Treasure Location...

...indicates heart condition.

Luke 12:33 and 34 says, "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes or moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also."

It's a night like any other night. You fall asleep quickly but then awaken to the fire alarm in your home buzzing wildly. This makes you jump out of bed. Everything looks fine in your room and you run to your bedroom door, throw it open and immediately a plume of smoke hits your face.

This is real, you tell yourself. Then you jump into action.

If you have children, your first instinct is to grab them. But let's say for some strange reason it's just you in the house. You have two minutes to grab what's valuable to you and get out safely.

Now, unless you're a bit psycho and every night before you go to bed you organize a few suitcases full of your most treasured possessions just in case a fire breaks out so that you can grab them and go in a heartbeat, this is a critical thinking time that may surprise you when the crisis passes.

You find yourself standing on your driveway, watching your house go up in flames. After the excitement dies down and the fire trucks leave, you look down at your feet and examine the armful of treasures you grabbed.

I am sure you will wonder exactly what you were thinking when you grabbed that exact pile - why didn't you grab this or that? If only you had time for more than one armful...

So, what's in your pile? Pictures? Your computer? Clothes or shoes? Files or jewelry? Maybe artwork, some spare hidden cash or a fur coat?

Whatever is in your pile will indicate where you heart is, don't you think? In a moment of great crisis, what do you value most?

I wonder why people turn to Jesus as a last resort to help them in a crisis? I'm not talking about the world now, I'm talking about believers. We tend to try to figure out life independent from the Lord and then in our hour of need wait until the last minute and then run to Him because there is nowhere left to turn. Unfortunately, many times we don't know where He is by then because He has been so neglected.

Sad, isn't it?

As we head into spring cleaning time - you know, that time when the weather starts to turn, the snow is done and the rain is here, and you crank open the windows to freshen the house, clean out the pantry and closets and get ready for summer - perhaps it's time to think through our crisis plans. What would you grab and why? Where is your treasure? What is your most valued possession? Where do you go when the crisis hits? What condition is your heart in?

Remember, your treasure location indicates your heart condition.