What is your treasure? You know, your most-valued possession? The thing(s) you value the most.
Jesus said, where your heart is, there is your (true) treasure.
In other words, you can’t put a price tag on it, not like going to the marketplace and purchasing a commodity that quickly depreciates once you take hold of it or drive it off the car lot.
Paul said, we have this treasure in broken, earthen vessels. This treasure is within, but we must be careful as to what that internal treasure is – greed, selfishness, envy, bitterness – because all those affect the thoughts in our minds and the condition of the heart which then manifests outwardly – in our treatment of one another.
Let our treasure not be made of stuff that turns to dust or becomes tarnished over time.
Let it not be made of materials that is quickly destroyed by fire, reducing it to smoke and embers, dust that blows away in the wind.
Let it not be made by human hands where moth and rust destroy, or thieves break in to steal, often willing to take a life for that which is temporal.
Treasure!!!
Gloria Gaither once said: “The things that matter the most in this world, they can never be held in our hand.”
Yet, isn’t it amazing that we are treasures in the hand of the Almighty. He holds us in the Palm of His Hand!
Isaiah 49:16 – Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (King James Version). The Hebrew word for graven used in this verse is the word chaqaq, which means hacked or to enact a law by cutting it into stone or metal tablets.
In other translations of the Bible, the word graven is replaced with tattooed, engraved, carved or written.
How magnificent is that, much like a precious stone that is set in place. For example, the highest clarity grade of a diamond is marked as flawless, and no blemishes can be seen even under 10x magnification!
Flawless. How we each long to be marked flawless, wearing outer garments with that very word printed across our chests.
We have physical walls that naturally place limits on where we begin and end, and the boundaries that we can cross but proceed no further.
Yet, God, in his infinite love says, where you are limited, where you are walled in, where you end, that is where I begin.
In fact, you are surrounded by Me. My walls are limitless. My love is boundless, endless, infinite! I have placed you in the hollow of my Hand, encircled and enclosed where nothing can touch or harm you. Safe and secured from all harm.
God’s word is filled with wonderful reminders of how much He values and loves us. He holds us dear o His heart.
Exodus 19:5 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine”.
God will cause us to prosper in all things when we walk in His way, His will and His Word – Deuteronomy 28:15 “The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”
Of course, to get to any treasure requires time and energy. It also requires the wisdom of God and understanding. The entire chapter of Proverbs 8 talks about the benefits of having wisdom:
11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
It is so important that we remember that it is not material things that validate us. When He blesses us, it is not for us to hoard it to ourselves. It is for the purpose of blessing others, that we are always rich towards God. In Luke 12, Jesus explained it this way to his disciples:
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.