treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

Matthew 13:44 NIV

Genuine faith is to exchange all we are for who Christ is. 

Think back to a time when there was something you desperately wanted. Perhaps it meant so much to you that you were willing to work overtime, study long hours to learn the necessary skills, or forgo eating out for a month in order to save enough money. 

Whatever it was, you were overjoyed by the value of it and eager to sacrifice everything in order to get it. 

This parable illustrates a man who found something so valuable that it was “in his joy” for him to sell everything he had in order to obtain it. Here is someone who had willfully found their greatest joy in the kingdom of God. Similar to the disciples who left everything to follow Jesus, or Paul who counted everything a loss in comparison to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus. (Phil 3:7-8)
They did not give everything up because they had to, but because their hearts demanded it.

Salvation, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, goodness, and eternal life —the kingdom of God is of utmost value. 

In Christ we have an eternal treasure that is incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, eternal and reserved for us in heaven. (1 Peter 1:4) Everything in this world will eventually pass away, but the kingdom of God will never fade. 

Such faith requires letting go of all trust in anything or anyone other than God. It is total surrender to the person and finished work of Christ.

Are you willing to give up whatever God asks you to give up in order to follow him faithfully?

Count the cost of following Jesus. In doing so, your joy will be made full, (1 John 1:4)
you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, (2 Peter 3:18) and come to find a treasure so valuable that it is worth letting go of all temporal riches. 

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30)

centering prayer

LORD, You are my greatest treasure. Help me to trust You and not try to handle things on my own.