‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.’ Job 1:21 NKJV
Here is what Job said about the loss of his great wealth: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.’ (Job 1:21 NKJV) Job understood that we all enter life with our hands empty, and we all exit life with our hands empty. The only thing we can take with us when we go is what we have sent ahead. Jesus talks about this: ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ (Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV)
When Jesus referred to treasure, His audience would have understood that He was referring to clothing, food, or money. Rich people wore the best clothes, but moths could eat holes in them. Rich people ate the best food, but rats and worms could consume it. Rich people had silver and gold, but since there were no banks, they stored it in their houses. But because houses were made of clay, thieves could conveniently dig through the wall and rob it. What Jesus was saying was ‘Don’t put your treasure where it can be damaged, decayed, or done away with.’ James Merritt writes: ‘Jesus doesn’t want your money. It’s already His. Jesus wants your heart. But since your heart always follows your money, He wants you to surrender your money, your wealth, your stuff to Him.’ When you do that, you’re investing in eternity instead of time.
SoulFood: Jer 25–27, Luke 23:1–25, Ps 72:1–11, Pro 9:1–6
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©