The kingdom of heaven is like a 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

For some reason, this verse makes me think of the book “Holes.”  They make the kids believe they are digging to build “character,” but in reality, they are hoping to find Kate Barlow’s treasure chest.  They know that the treasure is out there somewhere.

I picture my entire life as one big field.  I’ve been here for 49.5 years now.  Most of it has been toil, strife, and worry.  However, when I was 16, I was saved by Jesus Christ.  Honestly, I had no idea how valuable this treasure was.  After still trying to live my own way instead of following Jesus, I found myself in even more despair than when I was saved to begin with.  I thought that God was like me in the fact that, if I did him wrong and did the opposite of what He required of me for long enough, then He was done with me.  I didn’t know that His love was a different kind of love than my love.  When I came home that second time, I knew I had found the greatest treasure this life offered.  I knew that there existed a treasure that lasted forever.

In many ways, I still feel like I’m digging unnecessary holes.  I don’t have to, but I do it anyway because that is what everyone in this world around me seems to do.  Now that I think about it, there seems to be a growing movement of people who stand there with a shovel in their hand, but don’t seem to ever use it.  The point is, I found the treasure, but for some reason, I find it difficult to completely give my life for the treasure.  When I behold the treasure, I wonder why I look at anything else.  Yet, I still go off and dig unnecessary holes. 

The other day, I was playing acoustic and singing at this place.  I was pretty much just background noise, but I never mind that at all.  It gives me a chance to basically just practice.  I like to think of my song sets as a big field.  Most of the songs I play are meaningless dirt, but because we all dig, we resonate with the songs.  But, at just the right moment, the Lord prompts me to reveal treasure.  When I was playing this last time, I thought of a song that I hadn’t thought of in years.  I pulled up the lyrics:

My heavenly home is bright and fair, I feel like traveling on

No pain or death shall enter there, I feel like traveling on

I feel like traveling on, I feel like traveling on

My heavenly home is bright and fair, I feel like traveling on

It just hit a little different as I played it.  I didn’t think a soul had even recognized what I had just played.  Then, right after the song ended, a lady stuck her head out and said, “Thank you.”  I like to think that just for a moment, she experienced the same thing I did.

There is one more story that I’d like to add here.  As a teacher, you realize that teachers ask to be off work an awful lot on Fridays and the day before holidays.  I’m no different, I want to ask for them off, but this idea of finding treasure intrigues me.  Most days, I feel like I dig and find nothing, but yesterday, I found treasure.

A kid that has only been there a couple of weeks brought in his little Bible.  I’ve never even had a real conversation with him.  However, he brought me a sheet of paper and a pencil and said, “write down any chapters or verses that will help me get my life on track with God.”  I was blown away!  This isn’t something that happens every day. 

My shovel had hit a treasure chest. 

Lord, much of this life is toil and trouble, but You have made it more than tolerable.  If we have You, then this life is as bad as it will ever be for us.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King!  I pray for those who do not know You, for this life is as good as they will ever have it.  May You help them “stumble” upon the treasure of eternal life.  May You help all of us truly give our lives for the treasure.  It is so easy in America to just go through the motions of Christianity, for it is what most do.  May we truly love You, truly honor You, and truly live for our Lord who gave His life that we might live.  Surely, we can give our lives so that others might see You!  Amen.