Do Not Store Up Treasures on Earth!

Last night I had a wonderful time of Bible study with a group I am leading in Roswell. I had just come in and was talking with Jay for a few minutes when he asked me to sit down. Now, that can never be a good start to a positive conversation! I was worried and did NOT want to sit down. He began to tell me that someone had found out our bank account number and had made numerous counter (teller) withdrawals on December 31st.

Normally, I would have laughed because we never have had any kind of money in our bank account. The joke would have been on that person. But, at this time since we have sold our home and are living in an apartment we have a little more in the bank than usual. It was a significant amount of money that they took from our account. I don't want to put a number to it on the Internet, but trust me it was a good day for them!

Well, that was a shocker for me last night! We had never had any kind of identity theft before. But, the good news was that they only had our old address which we haven't had in about 6 months so that was a huge clue. The problem was that this person went to the counter and either the bank never asked for an ID or they had a fake one made up because they went to several different banks to take out all the money that they did.

Afterwards, it was late so I went in to spend my time with the Lord at night. As I was praying and reading, the Lord brought this verse to my mind:

"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 , where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

The money is God's! He's in control and this was not a shock to Him. So, last night and this morning I prayed that this money would be used to draw this person to God. I asked God to use this in their lives to bring about a salvation knowledge. And I thanked Him for allowing us to be a part of that.

Do I like that a very large amount of money was taken from us? No! The bank hopefully will take care of that today. For us, it is a minor inconvenience. I was a little uneasy that someone had so much information on our family. But, this verse has focused me on the eternal. Money is just a treasure of this earth. It can be stolen, destroyed, and won't be in heaven with me. So, today I am focusing on laying up treasures in heaven...where it lasts!

I pray today that you are laying up precious treasures in heaven. We do have to live in this world...but we don't have to be a slave or consumed by the stuff it offers. Begin to take your hands off of the treasures you have for yourself here and make a huge deposit today in God's kingdom that lasts!

PS. We believe they got the information from a deposit slip that I kept in my car (for emergency deposits)while I was getting my car detailed. Please make sure you don't make the same mistake that I did! Lesson learned!