Store Up For Yourselves

              
       
    Like weather-worn sentinels, a few old grain elevators still stand tall on the prairie horizon. They are symbolic of a slowly passing agrarian way of life when family farms passed from generation to generation. The modern metal elevators replacing them look cold and functional, lacking the old-world appeal and sense of stability of the distinctive slant-roof elevators.
    Years ago the sight of a grain elevator breaking the flat horizon indicated you were approaching a prairie community. This was the hub of prairie life where farmers brought their grain to be stored, sold and shipped down the rail line to provide bread for far away cities. From tilling to seeding to harvesting, the farmer nurtured his crop throughout the growing season so he could have the satisfaction of watching the golden grain pour into the elevator, knowing his family would be taken care of for another year.
    When I see an old grain elevator it reminds me to do an internal check of what I am storing up inside this life of mine. Having lived more than half my expected life span, my memory bank is full of experiences and decisions which have influenced me either away from or toward God. The prophet Jeremiah described the human heart as “deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” (Jer.17:9) This is the natural tendency of sinful man, to fill his life with deceit and selfishness which pulls him away from God. Like parasites in an elevator full of grain, sin can infest our heart and destroy the value of our life. But when Jesus Christ forgives our sin our hearts are made clean receptacles for storing up what truly counts.
    This is what Jesus had to say about what we store up in our lives.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt.6:19-21)
    What we may desire and hoard here on earth, whether it be material wealth or the prestige of recognition, power and knowledge, will all pass away with time. Sin works on a horizontal level, deceiving us into believing this world is all there is so we need to grab all we can right now. But God’s promises point vertically skyward to heaven, where the things we do in obedience to Him on earth will be stored up as treasure which will never be destroyed. And the benefit of storing up treasure in heaven is that it is the place you will most want to be, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    Prairie grain elevators hold the treasure of a farmer’s year of hard work. What goes into the elevator is the culmination of much time and labor and he depends on it for his future. Is your future dependent on the things of this world or are you storing up things done in this life which will have eternal value? Where is your treasure?


(Dear Readers: This blog is still a work in progress so there are a few glitches needing to be ironed out. Some of you have had problems posting a comment in the comment box. I think I've fixed that now, so feel free to comment away! I appreciate your input.)