John 6:35 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
What do you think of when I say the word “treasure?”
Gold? Money? Art? Jewelry? Mansions? Cars? A relationship?
A book comes to my mind. When my great grandmother died back in the nineties, I was given her favorite book A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm by Phillip Keller. Not only was the book special because it was hers, it must have been a first edition of the classic. The pages were yellowed and the cover design was something from a bygone era. Despite this, the book remained in good shape. (She didn’t scribble all in her books the way I do.) While I didn’t read the book or follow its principles until years later, the sight alone reminded me of her and the sweet spirit she embodied. I have since read the lessons held within and passed it on to a dear friend. Because I realized that the gift itself was not what brought me such great joy- it was the thought of Ma.
Things work the same way when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. We often cling to our Bible, worship/quiet time, ministries, families, or things and treasure them above everything- including The Treasure. Items from this list, however, aren’t where our joy lies; they merely point us toward that joy. Many times, these things drift into “idols of delight.” They are worthy and honorable attributes. But even they can come to be treasured above Jesus. I will close by echoing the words of our fearless author, “I do not minimize the joy of seeing the works of the Lord. But His works are great because the Lord is great. And they will become idols of delight unless they point us to the Lord himself as our highest delight.” (36)
Like the book points to my Ma. So these good things point to the Giver.
