Craig Clouston

The Greatest Acquisition

Do not store up treasures on earth.
Matthew 6:19

You could describe the Connor family in two words: scuba fanatics. They spent much of their free time diving along the Carolina coast, one location in particular.
“Can we go diving tonight, Dad?” Rafe asked.
“Sure,” Logan said. “I was actually thinking about making another dive this morning. A little more treasure, and we’ll cash in.”
Rafe’s father, Logan, had been a merchant marine when he was younger. He’d listened closely to his co-workers’ endless tales and folklore of bygone years as they’d recounted fables of buried treasure along the eastern seaboard.
After several years, Logan decided to take a stab at treasure hunting. On one of his forays he’d actually found treasure: two pieces of eight, to be precise. He’d stumbled upon the location quite by accident. He had staked a pseudo-claim according to maritime law, but lived in fear of someone finding his secret cache. So far no one had. Weekend dives provided small amounts of treasure that were kept in the family safe.
On the day they cashed in, the Connor family found out their claim held no legal bearing. News of the discovery spread quickly. Salvage crews scrambled to stake legal claim to the wreckage. One crew managed to procure legal claim and went on to discover some 2.5 million dollars in treasure, none of which the Connor family shared.

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Our devotion to the acquisition of material goods is staggering; we place personal wealth ahead of the needs of others yet wonder at the broad-based suffering throughout the world today.
As with the Connor family, we can lay claim to future riches only to find out too late that what we hoped in could be taken away.
Jesus spoke clearly where wealth is concerned, instructing us to invest heavily in heavenly endeavors, endeavors that cannot be stolen.
By seeking earthly wealth, we stake our future in material possessions instead of relying on God for our daily needs.
God’s promise is that if we acquire the hope in His Son Jesus Christ, it will never be taken away.

Prayer

“I like being comfortable, Lord. Help me change that mind-set to one of helping meet others’ needs instead of amassing great wealth on earth. Show me what You’d have me do. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”