Treasures of the Heart

  Luke 12:34, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. What do you treasure

most: life, love, happiness? Ask yourself, what is really important to you? What should be important? Let's take a look at life, love, and happiness, and see what the Bible has to say about them as treasures of the heart.

 Genesis 2:7 says, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. This verse explains how God created man and gave him life, but there are other verses in the Bible that talk about a different kind of life – a more important life than physical life. John 3:15-17, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. If you aren't saved, then you need to believe in God's Son, Jesus Christ, and receive his free gift of eternal, everlasting life. If you have accepted Christ as your Saviour, you should be thanking and praising him for what he gave you. This glorious salvation should be treasured far more than simply life without Christ.

 We, as human beings, love many things, people, and ourselves, however there is one that should be loved more than any other, more than any thing, more than ourselves. The Lord Jesus Christ is that one! After all, God did love us first according to I John 4:19, We love him, because he first loved us. We are also commanded to love God in Mark 12:30, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. You can't love God only part of the time; if you love God then love him with all of your being. We do not deserve God's love, but he certainly deserves our love and devotion. Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9 explains God's love that he has shown: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Love God for the price he paid,

Love God for the life he gave,

Love God for the sins he threw away.

 Are you happy, Believer, truly happy? You may be saved, but are you happy? Proverbs 3:13-14 tells of a happy man, Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Things, like money, can give an illusion of happiness and contentment, but you can attain greater happiness than mere material possessions give – a lasting happiness. Wisdom and understanding play important roles for you to obtain this happiness; they are the fundamental principles for a Christian to have true contentment – the groundwork for doing God's will. Without wisdom how can we understand the word of God, and without understanding of his word how can we know the will of God? After salvation, we grow in understanding and wisdom as we read the scriptures and heed God's voice, which directs us to his will for our lives. Christ wants us to follow his leading wherever it may go. We should not hesitate to do his will, to give of ourselves to him! Romans 12:1-2, 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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. The only place where you will ever be truly happy is in the centre of God's will. You need to serve him with your whole heart! Ephesians 6:6b, ...as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. If your whole heart isn't serving God, you aren't doing his will. The happiness you receive once in the centre of God's will is pure felicity and peace of mind! Why would any Believer want to reject this? You accepted his gift of salvation; why not accept the blessings he wants to give you too? Find out God's will for your life and be truly happy in the Lord!

What do you treasure in your heart? What is most important to you, as a believer? Is it life, love, happiness, or is it Christ? Luke 12:34, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What's In Your Tongue?

  The taste buds on your tongue strongly coincide with the words you speak. There are four main taste receptors on your tongue – sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.  Each of these receptors are very different in taste, just as the words you speak are varied in their meaning.  People have always been concerned about what they are eating, however, most aren't careful with what they are saying.

   Bitter taste receptors are concentrated at the back of our tongues; resentful feelings are also hidden at the back of our hearts and minds.  Psalm 64:3 says, “Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.”  Bitter foods that are offensive to our mouths are quickly disposed of; likewise the bitter feelings trapped inside of you must be released before they form into unpleasant, harsh feelings and words that can seriously damage your relationship with God and fellow Christians, and your testimony to unbelievers. You need to quench the bitterness within before it's too late!

   Bitterness is closely related to sourness, but bitter means that hatred has been brewing on the inside for a long time and sour is disgust built up at the moment, without much thought given to the words said.  Do you like sour candy?  Your mother probably used to warn you not to eat too much of it since your tongue will become seared and you won't be able to taste.  The same principle is applied to sour words, too much and you become immune to the pain you cause to others.  The Bible tells us what to do with sour words in Colossians 3:8, “But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”

   Salt is savoury to the tongue and is used to enhance the flavour of food.  Often times our words need a pinch of salt too.  There seems to always be two ways you can say something.  You can be kind or callous simply by using different words to say the same thing, just as food can taste bland if salt is missing or delicious if salt is present.  Colossians 4:6 relates, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer ever man.”  Think about what you are saying – does it need some salt?

   The sweetest part of your tongue is right on the very tip, so sweet words should be the first flowing out of your mouth when you speak to others.  Proverbs 16:24 wisely counsels, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”  You wouldn't think twice about grabbing a piece of candy over vegetables, so why would you think twice about whether to be sarcastic or sweet?  It never hurt anyone to say something nice, and it won't hurt you.

   The tongue can be a dangerous weapon, as well as, a tool to be used of God.  The Bible has many verses about the tongue and its abilities, listen to what it has to say:

James 3:8 – “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Proverbs 12:18 – “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.”

Proverbs 21:23 – “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”

Proverbs 10:20 – “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.”

Proverbs 15:23 – “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!”

   What taste do you want your words to have – bitter, sour, salty, or sweet?  What effect do you want your words to have on others?  What do your words say about you, as a Christian?