Whenever I read or hear this section, I wonder why the man was digging in a field that he didn’t own. With a little research, I learned the following.

At that time, it was common practice for a wealthy individual to divide up his wealth into three parts. He would keep one-third as cash for ongoing expenses and business. Another third would be invested—most likely in precious stones and jewels. He could take these with him easily if he needed to travel or flee. The final third would be buried in the ground. That way if he had to flee, all would not be lost. When he returned home, he could reclaim that part of his wealth, that is, if he returned home.

So, someone digging in a field that didn’t belong to him doesn’t seem as far-fetched. The man discovered a treasure. In his excitement, perhaps hoping to uncover even more but certainly so he could make a legitimate claim on the treasure, he took the risk of selling all he had to buy the field. We don’t know if this paid off, but it illustrates how much he valued the treasure.

The treasure in the illustration represents Christ the Savior and the kingdom of God. Nothing in all the world is more precious than this. Absolutely nothing. However, keeping this as our highest priority is a constant struggle for Christians. The distractions of the world are endless. They barrage our daily lives. It’s so easy to minimize or lose our excitement for this indescribable gift.

What are we willing to do to hold on to this treasure? This treasure is the Word. It sounds so simple—be in the Word. We read devotions like this one and recommit ourselves to our time in the Word. And in a blink, that commitment fades. And yet, God’s commitment to us does not fade. His promise to send a Savior? Kept. His promise to be with us in all things? Kept. His promise to strengthen and sustain our faith? Kept. We recognize that we can’t do it on our own. By his grace and with his help, God keeps us in faith, strengthens our faith, and helps us grow in our gratitude for the most precious treasure ever, the gift of faith in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

We don’t need to sell all our earthly possessions, but we do need to be sure that things of this world don’t keep making their way back in front of our time with our Savior. He’s eager to spend that time with you, helping you grow in your faith in your Savior and his love, mercy and grace for you.