Treasures in heaven

Matthew 6:19-34 (NIV)
 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

For the last several weeks we've been studying the sermon on the mount at church in the adult Sunday School class. I've been struck each week by something different. The last two sessions dealt with the above passages.

Lately, it has seemed that my family's needs have been building and building with no foreseeable change for the better. But here's the kicker; We have all we need to eat, we have a place to live, we have clothes to wear, transportation to the places we need to be, cell phones, a computer, tablets, televisions, books galore, and so much more.

We have so much more than God ever promised, yet still my eye sees something shiny and new and I want it.

I forget to be thankful for what I do have and the enormous blessings God has given.
See, God's promise is provision for our needs. If I don't have it, I must not really need it. I have to ask myself if what I want is indeed something I need, or just an earthly treasure.

As disciples of the Nazarene, we are challenged to be different. We are challenged to not chase after the impermanent in place of the things that last.

So, the challenge here is; when I feel that the gifts God has provided are not enough, I need to step back, look at the thing I am longing for and put it in God's hands. If I need it, he will provide it. If He does not provide for it, then I don't need it.

God is good and His mercies endure forever.