Treasure Hunting

Have you ever wanted to hunt for burried treasure.  I used to think what fun it would be to be able to dive for sunken treasure in the ocean.  Our son Luke found Garnets in our creek a little while back; he had this meticulous eye to see those tiny stones amidst all the other tiny stones. We took them to a jeweler to be examined and sure enough, they were Garnets.  We panned for gold when we were in Alaska, last summer; it really is fun to find something special amidst the ordinary, or even buried in the mud.   One time I found $50.00 in a pair of jeans.  It was money I had left there after a vacation, but it was like finding hidden treasure when I pulled it out of my pocket unexpectedly; especially as I found it at a time when the budget was very tight for us.

Whether you're reading this blog for the first time, or are a regular reader, you've probably drawn the obvious conclusion that the word "treasure" is a key word connected to this blog. Both my blog address and blog title contain the word; I wrote about treasure in my "About" page and it is sometimes a theme in my posts. It is a word that lights up on the radar screen of my mind whenever I hear it. My heart was stirred yesterday when our Pastor spoke about it; "Hidden Treasure" was his word.  It has been on my mind yesterday and today.  What he spoke about was very dear to my heart, and stamped confirmations of something I have felt strongly about.

We are God's treasure.  This is an amazing thought. Too often we buy into the voice that says we are not special; we are not significant, we are not gifted, we are not wanted, and we are not worthy.  It is not true.  We are God's treasure.  He gave what was most precious to Him (His only Son) as the price for us to be able to be with Him always; yet often, we live like God doesn't love us; we live in fear, anxiety and insecurity, or we spend our time trying to prove that we have something to show for ourselves and yet never having the satisfaction of believing it.

I have sometimes felt  insignificance  like a heavy weight. I can remember praying many years ago, and then suddenly realizing how many millions of people were in the world.  I called out "Lord do you really see me?  Do you really hear me?" I was overwhelmed with the idea that God couldn't know I was here; there were too many people in the world.  Later that morning the kids and I read our devotional.  Here is what the devotional was that day: Luke 12: 6: "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."  and Matt 20:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Less than an hour later, a sparrow hit our window and died.  I felt the sorrow…... And the scripture came to me again… "not one of them is forgotten by God are you not worth more than many sparrows?" 

Could we be so lacking in the knowledge of the love of God, that we live in spiritual poverty.  We are not filled up with His abundance, and we cannot give out of our abundance to those around us.  We withhold blessing, kindness, encouragement, love, compliment, or trust, because we feel such a lack of it and can't give it away. Sarcasm, criticism, annoyance, and condemnation can become strongholds in our lives when we don't live from the abundance of  the knowledge of His love.

Treasure Hunting…. the delight of finding something extraordinary in a seemingly ordinary place.   Ordinary people have treasure inside of them.  It is the stamp of their Creator.  Go treasure hunting today in some one else's life, and look for the treasure within them.  Rejoice that you are loved and considered a treasure by your Creator, and let that love overflow. Don't try to fix or criticize somebody else, help them find the treasure that is in them, so that they can overflow in the abundance of the love of God; you can help un-lock them from their prison.  Perhaps they are bound in mud and rock and the water rushes over them and that treasure is never found.  Some times I see homeless people and my heart grieves. I can't even begin to tell you what I feel each time I see someone in the streets. Whether they are drunkards or failures, rejected or lost;  I long to help them.  To let that treasure be brought forth; I am mostly at a loss in knowing how, but kindness is the beginning isn't it.? Every person has purpose, every person has gifts.  What a wonderful thing to be a treasure hunter and find the extraordinary in the ordinary. There are plenty of ordinary grey rocks in every stream, sometimes we stumble over them; but if we will look closely, we will find beautiful gems. 

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him. “They will be my people,” says the Lord Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.”
 Malachi 3:16-17

My purpose is that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:2-3