Have you seen the documentaries of real people who are driven to obsess to find lost treasure at the bottom of the sea? They spend their entire lives raising money through donors, who also want to make money, so they can continue the search for buried riches among barnacle covered ships. They search the waters depths to find what was once lost to others who set out to see to find THEIR treasure while taking all they had with them.

These ventures are fun to watch but seems futile to most of us who merely work hard to pay the bills that are inevitable in living this life on earth. The amount of bills we owe depends on our own wisdom for managing what we have and earn. Sometimes we are good at investing so we use that talent for stacking up more and more treasure. Some of us fall for those with schemes to get rich quick because salespersons make you feel stupid for not following their path to get others to buy into the scheme. Yes, there is a lot of “treasure” to be sought after if you look hard enough.

The world tells us we need and deserve to have it all. We should be on the search for the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. What is “all”, exactly?

Well, Jesus says…

Matthew 6

Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

WHAT WE LEARN IS PRETTY OBVIOUS

What we think about most guides our behavior in this world and prepares us for the next. Jesus says what is in our hearts reflects our thinking and behaving. It all begins in our hearts.

Some of us seek to be comfortable. No risks. We want to be comfortable later so we store up in savings and other investments what we think we will need. That is wise to some extent so you will not be a burden to your family, but it shouldn’t be the end-all of our thinking and behaving. Are we obsessed by this treasure?

Jesus says that if ALL you think there is to life is your worldly treasures of stocks, bonds, cash, jewelry and other material things of this life it stands between you and God. Our thinking follows our hearts content. What is in our hearts? Who ultimately are we serving? It will show in our behaviors.

Do we have a heart that runs after what God wants from what He has given to us to manage and share? Do we give all that we are and all that we have back to God to use as HE sees best? Are we willing to “lay down our Isaac”, our most important to us, in exchange for God’s best will and plan for us?

Nothing should stand between God and ourselves. Seek His will, His heart, His plan which is His eternal, bounty, beautiful, beyond our imagination, real treasure! THIS treasure lasts for eternity!

When we don’t seek God will all our heart, mind and soul, we are divided in our thinking. His Light, no longer reflects in us. When the Light is removed, the darkness overcomes us. This is not the treasure we seek.

HOLY PAUSE
Where is my heart?

What am I obsessed with right now?

Who or what do I seek most and often?

There is my treasure.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Let me sing to you,

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all

When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all…

In Jesus Name, Amen