Treasure That Satisfies
Let me tell you about a man who found treasure that satisfies. His name was Paul.
Paul rose up the ranks of the Jewish world very quickly, he was well respected and on his way to great things. And then he met Jesus and everything changed.
Look at these words that he wrote to the Philippians and see if you can spot his TREASURE in the words:
“Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him,” (Philippians 3:7–9 NIV11)
For Paul, knowing and being found in Christ was of surpassing worth, of greatest value. Everything else he considered a loss compared to the gain of Christ.
Treasuring Christ Above All
Do you see the treasure story here? Paul gained a lot in his life, but when he met Jesus, he discovered real treasure! And everything else, even good gifts, were of far less value to him than Christ.
If Paul had to look into that mirror of Erised I think he would have seen himself held by Christ, and his people the Jews saved by Christ. That was all that mattered to him.
Jesus said the kingdom of God is a treasure. When you GET IT… it captures your soul!
Is our faith a treasure? Is knowing Jesus something of surpassing worth and value to us?? I love these words from John Piper: “God is only praised where he is prized. We pay our tribute to him when he is a Treasure to us.”
God is not honoured when he is our side-project. He is not honoured when other things are our treasures, and he is simply our guilt-reliever.
Christianity is not a matter of coming to church and being reminded that He loves us, so that we can go into the world and build up treasures that disappoint and not feel guilty about it. If that is our faith… then we have missed the point!!!
Our faith is about treasuring God! It’s about loving and valuing God more than anything else on this planet!
Seeking True Satisfaction
Is God your treasure? Is He your most prized companion and friend? Do you SEEK AFTER HIM more than you seek after the worldly treasures?
Nothing else will satisfy. I have found it to be true, time and again. When I find Jesus to be my greatest treasure, then I am satisfied! But when I seek elsewhere, I am empty.
And so may you find the treasure you are seeking. And may it be that you say, along with Paul, that everything else is a loss in your life, compared to the treasure of knowing Christ.
