3 Reasons Jesus Is The Real Treasure
Fortune cookies can be the perfect ending after eating Chinese cuisine. They are light and sweet. They don’t do nearly as much calorie damage as something more decadent, like chocolate-chocolate cake. Sometimes the statements inside the cookies are really absurd and ridiculous. But every now and then, you may come across some that offer a “good fortune”.
After having Chinese food for dinner, my daughter and I began to eat the fortune cookies we received with our meals. We broke them in half and shared with one another the message printed on each slip of paper.
In one of the cookies, the fortune read, “You will discover an unexpected treasure”. To which my daughter replied, “Jesus is the real treasure, right?!” I responded, “you got that right baby!”
I was entertained by her statement, but I couldn’t agree more. Jesus is in fact, the real treasure in life.
We often miss that as we go through our daily routine. When we get focused on our goals and desires, we tend to miss the most valuable part. The value in the process of learning all that is needed to attain them.
We spend long days and nights working towards college degrees. We work long hours at our jobs to get promotions. And when working toward either of these accomplishments, one can easily get stuck on getting to the end result. Of course, it’s understandable because the work involved can be exhausting.
Likewise, when we stand on God’s promises or build upon a God-given vision, we may get stuck on the deliverance or seeing His Glory. Experiencing deliverance and witnessing God’s glory are both amazing. But there is a tremendous amount of value in the time and intimacy we spend with God during the wait.
Treasure can be described as highly valued objects or accumulated riches. As we seek God through His Word and prayer, we reap an invaluable treasure.
There is much to be said about the treasure we receive from God but here are just three reasons we can consider today.
Treasure Consists In Knowing God and His Wisdom
Colossians 2:3 (CSB) says, in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Simply put, when we regularly study and meditate on His Word, we gain wisdom and knowledge. Our five senses can only distinguish so much but, He reveals more than meets the eye. We are abundantly blessed as we come to know who He really is and what His will is for us.
Spiritual Treasure Is More Important Than Material Possessions
Tangible treasures generally have only short-term benefits and unfortunately may beget spiritual danger. I’m sure we all have that one thing that we consider our “dream [insert tangible noun]”. The problem with that dream thing is that it can be taken away in the blink of an eye.
As our spiritual treasure increases, tangible desires seem to become more futile. Consider the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Priceless Pearl (Matthew 13:44-46). In one parable a man finds a hidden treasure buried in a field. In the other parable, a merchant in search of fine pearls finds one that is priceless.
Both discoveries are compared to the kingdom of heaven and are determined to be worth more than everything they possessed. Consequently, they sold everything they owned to buy these Godly treasures because they understood the value.
It Is of Eternal Value
Have you ever washed your favorite shirt only to find that it faded or got snagged in the washing process? There may have been a small possibility of it still being wearable. But let’s be honest, that shirt would never be the same again.
The treasure we receive from God washes us. But, unlike that favorite shirt, instead of being ruined, we are renewed and transformed. More importantly, this treasure cannot be taken away from us unless we give it away.
In 1 Peter 1:4 (CSB), we are reminded that we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. How awesome is it knowing that we can possess something that lasts through all eternity?
In the words of my baby girl, Jesus is the real treasure!
