My family visited a cave in the Burren Region of Ireland. Carved from limestone, the cave has magnificent caverns, chasms and even a waterfall. At one place during the tour, the guide told us to hold on to the railing (and our children!) before they turned out the lights. It was SO dark! Deep underground there is no light at all. The guide said that this intense darkness could even cause people to lose sense of direction, lose their balance and fall.

The devil works really hard to keep people from seeing “the light” of Jesus. Without the light of Jesus, we stumble and fall. The devil wants us to stay lost and unbalanced, separated from our God. The devil fights to keep us from sharing this light with others and will use anything in this world to try to keep us from knowing and sharing the truth in God’s Word.

When we try to be the light for others on our own, we fail. Oh, we try to serve others and live a life that pleases God, but we can’t do this on our own. God created light in this world, and he also creates light in our hearts. God beat the devil when he sent Jesus, the light of the world, to live and die for us.
Now that God has rescued us from our problem of sin, we want to share that light with others. We reflect the light of Jesus when we serve those people that he placed in our lives. God gave us a glimpse of his glory through Jesus, and he wants us to share that “light” with everyone.

When we walk through our days on earth, it might sometimes feel as if we are in a dark cave. We lose our balance when we forget to cling to Jesus, the true light of the world. We see a little piece of God’s glory every time we read and study his Word. When we read the Bible, we hear the love story of Jesus coming into the world to die for us. The light of Jesus works in our heart, preparing us for our work here on earth. May we continue to let our light shine for Jesus, the light of the world!

There’s a Victorian house in the heart of St. Paul, MN that was built in 1889 and then purchased by newlyweds in 1983. The house had been converted to 6 apartments, and the couple spent years bringing the house back to the original one-family dwelling. They spent hours researching the time period and then even more time working with their own hands– sanding and stripping wood to bring back the original floors and banisters, searching for wall paper and furnishings for the time period, and living in less-than-comfortable conditions as the bathrooms and kitchens were worked on. It is a beautiful home, and I am proud of the work that my aunt and uncle put into this home. The “builder of the house has great honor”.

It is easy for us to look at man-made work with honor and respect, forgetting that everything that we do, even our “best work”, is tainted with sin. There is nothing that we do that is without sin. We complain about the work we have to do, or covet the skills or means of others, or we get weary and only do the bare minimum. God is faithful; we are not.

God wants us to focus our eyes not on our earthly home, but our heavenly home. He wants us to honor not the builders of things in this world, but the “builder of everything”. The creator is superior to his creatures. God made the world, and when his creation was destroyed by sin, he made a plan. God, the “builder of everything”, made a blueprint for our salvation, a path to heaven. His plan was to give us a Christmas miracle, a tiny baby that would live the faithful life that we cannot, and then take on the sins of the entire world that he created.

God wants us to “fix our eyes on Jesus”, the ONE that saved us from our big problem of sin. God has absolute authority over heaven and earth, and he sent his son, Jesus, to destroy the sin in this world and in our hearts.

One family told me that they celebrate their baptism days by eating dessert first. They eat dessert before supper because “nothing can be sweeter than remembering the day we became a child of God, and knowing that we will one day be called Home!”

What is baptism? Baptism gives us the forgiveness of sins, through water and God’s Word. We can use the picture that, through baptism, our sins are “drowned” and that we are “washed clean” through the power of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Another picture that we can use to explain the blessings of baptism is found in our passage for today. Through baptism we were “buried” with Christ. This means that, when Jesus died on the cross, he took on our sin for us. He gave up his perfection for our sin and unfaithfulness. When Jesus died, our sins were “buried” with him. He became sin for us, and when he came back to life on Easter Sunday, he wrote our name down in the book of Heaven. We “have a new life” in heaven because Jesus died in our place.

From the day we are born, we are not fit for heaven. Every day we rebel to God by our sinful living. Some people think that if we “live a decent life and try not to hurt anyone” God will give us heaven. But not so! Even “trying our best” is not good enough. We cannot earn our way to eternal glory. No one on this earth can do anything to make himself fit for heaven. . . .except. . . . .Jesus! Jesus lived the perfect life that is impossible for us and every other human. Jesus already won that battle when he died on the cross and came back to life.

Although we cannot earn our way to heaven, we still want to live our life for Him who saved us. God wants us to be faithful to him. We do this by reading and obeying God’s Word, the Bible. We show that we are thankful for what God has done by serving him and others. How sweet it is to know that God calls us his own, and to know that we will one day enjoy a new, perfect life in heaven!

Lego set number 41720. That’s the one that she wanted. This set is a waterpark with two slides, an octopus sprinkler, and even a popsicle stand. She waited, and shopped at different stores, and waited some more. Until FINALLY! She found it on sale! She was so excited to put the set together and move the Lego people through the waterpark! But now the set sits, in a box, untouched since that first day of play. The toy she waited for only gave her momentary happiness.

Has this happened in your house? Do you have Christmas gifts that were exciting last week but now sit on a shelf? Are the treasures that your family waited for and longed for now forgotten? The truth is, even the best presents will eventually be outgrown, or broken, or placed in the donation box. The treasures of this world will never bring lasting joy and peace.

The only Christmas gift that brings lasting peace is Jesus. God’s people waited, with great longing, for thousands of years for the Savior to come. Finally, on that first Christmas, the promised Savior came!

Jesus gives us the peace that only a Savior can give—true peace, true rest in knowing that Jesus rescued us from the dangers of sin. Yet we often look for peace in all the wrong places: specialists, our family and friends and the internet. We try to find rest in a good book, taking a walk, or by relaxing on vacation. All of these can be healthy places to find rest for your body and mind, but the rest is only temporary. Things of this world will always only bring temporary peace.
The peace that Jesus gives is lasting. This peace is the tranquil, restful feeling that we feel when we remember that Jesus loves and forgives us. This peace gives us confidence that God always has and always will care for us. As one children’s song says, “Peace is holding Jesus’ hand”.

God has taken care of our biggest problem, sin, and now calls us to “let peace rule in our hearts”. Let us remember that Jesus fought for us on the cross and now calls us into his restful arms. Let us thank God for the peace that Jesus gives, and may this peace rule our hearts always!

Always, continually, in all circumstances. When working with children, we quickly learn to avoid such strong words. No child is always on task or continually disobedient. We learn to celebrate the little victories as the students grow in their abilities.

Yet Paul used these strong words as he finished his letter to the Thessalonians. The expectations he sets forth are unrealistic, aren’t they? I might try, but I just am not always happy. As for continually praying, well, I know some of my thoughts and words are definitely not prayer-like. And when I’ve spent a long day trouble shooting problems at school and home, it’s pretty difficult to give thanks. Yet this is what God expects; it is his will for us.

The first instruction given is to be joyful always. God created us with a large range of emotions. We cry tears at a loved one’s death. We feel righteous anger at the injustices of this sinful world. We experience fear and concern. And yes, so many times we feel happiness. We revel in God’s wonderful creation, we laugh at the antics of our students, we are excited to see those little victories as our students learn and grow. But happiness is not the same as joy. Joy is present in each emotion because true joy only comes from our Savior, Jesus. Even in our sorrow, we are not despondent, because we know that God is still with us, guiding us through the most difficult of times. When we are afraid, we lean on God’s promise to always do what is best for us. Our happiness is colored by the joy of experiencing God’s blessings. Through all these emotions, God draws us even closer to him.

Paul also tells us to pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. Praying continually doesn’t mean walking around with our hands folded and heads bowed, reciting prayers. We pray continually when the faith that God puts in our hearts shines through in our words and actions. We pray continually when we look to our heavenly Father for help in difficult situations. We pray continually when we share God’s Word with those around us and give thanks and praise to our Savior. Even when circumstances are difficult, we thank God, knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28).

Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? As much as I want to, I am not always joyful, my life is not one of continuous prayer, and many thankless words have come from my mouth. Paul doesn’t leave us hopeless. He tells us that God keeps us blameless. Jesus lived a joyful, prayer-filled, thankful life for us. He got rid of our imperfections and now God sees us clothed in Jesus’ holiness. So be joyful, my friends! Our Savior has come!

The King is coming! Imagine the red carpet rolled out, the best food prepared, the beautiful music. We would give our very best to show our love and support for a great leader.

As we look forward to Christmas, we prepare for a different king. This psalm was written by King David, one of the greatest kings in Israel’s history. He told his people to prepare for an even greater king. This king would be a King of glory, one who is strong and mighty in battle.

And then the king came. Born in a stable to parents who didn’t have much, he may not have looked like a king. There was no glory evident as he was placed in a feed trough. Yet never before and never again would such a king be born.

This king fought our biggest battle. He didn’t carry a sword or shield. He spent his short life on earth telling and living God’s love and forgiveness. He certainly didn’t look like a mighty king as he hung on the cross, beaten and bloodied. But just a few days later, the victorious king came back to life, assuring us of victory over sin, death, and the devil. This King of glory won the battle for us.

And so we get ready for this glorious king. We lift up our heads to welcome the Christ child, our hearts full of joy at the salvation he brings. We lift our voices to sing his praises. We lift our feet as we run to tell the good news of our King, just as the shepherds did that first Christmas Eve.
And this doesn’t end with Christmas. Our King of glory is coming back. When Jesus returns, we will lift our heads with our fellow believers and all the angels, singing his praises in eternity. We will be with our King of glory forever. The King is coming!

What does faithfulness look like in your work? Showing up on-time each day? Completing given tasks to the best of your ability? Taking time to help or speak to a child on his or her level? Supporting a coworker as she implements a new teaching or management strategy? Being a faithful employee (or friend or spouse or parent) is important.

In fact, God calls us to be faithful. Not merely in our work, but in how we live our lives for him. “Be faithful, even to the point of death.” God is calling us to trust him, to rely on him, throughout our life and one day, as we face death. As we serve those around us, we can confidently cling to his promises to be with us, to fight for us, to provide for us, and to equip us for the work we do.

Sometimes, that seems easy. Things are going well. Students and families are happy. You’ve got a balance between work and home. You’re taking time to be in God’s Word. But, other times, we get off-track. We’re disappointed. We’re unhealthy. We’re exhausted. We complain and worry and act selfishly. We lose sight of who we are and what God calls us to do. We fail to find our purpose and identity in him, and we’re anything but faithful servants.

Thank goodness, we have and serve a perfectly faithful and steadfast God. His faithfulness doesn’t depend on our actions or on our faithfulness. He doesn’t only remain faithful to us if we meet a certain benchmark or do a “good enough” job. Knowing we would struggle and fail, God still sent his Son, Jesus, to give up his life on our behalf. In Jesus, every sin of unfaithfulness and misplaced priorities is forgiven. In Jesus, we are free to joyfully – and yes, faithfully – serve God and those around us.

And there’s more. God promises, “I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” In Jesus, this reward is a sure thing. He has already won against sin and the devil so we can be certain of eternal life. This isn’t a reward we need to earn; this is a free gift from our loving, faithful God.

So, while we wait for his return, let’s remain faithful servants. Let’s trust God and his goodness, in good times and bad. Let’s encourage each other to remain steadfast to the work he has called us to do. Let’s model God’s love, that others may come to know him, too. Let’s live in hope, knowing our eternal future is secure.

Morning messages can be an important part of classroom routines – a way to let students know about any changes to the schedule, any special visitors, an upcoming event, or even just the approaching “stay home days” of the weekend. These reminders help the class prepare for and look forward to what’s coming. In our text for today, we hear some messages that help us be prepared for our life here on earth and our eternal life to come.

First, we are reminded that we are children of God – it’s who we are and where we find our purpose and our value. Before we can fully appreciate this status, though, we must remember who we are by nature, enemies of God trapped in our sin. And yet, despite our sinfulness and failure to obey God’s law, God “so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son” to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus came to pay the price and defeat sin and death on our behalf. Through faith in him, we are now forgiven children of God, our heavenly Father, and like a good father, God is there to provide for our needs, protect us from harm, and guide us through the ups and downs of life.

We can get so caught up in the things – the possessions, the vacations, the opportunities, the finances – of this world, but next, we hear a reminder that this world is not our forever home. We have something much better, much greater, to look forward to. When Christ appears to take us to our heavenly home, we will see him in his glory, and we will be like him. We don’t know exactly what our heavenly bodies will be like or how they will be the same or different from how we know them to be now, but we can be confident they will be perfect because they will be like Jesus. And we will live with God where tears and exhaustion and heartache and worry will no longer exist. The best is truly yet to come!

So, finally, as we look ahead to our eternal home, we live with this heavenly perspective in mind. As God’s children, we now strive to stay away from sin and sinful behaviors, and when we fail, we confess our wrongdoing, trust in God’s free and full forgiveness, and with God’s guidance, make a conscious effort to change. Our identity as God’s children changes the way we talk, act, and serve, and whatever our days may bring, we ultimately look ahead to future glory – an eternal home in heaven. And that’s not just a nice message; it’s a true and certain fact. Live in the confidence of being God’s child today!

You walk into a room where you know there is a young child, but it is eerily quiet. As you enter, the startled little one looks up at you with a priceless face that says, “Oh dear. She caught me. Now what do I do?” It might be a mess in the room, paint where paint doesn’t belong, a face full of makeup or worse, marker. She thought she was pulling it off until you walked into the room. Busted!

As you look at her, you may be disappointed, frustrated at what it will take to restore order to the room or to clean her up. But that face. Can you picture it? She knows she’s disappointed you and the look of remorse can touch your heart. You do everything you can to keep her safe and guide her in her growing and learning because you love her so dearly. But you also know she needs to learn. And when she fails, then what? Do you turn your back and leave her to her self-created mess? No. You’re right there with her and for her with a loving response that helps her learn.

As you and I read today’s verses, we can feel like that little one. How does it make you feel to be reminded that the LORD knows every thought, every action, every step, every word, even before it happens? Busted? It is incomprehensible to us that God has that kind of knowledge of every single person including you and me. If another person knew even some of this, especially some of our private thoughts and struggles, the shame or embarrassment would be overwhelming.

But this is not another person. This is our God, our Father, our LORD. The one who created us—formed us in our mother’s womb. He looks at us through what Jesus has done for us. His eyes are full of love. His heart is full of forgiveness. We can be at complete peace because of that forgiveness. We can be comforted knowing that no matter what happens, God’s loving hand is on us. He’s always with us, never leaving us alone to face the world and our own sinfulness. He looks at us as a father looks lovingly at his child. We are indeed, his own dear children.

As you look at her, she can see the look of love on your face. Her relief shows in her eyes. As you wrap your arms around her, she is comforted by your loving embrace. So it is with us. God does indeed know everything—the good, the bad, and the really bad. And still he loves us. He knows weaknesses in us that others may never know. And still he loves us. He is our peace, our comfort, our reassurance, our heavenly Father, our Savior. The look of love on his face gives us peace, relief, joy in him.

Last week we talked about a new piece of paper that reflects the possibility of starting fresh. We want so much to get it right. We constantly want a new piece of paper so we can try again. And yet, we continually find ourselves looking at an outcome that is less than we’d hoped. We can be like that toddler who stomps her foot, hands on hips and says, “I can do it myself!” We look at her with loving eyes knowing that her expectations of her ability aren’t the reality. We know that she’ll either give up or, hopefully, come for help.

We are wired to strive for a level of independence. From our first steps to our last, we want to be able to do things ourselves. It’s not easy for most of us to acknowledge our need for help. We want to try to get it right. It can be tempting to carry that over to our view of faith. God tells us in his Word that faith and salvation are a gift from him with no strings attached. “Thank you!” we cry out. And yet, we so soon follow that with a spirit that feels that our “getting it right” makes some kind of a difference in God’s eyes.

Today’s verses are such a clear and beautiful reminder of God’s grace for us. It’s not from us, not at all. It’s a gift. God just gives it to us out of love from him. He doesn’t want any hint of our role in our salvation. You want to boast? Boast about all that God has done for you.

Back to the piece of paper. When a talented artist or illustrator turns that piece of paper into a priceless work of art, it would be absurd to credit the paper. “Look what an amazing work of art that piece of paper created!” said no one ever. The credit and accolades go to the artist, the creator of the work of art.

God is our creator, our artist. He created each of us for a specific purpose. He gave you features, a personality, a set of gifts designed just for you but even more so, for him. He created you to do works, to accomplish things. However, those things are designed to give glory back to the artist, the creator—God. We can go about each day serving and showing love to others around us with the goal of sharing and reflecting God’s love and grace to everyone around us. It’s why we’re here—children of our heavenly Father who get to tell people about him in our words and actions. It doesn’t get us points. It gives us an opportunity to continually point to God.

[We] are God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do good works. What a joy it is to approach each day knowing that we get to serve, we get to share God’s message of grace, we get to reflect God’s love to others. Not because we need to in order to gain some kind of favor. Rather because everything we need for salvation is done. What a beautiful picture of God’s grace for us through Jesus.

“I did it! I did it!” One of the best sounds of an early childhood room is hearing a child shout for joy when they accomplished a task they struggled with. They worked and worked, and their diligence paid off. What a moment! They’re so proud, and we’re proud of them.

You and I have tasks that challenge us as well. I would imagine everyone reading this can name at least one item on their to do list that pushes their abilities. After a lot of effort, trial and error, you get it. You also might shout out just like that child, “I did it!” What a great feeling.

“Not to us, LORD, but to your name be the glory.” This verse was written at the time that the people of Israel celebrated Passover in the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites had been freed from their captivity under Pharaoh. All of this could easily tempt them to say, “Look at us and what we’ve done! We are an amazing nation to be feared and respected.” When we look closer at their story, we know they did nothing to cause their freedom from Pharaoh. God made that happen. That temple in Jerusalem? God’s direction and blessings to them provided the temple in all its splendor. The Israelites are a story that reminds us over and over of God’s love and faithfulness. They struggled. He provided. They sinned. He forgave. They turned their backs on God. He drew them back.

Because of your love and faithfulness. Those words are meant for us as well. You and I approach each day with a prayer that God would bless our tasks and our activities. We know that every day brings joy and disappointment, successes and failures. Each day we struggle with our biggest battle-our sin. And every day God is faithful in his love for us, his forgiveness, his work in us and through us.

What does all this mean for us? We do make progress in learning and growing. We have difficult challenges that with perseverance, we overcome. Is it wrong to rejoice in our accomplishments? No. Be glad in those moments. But never lose sight of where that success comes from—it comes from God. He who with unending patience and love, faithfully provides for all our needs. He gifts us with the ability to think and question and persevere. He gives us opportunity to use those gifts to serve him and those around us. And greater than all of this, he gifts us with his forgiving grace that gives us peace in him.

“I did it!” A moment to celebrate wrapping it all in gratitude for God who is full of love and faithfulness for each of us and for all his dear children. “I did it! Thank you, God, and to you be the glory!”

Take a minute and think about the children in your room or class. As you think about the children, write down 2-3 words that describe each child. You may be thinking of things like thoughtful, eager, impatient, inquisitive, impulsive, creative, nurturing. Your group is very likely a mixture of all kinds of traits and personalities. You grow to care very much about each child. Over time you learn their strengths and struggles. As a teacher, you strive to find a way to connect with each child to help them build on their strengths and address their struggles. Some, as you know, are easier than others.

As I read today’s verses and think about the key words, I’m humbled in so many ways. Gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, good to all. Oh how I would like to have those gifts! I think of my own struggles, my continuing battle with my own sins and shortcomings. I would expect it to be so frustrating for anyone around me but especially for my LORD. “There she goes again!” would not be a surprise for me to hear said about me. I think those words about myself at times. Thus, “gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, good to all” are words of overwhelming comfort to me. God has never said that sins are excusable. Sin permeates our world and our own lives. And yet, there is our God, our LORD, our Savior. He looks at us with his grace, with compassion. His love is endless for all.

And then we think of our class. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Each child in your class is someone who God has made. Each child is someone for whom Jesus lived a perfect life, died a horrific death, and rose again from the dead. He looks at each child with compassion, with his grace, with his love. And on top of that, he asks each of us to be one of those who shares all that with them. Humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude for the compassion and grace he has for us, we can look at each child with love and strive to be patient, compassionate, reflecting God’s grace for them. We can look at them as a fellow brother or sister in Christ who was redeemed by Jesus. What a privilege to be able to be one of those who encourages their gifts and guides and supports them in addressing their struggles. All with grace, compassion, and full of love.

Take another look at your list. As you consider the strengths and struggles of each child, consider how you can help them see how dearly they are loved by the LORD. Consider how you can build them up, help them work on their struggles, and comfort them with knowing that God looks at them with grace, compassion, and love. And as you do, remind yourself as well. You are dearly loved by God who is gracious and loving to all he has made—including you.

Life is full of big questions. You probably hear some of those big questions from the young children you serve or know. “Why is the sky blue?” “How do flowers grow?” “How come birds can fly but we can’t?” It’s fun to hear how their developing minds notice and wonder about the world around them. I was reading a book to a young boy and commented on how amazing it is that God had not just made birds but made them in so many amazing colors. The young boy looked up with curious eyes and asked, “Who is God?” It stopped me in my tracks and I thought for a minute how to answer that so he would understand.

Who is God? Who is Jesus? It’s such a simple question but may not be simple to answer.

Jesus had been travelling with his disciples. As they were returning from their travels, Jesus asks them what they had heard. What had people said about him and who he was? The answers included prophets and even John the Baptist (who had been executed.) Jesus turns the question to them when he asks who they say he is. Peter, so often a bold disciple, says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Messiah—what does that mean? Messiah is defined as the “anointed one” or one sent to save a group of people. The people at Jesus time had heard from generation to generation that God would send a Messiah, someone to deliver them. Jesus was that promised Savior.

Today we hear all kinds of explanations of who Jesus was or who he is. Who do you say he is? If someone asks, how would you respond? Such a simple question with such a complex answer. Jesus is God. Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus is the one whom God sent to do everything we couldn’t do—live a perfect life, take all the punishment for our sins, rise from the dead showing his power over death and over Satan. As a child of God, Jesus is our brother. He’s our truest Friend. He is our King, our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer.

One of the most important questions you may ever be asked is, “Who is Jesus?” What a joy it is to share all that he is and all that he does as our Messiah, our Savior. He’s the one who made us and all of creation. Jesus is the one from whom, by faith from the Holy Spirit, we receive grace, mercy, and the gift of heaven with him. Who is Jesus? Let me tell you about him!

My husband grew up in a town that is right on Lake Michigan. He’s a strong swimmer. He has great respect for the power of the water. As much as he loves the lake, he will readily admit that there are few things as frightening to him as being on the lake at night. There is something ominous about the darkness of the water once the sun has set.

Our reading today comes from the story of Jesus protecting his disciples while they were on a boat on the Sea of Galilee during a storm in the middle of the night. Many of the disciples were veteran fishermen who knew the lake and its unpredictability. They knew that storms could come up at the blink of an eye. This particular night, they had ended an incredibly full day with Jesus. He put them on a boat and sent them on their way. Likely in the middle of the night when they were about halfway across (about 3.5 miles from shore), a violent storm arose. Even as experienced fishermen, they were terrified. In the midst of the wind and waves they see Jesus coming, walking towards them. Yes—that’s a miracle with no explanation! However, his words to them are far more powerful. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Imagine the impact of those words on the disciples. They likely exhaled deeply. They may have looked at each other in relief. Jesus was there and all was well.

All of us have storms in our lives. You have storms. We all have times that may feel like sitting in a dark lake in the middle of the night. Maybe not today or maybe there is one right now in your life. The storms of life can shake our confidence and test our faith. They can leave us frightened and sometimes feeling helpless. The good news is that Jesus is there in the midst of our storms, walking alongside us. Sometimes he takes away the storm. Always he walks with us through the storm. Recall that God didn’t take away the Red Sea from the people of Israel. He parted it and was with them through it.

God has blessed you with the gift of faith. That faith is yours because of him. It was Jesus’ power and not Peter’s faith, that allowed Peter to walk to Jesus. The same is true for us. The Savior who went to the cross to remove our sins, is the one who promises to be with us in all things. We don’t have to work it out on our own. In faith, we can look up and look at our Savior Jesus who says to us, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

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.