We tend to make spending time with God about us giving to Him–when it’s really the other way around!

2 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness [righteous treasure] delivers from death.

What are “ill-gotten treasures”? Anything gained for our own glory, security, or pleasure; when it’s all about “me.”

What are “righteous treasures”? Any blessing from the LORD (v6), security gained by integrity (v9), knowledge (concerning the LORD) shared (v11, 13), love that covers all wrongs (v12), discipline that leads to life in Christ (v17), understanding gained through godly wisdom (v23), granted desire (v24 and Psalm 37:4), the fear of the LORD (v.27), JOY (v28), and REFUGE (v29).

We GET much more than we GIVE.

Our heavenly Father wants to spend time with us so that He can shower us with His blessings. Don’t believe me? Then read these verses:

³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3

²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts [and heart] to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings. Proverbs 1:23

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

To skip reading His Word and spending quality time with the LORD is to severely short-change ourselves and will greatly hinder us as we try to serve Him in our own power–which, in reality, is sin because it’s in our power and not God’s. The only way to get God’s power is to be with Him in mind and heart–to actually be WITH Him in attention, focus and attitude. The GOAL is ALWAYS COMMUNION. Prayer and Bible study are the only two ways I know to get me where I want to be, which is in a state of awareness of His Presence in me and His Participation in my life.

Let’s give ourselves the best chance we can to live with and for Him by reading the Scriptures today, and then conforming to the Spirit’s will and obeying His commands as we go though this day.

Abba, I pray that You will teach us how to be good students of Your Word. It’s a day-by-day/play-by-play decision on our part to subdue our own nature and allow You to rise in our hearts and take Your throne there. Help us to get beyond our personal feelings and focus on what is the RIGHT thing to do in accordance to Your leadership in our lives and hearts. I know that the Scriptures contain all of the basic ingredients that You want us to have in order for You to make us righteous and holy, complete and mature. May we become less and You become MORE in our lives, LORD Jesus. Amen.