Day 4: Store

Read: Matthew 6:19-21

Observers throughout Los Angeles and beyond have been gutted by images and stories that have emerged from the blaze’s path of destruction and the staggering loss so evidently borne by many. What’s more, thousands of families—across several communities and from all walks of life—experienced this loss firsthand. With phones pinging out urgent evacuation notices and plumes of smoke billowing all too near, those in danger’s way scrambled through their homes, forced to quickly discern which possessions they needed most. Some were not afforded that opportunity and could only return to heaping piles of debris they once recognized as home. To add insult to injury, villainous opportunists looted abandoned homes, stripping already devastated communities of both their belongings and morale.

The fire exposed a sobering reality: the fragility of all earthly securities—for the rich and poor alike. Certainly, they offer a sense of safety and steadfastness, but this proves a delicate facade so quickly shattered. While Jesus does not diminish the usefulness of or the care for our treasures (there is unequivocally a biblical call to steward them well), He urges His followers to prioritize and pursue a different kind of treasure—treasure in heaven.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

As worldly labor garners compensation, so does Kingdom labor. Faithful, fruitful lives, a product of humble obedience to the Lord, accrue eternal treasures—rewards unplagued by the worldly threats of (in Jesus’ words) moths, vermin, thieves, and yes, even wildfires.

If you are facing loss of any kind, or if you are grappling with the reality of loss as seen in your community or on the news, be encouraged in the hope that awaits you in heaven. Store up for yourself treasures in heaven; find deep rest for your soul, rooted in the reality that no matter your status on earth, your future in heaven is secure—unshakable and sure.

Reflect:

• What practical needs have you been worried about lately? How has this impacted your physical and emotional well-being?
• Do you have a tendency to find security in earthly treasures rather than heavenly treasures? Why or why not?
• Read Matthew 10:42, 1 Corinthians 15:58, and 1 Timothy 6:17-19. How do these verses comfort you in the face of the loss brought on by the fires?
• Read Galatians 5:22-23. What attitudes produce eternal fruit in our lives?

Respond:

• Look back over your reflection regarding your personal worries. Take a few moments to ask God for wisdom and direction in each of those areas.
• Conduct an online search for Bible verses you can recite when you begin to worry. Write down one or two of them.
• What are some of the practical needs that presently exist in your community? Write them down and then ask the Lord, “Is there some way you want me to address those needs?” Pause and listen. Write down anything the Spirit brings to mind that is aligned with the Scriptures you read today.