but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; Matthew 6:20 WEB

In the previous verse, Christ discourages his followers from storing up wealth on earth. He reminds them of the temporary nature of these things and that thieves might carry away their hard earned goods. Instead, Christ encourages the faithful to store their treasures in heaven. 

The reason for this is given in Matthew 6:21 which reads, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. WEB” If we stockpile material wealth here on earth, we tend to rely on our wealth rather than on God. With material wealth, our hearts are concerned with the creation rather than the Creator. 

Merciful Deeds

When we store up our treasures in heaven, our hearts attach to the immortality of eternal life with Christ. But how do we store treasures in heaven? Christ says in Matthew 6:2, “Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. WEB”

Christ teaches that those who are persecuted for his sake are rewarded in heaven. In Matthew 5:11-12 Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. WEB”

Also, the Lord reveals that secretly giving to the needy, fasting in secret, and praying in private are each rewarded by God in heaven. As we read in Matthew 6:1, “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. WEB”

Give to the Poor

The Lord responds to a young man’s inquiry into perfection. In Matthew 19:21 the bible records Jesus’ response to the young man with these words, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ WEB” This is another example of how to store up treasures in heaven.

Jesus calls each of us out of the world into the service of the kingdom of God. As we read in John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. WEB” These words help us understand the difficulty we may encounter with worldly people because of our focus on eternity rather than gratifying ourselves with worldly wealth. 

Yesterday’s Devotional: Encouragement of the Scriptures