It's that time of year where our friends on the neighbouring farm are harvesting the silage crop, to use for winter feed for the cattle. Across the land, farmers have been keeping an eye on the weather to find the opportune window to gather the hay and bale it up, ready to store it for the winter season, which inevitably will arrive quicker than we know it.
Timing is everything; if the hay gets wet, it can go mouldy and ruin the crop. The farmer knows how important it is to store up the hay he has now, ready for the months where the animals need food that they can't get from the land.
I am often left perplexed when the threat of snow is imminent, and the shop shelves are stripped bare of the 'essential' items that people can't stand the thought of being without for a few days - usually bread and milk.
I have seen people go from the extreme of only thinking about what they will eat from one day to the next, to the other extreme of stockpiling as much food as their arms can carry when the promise of three inches of snow is looming.
Whilst it is sensible and wise to plan for our future and ensure we have enough to get us by, food is not the only thing we need to think about storing.
In Matthew 6:19-21, we read "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
But what are treasures in Heaven? I believe our treasure is found not in the things that we own, but in the people that we love. I believe our treasure is found in giving to those that are in need, forgiving those who hurt us, loving those who persecute us, and in praying, worshiping and walking in step with God. Perhaps our greatest treasure of all is Jesus, and time spent with Him is treasure that can never be taken away.
While the farmers are looking for opportune moments to gather in the hay, why not look for opportune moments to gather your treasure in Heaven? Look for ways to help a neighbour, love a stranger or spend time with The Creator. They are treasures that are worth storing.
Comments