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This week the History Channel aired a special episode about the value of our planet. They examined aspects such as diamonds, gold, lumber, water, and nearly everything on earth and came up with a price tag. From their calculation, our earth is worth $6,873,951,620,979,800, or to put it in words, nearly seven quadrillion dollars.
It is very hard to comprehend just how much money this is. Millionaires and billionaires are incredibly wealthy, but their wealth is pocket change compared to the value of the earth. When we think about what the earth is worth, it really makes the words of Matthew 16:26 come to life, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” In other words, it would be futile for a person to give up his soul, even if he gained all seven quadrillion dollars of the earth’s value.
This should serve as a reminder to examine where our focus is in this life. There is little value in gaining wealth and prominence. The most worthwhile way to use our time and effort is on the spiritual and eternal. Let’s close with the familiar words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Brett Petrillo
San Augustine church of Christ
San Augustine, TX