November 1999
Issue Theme: Thanksgiving

Fortune Cookie Wisdom
by Allen Ketchersid (November 1999)

One day my wife and I had Chinese food for lunch at one of the local restaurants, as we are wont to do on occasion. I always get a kick out of the free fortune cookie, both because I like the cookie and because I really believe what those little pieces of paper have to say about my future.

Not really! I’m just kidding. I do like the cookies, but surely no one believes those mass-produced messages could relate in any way to their personal future.

The message that came in my cookie at that particular meal was an interesting surprise. It was the first one I have seen that contained a biblical quote. It read: “Where your treasure is, there is your heart.” I was momentarily impressed and intrigued by this, until I read the next line. It gave me four lucky numbers—to use in the lottery, I suppose. Talk about a mental “U” turn! What am I to treasure? Where’s my heart supposed to be? I guess treasuring the Lord, the original Author of the quotation, and an eternity with him, was not at the heart of this message.

The statement is true regardless of what you treasure. Our hearts are devoted to our treasures. Jesus made the statement to convince us that laying up treasure in heaven would ensure that our hearts would be devoted to God and being with him. His point was that these treasures will not let you down.

Maybe the fortune cookie’s advice was meant to cover me both ways. Then I could set my heart on things above but also have some lucky numbers to try out here below. You never know, they might pay off.

Most of us have tried to live with divided devotion like that, haven’t we? But Jesus followed his statement regarding our hearts and our treasures with these words: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:19-24).

You and I both know where our hearts should be, and where the only real lasting treasure is. Whether or not our consciences will allow us to play the lottery, we must answer some basic questions. What do we really treasure? What is the basis of our hope, our confidence? Do we really need to win the lottery? Where would our hearts be if we did?

Let’s thank God for what we already have. The riches of his grace. The wealth of his mercy. An inheritance as his children.

 Let’s thank God. The blessings he gives his children are more than just good fortune. No matter what the cookies say.