Date: March 22, 2017
To: The Body of Christ
From: Mr. Miyagi
Subject: Our daily devotion
Re: Heavenly treasures vs. earthly treasures
Good morning brethren, today’s Scripture from our Daily Bread is found in Heb 11:26 AMP- He considered the reproach of the Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God].
Commentary:
As believers, we know that we are only pilgrims on this earth. Our final destination is Heaven, where we will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Heaven is our reward for living for Christ on this earth. It involves obedience to God, staying in His will, and applying His word in our lives daily. But this is not always easy. We live in a world that does not follow God. It is a world that glorifies the flesh and is given over to its carnal appetites, a world that shuns the good in God and embraces evil. So when a believer walks according to God’s decree, it is as if he is speaking a foreign language that the world does not understand. The world will not cheer him on for living the straight and narrow. It will not support his choice to live righteously. In fact, he will be laughed at, or be insulted or disgraced for his love for God and at other times, he may even be persecuted for his faith in Christ. But nevertheless, if a believer remains faithful to Jesus Christ no matter what, in the end, he will be rewarded with eternal life in Christ.
What are some of the riches of Heaven on earth as we pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?”
Peace of God is one of the heavenly riches on earth. How does this peace relate to God’s heavenly riches? For example, man has attempted to buy peace through seeing counselors and psychiatrists in hope to find rest as he tries to safeguard his riches. But the peace of God which surpasses all understanding cannot be bought with money. It is given to those who have fully placed their trust in Jesus Christ.
Phil 4:6-7 AMP-
6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
Commentary
Man will tend to go to “Egypt” meaning a therapist to get peace. They are constantly in turmoil because they worry about their wealth. But those who are in Christ are different. They go to God in prayer and apply the Word in their lives through prayer. This is how they achieve the peace of God. They look to the heavenly reward. But those without Christ will seek man for solutions such as seeing a counselor to help them alleviate the stress of protecting their wealth. As a result, they often find that they are still without peace. So when a person in Christ focuses on the heavenly riches such as peace, he is esteeming the greater riches of Christ rather than the treasures of the world.
Paul says in Phil 4:8 AMP- “Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].”
Paul is saying that these things that you have learned from him, do them and the God of peace will be with you. You will be able to receive and experience the riches of Christ that can only come from heaven. And what are these riches? It is the Word of God. And this heavenly treasure surpasses the riches on earth. Paul discovered this greater riches from heaven. How do you obtain these riches from heaven? The answer is found in Phil 4:6-7.
Those without Christ will try to get peace from medication and seeing a therapist. They will go to external substitutes to get the peace such as drugs, alcohol, food and so forth. But they will find that these substitutes are futile and cannot supply the peace that they need. The God-shaped vacuums in their hearts can only be satisfied with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. No substitute can provide that satisfaction. A believer who struggles with this will eventually realized that even for them, they need to repent and rededicate their lives to Jesus Christ to obtain forgiveness for falling away. These external substitutes are idols which must be removed from their hearts. Their hearts must be filled with the Lord Jesus Christ. So this is for the believers as well.
As per Phil 4, Paul is saying he knows how to be abase because he has the understanding ( v.12). He can do all things through Christ because Christ is his riches (v. 13). He has the understanding that God shall supply all his needs (v. 19). And he gives God all the glory (v. 20).
The heavenly riches of Christ cannot be bought with money. It can only be achieved by faith in Christ. For those who are carnal and struggling in the world, Paul says “follow me.” There are people in churches today who are still carnal and still struggling with the kingdom realm and the earthly realm. The key power is the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you will have understanding what is the riches in Christ in heaven that is beyond any riches and treasures of this earth. If not, a person will see his therapist every week, but will still lack the peace that he so desires. When man achieves human understanding rather than revelations from God, it is only temporary.
Proverbs 22:1 AMP-
A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold.
Commentary:
AS mentioned in Hebrews 11, Moses was willing to suffer the rebuke of his faithfulness to God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. He left a life of plenty to associated with God’s people, the Israelites. His life exemplified moral courage, godly wisdom, and faithful obedience unto God. He had a life of luxury and was set up to live like a king, but gave it all up when he answered God’s call to free the Israelites. He chose God rather than riches and gold. For him, the heavenly treasures were more desirable than earthly treasures. Moses’ name is therefore remembered because of his faithful obedience to God.
Psalm 62:10
Do not trust in oppression,
And do not vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Commentary:
So we are being reminded not to place our trust in earthly riches, our money. It is not a sin to have great wealth on earth, but if a person places his trust in his earthly riches as opposed to trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then his money becomes his idol and he has sinned. A person is tested when he comes into possession of a large sum of money. The money in itself is neutral. It is what a person does with the money that determines the true condition of his heart.
Here is a poem we wrote to illustrate this point:
If money is your god and is always on your mind
And you find yourself struggle with worrying all the time
And you are constantly without peace, seeking for a way
To protect all your money from flying away one day
Then know that it is futile to go to man for help
For the only one who can give you peace is Jesus Christ Himself
Because only He can give you the true peace of mind you need
So go to God in prayer and His Word you must heed
Be anxious for nothing, my friend. It’ll make you sick, you know.
Instead, put your faith in Jesus because it is vital for your soul
Not only can He protect your money, but your life and health as well
So please hear what the Lord is saying…...for it is loud and clear as a bell.
In conclusion, a person’s money cannot buy him peace. Only Jesus can provide this peace. So a person does well to put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Shalom and blessings,
Mr. Miyagi
