wrong Treasure, because your Treasure will always become Trash.
Jesus talked about Treasures and Trash. Some things are worthy of pursuit .and some are not. Some Treasures will last a lifetime but then fail you in your closing moments of life. Some Treasures will last for eternity. What are your Treasures? Don't be a Trash collector from the beginning, accumulating that which has momentary value. Be a collector of true TREASURE, which will never lose value.
The greatest TREASURE is a right relationship with God. Pursuing God is referred to by Paul, when he said that he apprehends that which has apprehended him. None of us seek after God until God has sought after us. Jesus came to seek and to find that which was lost and gave His life to save the lost. Jesus gave parables on seeking for the lost, finding the lost, recovering the lost and restoring the lost.
We are the Treasures of God. Our worth, our value is not in ourselves, but in the fact that God created us for His Own purposes. God also redeemed us from our rebellion. God not only poured Himself into creating us, but He poured His life out to redeem us.
Now, we as the Treasures of God can be indwelt by the TREASURE of His presence. He is the TREASURE we carry about in these earthen vessels.
If you choose your TREASURE carefully, It will never become Trash.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth,
That pass away, that are moth eaten, that rust, that are stolen, and pass away
Will grow strongly dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
