How To Be Rich DevotionalSample

Treasures in Heaven

King David knew about honoring God with his stuff. He knew that his days were numbered. I don't mean that he was about to die. But in the grand scheme of life, David had a limited amount of time with which to honor God. We all do. And David knew that whatever he did in this life was somehow connected to life in eternity.

In fact, if you look at Paul's instructions to Timothy, he makes reference to this very same idea. He said:

"Command those who are rich in this present world ..." (1 Timothy 6:17)

Did you catch that? In this present world? Why would Paul word it that way? Is there a non-present world? Like a future world? In this statement, the apostle Paul tips his hand to the fact that he believes there is more to this life than this life. He believes there is something beyond this life. And he's not alone. Ninety-seven percent of Americans believe there is something beyond this life. There's another world besides this present world. And even if someone's rich in this world, it won't last forever. Another world is coming right after it. So rather than carry on like nothing will ever change, rich people need to honor God with their stuff now. Because not only are they guarding against the side effects of wealth here, they're actually laying up treasure in heaven for an age that is yet to come.

There are many theories to describe exactly what that looks like, but you can be sure of this: Jesus talked about this concept throughout the Gospels, so there's little doubt that the degree to which we honor God during this age will impact our experience in the age to come.

Paul instructs Timothy to tell rich people that they get one opportunity to do good in such a way that they will impact their standing in the age to come. Don't miss the opportunity.

When Jesus talked about it, he was very clear. He asked the question, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Mark 8:36). In essence, he implored his followers to view wealth through the lens of eternity. That's how David viewed it. And when we do the same, we lose our grip on wealth, and wealth loses its grip on us.