What is the measure of our covetousness?

There are more verses on treasure I'd like to touch on today.

Yesterday we began by studying these verses from Matthew-


Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


Today let's read this verse-


Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.


The measure of thy covetousness.

What other reason is there to collect earthly treasures than covetousness?

Seriously. Look around you (assuming you are at home) what sort of things do you possess? What among them do you call necessities- that are truly necessities? What among those necessities are what you would label simple necessities rather than luxurious necessities, because make no mistake our covetousness will lead us to buy luxurious necessities and we console ourselves by say they are only necessities- not really anything special.


For example- a bed. Who doesn't want a nice comfortable bed? There is nothing wrong with wanting a bed that is conducive towards a good night's rest. But if we get the most fancy bed we can afford so that it's very pleasing to our eyes, what does that mean? Aren't we supposed to want stuff that is pleasing to our senses? To what point do we indulge our senses? When do our senses become perverted? How likely are we to have our senses indulged and in the process we let Satan creep into our lives using a deceptive manner to do so.


What is the measure of our covetousness? Are we abundant in treasures? Who decides?


To my way of thinking I have very little *treasure*. To another who has absolutely nothing I have the grandest treasures they can only dream about. So how do we know what abundant treasures really are? To the very rich who indulge in their whims they have treasures far, far beyond anything I can imagine. But is it only the rich who are abundant in treasures? I don't think so. A poor person can covet something greatly, couldn't they? If a poor person has but one thing and they covet it above God, above salvation through our Savior, if they keep their treasure here on earth and not in the kingdom of heaven then where is their heart? Their heart is not with God, their heart is not in the kingdom. If our hearts are not in the kingdom then we will NOT inherit the kingdom.


Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.


This verse must make us think about the measure of our covetousness. We have to ask ourselves the question facing our own potential to covet, our own potential to keep our treasures right here on earth- within reach or close by with easy access.


After recognizing the measure of our own covetousness we have to pray and ask our Savior to help us, to forgive us, to guide us, to reveal the sin in our lives that we need to confess and then to help us repent. It is by HIS righteousness alone we are saved and by HIS righteousness alone we live, we hope, we love.


What is the measure of our covetousness?
How abundant are our treasures?


We can't make the mistake of thinking just because we aren't millionaires or billionaires rolling in money that we don't have the potential to covet, that what we have all around us aren't treasures. Like I wrote above- we can be poor and still have treasures here on earth not in heaven. Yes, the more money we have the harder it is to *not* gather earthly treasures- coveting the best we can afford, so yes- the rich will find it a lot harder to not covet, to not keep their treasures here on earth. By the grace of God we will keep our treasures where they belong- with our Savior, in the kingdom of heaven.


Amen.