GUARD YOUR TREASURES

"This is a people robbed and spoiled"
(Isaiah 42:22).

In 2 Kings 24:13 we read how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and carried out "all the treasures of the house of the Lord." They were priceless treasures, made of gold and silver, but were robbed from the temple.

I am sure that you are also seeking to make your home a house of the Lord. Just as in God's house, we have many treasures in our houses. Proverbs 15:6 says, "In the house of the righteous is much treasure." Not a little bit of treasure, but MUCH treasure. The Hebrew word means "exceeding, great, mighty, abundant, abounding, plenteous, and populous."

Some homes are filled with the treasures of material riches, but they are treasures that are fleeting and will pass away. There are greater riches than these. We can fill our homes with eternal treasures. Let's remind ourselves of some of this wealth.

Our Children

They are certainly our greatest treasures on this earth, and not only for earth, but for eternity. Each precious child God gives to us is an eternal soul that will live forever. As we sacrifice and pour out our lives to train these children, our time is not wasted. It affects eternity. Every other career will be left behind, but the career of motherhood invests in eternity.

Satan is well aware of the eternal riches of our children. He wants to rob every child of the gift of salvation and eternal life. He wants to rob them of walking with God and revealing the image of God to this world. More than that, he wants to rob them of life. He wants to eliminate as many children as he can, especially the godly seed.

Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Do you notice the enemy wants to do three things? It reminds me of contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The enemy's first tactic is to eliminate children through birth control and sterilization. If that doesn't work, he then has abortion ready to kill the life that is conceived.

Isn't it sad that Satan has actually duped many of God's people into his strategy to rob them of these great eternal blessings?

The Presence of God

This is perhaps our greatest treasure. Although King Nebuchadnezzar stole the treasures of gold out of God's house, there was a greater treasure He didn't understand--the Shekinah glory of God which dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the recesses of the temple. The greatest glory and treasure of our home is also the presence of God. We can have a beautiful home with every material possession, but it is cold and lifeless without God's presence.

Satan uses so many things to rob us of God's presence. TV blaring during the day kills the presence of God. Tempers, arguing, tension, and strife grieve the Spirit of God. Filling our home with worldly music and entertainment steals the presence of God.

Proverbs 21:20 says, "There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise." In the Bible oil speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Let's be on guard for anything that will grieve the Holy Spirit who wants to fill our home (Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Prayer

Satan triumphs in this victory. He has successfully robbed prayer out of most Christian homes. In doing so, he robs us of the most powerful tool we have as families--to pray for one another, and also to pray for lost souls, the nations of the world that do not have the Gospel, the persecuted believers, and for Israel (which is a command from the Lord--Psalm 122:6; and Isaiah 62:6, 7).

Surely, if our homes are God's homes, it is the least we can do to gather as a family morning and evening and pray together. Dear mother, watch out for this daylight robbery! Yes, it happens in daylight. Satan doesn't use evil things to rob of this blessing. He is cunning. He gets us busy doing "good" things. Of course you only want to do good things with your family. But we can end up running around taking our children to this sport and that lesson, and here and there, that we become too busy to gather together to pray! And we become so deceived we don't even realize we have been robbed.

God's Word

It's the same with God's Word. Peter describes them as "exceeding great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4). How does David describe them? "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also, than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). I'm sure you'd never say no to some gold. I wouldn't mind some myself! But we already have it in our hands. God's living Word. We can pass out gold to our children every morning and evening. Don't rob them!

Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, please help me to be a true watchwoman on the walls of my home. Save me from being deceived and robbed by the enemy of all the treasures you want us to enjoy. Help me to see the value of what is eternal. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a gold dispense to my children.