July 24 Sweet Dreams

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, But the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. ~Ecclesiastes 5:12

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (The third soil) ~Matthew 13:22

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. ~1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

You, O Lord, have filled my heart with greater joy than when the grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. ~Psalm 4:7-8

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. ~Matthew 6:19-20A

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15

It is certainly true that the less we have, the less we have to worry about. We’ve talked about all of this before, so there isn’t much new to add here concerning earthly possessions, especially considering that just yesterday, we talked about the concept of stewardship and ownership.

I know that in our case we are trying very hard to cull through our earthly possessions and move them on sooner than later. We want to spare our kids the burden of getting rid of all our “junk.” Isn’t it interesting that earlier in life something catches our eye and we think, “I’ve gotta have it!” Now, we see whatever it was over in the corner collecting dust and we think, “Ugh, I’ve got to get rid of it!” There are probably very few things that most of us have that we still treasure now as much as we thought we did when we first acquired them. Of course, it doesn’t help that things wear out, go out of style, and break down eventually. It is the nature of things.

Jesus must have seen similar behavior going on around him. Who knows what the hot ticket items of the day were: a better fishing net, better sandals, a new, sharp plow. Of course, things wore out in Jesus’ day too, making those things more of a necessity, but, new is always better, right? Yet, Solomon says over and over in Ecclesiastes, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Thus, Jesus implores us to lift our eyes from the never ending parade of new earthly treasures and asks us to “lay up our treasures in heaven, where the moth and rust cannot destroy.” That treasure will be there waiting for us in pristine condition when we arrive. Treasures that we can send on ahead, “hmmmm,” it is worth thinking about.

This actually reminds me of a Lifeline skit that we did a few years back, in another church to introduce the sermon on the idea of laying up treasures in heaven. The text is below.

 

Investing Long Term based on Romans 15:13

Accountant: Okay Mr. Smith, let’s take a look at what you’re doing for the long term.

Mr. Smith: Well, let’s see. I have several mutual funds, a few T-bills, uh, CD’s, and a sizeable amount of gold.

Accountant: I’m talking about the long term.

Mr. Smith: Oh definitely! I won’t be touching this stuff ’til retirement. (laugh)

Accountant: I mean the…”Lo-o-o-ng term!”

Mr. Smith: The…long…term? (thoughtful)

Accountant: After retirement?

Mr. Smith: (Laughs) What’s after retirement?

Accountant: A very long term.

Mr. Smith: Oh,

Accountant: What investments have you made for that period of your life?

Mr. Smith: Uh, What do you mean?

Accountant: The Bible says not to put our hope in wealth, but to put our hope in God. You see, we lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven by trusting in Jesus and by being rich in good deeds and generous and willing to share, and by bringing others into the kingdom with us. So how are you investing for the long term?

Mr. Smith: (chagrined) Well, I haven’t thought much past my own death.

Accountant: Mr. Smith, people don’t die, bodies die. You’ll be around for a long time after your death. Now is the time to plan ahead.

Question for all of us: could we get as excited about what Jesus considers treasures, as we get about acquiring the next best thing?

“But the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.” I wonder if we would toss and turn as much over the ones that Jesus considers treasures? If we do, it should be about praying to save them, not hoping Jesus can keep them safe, He can! But on the worldly side, the burdensome worry about the security of material wealth proved to be enough so that the person with the heart of the third soil lost his faith. That was a high price to pay for what he had here on earth.

“The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much,” The day laborer is only thinking of his labor for that day. He isn’t focused on accumulation, but just on having enough. I think our labor for Jesus is like that. It’s a one day at a time kind of work. Whatever treasure we have claimed is given to Him at the end of the day and we don’t need to worry about it anymore because it is in His safe care. “You, O Lord, have filled my heart with greater joy than when the grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Our treasures, with Him, are safe as well.

Prayer: Oh Father, You are my greatest treasure! Yet You treasured me and paid the highest price of all! Thank You so much for valuing me that much! Resting secure in You, I can sleep as soundly as the proverbial day laborer. And I am moved to work as hard every day too, to share this good news with others about their value in Your eyes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: You Are My All in All