Chasing Treasure

The Lord calls us to walk according to the wisdom of His Word, not of this world, and to be intent on
building up His Kingdom. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are not to selfishly pursue worldly wealth, but to recognize what we have in this life is the gift of God, and that He expects us to be good stewards over what He has provided.  The Bible teaches us to be charitable, and to continue to set our minds on heavenly ambition.  The things of this world will pass away, and He desires for us to keep our eye on what is eternal and to continue to lay down our lives so that we might reflect the presence of Christ.

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Though His Word, God is offering us wisdom and understanding, as He directs us by His Spirit and
illuminates His truth to us. Proverbs 2 says:
4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

Forrest Fenn has a strange way of leaving a legacy.  10 years ago, following a bout with cancer about two decades before that, he announced that he had hidden a "treasure" worth over a million dollars.  Fox News reports:

Fenn originally designed the treasure hunt as a means of leaving behind a legacy: in 1989, he was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, but he managed to recover. He claimed that he hoped to tempt people to venture into the wild and give them an old-fashioned adventure for riches.

He listed the contents on the website, claiming that the chest contained pre-Columbian animal figures, gold nuggets and coins, Chinese jade faces, emerald rings and other exotic items.

He hid the treasure in 2010 and shared clues to treasure’s whereabouts on his website and in a poem he published in his autobiography, “The Thrill of the Chase.”

Fox reports that some 350,000 people have been involved in the search for the treasure, according to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican publication.  Some people actually quit their jobs to find it and some even lost their lives.

Fenn, who is now 89 years old, made the announcement recently that indeed the treasure has been found.  He is quoted as saying on his website: “It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago,” adding, “I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.”

He left this word of wisdom for the successful treasure hunter: “Whatever you choose - keep the thrill of the chase alive and continue the legend.”

This is an intriguing story - a man with earthly resources leveraging it to get people involved in a 10-year treasure hunt that actually resulted in people losing jobs and lives.  Just for material wealth - the promise of a hidden treasure.  It does say something about what people will sacrifice for something that will pass away.

But, God does call us to give our lives for treasure that will not pass away.  In the book of Proverbs, we read about the importance of seeking wisdom, going after it as for precious riches. We have to regard the resources of the Kingdom of Heaven and precious, enduring treasures.  We can, of course, treasure God's Word and incorporate more of it in our lives. We can also be sure, as Scripture suggests, that we are devoted to building the Kingdom and laying up treasure in heaven, by being unselfish with our resources here on earth. There are also innumerable treasures that God has in store as we lay down our lives, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ.  We can embark on a Kingdom treasure hunt, a life of discovery, if we are willing to look for what God has in store for us.

So, a good question for each of us is: What are we chasing?  Are we trying to follow the clues which lead to temporal, earthly treasures - financial riches, power, and prestige? Or are we chasing the eternal, being careful each day to set our minds on Christ and recognizing that He has eternal treasure that is promised to the Christian, including our majestic heavenly home that Jesus said He is preparing for us?