Kingdom Treasures

Hi Friends,
I had this idea a while ago to put together thematic worship experiences. A friend challenged me to get back to daily writing recently. So I have decided to spread that writing around to my various blogs. This is a blog I had forgotten about. I found myself listening to music today and was thinking how I might combine my writing for today with music and I was reminded of this blog.

Sometime we just need a little bit of help with our quiet time before the Lord to focus our minds and hearts so that we can hear what He is saying to you. With this post I want to remind you that you are His treasure and Jesus is crazy in love with you.

Interspersed here with my thoughts are some songs I found that went along with this topic in one way or another. If you are short on time allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to which ones to listen to, the rest will be here waiting till you need them.

The other day I heard someone share how we are each like treasure chests. It spoke to me in a deep way. The Lord has put his treasures in jars of clay. We are his treasure chests. We are His alabaster jar. He is the one who opens us up and pours us out. He opens up His treasure chests not when we think he should but when He decides to reveal those treasures. We can sometimes work so hard at trying to serve Him that we for get we just need to walk with Him every day and love people like He would love them. Not because they think or believe like us, not because they are less flawed than others, not because they are good or clean or remarkable in some way. Simply because they too are His treasures, weather or not they even know they are.

Sometimes it is our job to see the treasures in others and to encourage them to take a step of faith and share what God has put in them with others. It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are not good enough. We compare ourselves with others and we see all of our own faults. Often we get our focus on the dirt and not the diamonds.

2 Corinthians 4:7-15 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl   - Matthew 13: 44-45

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 NIV

Isaiah 45:3 (NIV)

I will give you hidden treasures,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the Lord,

the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Are you looking for His hidden treasures?
They could be in His Word or found in nature or perhaps in the people who grace your life.

Today along with about 600 people, I attended a memorial service for an incredible man of God. He was a friend and a spiritual father to me and so many other people. Dick Main was truly a kingdom treasure. He and his wife constantly prayed for and encouraged so many people. The out pouring of love for this man today was huge. It wasn't that he did stuff that was amazing or grand or difficult. He simply walked daily with Jesus and loved people. He always had a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He would see you and give you a big hug and tell you "Your Wonderful" I have to say that he was one of those people that you could not help but to see Jesus. A few weeks ago he took a train to glory. It was on his way home from a Christmas party at the Spokane Healing Rooms when he had an accident and hit a train. The miracle was that he arrived coherent to the hospital and his family was able to join him there. He was able to talk with each of them and finally asked his wife to please let him go. They had been married for 61 years and they had five children.

His family did such a beautiful job of allowing all of the many people who gathered be part of celebrating his life. As we arrived they had a table set up with green stamp pads. People would get ink on their finger and press it onto the image of a tree. Because they too were one of the leaves on the tree of lives he had touched.

I end this post with one of my own songs.  It is here today in honor and in memory of my dear friend Dick Main. He and his wife Shirley were always blessed by my songs. Proverbs 10:7 says the memory of the righteous is a blessing. Dick Main truly blessed my life and I will be ever thankful to have known him.