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January 30
Treasures in obscure places
Deep inside the belly of the earth are treasures hidden for those who are daring to discover and obtain benefits for their labor. Diamond is mixed with coal deep in the ground; gold is in the mud waiting to be explored and its beauty enjoyed. Whatever happens, goal-getters overcome all obstacles to bring out treasures from these dark places. Planes, cars, electronic gadgets… are treasures embedded in the earth but dug out and refined to reveal their usefulness. ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.’ Genesis 2v7. God is a wise investor. Why did He invest so much in man (dust) - a mere mortal? Man, like gold, is a treasure from the mud (dust). Man is the most valuable treasure ever dug from the ground. God did the digging. He formed man from dust and refined him by putting a part of Himself in man. God places a great value on man because he is His
treasure. ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’. Luke 12v34. No wonder God is always mindful of man. His mind is full of concerns for man. He cannot leave us alone, He cannot forsake His own. That is why His mercy toward us endures, He is always ready to forgive if we truly repent and He sent His Son to seek and save sinners. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, located one Gardarene demoniac and his condition was completely changed. The one living in the dark side of life, who no one could tame, crying and cutting himself with stones saw the Light and was instantly healed. The lunatic met with Jesus, was transformed and became an evangelist spreading the good news about the goodness of the Lord in his home and neighboring towns. There is no treasure, no matter how deeply hidden, that cannot be discovered and brought out to showcase the glory of the Creator.
Treasures in earthen vessels can be refined to become vessels of honour. Gideon was among those hiding from the enemy of Israel before he met the Lord. He became a mighty man of valor. David was tending the family’s sheep in the field when the word of God located him and he became the anointed king. I was a vessel consigned to the dungeon but by God’s grace I am being re-cycled to become a vessel of honour. Isn’t it high time you too were ‘carried on eagle’s wings’ toward your purpose in God? God is the one bringing us ‘up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay’ setting our ‘feet upon the rock’. Everybody has his/her dark side of life. This notwithstanding, the Holy Spirit can still dig out the treasure in us. God wants to do a new thing in our lives, if we allow Him. When you suddenly find yourself in the obscure side of life (may be in troubles), look for the treasures God intends that you discover and acquire. There are no
dark situations (difficulties, problems and even dangers) without accompanying hidden treasures. All we need to do is to remain humble and let God lift up our eyes to see clearly. Anyone that passes through the dark alley of life without finding any treasures might have suffered in vain. If God created gold and put it in the mud and diamond He put in the dark areas, I pray we will put our worldly treasures where they rightly belong - in what seems the muddy compartment of our hearts. Then and only then shall we be able to exalt God’s name above all other things. At His birth, the Savior of the whole world was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a sheep’s feeding trough because there were no rooms in the inn. Today, Christ lives within the humble though many of them may be broken-hearted. There are no rooms for Him in the hearts of the busy, rich and wise men of the world. Worldly treasures and pressures have taken over all the available rooms in
their hearts. I pray you’ll be enabled to embrace God’s extended mercy and favor.
Be alert and alive in Him.
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