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Seeking the Heavenly Treasure, June 13
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2
.
The Lord reveals man’s relative estimate of time and eternity, of
earth and heaven. He has admonished us: “If riches increase, set not
your heart upon them.”
Psalm 62:10
. They have a value when used for
the good of others and the glory of God; but no earthly treasure is to be
your portion, your god, or your savior.
God tests men, some in one way, and some in another. He tests some
by bestowing upon them His rich bounties, and others by withholding
His favors. He proves the rich to see if they will love God, the Giver,
and their neighbor as themselves. When man makes a right use of
these bounties, God is pleased; He can then trust him with greater
responsibilities.
There is within the worldly man a craving for something that he
does not have. He has, from force of habit, bent every thought, every
purpose, in the direction of making provision for the future, and as he
grows older, he becomes more eager than ever to acquire all that it is
possible to gain....
All this energy, this perseverance, this determination, this industry
after earthly power, is the result of the perversion of his powers to a
wrong object. Every faculty might have been cultivated to the highest
possible elevation by exercise, for the heavenly, immortal life, and for
the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The customs and
practices of the worldly man in his perseverance and his energies, and
in availing himself of every opportunity to add to his store, should be a
lesson to those who claim to be children of God, seeking for glory, honor,
and immortality. The children of the world are wiser in their generation
than the children of the light, and herein is seen their wisdom. Their
object is for earthly gain, and to this end they direct all their energies. O
that this zeal would characterize the toiler for heavenly riches!
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