Today’s Scripture
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)
Big Idea
When you consider the benefits of surrendering to God, it becomes an easier decision.
Today’s Thought
Quickly — if you learned about a treasure that would turn you into a billionaire for the rest of your life, would you do everything possible to get your hands on it?
You probably answered yes — unless you thought you were being set up for failure, like a character in yet another Pirates of the Caribbean or National Treasure sequel.
God doesn’t promise that He will make all of us billionaires, but He does promise to make our lives meaningful and blessed and significant as we become r12 Christians. And the promise of Heaven is a great treasure we can desire and pursue.
In these two brief parables from Jesus, we find people eager to sacrifice and surrender because they recognize the great reward that awaits them. One man found treasure in a field; he gladly sold all his stuff to buy the land and claim the treasure. The other guy finds an incredibly valuable pearl; he willingly auctioned off his possessions on eBay so he could purchase the gem.
These were easy sacrifices to make. Both men happily surrendered what they owned so they could attain life-changing treasures. Because these were parables, Jesus was attempting to teach his audience — and us — a deeper truth.
Jesus revealed that it’s logical, smart, and wise to surrender everything to God. And the heart of totally surrendering depends on our view of God — is He really good or not? Psalm 84:11 tells us that God withholds no good thing from people who are living right and following His ways. When we recognize how good and great and wonderful God is, we discover that surrendering is a reasonable sacrifice — just as Paul talks about it in Romans 12:1. Surrender truly is worth the cost.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)
Big Idea
When you consider the benefits of surrendering to God, it becomes an easier decision.
Today’s Thought
Quickly — if you learned about a treasure that would turn you into a billionaire for the rest of your life, would you do everything possible to get your hands on it?
You probably answered yes — unless you thought you were being set up for failure, like a character in yet another Pirates of the Caribbean or National Treasure sequel.
God doesn’t promise that He will make all of us billionaires, but He does promise to make our lives meaningful and blessed and significant as we become r12 Christians. And the promise of Heaven is a great treasure we can desire and pursue.
In these two brief parables from Jesus, we find people eager to sacrifice and surrender because they recognize the great reward that awaits them. One man found treasure in a field; he gladly sold all his stuff to buy the land and claim the treasure. The other guy finds an incredibly valuable pearl; he willingly auctioned off his possessions on eBay so he could purchase the gem.
These were easy sacrifices to make. Both men happily surrendered what they owned so they could attain life-changing treasures. Because these were parables, Jesus was attempting to teach his audience — and us — a deeper truth.
Jesus revealed that it’s logical, smart, and wise to surrender everything to God. And the heart of totally surrendering depends on our view of God — is He really good or not? Psalm 84:11 tells us that God withholds no good thing from people who are living right and following His ways. When we recognize how good and great and wonderful God is, we discover that surrendering is a reasonable sacrifice — just as Paul talks about it in Romans 12:1. Surrender truly is worth the cost.
Prayer
God, thanks for the truths You’ve placed in the Bible. Thanks for letting Jesus teach us through stories that help us understand You more clearly. I pray that You would help me pursue You and Your values and Heaven with greater passion in my life. Help me surrender all the stuff in my life, which ultimately doesn’t matter. Help me to surrender my life, too. I want to serve and follow You with everything I have. Amen.
God, thanks for the truths You’ve placed in the Bible. Thanks for letting Jesus teach us through stories that help us understand You more clearly. I pray that You would help me pursue You and Your values and Heaven with greater passion in my life. Help me surrender all the stuff in my life, which ultimately doesn’t matter. Help me to surrender my life, too. I want to serve and follow You with everything I have. Amen.
The part about how God doesn't hold anything from those who live right,really hit home today b/c I was just talking to God about how I knew that he'd provide all of my needs because of that same scripture!!! #confirmation
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