Treasured

 

Treasured

The Lord is speaking a word of value into his Church, upon his Bride. There is so much rejection in this world and he is calling sweetly and softly, hoping that in a moment of stillness His Bride will hear His voice, recognizing the sound of endearment, for He adores us, so much so that He made a straight path. Why would God bend so far down from heaven and with such a grand gesture as Christ’s death for anything less than our whole hearts?  

 

I was in a second hand shop looking for treasure as I often do, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye and in a moment of certainty, I knew it belonged to me. It was a delicate ceramic tea cup with a matching plate. It spoke to me as objects often do in illustrative form. I knew this treasure belonged somewhere special. Call it my desire to see things renewed to their former state of glory but as I looked at the cup I wondered about its vast history, not just the making of it but the journey it had taken up to this point, perhaps the life it had in the home of someone who took it out only for special occasions and the conversations that surrounded it as friends shared intimate words over a cup of tea or coffee. Now here it sat in a junk shop surrounded by many things that had outlived their usefulness and belonged in the garbage.  I knew I had to rescue this treasure and bring it into a home.

 

I wondered now about its future and about the memories that this cup would next. I purchased it as a gift for someone whom I knew would take it and love it and value it the way I did. I gave it to my mom. I watched as she looked upon its details, it’s beauty, it’s delicate intricacies with appreciation and then she did something that made my heart so completely satisfied; I watched as she gently and with much thought put the tea cup in her hutch, finding just the right place for her new treasure. My heart was so moved at the sight of a well received gift that in that silent moment God spoke to me, “I treasure you.”

 

At first I thought about how many times His love has ransomed me, How many times I found myself feeling like a second hand cup on a dusty shelf as His mercy reached out for me and brought me home. But soon I started to think upon the cost of that reunion and I realized that as much as I know God treasures me, I truly and wholeheartedly treasure Him all the more. He is our precious treasure, He bowed Himself so low, even lower than the cup in the junk shop, so that we could be found by Him yes, but even more so, that we could also find Him.

 

 God delights in that moment when we discover our treasure in Jesus, when we gaze upon His intricacies; the sweet delicate details of who our Savior is. I know He smiles as we put Him in that place of highest honor in our hearts. For He thought of us when He sent His son and nothing could make Him happier than when we value that, which He has valued most.

My Prayer in this year to come is that it would be a year of great treasure hunting.  God has promised in His word, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart.” So my prayer for all of us is not just to be found by Him but to find Him in the seeking.