But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
Philippians 3:7-11
When I was a small boy, my brother and I had a "Pirate's Chest" in our room which we used to store our treasured toys. My earliest memory of that small box is one Saturday morning we ate our breakfast with our bowls of cereal siting on the chest while we listened to Captain Midnight on the radio! At the time that little box held our most precious possessions which now seem like nothing but "children's toys," which is exactly what they were. And today I have nothing that was in that box.
But today I do have a box of treasured earthly possessions. These are the things that I "insure" so that if they are lost or stolen I will have money to replace them. These are the things that I spend time, usually some time every day, maintaining, cleaning and generally taken care of the contents of my "toy box." But I am reminded again that even as I have nothing from my childhood toy box I will have nothing of my earthly treasures when I go to Heaven.
I will have treasure in Heaven, but it will not be the same as earthly wealth! My treasure in Heaven will be Jesus! What else will I need in Heaven except to know Him? Before my wife and I married years ago we were encouraged to be practical and were warned that we couldn't just "live on love." But in Heaven we not only can live on the Love of Jesus, but we will. Loving Jesus and being with Him forever is the beginning and end of eternity. Jesus is the Treasure of Heaven!
None of your earthy treasure will go with you to Heaven, but Jesus, your Heavenly Treasure can be with you here today. He even said, "I am with you always!"
"My Lord Jesus, nothing on earth compares to You. No riches even come close to the eternal weight of Glory that shines forth from You, even now on this earth. You are my Treasure in Heaven and the only treasure I need now or forever! Jesus, come as soon as You can and take us all home to be with You forever and ever! Amen."
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