Like the homely Hobbit, Smeagle, in the "Lord of the Rings" tale by J.R.R. Tolkien, our hearts can be enraptured by earthly treasure. Smeagle never considered the source of his "Precious" Gold Ring or where it would lead him, until finally it destroyed him. Yet the search goes on, for many of us, for that treasure that always seems to be just beyond our reach.

It may be called by many names: "Bettering Oneself," "Moving Up The Ladder," "Fulfilling Our Dreams," "Reaching My Full Potential," or even "God Wants Me to Prosper." Yet isn’t the driving motivation behind these goals the acquisition of external treasure? And how far should we go when the allure of wealth, honor and possessions beckons to us, calling out to the deep inner desire within each of us to be attached to something of meaning or value?

First, there is the enticement to focus on or "set our eyes upon" the things we possess and accomplishments we achieve. But our eyes were meant for seeing beyond the external. Secondly, once our focus is fixed upon material goods or power among men, the longing to depend upon, adore . . . yes, even worship the object of our focus causes us to begin to place our trust in that which can be lost, stolen or destroyed. But our trust was meant to be placed on a treasure that gives eternal, unshakeable . . . life-invigorating meaning to our existence.

Once a man thought that he could get Jesus to secure wealth for him from an inheritance. You see, even then, there were people who thought they could use the name of Jesus to claim personal prosperity! Jesus’ answer to this man should provide us with a clear understanding of why the pursuit of personal wealth is to be spurned:

"But He told him, Man who has appointed Me a judge or umpire and divider over you? And then He said to them (the crowd of many thousands), Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs." (Luke 12:14, 15)

By the same token, Jesus was not advocating a permanent underclass where people in hopeless poverty could not seek fulfillment of their needs. In fact, He taught that we should:

"Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor, provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:33, 34)

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the external . . . to keep our lives so busy and pre-occupied that we drown out the eternal longings deep inside. Even when you are involved in full-time ministry, as I am, I find that so much of my time is spent in taking care of the daily business of life that my focus on things of eternal value often becomes distracted. Yet, I want to know that my life has meaning, that I am loved unconditionally and that I can trust in Someone who will never leave or forsake me.

Recently, I took several days for study and reflection and was absolutely transformed by what I discovered in the Word of God concerning earthly treasure and eternal treasure.

The Apostle Paul called this love affair with worldly treasure the dominion or kingdom of darkness, from which God, the Father, has provided a way of escape:

"[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. In whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins." (Colossians 1: 13, 14)

Worth more than all the precious wealth of all the ages, I have found that to know God intimately through His Son Jesus Christ is the hidden treasure that awaits us when we focus all our affections on Him. Jesus said:

"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life." (John 6:47)

I realized that it is impossible to truly adhere to, trust in, and have continual faith in Jesus if my focus becomes distracted by external possessions and responsibilities to the point that they become a treasure to me. After all, didn’t He say that where my treasure is, there will my heart be also? I needed a remedy and I needed it quickly!

Like a strong antidote to reverse the affects of a spreading poison, these words from Colossians 3:1 encouraged me to continually seek out the eternal wealth that comes from being resurrected with Christ:

"If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

And the warning is clear in the next verse to keep our focus from drifting back to the external treasure of this world:

"And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)

For those who still store up earthly treasure, saying, "God wants me to prosper!" the Word of God is very clear:

"If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you still belong to the world?" (Colossians 2:20)

What I discovered next was that we can seek after the treasure that is hidden in the intense, deeply fulfilling love of Jesus Christ:

"[For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One). In Him all the treasures of (divine) wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and hidden." (Colossians 2: 2, 3)

I also noticed that in the kingdom of darkness, wealth and treasure are hoarded and stored up, guarded and protected. In the kingdom of Light, the treasures of Heaven are deposited in our hearts so that we can lavishly offer them to those who will receive them!

"For God Who said, Let Light shine out of darkness (Genesis 1:3) has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). (II Corinthians 4:6)

Jesus said it this way:

"The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things." (Matthew 12:35)

Truly, I believe that our lives do not have value because of the external things we possess. Rather, the rich treasury of intimately knowing and flowing in the ways and purposes of God enables us to bring blessing and value to everything and everyone that we touch!

But even more importantly, we are called to see the bigger picture of what is soon to take place. God is calling for a people who will let Him fill their inner treasuries from the riches of Heaven, not of this earth, to proclaim the coming Kingdom of His Son!

"Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth." (Ephesians 1: 9, 10)

This world as we know it is on a collision course and we need to remove our affections from its treasures. Rather, let the treasures from knowing God consume us and so permeate our lives that we bring eternal treasure wherever we go!

"We possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of the earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves." (II Corinthians 4:7)

By Penny Rice

PLEASE NOTE:

In 2004, KNLC (TV) and KNLJ (TV), and a number of NLEC's  radio stations have decided to remove, from their program line-ups, the PROSPERITY MINISTRIES that focus more on personal prosperity than on the  hidden treasures referred to above, which are provided us by our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .