TRUE.RICHES

WHAT ARE THE TRUE TREASURES? THE BIBLE NEVER STATES EXPLICITLY, BUT I SUSPECT THAT, IN PART, IT'S PEOPLE. THE TREASURES OF THIS EARTH ARE TEMPORAL. THE ONLY THING ON THIS EARTH THAT'S ETERNAL IS PEOPLE--THE ONLY TREASURE THAT DOESN'T END WHEN THIS WORLD DOES. JESUS MAKES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GIVING TO THE POOR AND TREASURES IN HEAVEN:

SELL EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN -LUKE 18:22

WHEN WE USE WEALTH TO HELP OTHERS, WE'RE INVESTING IN AN ETERNAL TREASURE--A LOVE CREATION OF GOD.

ONE OF THE GREAT HARMS OF POVERTY ISN'T PHYSICAL, IT'S ETERNAL, FOR IT TEACHES SOULS WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN CHRIST'S LOVE THAT THEY DON'T MATTER. WITHOUT THE TRUTH OF CHRIST, A YOUNG BOY'S BELIEF THAT HE'S A SPECTACULAR CREATING THAT MATTERS TO GOD AND TO THIS WORLD CAN BE CRUSHED BY POVERTY. AND WHEN THOSE IN POVERTY BELIEVE THIS LIE AND GIVE UP, THESE TREASURES OF GOD ARE LOST. WHAT AN HONOR THAT GOD HAS ENABLED US, IN OUR OWN SMALL WAYS, TO SHOW THESE PEOPLE THAT THEY MATTER. THAT GOD HAS GOOD FOR THEM. THAT THEY ARE LOVED.
[TAKEN FROM 'HOPE LIVES' BY AMBER VAN SCHOONEVELD]