“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theives break in and steal.” Matthew 6.19 NIV Moths and rust both work the same way: SLOWLY. You have to let something sit unattended for a LONG time for rust and moths to destroy it. Stored up stuff, accumulated stuff that you’re just hordeing is WORTHLESS. You can’t serve God and money. Which one is the best to STORE UP? Store up and horde God who automatically flows out and refills those who want Him! “So do not worry, saying, ‚ÄòWhat shall we eat?‚Äô or ‚ÄòWhat shall we drink?‚Äô or ‚ÄòWhat shall we wear?‚Äô For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry...

“When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.” (1Kings 8:3-5 NIV) I love it how in this part, and in the chapter before when they were making big things out of bronze, there was SO MUCH IT COULDN’T BE RECORDED OR COUNTED. It’s like everyone is just giving and giving and working and there is so much generosity and joy that it can’t be counted. On the small scale this reminds me of various weddings or birthdays where they are tons and tons of guests and they are bringing gifts so fast you can’t write down...

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life‚Äôs worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke 8:14 NIV) I just read this and thought about how much time I spent this morning during my “quiet time” looking on ebay and B&H at the Canon xti and its accessories. The worries about my job and what to do, coupled with paying off half my credit card and the pleasures I associate with having a new camera and making tons of money as a photographer all choke off my bible study time, and do I mature? No. All over the Old Testament, thorns are signs of fruitlessness, sin, and God’s judgement. When Israel was exiled, the walls of Jerusalem were overgrown with thorns. When some of the judges conquered gentile lands, they punished them with thorns, or the unconquered lands were said to...