Tuesday, December 03, 2019

December 3, 2019 … Treasures in Heaven

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 337 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the group Maylet singing … Treasures In Heaven … poignantly singing of how we can store treasures in heaven by living life to serve the Lord.


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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 6:19 [ESV] ... 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,  …  
… In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He preaches to avoid trying to pursue earthly “treasures” 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 6:19-24 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Jesus teaching on storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 25:14-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus’ “parable of the talents,” showing us how we should use God’s providence in this life.

Reference Passage : … Luke 12:32-34 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK
… More teaching from Jesus on how we should invest our time, talents, and treasures.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:6-10 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK
… God, thru Paul, shows us how we reap what we sow … by giving cheerfully, generously, and sacrificially.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses a personal scenario to illustrate how God desires for us to use our time, talents, and treasures for His kingdom. … The ODB author wrote: We were on the way home from a visit with family in another state when I found it. I was pumping gas when I noticed a dirty, bulky envelope on the ground. I grabbed it, dirt and all, and looked inside. To my surprise, it contained one hundred dollars. [see photo] 
One hundred dollars that someone had lost and who at that very moment was possibly frantically searching to find. I gave our phone number to the attendants at the gas station in case anyone came back looking for it. But no one ever called. 

The ODB author did the right thing, of course, trying his best to return the money rather than hoarding it for himself. As Jesus taught often [see Matt. 6 and Luke 12 passages], reinforced by Paul in Galatians 6:6-10, we need to avoid being ruled by money or earthly treasures and do all we can to store up heavenly treasures by using our time, talents, and God-provided treasures for God’s kingdom (see Matt. 25:14-30). In other words, in heaven we will reap what we sow by how we have lived our lives here on earth.

And I’ve heard it said that one can measure the heart of a Christian (or really anyone) by viewing his/her calendar and checkbook; … because when we see how one uses his/her time, talents, and treasures, we see where their heart really lies. …

So, how will we use what God sends our way today for His glory rather than for our selfish desires? 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for giving us the opportunity to use what You give us for Your glory today.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to do all we can to invest Your providence into Your kingdom. … Amen

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.</ span>

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