When I was young, I used to hide my treasures in a ‘fort’ of sorts in the trees of our farm yard. With the branches bent over and siblings that didn’t care if I wandered off to hide in the bushes, I felt that my trinkets were safe in this place. These were small things, important only to me, like a Jack in the Box® prize, or a photo of my grandmother, or a used movie ticket. I had a rain proof box and buried it under the moss and leaves.When a few years older, I hid paper money in my books. Sometimes I forgot what I’d done, and later read the book only to be surprised and delighted to find a one or a five-dollar bill. These were my childhood treasures.
Now my treasures are of a different sort. They are the riches God provides for those who love His Son. These treasures are infinite, with much more value than trinkets or money. In fact, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).
Even though the Bible says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9), God does give me a taste of those riches while here on earth.
The past few days I’ve been overwhelmed with joy. This is not like human happiness where everything goes right, or I win or achieve something, or have had a ‘good’ day. It is a gift from God, a fruit of His Spirit that comes upon His people regardless of what is happening. The joy of Jesus is a treasure and a blessing. It gives me a zest for life too. However, there are more jewels in His treasure box. Ephesians 1:3 says:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ . . .The next few verses list some of these blessings, not all, yet these pile up like jewels in Paul’s long sentences with many phrases. I can almost hear his voice rapidly saying the words much as an excited child would describe their treasures, but of course these have far more import. Here they are, not necessarily in the order they are given:
- God loves me
- He chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world
- He chose me so I can be holy and without blame before Him
- He determined beforehand to adopt me as His child
- All this is “according to the good pleasure of His will” so that the glory of His grace is praised
- I am accepted in Jesus, His Beloved Son
- I trusted Him after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of my salvation
- I am redeemed the blood of Christ, the price paid to free me from slavery to sin
- My sins are forgiven
- He doles out grace toward me with great wisdom
- He makes known to me the mystery of His will
- He works all things (in my life here) according to His will — so I will praise Him
- He determined that one day I will be gathered together in one with all others in Christ, both those in heaven and those on earth
- He is pleased to do all this for me!
- I have an inheritance in heaven of eternal life with Him
- I am sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is like a down payment that guarantees my inheritance until it is accomplished.
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