Storing up treasure? This is best place to invest

It was a time of panning for gold. No doubt about it, I had caught the fever. My summer between the seventh and eighth grades found all my spare time seeking that precious metal.

Our school janitor proved to be something of an expert. He sold me a very used pan as an incentive to keep me at it. In return, I was able to give him access to a stretch of river that he had never worked before.

I still had to peel cascara bark (we cut it, dried it, and sold it to a certain feed store), as well as pick commercial strawberries and raspberries.

Earning a fortune panning for gold was my preferred option.

Peeling and picking were the only sure ways to receive pay for the efforts of a long summer. At the end of the break, my earning combined with those of others in the family, went to purchase our school supplies and clothing.

As for the gold, well I managed to amass about six very tiny flakes of the real thing — perhaps change for a penny! I scraped crevices in immense boulders, dug to bedrock in a fast flowing stream, and even made what would pass for a sluice box, complete with a screen to entrap my hoped-for dust.

I kept my findings in a tiny corked bottle. Somewhere along the line, that little container got lost in the shuffle of a messy room and the occupation of that room by one or more of my sisters. When I returned from three years in the Army, I searched for the container, but it never turned up.

Sometime later in life, I learned anew about a different kind of treasure.

In fact, the words of Jesus in the Bible taught something about it in Mathew 6:20-21 (ESV), where he said, " ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I have learned that the greatest treasure that I can lay up in heaven is something more significant than material things that impress us now.

In fact, Revelation chapter 21 tells us that in the New Jerusalem — our final destination — the streets are paved with transparent gold and the city is constructed of gold and a large variety of precious stones. In fact, the very things that we define as treasure on earth will actually be construction materials.

I am sure that the real treasure of heaven is the mass of people who will be there because they believed in Jesus Christ and accepted him as the Savior. After all, Jesus gave his very life on the cross so people would be able to come into relationship with him. The master plan is that they would be able to stand in his presence for all eternity.

How do we lay up this kind of treasure?

Praying for people who do not know Christ is a good start. Personally sharing the good news about Jesus with other people is another way. Supporting in either local outreach ministries or participating also is yet another (there are numerous opportunities in this area). In addition, most churches have ways to help support missionaries through their denominational connections.

As long as we are alive, we can — in some measure — invest in heavenly treasure.

As well-known missionary Charles T. Studd once said, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 11:15 AM.