Trust

Just over eleven years ago we moved out of the house, where we had brought up our children, and downsized to an apartment. It’s nice, with views over a park with mature trees. It was hard at the time, having to get rid of so much stuff that we’d accumulated over the years of bringing up the children, and with plenty of space to store things. The plan was to stay here until we retired from full time secular work, and then we thought we might move to a bungalow, or small house, with a garden again. There were, therefore, some things we didn’t really want to get rid of, as we thought we might need them again. There were also some things that we just couldn’t quite bear to get rid of, and there was nowhere to keep things like beach chairs, camping equipment and decorating materials, so we rented a garage about a mile away, where we could keep all these things.

I knew this garage was quite untidy and needed cleaning and clearing up, so I went there this week, having not been there much over the winter, to make a start on that task. It was much worse than I realised. There’d been a leak in the roof during the winter, and a number of things were wet. Some were rotting and mouldy. Some slugs and snails obviously liked the environment and had decided to make it their home. They seem to like to eat cardboard, and had managed to munch their way through a few of the storage boxes. It was a mess, and a horrid job to clear up.

As I was working on this I was very challenged by today’s verse, and was asking myself, and the Lord Jesus, why I’d stored up all these things. Many of them hadn’t been used, or even looked at, since the move.

There had been, I believe, a genuine desire in me to be a good steward of the things we’d been blessed with, but I recognised my trust and faith in God to provide for me has grown enormously since then. It was an area I’d struggled with for many years. This was partly due to the modelling I’d had from my parents, who lived through the war, and tended to be hoarders, worrying that there wouldn’t be enough.

Luke 12:27-28 also came to mind: ‘Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?’

Then I found a verse I’d never noticed before. Luke 12:33 says ‘Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it’. How exciting is that!!?? Why hadn’t I given those things away years ago?

So I’m rejoicing at how much God has grown my faith in Him over the last few years and I’m going to clear out the garage and give it up. The rent for it can then be invested in the Kingdom, instead of a place where damp and mould and snails (similar to moths and rust) can destroy.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that I can store up treasure in heaven, and thank You that You promise to provide for us. Please help me to trust You in that. Amen.