“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Jesus (Matt. 6:21-NLT).

The Amplified version reads this way: “for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.”

I don’t know if it’s a ‘guy thing’ or not, but I am not a big fan of ‘shopping’. I do most of the grocery shopping these days and when I have a list of items, my main goal is go in, grab what is on the list and get out of there as quickly as possible. I’m just not one for ‘wandering the aisles’...unless I’m at Costco, for some strange reason; go figure. And it’s the same when it comes to driving long distances. I just want to ‘get there’ and be done with the drive. I know I’m not alone in this mentality either; almost makes you wonder how many kids develop UTI’s because of Dad’s refusal to stop for bathroom breaks unless it was a dire ‘emergency.

We ‘believers’ are instructed, advised, and admonished to ‘set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth’ (Col. 3:2). And given that we find ourselves involved in a ‘spiritual war’, we are exhorted to ‘bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5)...and NOT...just when you ‘feel like it’. I don’t see anywhere in scripture that such a practice is ‘optional’; do you? Unless that is...of course... you have been sold a ‘counterfeit gospel’ that offers you a ‘false security’ (2 Cor. 11:3-4).

This past week, we've studying how God is still in the business of restoring and rebuilding people’s lives, wanting to ‘raise up beauty from the ashes’...as He ‘causes all things to work together for the good of them who love Him’ (Rom. 8:28); but it does require our 'properly aligned' attention and affections if we hope to see the process completed (Phil. 1:6).

Have you ever noticed how often it is stressed throughout scripture that we are to ‘love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength’? You do realize that Jesus taught that this was the way to inherit eternal life, by keeping this ‘law’, and that all of the law and writings of the prophets hinged on doing this first and foremost (Luke 10:25-28; Matt. 22:36-40).  Don't have a panic attack over that, I'm just pointing out what Jesus taught when asked what one 'must do'; there's more to all that ;- )

So much of the gospel that Jesus came to preach centered around our hearts, and how they were all defiled and needed to be made pure, if we had any hopes of ‘seeing God’ (Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14). This ‘one and done’ deal that false gospels offer are so dangerously destructive and steer many down that broad and deceptive road that leads to destruction, which ‘many’ find themselves on today (Matt. 7:13-14). Paul warns us that since we ‘have these promises brethren...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor. 7:1). John reminds us that “everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3). No wonder we are warned to ’guard our hearts...above all else’ (Prov. 4:23).

So is it any wonder that our ‘spiritual enemy’ is constantly vying for our attention and affections, so that he can gain access and control of our hearts, which is how he once ruled us (Eph. 2:1-3; 1 John 5:19). This is why he is always ‘roaming about like a roaring lion seeking to devour’ (1 Pet. 5:8) and wanting to ‘tempt us’, as James spells out so clearly in James 1:13-16. The way he finds access to our hearts...is through our minds, or our ‘thought life’. And guess who he takes his cues from in learning how to master this (and us)? Jesus Himself... and most likely from the parable of the sower which we read about in Matt. 13. It begins with a ‘seed’ or a ‘word’. The enemy also likes to sow such seeds or ‘tares’ himself, while people are ‘sleeping’ (Matt. 13:25).

You know...when we ‘grow lax’ or ‘at ease in Zion’ (Amos 6:1), and we begin to let down our guard and are not always as quick to ‘take heed to the things we have heard’...we can end up ‘drifting’ out of our ‘lane’, (or His lane) as I like to explain when it comes to ‘abiding’ in Jesus (Heb. 2:1; 1 John 2:6).

Do you recall from our lesson the other day, the story about Samson and how he ‘lost his vision’ due to growing complacent, and how people will ‘perish where there is no vision’? (Prov. 29:18).

But when our ‘eye is single’ and it is the ‘kingdom of God we are seeking first, along with HIS righteousness (Matt. 6:33)...then the mission is clear and the objective is within sight; and we are of ‘one mind’ to stay the course. That is...unless the enemy sets those ‘distractions’ and doubts along the way to get us off track. And he does this with our thought life; no lie.

Let me ask you this: If you are driving down a wide open interstate highway, and you take your hands off the wheel ever so briefly, maybe to check your alignment or stretch your fingers...and the tire catches a small rock or object that bumps it just enough to cause your car to veer to the left or right...do you throw your hands up in despair and scream that you have no control over the car anymore? Or do you quickly grab the steering wheel and make that adjustment and get back in the center of your lane? And for what reason would you NOT want to make that quick adjustment...unless you had a death wish and just wanted to go off the road at 75 mph?

Yeah...that is what it means to ‘bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’. And when those ‘obstructions’ show up, you deal with them immediately, unless there is something your heart is yearning for and then welcomes those ‘seeds of thought’ that you end up entertaining. In other words, if there is an area in your life that you continue to stumble in that causes you to ‘sin’, the real issue here is not whether you can ‘overcome’ it or not, but do you ‘want’...to overcome it and ‘be made well’? (John 5:6).

Oh....and if that 'road' you are traveling seems to be covered (or buried) with rocks and debris that makes driving 'straight' nearly impossible...then just maybe...you are not on the right road?

We can discuss further...tomorrow, Lord willing.