From the Edges – Morning Devotional – Keeping Treasures

From the Edges – Morning Devotions

Pastor Calvin Cook – May 10, 2024

Keeping Treasures

Scripture focus – Luke 6:43-45 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In our home, actually in every home we have ever had since Gail and I have been married, we have these curio, china cabinets, pieces of furniture which hold many mementos, pieces of history to us from our family. Some of the pieces having special meanings of collections we acquired at auctions, antique and thrift stores, and gifts from people in our lives and relationships. The antique curio that I share in the picture this morning is a curio that Gail’s Grandpap, reworked, refinished and made into the beautiful reminder of a legacy of a man who lived an honarable life. Though I never met him, I am often drawn to him by the stories Gail shares about him and lasting legacy he left and what this piece of furniture means to Gail.

In this curio and the other 3 or 4 we have – (please don’t judge us, we are trying to do better, we know we have to much stuff) almost all pieces have a story. From the Humel collection Gail has, the glass three-face milk pitcher that has been in my family for three generations. Hopefully at some point, these treasures will be handed down to the next generation. These items all represent something that holds special meaning but are the temporary part of this earthly life. We need to hold onto the reminders and souvenirs of the eternal forever part of our life.

I am thinking this morning though just a little deeper into my faith. What treasures and reminders of my faith journey am I holding within the curio of my heart. Have I placed what Jesus has done in my life, the lessons I have learned, the tough spots I have been in that God led me through, the moving of the Holy Spirit and the miracles I have witnessed in proper keeping. Or have I or we quickly, put away into a storage container, or donated or thrown away those things away, thinking they are no longer of value to my remembrance of my life, my whole life!

It has caused me to think of what I value as important. What I value as the “keepers” to constantly be reminded that through it all the one thing that remains is God. Through the power of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I have these treasures and remembrances of truly what is important and what can not be taken away. We might give our faith and commitment to Christ away or trade it in for something else that will not in the long scheme of things satisfy, but it cannot be taken away. The choice becomes ours about what we will keep or discard. This also becomes an eternal decision.

I am reminded of the scripture from Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

May we begin to keep, hold on to, focus on, keep close to our heart, and mind those things which are truly important and meaningful to our soul into eternal life and not just for a quick fix here in this world that will also pass away.