Will you die for it?

 

I stumbled on this profound quote by Tim Keller this morning.

"What you treasure will ultimately require you die for it. 
Jesus is the only treasure that died for you."

This deserves a second and maybe even a third reading. 

The things we value in this world will ask everything of us and many people are willing to lay everything on the line (death) to gain it. However, Jesus is the only TREASURE who was willing to lay it all down for us. That makes all the difference!

As we nudge closer to Good Friday it is important to ask ourselves if we are being held ransom by our Treasures, or if we have allowed Jesus to lay down his life for our sakes?

Matthew 6:19-21 (Message) - “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Treasured Possession

Gifts, presents, treasurers - these are all synonymous with Christmas. Even though some people choose not to remember Jesus during this season, it is undeniable that the giving of gifts originates from the 'gift of the Christ child.'  God gave of his very best and so, in turn, we also give to others. 

In this lovely verse from Malachi 3:17, we see how God speaks about as being his Treasured Possession. We are loved so much by God, that he sees us as TREASURE! What a delightful thing to reflect on this Advent season.

“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.^"
 
There are a few other passages in the Bible that convey the same message. Here is one of those:
^"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." - Deuteronomy 7:6 

Have a blessed day,
Living in Grace
D3LM3 

Which one is worse?

 

Sometimes we are given the choice between a Rock and a Hard-place? In those situations it doesn’t seem that we can be happy either way. Can you remember a time when you were caught between two hard decisions?

Today’s reading leaves me feeling a little depressed to be honest. God is not giving the Israelites much breathing room :

“I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.” – Malachi 2:3

Dung on my face? OR

Being cast out of God’s presence?

OR Both? 

Mmmmmh?! I Definitely think I would take the dung on the face option. At least the dung can be cleaned up, but being expelled from God’s presence would be so hard to take.

This Advent season, let us remember the joy of being in God’s presence and commit to not take this treasured gift lightly.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Treasure it

The old saying goes something like this: "You never realise the value of something until it is gone!"

And this is indeed true. We often take things/people for granted until that day when they are no longer part of our lives - that is when we realise the defining value they had in our lives. We need to TREASURE these valuable people/things in our lives.

This is exactly what David was getting at when he wrote these words in Psalm 119:

¹¹ I treasure your word in my heart,
    so that I may not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes.
¹³ With my lips I declare
    all the ordinances of your mouth.
¹⁴ I delight in the way of your decrees
    as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts,
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

There had been a time when he had forgotten God's word and his commands, so now that he had come back to the Father, he wanted to TREASURE all the things of God. David models something powerful for us. He teaches us to place these 'treasures' in our hearts so that we won't fill our lives with other things. God's word is a gift that gives us life.

Living in Grace
D3LM3