Thursday, January 14, 2016

X Marks the Spot

On a treasure map, X marks the spot.
How fitting that X in Latin stands for Christ.
Indeed, Christ IS our treasure!

Paul confirms this in Colossians 2:1-5,

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.  I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love.  I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself.  In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.  For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

We can search and search and search for wealth, riches, possessions, happiness, peace, strength, wisdom, knowledge, power, the perfect job, a dream house, popularity, fame, fortune, and so much more.  We think that all that "stuff" will satisfy us.  Yet, we are left wanting more.  Or we feel eluded in our search, never finding what we truly want or need.

That would be because we are looking in all the wrong places!
Our treasure is not in a place at all, but rather a person!
Only in CHRIST will we be content and complete.
HE is our treasure.
HE is what our hearts long for.
In Him and Him alone is absolutely everything we need.  And then so much more!

1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us, "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him!"

Paul assures us in Philippians 4:19, "God will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus!"

And if we are faithful to trust Him with all we have, God turns around and blesses our faces off.  He promises this in Malachi 3:10, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.  If you do, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you.  I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in!  Try it! Put me to the test!"

So, what do you say?  Will you take God at His Word?
Every day this is a battle I fight, a choice I must make.
I am certainly not perfect, but I am growing.
If I am honest, today - and the past few days and weeks - have been hard.  I am struggling with a few things and feel as though I am coming up short.  I am confused and frustrated, discouraged and even a bit defeated.

Maybe I am the one to blame.
Perhaps I am looking for treasure in all the wrong places.
I needed the reminder this morning that CHRIST is my treasure, my prize, my goal, my desire.
And so I work once more to fix my eyes on Him as I run the race of life, following after Jesus one step at a time.  Giving it my all, pouring myself out, knowing that God will fill me back up.  And then keep on pouring so I am overflowing.

As David wrote in Psalm 16:11, "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever."

Sounds like a treasure to me.
I think I hit the jackpot!
Even though I did NOT have one of the 3 winning lottery tickets from last night's 1.5 billion dollar drawing!!!


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