When your mind is set on what you want, you do what’s necessary to get it. As a child, you may have stowed away your allowance money for that fancy new bicycle or popular toy. These days, you save up for a car, house, or vacation. Depending on how serious or desperate you are, you may limit spending, host a garage sale, or pick up a side job to help.
We don’t mind sacrificing when we know the value of the reward. After all, it’s not so painful to part with hard-earned savings for that purchase we’ve been wanting and waiting for!
Jesus tells a story like this to demonstrate the precious fortune of the Kingdom of God.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
– Matthew 13:45-46
Could you imagine?! You’re a vendor by trade (or maybe just into antiquing), on the lookout for items of significant worth. One day you stumble across this pearl of great price—eye-catching enough to convince you to sell your life accumulations in order to obtain that possession. How valuable that pearl must be!
Another of Jesus’ parables illustrates the same.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
– 44
Membership in God’s family and inheritance in His Kingdom are prizes beyond explanation or compare. Nothing on this earth or in this universe can compete with the excellence and wisdom of such a treasure.
More than gold and silver, cars and houses, fame and fortune, are the saving knowledge of the love of Christ and the eternal security of faith in God.
“ … [have] the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places …”
– Ephesians 1:18-20
God’s Provision: It was Jesus who paid the great price for us to enter in.
Through His death on the cross as atonement for our sins, the Son of God paid the great price in order to give us the great prize.
“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
– 1 Peter 1:18-19
He Himself is our trophy (Philippians 3:14).
Word of the Week: Sold out. 100% committed, devoted, invested, and engaged in, with, and for Jesus Christ.
Abby
