Treasures in Heaven?

While in the shower tonight, mentally I was having an argument with God about something He wants me to do. When asking myself "Why?" and "What good will come out of me doing this?" I remembered this scripture:
"19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
This got me to thinking...
What exactly is this "treasure" that we see mentioned here & also in Matthew 19:21. "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Treasure? What kind of "treasure" will there be in Heaven? A materialistic/monetary treasure as we experience here on earth? Or more of a figurative treasure such as joy & happiness? Both of these scriptures seem to point to "possessions" as in a materialistic treasure. Also, this brings up another issue. I've always had the mental image that Heaven will be full of joy & happiness & anything you desire you will have, but according to these scriptures it's almost as if it will be as it is here on earth.. Won't some people have more treasure than others? I'm under the impression that we store up treasures in heaven by doing good, selfless acts for others & not receiving anything in return (on earth) for those good deeds. In my mind I kinda picture a little piggy bank in heaven with my name on it & each time I do something selflessly for someone the sound of a little coin tinks around in my piggy. That's silly I know... but with this thinking, not all of us will have the same amount of coins in our pot belly's when we get to heaven.
Isn't it general idealogy that people who have more "treasure" or money or material things on earth are happier? So what will it be like for those who get to heaven and have very little treasure? How will those people have eternal happiness?
Maybe I'm going way off the deep end with this scripture. Or maybe I'm overanalyzing it, either way, I got out of the shower & did what God asked me to do. I have to have the mindset that since it was something God asked me to do, that some good will come out of it & He will receive all the glory and praise. If I don't see any results... at least I know that my obedience earned me a nickel upstairs!

BTW: Please feel free to post what you think about this! =) We can just have a lil blog bible study!

Life is a big fat lesson from God!

God is teaching me a big lesson… one that I thought was just on forgiveness. But then He threw in patience. As if it wasn’t hard enough trying to forgive and forget. I took His advice on forgiving someone who has hurt me more than I think anyone ever has. I can honestly say this is the first time in my life I have ever experienced forgiveness to this magnitude. I took a real hard look at myself, realizing what forgiveness I have been given through Jesus on the cross… and that broke me. I hit my knees asking God to forgive me for not forgiving. This happened about a month ago. Then my pastor said it best last Sunday, he said “We block our own forgiveness from God by not offering forgiveness to others.” He used the scripture from Matthew 6:14-15 where Jesus says “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” He also referenced the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18 (which I recommend you read) who had been granted forgiveness, then immediately the opportunity for him to forgive someone arose and he refused. This is just as every single human being on this planet. We all have been forgiven, yet we refuse to forgive. To make a long story short… b/c believe me it has been quite a process... at first the person I forgave refused my forgiveness! WOW! After all that, she still refused accept my apology and my forgiveness for her even though it was coming straight from the heart. Even though forgiveness had taken place in my heart, the refusal of it somehow still continued to haunt me and block my relationship with God. My human side wanted to say “well just forget it then, it’s not my problem anymore, I did my part” and yet somehow that wasn’t the end of it. God was still there… telling me just do whatever it takes and keep trying no matter how many times it takes to break down that wall and seek acceptance from this person. I tried again with an email, which never was received because this person had blocked my email address. Of course, Satan was doing all he could to stop this act of God from taking place. After a few days of not getting a response and it still lingering over my head, I sent the same email from a different email address. I got a response and I believe this time she has accepted my forgiveness and also my apologies. I pray the relationship will continue to mend and will grow even stronger than before. Now I feel as though a whole new realm has opened up in my relationship with God.
Now onto the patience part… as many of you know Jacob quit his job last November to stay home and take care of our baby. This was a joint decision and was supposed to be until she was about 3-4 months old. Thanks to the economy downslide it turned into 10 months! Maybe God’s plan was slightly different than ours! We have definitely learned how to lean on faith and trusting in God to provide for us. This has strengthened my relationship with God… seeing how only He could work out our financial situation month after month. Well now it seems as if God is opening a door for Jacob to return to work. He had an interview at a great company on Monday and was told he would hear what the decision is on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. So… Tuesday and Wednesday are gone… and here we sit with no news. We are so anxious to see what God is going to do in this situation… and yet we sit and wait. It just seems like it is all falling into place at the right time but I know God is bigger and always has something in store for us that we just can’t predict.

Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-7
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day and Sunday, the 15th being 6 years to the day since I met my husband, I am reflecting on this scripture. I know everyone "quotes" this scripture and in my opinion (haha) mis-uses it, I am really trying to decipher it and bury every single word of this deep in my heart. Marriage is more than just a vow to my husband, it's a covenant with God. God has intended for the love between a wife and husband to be an unbreakable bond and more than that... the love should be a mirror image of His love for us.

Lately, I have been watching my husband get back up on his feet and chase after God. This has brought an overwhelming desire in my own heart to want to serve God and my husband more. As I watch him grow closer to the Lord, my cup begins to run over. I want to obey God's word here. I must be patient and kind. I cannot be envious, boastful, or prideful. I will strive to not be rude, selfish, easily angered, or keep any record of wrongs. I will not delight in evil, but rejoice in truth. I will try to protect, trust, be hopeful, and persevere. I realize that I am human and will fail. But I must strive to obey.

This scripture is so powerful. It demonstrates that without LOVE, we are nothing. Without LOVE, even our faith and works are meaningless. How can I have the faith to move a mountain, but not love my enemies?

Stumbling

Why does it always feel like when you start drawing close to God, the devil comes in and starts filling your mind with doubts and you start losing trust and faith in the Lord? You know that this is how the devil works, he doesn't want you to draw near to God... so please stop letting him come in and sway your faith. You need to stand firm and not be moved by anything other than the One that created you and wants to use you for His glory. Stand Firm, I say. I can't stand to see you start picking yourself up off the ground, and as soon as you seem to get your footing, you try to find God and call on Him, then you just take of sprinting.. away from Him. He wants to use you... so stop for just a moment and allow Him to do His work in you! You know when things get tough, God is working. If things are easy.. then you should check yourself because the devil doesn’t want anything to do with a lukewarm Christian or a non-believer. You must learn to accept His blessings. Ask and you shall receive. Right? So receive with appreciation and thanks. Give thanks to God Almighty, not only has He saved your soul from condemnation and hell, He blesses you DAILY! Just try to see His blessings, no matter how large or small they may be, be thankful and I promise you.. He will continue to provide all of your needs. He loves you. The same way you love and provide for our daughter, His love for us is even more than that and He wants you to be happy, but more than anything, He wants you to know that He is God, and He is in control. So let Him be in control of your heart and mind and stop trying to do things on your own without Him. You know that nothing will ever work out if it’s not of God. Just sit back and let Him work. It’s simple. Don’t make it harder than it should be. Pray, read His word, seek His face, and I promise, you will find all that you are looking for. He promises you that!
I will always be by your side through the good times and bad. God is going to use us.. together. But we have to be as one for Him to do anything through us. We can’t be going in different directions. Knowing the devil will fight to rip us apart, we must stick together. For us, for Him, and for our baby girl. Life gets so hard sometimes, I feel like laying down and giving up, but I keep looking for God and that is what gives me strength to keep going. I have faith in God. I can feel His presence in our lives and because I know of His love for me, I can face each day. Sometimes when I try to picture the future and think of things I would like to have, my vision gets blurry and distorted. I cannot see where God will lead me from one day to the next. But the key is to trust that wherever it is, it’s exactly where He needs me to be. He will use me where I am. I don’t have to pick up and go somewhere to be used. I have realized that to be used, it doesn’t have to be in some big glorious way that will put me on top of the world for everyone to see. Where God uses me.. is in the little things. I don’t expect anything from Him. I know that He owes me nothing and I owe Him my life. So I have to lay it down at His feet daily, and surrender to His will in my life. I cannot hold anything back from Him. It’s all His. “all I’ve got, all I am, all my dreams, all my plans.. I’m holding back, I’m holding nothing back from You. I surrender it all, I lay it before You, for all of my days, I give You the glory. My heart and my soul, I give You control.”
Pray, Seek, Listen, Do, and try not to fall. But if you do, let Him help you back up.