Jewelry Here. Jewelry Later 12/29/2017

Good Morning,

I hear the Door County Spicy Nutcracker Coffee brewing in the kitchen. One of my co-workers has decided that this is her new favorite flavor. I have to agree. I think it is pretty good myself.

In our lives we all tend to hang on to momentous, or we collect things that we enjoy. Rene has a couple sets of antique dishes that she has collected throughout the years and I have a collection of dead animals hanging from my wall to help me remember my escapades in the wild.

I also from time to time just do not know what to get Rene for special occasions like her birthday or our anniversary. We are not rich, but if I save diligently, I can afford to purchase a piece of jewelry from the local gem emporium. This was the year for a bracelet that I have been saving for. Rene has never returned any of the items I have brought home and she faithfully wears them when appropriate. She has plans to leave them with our daughter some day when she passes on. We all know that we can't take our collections with us to heaven and they might as well do some good for someone else when we leave this Earth. We store up treasures on Earth, yet Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven. Let's look at that.

 Jesus told us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” Matthew 6:20. He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.

The Bible mentions rewards that await the believer who serves the Lord faithfully in this world Matthew 10:41. A “great” reward is promised to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Various crowns are mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:8 Jesus says that He will bring rewards with Him when He returns Revelation 22:12.

We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important 1 Corinthians 10:31. Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3:2324).

When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” Matthew 10:42

We all have something to give away some day when we leave this world. But what have you set aside in heaven. We are saved by grace  not by works, yet God wants to reward us for the good we do for others as ambassadors in His Kingdom. Food for thought as you walk today. Are you mining diamonds for God?

Marty