GOD HAS TREASURES FOR US,
BUT WE MUST SEEK THEM
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.”
(Matthew 7:7)
BIBLE PASSAGE:
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,
so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in
order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in
whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
(Colossians 2:2-3)
MEDITATION:
Satan can convince many to think,
“If I just had (fill in the blank) then I would be happy”.
They spend their entire lives diligently searching
for a treasure they ‘think’ will bring happiness,
while overlooking the source of all happiness
promised to those who love the Lord.
It could be financial, emotional, relational, physical,
or any other kind of fulfillment they are searching for,
but our “real treasure” can only be found
in our relationship with the Lord.
Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to spend so much
time looking for happiness in all the wrong places,
that we fail to search for it in the only right place.
Our search is controlled by our heart (mind), isn’t it?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21)
Look at how Mary (the mother of Jesus) ‘fed’ her heart.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was
obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these
things in her heart. (Luke 2:51)
Mary found treasure in her relationship with Jesus (and so should we).
We cannot find this “treasure of happiness”
by doing nothing; we have to put forth some effort to find it.
The scriptures give us instructions for finding true happiness.
Command those who are rich in this present world not
to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is
so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly
provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command
them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous
and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for
themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that
they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
(1 Timothy 6:17-19)
We can see from these verses that “true life” is found in our
relationship with God (the One who can provide real happiness).
Did you also notice how we are to have an ‘attitude of generosity’?
When we have a “giving attitude”, it means we realize
that life does not revolve around us, but others are
equally important (because God created them too).
It means that we have traded “selfishness” for “selflessness”
(which is a defining characteristic of Jesus Christ).
It means that people are important to us at ‘all times’.
Friends are not used just for fulfilling our own needs at certain times,
and then tossed aside until we need them for our own fulfillment again.
We value the friendship of others, and we value our friendship with
God enough that we are willing to obey His commands, even when it
means we need to do things differently than what we desire.
Some areas where our desires
may conflict with God’s instructions:
Do not have other gods
(don’t spend time searching for other things instead of God).
Do not make idols
(don’t treasure anything above a relationship with God).
Do not misuse God’s name
(don’t claim to be a Christian while living a sinful lifestyle).
Keep the Sabbath holy
(don’t substitute other things for meeting with Him on His day).
Honor our parents
(even when we disagree with them,
and even when old age has damaged them).
Do not kill
(don’t murder – it is destroying what God has created).
Do not commit adultery
(includes living with someone out of wedlock – fornication).
Do not steal
(includes stealing someone else’s joy by our words or actions).
Do not lie
(we can destroy someone’s reputation by ‘giving false testimonies’;
gossip can be a weapon of mass destruction).
Do not covet
(includes envy – wanting what someone else has,
and jealousy – resenting the blessings of someone else).
ACTION:
Many years ago, the Spanish Armada was sailing off the
coast of Florida when a hurricane struck, and the ships
loaded with gold and silver ingots sunk to the bottom.
People knew the treasure had been lost and believed
one ship went down near Vero Beach in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Fishermen who fished over that spot,
would sometimes hang a hook on a lump of gold.
One day some explorers went diving,
and there was the ship in the shallow water.
In fact the water was so shallow that anyone could have
swam to the bottom and brought up millions of dollars.
In the same way, there are many who have yet
to discover the full treasure we have in Jesus Christ.
Have you plunged your heart deep into the treasure of the Lord?
Or, are you living life in the shallow end
wondering if the treasure will ever come to you?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me to seek Your treasure with all
of my heart, mind, body and soul. Forgive me for trying
to find treasure in anything other than what you have to
offer. Remind me that the world can never provide the
lasting treasure of happiness that You can give me. Help
me in applying the instructions in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 to my
own life, so that I will be on the right track of finding
the joy of truly living.”
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