1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about a treasure. 3 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotion after a brief message from 4 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: our sponsors. The Treasure Worth Everything written and read by 5 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: Sarah Fraser. The young man said to him, all these 6 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: things I have kept, what do I still lack? Jesus 7 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: said to him, if you would be perfect, go sell 8 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: what you possess and give to the poor, and you 9 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. Matthew 10 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty one through twenty two. One morning, while walking 11 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: my dog, I slowed down to go around a curve. 12 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: Walking slower allowed my thoughts to shift to the morning 13 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: sun peeking over the mountains. It was a sweet moment 14 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: of quiet, peace and gratitude. I was so thankful to 15 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: the Lord for all of the good things in my life, 16 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: the things I still had that were of great value. 17 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: I started listing the relationships, the comfort, and the security 18 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: God it provided for me and my family after a 19 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: few years of upheaval and heartache. Those things, as I 20 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: meditated on them, are wonderful. Certainly they are gifts from God. 21 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: But as I read the Gospel of Matthew, I realized 22 00:01:55,080 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: that those things can also quietly take center place in 23 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: my life. None of those gifts from God are bad, 24 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: but they can have the tendency to feel more important 25 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: than God himself. I think we can be thankful for 26 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: the gifts of family protection and financial stability. But after 27 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: reading Jesus's words in Matthew, there is also a warning too. 28 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: We need to remember that what we treasure most has 29 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: a way of shaping our heart. In Matthew six nineteen 30 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: through twenty one, Jesus says, do not lay up for 31 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and 32 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for 33 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rest destroys, 34 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: where thieves do not break in and steal. For where 35 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: your treasure is there, your heart will be also. Jesus 36 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: isn't just talking about money or possessions, but anything that 37 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,839 Speaker 1: would take our heart art away from God. In those 38 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: verses we see the value of eternal things instead of 39 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: earthly things. The two things that will last forever are 40 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: God's word and people, the things we invest our time, 41 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: energy and attention into reveal what we believe will last. 42 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: Do we believe that eternity is coming, we can start 43 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: now focusing our minds, our hearts, and our actions on 44 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: things that will last beyond our years here on earth. 45 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: It is easy to focus on earthly things because we 46 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: can see those things and God's rewards. God's treasures are 47 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: often unseen. If we could see the value of what 48 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: God is offering to us as believers, I think we 49 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: would do as the man does. In Matthew thirteen forty four, 50 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: Jesus tells his followers the kingdom of Heaven is like 51 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found 52 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: and covered up. Then, in his joy, he goes and 53 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: sells all that he has and buys the field. God's kingdom. 54 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: The eternal things, are worth more than everything we could 55 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: accumulate here in this lifetime. Notice that the man sells 56 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: everything not out of obligation, but because of joy. God's 57 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: Kingdom is not a loss, It is a gain beyond comparison. 58 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: This man found something better, and we too can have 59 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: these things. God's Kingdom offers us peace Philippians four seven, 60 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: Joy John fifteen ten, and True Life John ten ten. 61 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: So what holds us back. Why do we hesitate? I 62 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: think the answer can be found later in Matthew when 63 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: a rich young ruler asked Jesus a question in Matthew 64 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen, Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life? 65 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: Jesus tells him about the law, but then says, to 66 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: be truly perfect, the rich man had to sell all 67 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: of his things and give his money to the poor. 68 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: The man walked away because something else was better than Jesus. 69 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: The lesson for us is not to sell all of 70 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: our things to follow Jesus. The command from Jesus to 71 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: this man revealed the man's heart. He couldn't let go 72 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 1: of his wealth, and Jesus knew that sometimes the things 73 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: we treasure most can become the very things that keep 74 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: us from fully trusting God. Only you know your heart, 75 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: but God also knows we treasure things like control, comfort, money, routine, 76 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: and even our image. These things are not bad, but 77 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: when they keep us from following, that's where we are 78 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: invited to change. God invites us to depend on Him, 79 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: not these things. God isn't trying to take away the 80 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: good things in our lives, but he is reminding us 81 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: that He is something better. Following him will always lead 82 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: to things that will last. Jesus is the true treasure. 83 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: At the end of this conversation, Jesus says we will 84 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 1: inherit eternal life Matthew, nineteen twenty nine. Jesus is our treasure. 85 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: The more we see the beauty of Christ, the more 86 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: everything else begins to take its proper place, intersecting faith 87 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: and life. What am I holding on to most tightly 88 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: right now? Does it reflect what I truly believe is 89 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: most valuable. The treasure of knowing God is worth more 90 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: than anything this world can offer. And when we began 91 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: to see that clearly, we don't have to force ourselves 92 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: to let go. We simply began to open our hands, 93 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: trusting that what He gives us is far better than 94 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: anything we leave behind. Additional reading Colossians three two, Philippians 95 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: three eight one, Timothy Chapter six, Verses seventeen through nineteen, 96 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: Hebrews eleven, twenty four through twenty six. Thanks for listening 97 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: to today's devotional. If you liked what you heard today, 98 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: we want to make sure you know about our sister podcast, 99 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer. 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