WHAT’S IN THE BAG?

Hag 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

In the logging era of a generation ago, it was common for many loggers to spend a month or so in the woods and a weekend in town spending their wages. The story is told of one such man who walked out on the platform to await the train back to the woods. He carried a burlap bag over his shoulder. His clothes were soiled and worn. Resignedly ,he dropped the bag at his feet and sat down upon it. Someone asked, "What do you have in the bag?" His answer was, "I have just passed my sixtieth birthday and everything I have accumulated in all those years is in that bag."
Perhaps we should all pause and consider. "What do I have in MY bag?"

Men are willing to labor for that which they value. [A community character who would work real hard long enough to make the price of a plug of his favorite chewing tobacco]
Do we value heavenly things?
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.

Men are willing to fight for that which they treasure.
[Savage willing to die for an intrinsically worthless ‘medicine bag’.]
What do you consider worth fighting for?
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Many things we treasure will not last.
A. Silver and gold?: God can gather your eggs!
Isa 10:14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
B. Anything not of God:
Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Let’s inventory the contents of our ‘bag’.

A. A few ‘good times’ Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
1 Tim 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
Eccl 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

B. Physical Ability [In high school I set records for the 440. Now I can’t even tell you what my time was, nor can I walk across the street without a rest, even with my walker..]
1 Tim 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

C. A Vow forgotten
Eccl 5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Eccl 5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

D. Down in the middle of the bag- a hard knot of stubbornness.
"It’s MY life and I’ll do as I please!"
1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

E. Lost Opportunities to serve God hidden among worthless ‘treasures’

F. What’s this hidden in the bottom? I don’t want it seen!
1.A hard word or thought of jealousy or hatred.
2. An effort to cheat God ‘Just a little bit.' " I’ll make up my tithes next month."
3. A secret sin --- it’s no secret from God.
Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

G. Or I could be like a child on his birthday, thrilling at all the goodies.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Salvation.
Daily blessings.
Service to the Lord and souls won for Him.