Listen to Devotion

[Jesus said] “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the economy. The summer of 2025 has turned into the summer of tariff wars. And not just tariffs but geopolitical strife and warfare play a part in the uncertainty, too. Will prices increase even more on everyday essentials? How will you make it work with a budget that already feels stretched to the max?

In these times, our natural reaction is to take and to preserve. My food. My gas. My supplies. We grab more than we give. We want to hoard rather than be generous. We let our fear of the unknown economy justify our stinginess.

But Jesus tells us to have a different mindset. “Do not be afraid.” God gives his followers the riches of heaven. He gives them the kingdom. He is not stingy. God doesn’t hold anything back.

God’s generosity frees us to be generous to others. Since God takes care of us, we can use our possessions to care for others. Instead of hoarding, Jesus invites us to live with a generous mindset. Since God has already given us the riches of heaven, we don’t have to cling so tightly to temporary treasures.

When we are generous, we are displaying trust and faith in God. We declare that our true treasure is in heaven. We know we have something that inflation, wars, and tariffs cannot touch or destroy. Because of Jesus, our treasure is secure.

We have that certainty because God treasures us. He sent his Son, his heart, to rescue us from death and damnation.

In uncertain times, don’t be afraid. We have God’s love, his kingdom, and the promise of eternal life. The proof? That’s in the cross of Christ and the empty tomb. God gave everything for you. You are his treasure.

Father, thank you for calling me your treasure and giving everything to make me yours. Free my heart from fear and teach me to trust your care. Help me live generously, knowing my true treasure is in you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.