What do you desire?

It may be the most important question you’ll ever answer.

Before you respond with the answer you think you should say, give it some thought. Resist the temptation to use the fast-pass. Let these questions help you get to the heart of what you desire most.

• What makes you happy?
• What is it you crave, that you’re sure would make you happier?
• What do you worry about?
• What are you afraid of?
• Where do you run for comfort?
• What do you fear losing, or fear never attaining?
• What would you never want to live without?

Jesus spoke about treasure in the book of Matthew. He told a mini-parable, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44, NIV)

Many people think Jesus makes the point that we should treasure the kingdom of heaven so much, that we’d give up everything in order to gain it.

While most of us would agree, that finding the kingdom of heaven is like finding treasure, we struggle with the part about giving up everything.

Let’s be honest, don’t you want to believe Jesus wants you to have it all—and Him too? Yet this parable shows us something different.

In his Joy  he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Clearly, the man saw something wonderful there. He found joy in the treasure.

We, too have found joy in God’s Presence. But like our mothers used to say, we “want to have our cake and eat it, too.”

We’ve turned our eyes upon Jesus–but for many of us, the things of this earth have not yet grown dim.

We know He’s the only One who satisfies–yet we look to other people and things and involvements and accomplishments and pleasures–to fill our souls.

We need to bring it all to Jesus–to offer Him our worries, dreams, fears, and desires–and then ask Him to BE our greatest desire.

Even so, there’s another interpretation of this parable. It changes the whole conversation.

What if the man in the story who found the treasure is Jesus?

He sold all He had to save the world. With joy, He gave up everything, to reconcile us to God.

But the story didn’t end there.

He endured the cross, with joy, so we could taste and see His goodness. He bought the field, to make us His family.

He gave up all, in order to open wide the door and let us enter. And then everything He owns becomes our own.

If the man in the story is Jesus, that means WE are the treasure.

And the world grows dim. Does it not?

May the world remain behind us, and the cross before.

*Be sure to check out the Life Passionately blog (click here), where my words are featured today. There you will find the beautiful My Life Day Planner, to help you organize your life while keeping you grounded in God’s Word. My friend, Carley, is the amazing artist behind this project, and her heart is to bring Jesus into our daily lives, keeping God at the forefront of our minds. You won’t want to miss her lovely work!

**Also linking up with Suzie Eller at #livefreeThursday today, with the prompt: this is me. Because I am His treasure, this IS me. In Him, I see more clearly who I really am. I hope the same for you!

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