Neal Pollard recalls the story of an old Indian man who wandered penniless into a western military camp and begged the soldiers there for scraps of food. Suspended from his neck was a locket, inside of which the soldiers found a small piece of paper. On the paper was the Indian man’s honorable discharge from the United States Army.
The paper was signed by none other than George Washington. More directly essential is that this single paper entitled the beggar to a pension – money from the government with which he could buy his own food.
There were not many Native Americans who actually enlisted individually to fight as soldiers in the Revolutionary War, so maybe old vet was unaware of procedure and protocol or of the sheer value of paper. Likely he could not even read it. He was entitled to what the government had to offer, but he did not know to ask. Thus, rather than having his needs supplied, he was severely deprived.
However sad and tragic this man’s story seems, how many children of God entitled to the privileges of strength and help from prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship find themselves spiritually starving, alone, and struggling?
Seek It
God is their Father; spiritual blessings are theirs. Yet, they do not seek and ask. How sad that there are Christians with access to all the help of heaven who have chosen to be lonely beggars!
We place a banner in the front of the room with a quotation from Matthew 6:33: “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”; we preach and teach about the kingdom, about seeking the kingdom, about righteousness, and about seeking it as our primary goal; we read that quote on the wall every time we come together. And yet, it is a struggle to remember that this seeking of the kingdom and righteousness is a daily thing.
It is daily and it goes with us wherever we go. I must seek these things while I drive up and down the streets of Joplin, trying to find a route around the latest detour. I must seek these things while beginning a new day at school or at work. I must seek when choosing my words in a conversation, when choosing a program to listen to on the radio or TV, and when making entertainment choices on the weekend or while on vacation. I seek these things when the telemarketer calls, when the politician knocks on my door, and when I kiss my spouse good night.
Psalm 119:11, speaking to God, says, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Matthew 6:21 follows up, saying, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
There is treasure in the Word of God, but like the beggar’s locket, we must open it and study what’s on the inside. It’s not meant to be buried; it is to be placed before every person. The treasure of salvation is not meant to be hidden from the public; it’s not meant to be hoarded or sold; this treasure is to be shared freely.
And, oh, it is so valuable. Matthew 13:44 says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field. A man joyfully sells all that he has and buys the field to obtain the treasure. The next two verses liken the kingdom of heaven to a “merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
The kingdom and the salvation that comes with it – all these things – are in front of us daily if we know and remember to look for them. Friends, they are not hidden, but we must remember to “seek ye first”.
Share It
As much as we must constantly be reminded to seek the treasure in God’s Word, it is so much sadder to know that there are people all around us who don’t even know there is anything to seek. They have no chance of experiencing the joy that we, as Christians, have – unless, that is, we share it. Someone wrote:
The paper was signed by none other than George Washington. More directly essential is that this single paper entitled the beggar to a pension – money from the government with which he could buy his own food.
There were not many Native Americans who actually enlisted individually to fight as soldiers in the Revolutionary War, so maybe old vet was unaware of procedure and protocol or of the sheer value of paper. Likely he could not even read it. He was entitled to what the government had to offer, but he did not know to ask. Thus, rather than having his needs supplied, he was severely deprived.
However sad and tragic this man’s story seems, how many children of God entitled to the privileges of strength and help from prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship find themselves spiritually starving, alone, and struggling?
Seek It
God is their Father; spiritual blessings are theirs. Yet, they do not seek and ask. How sad that there are Christians with access to all the help of heaven who have chosen to be lonely beggars!
We place a banner in the front of the room with a quotation from Matthew 6:33: “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”; we preach and teach about the kingdom, about seeking the kingdom, about righteousness, and about seeking it as our primary goal; we read that quote on the wall every time we come together. And yet, it is a struggle to remember that this seeking of the kingdom and righteousness is a daily thing.
It is daily and it goes with us wherever we go. I must seek these things while I drive up and down the streets of Joplin, trying to find a route around the latest detour. I must seek these things while beginning a new day at school or at work. I must seek when choosing my words in a conversation, when choosing a program to listen to on the radio or TV, and when making entertainment choices on the weekend or while on vacation. I seek these things when the telemarketer calls, when the politician knocks on my door, and when I kiss my spouse good night.
Psalm 119:11, speaking to God, says, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Matthew 6:21 follows up, saying, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
There is treasure in the Word of God, but like the beggar’s locket, we must open it and study what’s on the inside. It’s not meant to be buried; it is to be placed before every person. The treasure of salvation is not meant to be hidden from the public; it’s not meant to be hoarded or sold; this treasure is to be shared freely.
And, oh, it is so valuable. Matthew 13:44 says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field. A man joyfully sells all that he has and buys the field to obtain the treasure. The next two verses liken the kingdom of heaven to a “merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
The kingdom and the salvation that comes with it – all these things – are in front of us daily if we know and remember to look for them. Friends, they are not hidden, but we must remember to “seek ye first”.
Share It
As much as we must constantly be reminded to seek the treasure in God’s Word, it is so much sadder to know that there are people all around us who don’t even know there is anything to seek. They have no chance of experiencing the joy that we, as Christians, have – unless, that is, we share it. Someone wrote:
| Don’t bother me With souls to save I have my own agenda There’s school to do, Sports to play, Important stuff to attend to. Don’t bother me With my friend at work, He’s got his own religion I don’t have time To change his mind He’ll make his own decision Don’t bother me With that little girl, The girl playing in the street She’s much too young To understand That the Savior she could meet | Don’t bother me With the sounds I hear The sounds of people shrieking Although I wonder who they are Who are these victims screaming? Don’t bother me With who they are I really don’t want the blame ‘Cause it’s my friend at work And that little girl Who from Hell, Scream out my name.  |
Friends, we need to do more seeking, and we need to do more sharing.
Conclusion
You’re human. You forget. You fall into life patterns that remove you from the church, from Jesus, and from salvation. You don’t pray without ceasing. You slip into a life of sin, whether intentional or unintentional. You forget that you are God’s influence in the world. You blunder with your speech. And you fail to follow God’s lamp to your feet.
Or perhaps you’ve been seeking in all the wrong places. Maybe you have been searching for the true path to salvation and haven’t understood that you must believe in the complete Word of God, repent of sin, confess that Jesus is God’s living Son, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. Perhaps it is time for you to pick up the treasure and begin your heavenly journey today.
Conclusion
You’re human. You forget. You fall into life patterns that remove you from the church, from Jesus, and from salvation. You don’t pray without ceasing. You slip into a life of sin, whether intentional or unintentional. You forget that you are God’s influence in the world. You blunder with your speech. And you fail to follow God’s lamp to your feet.
Or perhaps you’ve been seeking in all the wrong places. Maybe you have been searching for the true path to salvation and haven’t understood that you must believe in the complete Word of God, repent of sin, confess that Jesus is God’s living Son, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. Perhaps it is time for you to pick up the treasure and begin your heavenly journey today.
