“Get the Gold!”
“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths
and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in
heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t
it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be,
and end up being.” (Matt. 6:19-21, The Message)
I love the Olympics! Be it the winter or summer games, I enjoy watching all the nations’ athletes walk in for the opening ceremonies, all dressed in their colorful and smartly dressed uniforms (as my Brit friends would say) and cultural garments, waving their flags and their hands to the crowd, as they proudly represent their countries. It is a great sight of unity among the people, and the hosting country always puts on a fascinating show. Russians, Chinese, Americans, Europeans, Asians and more have all hosted the grand celebration of completion among athletes. I commend them for it.
It amazes me each time a new country is
represented that I have never even heard of, or a country is in the games for
the first time. Especially the lone athlete carrying his flag by him or herself.
I hope they do well and make new friends. They certainly have worked hard to
get there too.
Training and coming together through teamwork, in
preparation for the honor of their country and their sport, has been the
foundation built on for the competition. It certainly brings out the best. The
goal of standing on the podium after their event is completed, holding onto the
precious metal of gold, silver or bronze is a grand sight, as their home flag
is lifted and their national anthem is played.
As a former athlete myself, in middle and high
school, I understand a measure of the effort it certainly takes for these
competing. To spend hours, days, months and even years preparing; and then to give
it all you have at that specific moment in time, when you have a few minutes to
excel in an individual event, or as your teams goes through the bracket toward the
championship game, is quite the effort. May they all do well, and accomplish
their heart’s desire.
I am chasing gold too. Mine isn’t made up of
the earthly metal, but it is being stored up as an eternal reward, to fit on my
head as a crown. The King Himself, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) will be
giving them out. And then we will participate in the Marriage Supper of the
Lamb ceremony too. That will indeed be a "crowning moment" for those
who have received His salvation through His shed blood. It will be a joyous
occasion, as much perseverance and running the race He has given us while in
our human body has been accomplished. I look forward to sharing that eternal
time with those I have walked with, and those who I will meet for the first
time.
While our time remains here on this planet, our
hearts are to be set on stockpiling treasure in heaven, as The Message Bible
puts it in terms we certainly understand. Laying up those crowns prepared for those
who have followed in His plans and purposes will be the award, along with the
eternal realm of heaven itself. This is not just a dream or fairy tale, but it
is reality. Our labors here on earth are to be for eternal, not just temporal,
achievements. My heart and yours must be set on that purpose.
Enjoy the Olympics as you can. Celebrate with
the victors as they raise their hands and winning metals in triumph, knowing
that your reward, being stored up in heaven, is a treasure worth living for in
this time we have been given. This too is a shadow of things yet to come, for
those who know the Lord Jesus.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Love For His People
Founder
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in the nations.
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Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)
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