Portion For Reading Matt 6:19-20Yesterday was a beautiful day! The temperature cooled down (just a little) and the wind was blowing steady but not too strong - the perfect conditions for God to teach me a very important lesson.
For the past three weeks my two youngest girls have been asking (begging) to fly a kite. They found an old kite in the back of a closet and have been taking turns running around the house and even occasionally "flying" in front of a big fan. They continued to ask but the conditions were never quite right. You understand, don't you? First we didn't have enough string; then it was either too hot or not enough wind...or dad was too busy doing more "important" things.
Well, for over an hour yesterday afternoon I finally stepped into God's classroom and I watched two little girls stare in awe as their kites sailed high and sometimes dove back toward the ground. Our six year old said that kite flying was even more fun than she imagined.
Matthew 6:19-20
"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."
One day we will close our eyes to this life and, if we have believed in Jesus, we will open them in the true presence of God. If we're allowed to look back, we will all be saddened to see how much we wasted on things with no eternal value. As I walked in that open field and saw the pure and unrestrained joy of two little girls, I was struck with a new understanding of what really lasts.
The physical will certainly pass away, and things like worry and anxiety about the future will have no place in Heaven. The only thing with eternal value is that which brings glory and honor to God; and my lesson for the day was that God was more glorified in that laughing, breeze-filled hour than in many of my quiet times of study. Our hour of kite flying had eternal value!
I never intend to diminish the importance of good quality study and prayer. But I believe we need to rethink and expand our idea of what glorifies God. Yesterday afternoon I believe God was glorified simply because I enjoyed the life He's given and praised Him for every precious moment.
If today you realize your priorities have become too focused on the temporary things of the world, or even if your strongest desire is to glorify God but you struggle with what this really means, then I suggest you continue to seek Him through times of quiet. But even more strongly I urge you to continually praise and make the time to go fly a kite.
Activity For Today: Creation
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
