Day 10 - Hidden Treasure - More of Jesus Devotional

Hidden Treasure
By Tina Pinson

“The Kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. In his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 (ESV)

     I always wondered what it would be like to be an archeologist digging up lost worlds, hidden treasure, and mysteries. In my dreams Indiana Jones had nothing on me. Although I can be claustrophobic. A claustrophobic archeologist, don’t get behind me in a tunnel.
     Thankfully, God had something else planned. I pull out my metal finder and find nails, bottle caps and loose change, but God called me to be a writer. A fiction writer, sharing Christ in the process. He blessed me with a vivid imagination and a love for words.
      As a child, I wielded imagination with exuberance. I was a story teller extraordinaire. Tall tales were my forte, and the reason I got disciplined a lot. When God showed me He wanted me to write, I was ecstatic. And scared. More so, when some well-meaning Christians told me Christian Fiction was a joke. Real Christian writers, it seemed, wrote stories about missionaries and martyrs and devotionals. It was a mistake for me to write fiction. Practically a sin.
      But God planted this hidden treasure in me to share. I dreamed stories from beginning to end in Technicolor, every word, every scene, every nuance. That was God. People still gave me names of people who’ve suffered for Christ, whose stories needed told.
I was confused, then I read Matthew 13:34-35: “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, indeed, He said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoke by the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables. I will utter what had been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
     Imagine that, Christ told stories to give people insight into His Kingdom. He used words and visuals they could understand. Some people won’t pick up a Bible but they will read a story.
For me, I get to do a lot of research on history. I am kind of an armchair archeologist. That was designed by God. He planted that gift in me and then helped me to uncover the hidden treasure heaven had for me when the time was right. What hidden treasures of the Kingdom has Christ helped you unearth?

Questions:
Do you believe God has put Hidden/ Kingdom Treasure in you? If so, what?

Did you ever read the parable about the mustard seed and go try to move a mountain? Or get mad over the debtor whose debt was forgiven and he still went after someone who owed him? What Parable of Jesus is your favorite? What hidden treasure did it impart to you?

“All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, indeed, He said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoke by the prophet. “I will open My mouth in parables. I will utter what had been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:34
What does this passage say to you?

Take a couple moments to consider the hidden treasures of God and his Kingdom given to you. Write down some of those thoughts.

Food for thought. Parable – a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson as told by Jesus. These stories are spread throughout the Gospels, take a look.