Hidden Treasure

*We apologize once more for our lack of consistency in posting our entries regularly. Perhaps we should not apologize; in our blogging experience here at Fear Them Not, Zack and I continue to be reminded just how much higher God’s ways and thoughts are than ours. Our intent is to study the Word together and share it with you in an entry every week, but week after week, we see that God has the bigger picture and is in ultimate control. We continue to solicit your prayers as we do this for the kingdom. And we continue to ask that you send us your prayer requests, so that we can agree with you in prayer concerning whatever it may be that you are seeking God for.

*About a week ago, Zack’s friends were involved in a tragic road accident on their way to Mbarara in Uganda. Anita Kamaliza, Zack's close friend, was among those that passed away in that accident. Generation Caleb humbly asks that you pray with us through this difficult moment – pray for the families that are grieved, for the speedy recovery of those who were injured (already we see God’s mighty hand working, praise Him!), including Zack’s friends, Aggie, Joan and Jesse, and for Zack, who has continued to let the joy of the Lord be his strength and let his light shine before men despite his aching heart. We thank you and bless God for your prayers.

It's very encouraging for us when, with each entry we post, we realize that we are growing as well. This is my testimony for the entries on the Armour of God and the Kingdom of God - I have grown in the Lord. Sharing the Word with Zack and with you guys actually does a great deal to boost my faith and enlighten me, and so I thank you all.

Matt 13:44 – Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field: the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

“A treasure hidden in a field” reminds me of a story I read as a child. Its title was Buried Treasure. I do not remember what the story was about, but I think it had to do with pirates. I think there was a treasure buried somewhere that the pirates wanted to find, and I am not sure whether or not they had a map.

Perhaps in the days when Jesus walked this earth, people hid their treasures in their fields. Maybe the man in His parable was a worker in the field where he found the treasure. And perhaps he stumbled upon something that a previous owner of the field had buried. Or maybe he realized that there was some mineral in that land.

I don’t know. All we can tell from this story is, this man was going about his daily life, when he found the treasure. He probably could not afford the field, which is why he sold all he had to buy it. And for him to sell everything, that field must have meant so much more to him than all his possessions.

It’s the same way with the kingdom of God. We are busy, going about our daily lives, doing what we’ve always done, working in our fields, when suddenly, we stumble upon the Great Truth. I cannot really say we stumble upon it, because the reality is that God sees us in our futile struggle in life and shines His Truth in our faces. And suddenly, we realize that we must have that truth, no matter what it costs. The man hid the treasure, just like we must hide the Truth in our hearts. But this is not a hiding in the way that we would normally think of it. This is like what David said in Psalm 119:11 – Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. We must be wary not to attempt to hide the kingdom of God from our brothers and sisters, because remember, Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

When we discover the magnificence of the kingdom of heaven, and compare it to the filth of the earth, we realize that nothing of this life is worth wasting time over. Like Paul, we begin to count all things as dung, that we may win Christ (Phil 3:8). And as we grow in and continue to seek the kingdom, in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, we realize that all the things that we may have longed for are added unto us (Matt 7:33).

Blessings!