Hidden Treasure

Those circles lay out the destiny for my “morning
off.” They’re all the yard sales that seem to show promise of a treasure.
Beside each yellow circle is a red number. You guessed it; the numbers map out
the order in which we are going to travel from yard sale to yard sale.

And so, with cup of coffee in hand we head out. Not only do
we stop and go from highlighted location to highlighted location, Tammi also
has her eagle eye trained for cardboard signs stapled to telephone poles. We
take detours. We search for that hidden treasure.

There are treasures lurking in the yards of people too
cheap to even run an ad. But we will find them. They cannot hide. And there is
no yard sale too small.

A blanket on the grass with two piles of clothes on it, a
used tire and a broken treadmill, all in the front yard, constitutes a stop.
Why? Because there could be a treasure buried
under all of that junk.

And you know what? Quite often, people (mostly women) come
into our house and ask, “Oh, where did you get this?” And more times
than not, the proud answer is, “I
found it at a yard sale; it was a hidden treasure.”

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “You are not your
own; you were bought at a price” (NIV). Matthew elaborates when he
recorded the words of Jesus relating that the kingdom of heaven is like a
merchant seeking fine pearls, a hidden treasure. And when the merchant found
even one pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned to go and purchase
the land with the one hidden treasure.

This is just what Jesus does. He searches for that one
pearl—you and me! He looks for the hidden treasure. And here is the amazing thing that should blow our
minds: To everyone else, we just look like junk—but not to Him.

Romans 5:8 states that “while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.” He literally
purchased us with His very life. Why? 
He saw the hidden treasure. He
saw way beyond what could be seen on the outside. We looked like junk at a yard
sale. We had no value. We were worthless. We were actually filthy dirty,
with no way to clean ourselves up. The more we tried, the more obvious it
became that it was hopeless. It was hopeless except to Him. He saw the hidden
pearls and He spent all He had to purchase us.

This week in your life’s journey, you may still feel like
yard sale junk. Life may have covered
you with dirt, rust and mold. You may be wondering: Will things ever
change? Does my life matter? Do I have any value to anyone?

Remember, to Him you are a pearl, a hidden treasure worth the purchase price—His life.

Change your mindset. See yourself as He sees you. You are
valuable and necessary in His kingdom. You are not junk. You are His
treasure. You are bought and paid for. And He purchased you for a reason. You
matter. You are valuable. You are His hidden treasure, a pearl of great price.

PRAYER POWER WEEK OF 11/8/2010

This week respond to the Lord’s amazing Love with your own
devotion and expressed gratitude. Enter this Thanksgiving season with the
overwhelming realization of the price He paid for you as His priceless
treasure.  Ask Him to help you see
others through His eyes of love and compassion, and be ready to express it
verbally, and with acts of kindness. 
Continue to pray for those who have suffered losses through economic
hardship, broken relationships, and the passing of loved ones.  Continue to pray for the nation and ask
God to show you ways in which you can reach out to your community, share the
gospel and make a difference. Remember Israel as you pray for our military and
their families.   Romans 5:8;
1 Cor. 6:19-20