“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44, New American Standard Bible).

What would you do if you found treasure hidden in a field? It could be a pirate’s treasure, buried centuries ago. Or it could be a valuable watch or expensive jewelry that somebody lost. Maybe it is a piece of gold; you just stumbled on the next great lode of precious stones. Would you just grab the treasure and run, hoping nobody would find out?

That would be my first instinct. However, Jesus told a story of a man who took a different approach. He found a treasure hidden in a field and, instead of taking it home, hid it again. Next, he sold all his possessions, contacted the field’s owner, and bought the land. Now the field, including the treasure, was his, along with anything else that might be hidden in that field!

Maybe he thought, “Wow; if this is here, I wonder what else is hidden around here. I must have it all, and I am willing to give up everything to have it!”

The kingdom of God is like that. When I accepted Christ, I wanted forgiveness of sins, relief of guilt, and everlasting life. Those are all great things, but God offers many more treasures that we are not aware of when we first come to Him. He gives us a purpose for living, joy, peace, His wisdom to guide our difficult decisions, etc. All these things and more are hidden in the gift of salvation.

Can you think of other “hidden treasures” you have found since coming to faith in Christ? Let us know in the comments area below!

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