“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. 3:19)
Those of you who have reached an age that can be counted in several decades understand this verse fully, you have toiled all your life for the things that you have surrounded yourself with, to purchase not only the necessary items to keep your flesh satisfied, but your mind as well, items of pleasure and those that assist you in the moments of relaxation that you make the time to enjoy.
But if you have been saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you realize also the truth of Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
It is not so much the truth of the knowledge that all you have accumulated will be left to another as it is that all those items will not last, necessary to a degree for the moment, but temporary. It can seem at times a complete and total waste of time and energy. “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matt. 6:20)
Do you know how to do that, do you look at all of the items around you, those things that you have toiled sometimes many years for and call them treasures, or can you see them as nothing but fuel for the fire? “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2nd Peter 3:10)
What treasure have you accumulated here that are waiting for you in heaven?
I do not believe most Christians can answer this question, it is God that choses who will enter into His Kingdom, but it is through us that He calls them to Himself, so can we say that those we have witnessed to and have come to the Lord for the salvation of their souls a treasure we can claim? “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” (1st Cor. 3:6)
What of your fervent prayers, intercessory prayers for others, those brothers and sisters of yours in Christ who have a great need, whether it be Spiritual or physical, can those prayers be counted as a treasure awaiting you? Are the prayers of the saints that were meant to glorify God, either through the needs of others or in the praise to His Holy name a treasure to the Lord, one that has a reward waiting for those who did so regularly?
“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?” (Matt. 25:44) Are actions performed by us out of love and obedience to the Word of God treasures we are laying up for ourselves, those that we have done not out of an obligation, not done because we believe we are supposed to or because it is required by us, but only because we love Him who first loved us?
“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” (Luke 6:23)
In His presence you will know fulness of joy, in His Kingdom there are pleasures forevermore, He is our great and exceeding reward.
The Almighty rewards those who serve Him out of a love for Him, it is not possible to claim salvation if you do not love Him, but many serve Him without that love for Him. They are deceiving themselves and will have their rewards here.
What are you storing up in heaven, and how are you doing that? It’s a question you should contemplate deeply and often.