Boy, the stock market has sure taken us on a ride this last week or two. I know different commentators have been putting different terms on it like correction or taking a breather, but what I see is it is mainly going down. I hope your nest eggs are not taking too much of a beating. The uncertainty reminds us that we are still vulnerable, that our earthly possessions are temporary.

Jesus warned us about this in Luke, Chapter 12, verses 31-39, when he told the disciples that our earthly possessions could be stolen or moths can eat them. Jesus is reminding us of that, but at the same time he is reassuring us. Don’t be afraid, Jesus says, God is giving you the Kingdom, the true safe treasure is in heaven. Where your true treasure is, that is where your heart will be. If your treasure is here on earth, it’s not safe and can be lost by theft or by moths. If your heart is here, your heart is in trouble. But if you realize your true treasure is in heaven, a treasure stored up there through your acts of mercy here on earth, that’s where your heart will be and should be also. Jesus reminds us that we need to be prepared with our true and permanent treasure in heaven, the one we’ve stored up there by the acts of mercy that we’ve done, our generous acts, the generous acts of a loving heart, hearts not stuck on things down here that we’re hoarding, temporary things that can be lost, but hearts set on things in heaven, where our true treasure lies.

Where is your heart set? Is it on your possessions here, on things you have, on things you’ve saved up, or is it on things you’ve done, acts of mercy you’ve done for others, giving up some of your things. The actress Catherine Deneuve was cited as saying this: “Giving to others heals me, as the Indians healed themselves with herbs. They did not understand what the herbs did, how they operated; they only knew their healing powers. I do not know what there is about the process of giving that heals me. It is my herb. I must not try to pick it apart. Just use it and know what it does and be grateful. Giving to others heals me.” So where is your treasure — is it in what you have saved up, in the stuff you have here, or is it in what you have stored in heaven, in what you have given to others, in what you have done for others?

REV. DALE BROWN is the pastor of Cumberland and Guinea Presbyterian churches. His email address is dalembesq@aol.com