Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.
Matthew 6:19 AMPC
The Context and Focus:
Today's verse is taken from a very long sermon Jesus preached on a mountain, just at the start of his earthly ministry. He had gathered his disciples to Him on the mount, and the crowd was there at the foot of the mount. As always, the message may be for everyone, and the promise is also for everyone, but of course, only those who respond the right way get the blessings attached to the instructions given. The first point of order here is to define who you are: a disciple or part of the crowd. This clarity will define the rest of this piece, as well as help bring home the expectations of God for us. There is an expectation from those who claim to follow Jesus; there is a code of conduct, as well as rules of engagement for dealing with Christ as Master, Saviour and Lord. These distinctions are not separate themes on their own, but must be taken together. I cannot claim Jesus is Master, and then reject him as Saviour. If I will enjoy all that has been promised, I have to take him as He has presented himself, do as He commands, so I can end up with Him, just as He promised. This is the end of all His commands.
The Message:
One of such commands from Jesus has to do with storage. It is the way of the world to store things up. Whether as individuals, families or nations, it is good practice to store up excess, and not waste it. That which cannot be consumed now should be saved up as it would come in handy sometime later in the future. Nations have reserves, families have savings and investment accounts, and for non-cash items, we have storage rooms or vaults. I recall that what saved Egypt, the sons of Jacob and the surrounding nations at the time was because Joseph was led to store up food. He stored up so much that all these nations were fed throughout the seven years of famine that came upon the land. There are also people who have made it their lifelong commitment to save up for uncertainties and fluctuations in the economy. As soon as the dire situations arise, what has been saved up become the saving grace. If this is so important in the physical, imagine the great equivalent in the spiritual. If the world can be saved by the right kind of physical and material storage, imagine how much the world can be saved too by the right kind of spiritual storage.
The Conclusion:
As much as the world needs, and is impacted by this physical and material storage, it is important to know and respect the limits of this kind of storage. You can make a plan that addresses the needs of the world, but do you know that this present earth has an expiry date? The importance of earthly preparation is seen in Jesus' warning about a man who wants to build a house or a king who wants to go to war? You would not dare do these without any kind of preparation. How do you prepare the right way for a time when all of the world's storage cannot address the season of pain and trouble that is coming on all who reject the gift of salvation that God has made available? God Himself has provided all we need for life and Godliness, which means that God is very interested in both my physical and spiritual health. I must not focus so much on the physical, and then ignore the spiritual. The physical and the earthly is the preparatory ground for the spiritual. As I live this life that God has given me, I must also prepare to meet God. What I do now is my storage for eternity. May the Lord help me prepare right. God's time of favour is here.
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