This week, I’ve felt drawn to some words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 6.

The verses begin like this:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

 Matthew 6: 19 – 20, NIV.

I’ll be honest: I’ve been guilty of trying to store up treasure’s here on earth. I’ve been making a huge list of all the things I want… From make-up and dresses to new curtains and a slimming world membership!

Thing is: I know that God says don’t store up treasure on earth. My head really, really knows this verse.

Yet, sometimes I pull it out of context. I read it as though it says: “Don’t buy stuff. Sacrifice. Try not to want stuff.”

I forget that Jesus said this bit: “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.”

We are allowed to store up treasures. But Jesus tells us to store them in heaven.

What does this mean?

The bible makes it clear that God is speaking to each one of us. We can all hear his voice (John 10: 27 – 30, NIV.)

There’s a huge variety of ways that you may hear God. Examples include: Reading the bible, writing, talking to other believers, having a sense of something or discernment about a certain way to go, dreams and visions.

For me, it’s pictures.

When I pray, images appear in my mind and something in my spirit knows what God is saying to me through those pictures. It’s a bit like using my imagination, except it is without any force or control.

This first happened moments after I became a Christian.

I was in my university bedroom: door locked, eyes closed, with some kneeling on the ground.

I told Jesus that I was all in. I wanted to follow Him for the rest of my life.

Instantly, I saw three pictures in my mind’s eye.

One of those images was of huge, pearly gates ajar. I felt, in my spirit, that God was inviting me to walk into the kingdom of heaven at that very moment.

Invited into God’s presence, I was no longer a citizen of earth, but one of heaven.

Philippians says:

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:20 – 21, NIV.

I still am a citizen of heaven. I still carry God’s presence and I’m still invited to dwell in that presence, every day.

I am supposed to be eager for Jesus.

Yet, I get so lost in moments of anxiety about that I just forget that conversations with God are possible!

Last week, however, I had an hour with a friend just sitting in God’s presence. Music on, eyes shut. My silent prayer was: “What are you showing me Lord?”

I was open to being with Him. I was open to letting Him lead my mind’s eye. I was open to letting Him speak to me however He wanted to.

He showed me a pool of water and a ladder that kept extending deeper and deeper into the pool. Every time I thought the ladder had reached the pool’s depth: There was more.

I wonder if its moments like that, which we are supposed to store up. Conversations, encounters, moments in His presence.

Matthew 6 continues:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:31, NIV.

If I make lists about my lack all of the time my heart can easily become swallowed up anxiety. But, when I spend time in the presence of God, my heart grows in wonder and love for Jesus.

Jesus has a way of saying what we least expect, but most want to hear. And I want to learn to treasure those moments more than I treasure money, or people-pleasing, or food, or television, or holidays.

In the Merriam Webster dictionary, one definition of treasure is “wealth.”

Another is:

“A store of money in reserve.”

Merriam Webster Dictionary

You know: Whenever God shows me images or heaven, I never see poverty.

Those gates I saw, when I first became a Christian were magnificent.

Heaven is a wealth of resource, a mighty reserve of all that we need.

My spirit feels satisfied when Jesus shows me images of what it is going to be like in heaven. I feel full again, knowing that I am made for a place where is presence is constant and there is no pain, just beauty.

We are not supposed to store up treasure on this earth; but we must start filling ourselves up with heaven.

Because, as Christians, that is our true home.

Maybe a prayer we could use this week, is this:

“Jesus, what part of heaven do you want to remind me of today?”

Or, maybe, before you sleep tonight you could ask Jesus to gift you with dreams and visions.

I want this post to be a simple prompt for you to go ahead and pray. Go ahead and sit in His presence. Go ahead and paint pictures of what you think heaven looks like.

Let your heart be filled with something eternal again, the very place you were made for.

Allow your heart to soak in true wonder.

Sure, I also think that storing your treasures up in heaven means that we need to let God be in control of our finances and any other earthly treasures we might have.

That could look like being generous to another, or refraining from buying things you don’t need. Only you will know what God is asking of you.

But, today, I just wanted to give you a starting point.

I wanted to remind you that you have been created for an outstanding place of beauty and you have full permission to just be in the presence of God today.

Climb down that never-ending pool ladder that I envisioned, earlier this week!

I’d love to know what you think Jesus meant by: “Store up your treasures in heaven.” Please write your thoughts out in the comments below.