THIS young girl, seated by the tree, seems to be resting from her labors. Her sack is pretty well filled with fine looking nuts. Others in the picture are still working for more. These nuts will probably be laid aside for cold winter days when little folks are shut in, and no more nuts are to be found.
Many people thus lay by in earthly store; and a measure of this is certainly wise. In summer, the bees store up their honey for winter, when there are no flowers from which they can get their living; the little ants, too, “prepare their meat in summer;” and God mentions them as an example of wisdom for us. Thus we may learn that it is wise to be diligent and prudent in these things.
But there is danger of hoarding wealth and allowing the heart to be set upon it, and God warns us against this. He tells us not to lay up treasures on earth, but to lay up treasures in heaven.
There are plenty of things to run away with our earthly treasures—moth, rust, thieves; yes, riches even take to themselves wings, sometimes, and fly away; and then our earthly treasures are gone; we are left without them. But if our treasures are stored up in heaven, nothing can touch them there—no blight, no corroding rust, no thieves! No, they are perfectly secure up there; and one who has treasures laid up there will have the enjoyment of them for all eternity.
God also tells us that our hearts will be where our treasure is.
The miser hoards up his wealth here upon earth, and his heart gloats over it; but the money will perish, and he will perish, too.
Not so with the treasure laid up in heaven. The one who has his treasure there will find it safely kept for him. His heart will not be set on the perishing things of earth, but it will be there where his incorruptible treasure is.
Oh, that this blessed storing of treasures above might be known by each of our dear readers!
ML 01/18/1903