Congratulations!
Pastor Bob & Pat
on the birth of their granddaughter
Claire Adalaide Norris
arrived June 8 2009
Hidden Treasures
Susanne Scheppmann
"And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness--secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name."
Isaiah 45:3 (NLT)
Secrets. Riches. Mysteries. Treasures. These words bring spine-tingling excitement. Around the world, Pirates of the Caribbean became an unexpected blockbuster movie. The Indiana Jones DVD series, after over twenty years, sells consistently as a top gift item. Adventure novels prevail in the bestselling book lists. The hope of finding treasure enthralls us.
This applies to followers of Christ as well. We read in Matthew 13:44, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field" (NLT). When I read this verse, it makes me ponder the last time I felt excitement over the kingdom of God. To be truthful, my excitement is usually based on the "performance" of God in answering my prayers.
However, the Lord doesn't promise to answer every one of our prayers as we expect. But He does promise to reveal treasures hidden in darkness. Sometimes our seemingly unanswered prayers are the secret riches that God wants to reveal to us. It reminds me of lines from the old Garth Brooks' song, Unanswered Prayers. "Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers...Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."
Instead of acknowledging this truth about prayer, I find myself waiting and watching for the expected results of my prayers. What I should be doing is seeking God for who He is. God told the patriarch Abram, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward" (Genesis 15:1, NIV, emphasis added). So God, Himself, is the great treasure that I need to unearth. He has promised we will find Him when we search for him with an intentional attitude. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV).
Today I desire to change my shallow-hearted expectations of God. I want to seek Him and His Kingdom as if I am an explorer on a treasure hunt. Right now, I choose to know God, seek Him, and treasure Him.
Dear Lord, teach me to search for the hidden riches of Your Kingdom. Help me to seek You with an excited heart. Remind me that the answers to my prayers are only the beginning of a relationship with You --You are the treasure! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
