Store Treasures in Heaven - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 11, 2025
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20
Growing up, I was a hoarder. Stockpiling clothes and possessions, I hated to throw anything away. I felt great dread whenever my mother asked me to clean my room. It was like I was grieving a loss. I loved having the most popular toys. I hung on to every Smurf, Strawberry Shortcake doll, and piece of New Kids on the Block memorabilia. I often attached sentimental value to them.
I carried this belief into my older years as a born-again Christian. After I got married, we began our pastoral ministry. We moved six times and pastored five churches over 25 years. Our first move required us to drive 40 hours to Alberta, Canada, to start our journey together. We lived in a tiny apartment on a college campus. Once my husband began pastoring his first church, we moved to a parsonage. We moved back to Connecticut three years later and lived in several apartments. Throughout this time, I had to learn to consolidate and conserve.
This required me to throw out a lot of my belongings. Each time God moved me, I had to consider what was necessary. There was no place to store all my extra possessions. Each time I threw out more possessions, I realized I only held on to the most important things. Although God has blessed me with many things over the years, he wants me to make him the most essential thing in my life. Therefore, he may also take away what he gives at any time.
Just as I had to learn to keep only what was most important, the above verse tells us to measure what is truly important. Although the world tells us that a new car, a gorgeous home, and the latest clothing trends will make us happy, this verse reminds us that our real treasures are stored in heaven. I'm convinced that my mansion in heaven will be filled with rooms full of possessions that I had to get rid of for God. Because God is a God of redemption, I believe he will restore the things I let go of to follow him.
The disciples had to give up a lot to follow him, too. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow him, they immediately dropped their nets. This one action is a massive symbol of their love and devotion to Jesus, a man they had just met. During that time, Peter was known as a fisherman. More than likely, he learned this from his father. It would have been expected that he would follow in his father's family business.
This would have afforded him great luxury and comfort throughout his life. Because he had excellent skills in fishing, he would have been set for life. However, his gesture to drop the net and follow Jesus without knowing where they were headed demonstrated Peter and Andrew’s great devotion to God.
What may God be calling you to give up? Are you storing up treasures here on earth, too, or are you storing real treasures in heaven? Do you make possessions the center of your life, or do you make Jesus the center? No one can follow both things at the same time. Jesus wants us to follow him wholeheartedly. He doesn't want possessions, accomplishments, or popularity to stand in the way of what he wants to do in our lives.
But we must be ready. You must carry as little as possible with you so possessions won't hinder your spiritual journey. We must be ready to say yes when Jesus calls us to follow him. We get prepared by minimalizing our treasures here on earth and trusting that we will uncover our most remarkable treasures in heaven.
Let's pray:
Father, help us not to find our treasures here on earth but to store them in heaven. Let us follow you wholeheartedly in whatever journey you have for us. Help us let go of everything that hinders us and run our race with minimal distractions. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/fergregory
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
