There was a time our family was intrigued by the TV program, Storage Wars. People would go to auctions of abandoned storage units and bid on the unit. It was the proverbial … “One man’s junk is another man’s treasureâ€
The aspect that amazed me is the bidding war which would occur at these sites. Much of the time, the bidders did not even fully know the contents within the unit. They were only permitted a cursory look over. They were unable to touch or move anything prior to the bidding.
Upon winning the bid, they then scoured through the unit, looking for their big hit – the item that would bring the most money upon resale.
I was reminded of all this as I read these words …
†I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.â€Â
(Psalm 119:162 NLT).
We tend to define “treasure†as accumulated wealth or an object of value. But the writer of this psalm used it to mean, “booty, spoil, used in relation to the aftermath of a military victoryâ€. (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words). The Jewish people were constantly engaged in war. They were a people that often needed to defend themselves. They knew what it was to walk away having gained plunder. The treasure represented victory to them. It represented gain.
What would occur in our lives if we were to regard Scripture as treasure? Is it possible that a cycle would start in our lives which could look like this …
Read God’s Word—> treasure gained—> rejoicing over victory through God’s Word—> read more of God’s Word—> even more treasure gained
The plunder may not be material gain. But it sure would be a booty of joy, peace, relationships, healing, a job, a promotion, a rift mended, a new friend, a good conversation with a friend, family, encouragement, affirmation, assurance, and/or guidance.
To the psalmist, God’s promises were everything to him. He had set his mind to knowing and keeping God’s Word.
“I claim your rules as my permanent possession, for they give me joy. I am determined to obey your statutes at all times, to the very end.â€Â
(Psalm 119:111-112 NET).
Some questions to ask ourselves today:
- Are we laying claims to His Word as our permanent possession?
- Is His Word the joy of your heart? Is His Word bringing you joy?
- Is your heart set on keeping His Word to the end? To the very end?
If we can answer “yes†to these questions, then we have found our treasure. We are not limited to the cursory once over. We can dig deep. Dig often. The treasure is there and waiting for us each time.Â
“In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.â€Â Â
(Psalm 119:11 NET)
May we store His Word deeply in our hearts,
accumulating truth after truth.
This is a revised version of an earlier post.
Today I am joining … Testimony Tuesday and Unite and True Story .
Awesome devotion for my morning, Joanne. â¤ï¸
Thank you, Nannette and Happy Anniversary!!!
Thank you for pointing me back to God’s Word this morning. I want it to be my greatest treasure but I if I am honest this is not always the case.
I’ve never watched Storage Wars but the analogy was perfect for this post. I loved getting to know you through the podcast you recorded with Holly. Such fun and I love your accent. 🙂
Mary,
I so appreciated your transparent admission. It may be true of us all. May His Word be so firmly rooted in our hearts and minds that nothing will be treasured more.
Doing the podcast was so out of my comfort zone. I was so grateful to Holly whose hospitality and heart put me at ease. She encouraged me in ways she was unaware.
Grateful for your kind words to me! I completely forget that I have an accent 🙂
We used to watch Storage Wars when my daughter lived at home! My husband doesn’t enjoy it, so I quit watching … it’s no fun to watch alone!
I love your analogy of searching Scripture for treasure. It truly is a treasure and I’m always so excited when something reaches out and speaks to me personally when I’m reading it. So, why am I not in the Word every possible moment? SMH. I truly do not know, but I want to spend more and more time there.
“We can dig deep. Dig often. The treasure is there and waiting for us each time. ” Thanks for the reminder!
Jerralea, you are just like me. I do not enjoy watching TV alone. Probably because I like to offer “commentary” 🙂
May we both dig deep and more often in the days ahead and find the treasure He has prepared for us!
Joanne,
Your post convicts my heart in a good way. Though I have been busy doing “God’s work” with RCF, Inc., it has eaten into my time to be in the Word. I know I need to carve out time, because free time will not just present itself. I do find myself craving the joy that comes from being in His Word and communing with Him. That, like you said, is where our true treasure lies. Thank you for a much need shove in the right direction!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Bev, you said all that was in my heart. It is true that we can be busy doing things for God (all well) and neglect what is most needed. The post was an old one I had gone back to read and felt to share. May we stay in His Word and find all that He has prepared for us.
I am also grateful you shared more with me regarding RCF. You and the ministry will be in my prayers!
Blessings,
Joanne
So often I’m convicted of my misplaced affection — my tendency to assign value to things that are not eternal.
Thanks for these important words, Joanne!
Michele, you made me ask myself the question … do we even realize we have misplaced affection or assigned value to things that are not important? How easily our own hearts can deceive us. So grateful you shared!
Joanne, so glad to have this morning reminder of where my real treasure lies.
Wanda, I needed the reminder myself. May we be diligent to seek the treasure He has for us today! Blessings to you sweet friend!
Yes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. How true this is when we view the outcasts of society and realize that God loves even those we might consider to be cast aside. So many of those who have been in the kingdom of darkness, have now been translated into God’s kingdom of LIGHT and are preaching the gospel. We live in amazing times. Thank you for sharing your delightful story about the bidding wars and your examples – – with us here at Tell me a Story.