Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/ysee8j
The story is told of a man who was looking for a lost set of keys. It was night and the man was crawling around on his hands and knees looking for his keys under a streetlight. A stranger comes along and joins in the search. After a few minutes he asks, “Where did you last have your keys before you lost them?” To which the man replies, “I lost them over there by my car, but the light is much better over here.”
Perhaps we can all relate to such an experience. It really was futile for that man to search under that light. But perhaps it made him feel better to be doing something even though it was unlikely to produce any results.
When I was younger I was fascinated with metal detectors. I never did purchase one, but I would see them advertised on TV. There I would watch as a man would effortlessly uncover rings, coins and other valuable items just by walking over them with that device.
The thought of buried treasure conjures up all kinds of images in our minds. The thrill of uncovering something that was hidden and perhaps forgotten stirs our imaginations.
In my early teens, I remember going to visit my great-aunt.
I wondered if any treasures or valuables had been overlooked and forgotten. Unfortunately there were no coins or valuables to be found. However, I did find several antique books from grammar school, several of which I still have.
Treasures have a way of drawing us to them. The key is to make sure that we are attracted to the right kinds of treasures.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
A passion for our treasure must be present. Mel Fisher began searching for the wreck of the ship, Atocha, in 1969. Within two years he found a few coins, then two years later he found a few silver bars. Each day he was filled with optimism that this was “the day” that he would find the valuable wreck.
Other discoveries were made that confirmed that he was finding portions of the treasure, but the main wreck always seemed just out of his grasp. Instead of giving up or being satisfied with what he had found, Mel pushed on and actually invented many of the devices that were later used in exploring for the wreck.
His heart was set on finding that treasure. It was what motivated him each day.
Then on July 20, 1985, Mel finally realized his dream. The wreck of the Atocha was discovered and the excavation of the famous wreck was finally underway.
Not many people believed in Mel’s dream of finding that ship and its treasure. I’m sure he encountered many people who mocked him and tried to convince him to call it quits. He even encountered great grief as his son and daughter-in-law were killed at sea helping him pursue his dream. Through all of this, Mel pushed on. He knew that his treasure was out there just waiting for him to find it.
Friends, we have a far more valuable treasure that awaits us. Have you found it yet? Jesus has promised us rest from our labors and a home in Heaven for all of eternity. Many people have already discovered this great treasure. They are motivated by it each day and they live their lives so as to never lose sight of it. They know that where their treasure is, their heart will be also.
On Our Daily Walk today, may we never be fooled into exchanging hope of eternal life for anything in this life. May we focus our minds on the only treasure that matters—the treasure of eternal life with God.
Our thought for the day: “Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
May God bless you on your daily walk.
© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.
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