Hidden Treasure

 Treasure by the worlds standards is gold, precious stones and rare jewels, or possessions of great value. I watched Treasure Planet with my daughter and it sparked my thinking about what the Bible says about treasure. 

Matthew 6:

 ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

So I started thinking about the treasures we lay up in heaven, what are they? Good works? Converts to Christianity? Mission work? Service in the ministry? Hmmm, something was still missing.

Then as I studied it a little further, I began to look at what the Word describes as treasure ~ the Greek word surprisingly is 2344 "thesouros" ~ that got me thinking about the Bible and Jesus the Word of life. What could be more valuable than Gods word and His Son the living Word? In the new testament the word treasure is used several times to describe the Kingdom of God (eg. the parable of the pearl of great price). Ah but how to store up these things in heaven? 

I took a step back and it all became so clear. The Word, which was Jesus became flesh and died to birth the Kingdom, in us! We are the treasure and the treasure is in us. We store up treasure in heaven by living Kingdom life right here on earth and letting our light so shine before men that they are drawn to God's marvelous grace. God gave everything to ransom us. We are His treasure and exceeding great reward. The human race is more precious to God than an ever expanding galaxy of wonders we cant even fathom. 

There is in us that one thing that God put there when he first created us ~ His Image. His handprint if you like. Its easy to see the depravity of the world and evil multiplying daily, but hard to see the image of God in his people. We are hidden and rare and when a true prophet, healer, evangelist emerges, the world is changed forever. Because of His mark on them. They carry His presence, they bring His light, they leave His gifts, which are free. This treasure is not working harder at being a better person, its spiritual life in Jesus which transcends this earth/time continuum and is priceless, eternal, heavenly. 

This is the treasure that we aspire to ~ 

Romans 8:19
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.