God's Investment Plan
    - It's Not What You Think!

    - by Pam Clark


    God is the Author of Life. And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said in Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So what is our treasure? I think we need to think about this!

    In most people's minds, the thought of treasure is money. We've been pretty much trained to think that way. But I think we need to think beyond that, and get to know ourselves a little more and ask, "What really is my treasure?"

    It's been said that if you really want to know where your heart is, look at your checkbook and then you will see it. Well, I think that is a good first clue if you're looking, because it takes money so often to purchase the things that we need for the things that we do. But I think we can look even a little deeper.

    As Christians, we are given gifts and talents and abilities to do many things. And along with that, we are also given a call upon our lives. If we do not seek God for this calling, we may never know fulfillment.

    Only you can really know what your calling is. Many will guess and maybe even come close, but inside of everyone of us is a pleasure that we get from serving and pleasing God. If there were no pleasure in it, we would not do it! Isn't that the lesson of the Cross?

    Jesus, who "for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." WE are that joy! But for there to be relationship, we must give something in return.

    And what might that be? It is our reasonable service. Romans 12:1 says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

    Now there is a war going on in our members that we call the war of the flesh for it is in our flesh where the enemy is able to distract us from our high calling. We must always remember that in our high calling is our our great reward. I am just selfish enough to want it!

    But there still is a higher joy and that is the joy of pleasing God. We may not get our parents approval always, but we can get our Heavenly Father's approval and this is enough, for He is Master of the Universe! He holds eternity. He has what is beyond this life as we know it.

    It is good for us to step into His Plan. When we live our lives with that focus, then we make everything in our lives to conform to that purpose. And it is much easier to have faith for those things that we need.

    Then our treasure is God's purpose and we can know that He is on our side for us to fulfill that purpose and discern more surely what is and is not of Him. When we think of our treasure, it is no longer about houses and lands and goods, unless those things serve our purpose in Christ.

    If we get side-tracked, we lose our real joy for living. We must know that God is on our side for living. If we don't come from loving homes, and many do not, this can be a real revelation. God will abase the proud, but He will lift up the humble.

    Your gifts and callings in God are the most precious things you own, and they are forever yours. If you invest in the program of God that is going on in your life, you will be the richest person on earth!

    God bless you.