Is Jesus My Treasure

I've listened to three days of interviews with John Piper on Family Life Today. Piper reminds me a lot of T W Hunt whom I first encountered in 1997 when studying the Mind of Christ.

Anyway, Piper had a lot of good things to say but the one that really stuck with me was Jesus as Treasure. He said most people can easily say Jesus is Savior and Jesus is Lord - but what does that mean to them. Piper likes to ask is Jesus my Treasure?

Is He? Do I treasure Jesus above everything else? Do I treasure Jesus above family, friends, job, home, car, money, security, reputation, food, exercise, health? Do I treasure Jesus more than what He does? Do I treasure Him because He is the Treasure that will never fail?

Those are hard questions for me. As I've thought about it, I'm not sure I could honestly say yes, Jesus is my treasure - but I know that I want to be able to say that. I'm nearer to that reality now than I was 10 years ago. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older - or maybe not.

One of the stories Piper told was of a couple who retired in their 50's to spend the rest of their days playing softball and picking up seashells on the beaches of Florida. So just getting older does not mean wiser. What a waste of their days as they are getting closer to meeting Jesus face to face.

Hopefully I am not wasting my days in my retirement. I am volunteering about 12 hours a week plus pouring a lot of Jesus into my grandson during our time each week as we eat supper together and I drive him the 35 minutes to and from FUSE.

Treasuring Jesus above all else requires a lot of knowing who Jesus really is. I am getting to know Him more as I read my Bible every day, allowing Jesus to reveal Himself to me. Part of the treasure that is Jesus is His faithfulness and He said if I seek Him, I will find Him. (Matthew 7:7-8) That's also why the Bible is not a "read it once" book. I've been reading the Bible for years and EVERY time I read, God gives me an "a-ha" moment. Sometimes it's a very little thing and sometimes it's huge but God is always ready for me to receive and to find and to open His truth for me.