Sports Spectrum Daily Devotional: Thursday, January 30

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)

The Treasures of Your Heart

In Matthew 6:19-21, the verse above, Jesus teaches us an important spiritual principle we need to know in order to give God the entirety of our hearts.

You are the child of a loving God who is desperately jealous for the entirety of your heart. Matthew 6:19-21 illustrates a truth that spans beyond this world and into the fullness of eternity. You and I have an opportunity in this life either to give our hearts to God and receive an eternal reward, or to give our hearts to the world, which will only lead to destruction. We can either surrender all that we are and have to the perfect, pleasing plans of our Heavenly Father or seek fulfillment, pleasure, status and wealth in that which belongs to the world alone.

The absolute best way we can ensure our lives are fully surrendered and available to the Father is to spend the first moments of our day alone with him. If we are going to make the most of this life, we must set aside time to assess our thoughts, actions and emotions. We must make time to take an honest look at our lives and discover whether we are truly living for God or for the world. And in response to a daily assessment, we must consistently engage in the process of confession so that our lives may be empowered by the forgiveness and love of the Father.

God longs for your life here on earth to impact eternity. He is a Father who has perfect plans to bless you in ways you cannot imagine. But God cannot bless that which is not best. He cannot reward you for doing that which is destructive.

Choose to center your life around meeting with God that you might store up a wealth of eternal treasure. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit every morning that He may reveal anything that’s keeping you from experiencing the fullness of life Jesus died to give you. Surrender your life to the God who has greater things in store for you than you can ask or imagine. And experience the peace and joy that comes from allowing God to have the entirety of your life to bless and fill with His glorious nearness.

— Craig Denison, First15

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