He does not hide it from us but for us.

Gold and Greed, The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure is a documentary that came out in 2025. Forrest Fenn a billionaire art dealer hid a treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. He published a few cryptic clues and the race was on. I was shocked to see the stories of people who gave all the time, money, and resources they owned to find it. They  spent every dime and even put their lives in danger. It took ten years for the treasure to be found. Five people died trying to find it. Countless injuries were sustained by people on undertaking dangerous treks in their efforts.

Most of us would describe those efforts as ‘a fool’s errand.’ Something only a fool would undertake. But guess what? We are all on such fools’ errands. All the time we take to gain enough wealth, possessions or even relationships to satisfy. Sure, the odds of winning a lottery make buying a ticket a waste of money.

How much are you wasting on pursuits outside of that which brings true wealth.

What do I mean by true wealth? I put my money on the description found in the bible. Lets start with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Is Jesus saying that being rich is wrong? No, he is saying that what you spend your time and money on is a diagnostic tool that determines what you ‘treasure.’ Today we might use the word ‘value.’ What do you value? Where is your time spent? There is an idiom seldom used today. We used to say “I wouldn’t give him the time of day” in other words don’t waste your time or even your breath on that guy.

The prodigal son did not only waste the money his father gave him.

He wasted time, he wasted years.

It is my opinion time is the treasure that few value.

Most of us give our time to pursuits of temporary comfort.

It costs so much time just to work enough hours to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. After that we may have a significant other and or/children to whom we must devote our time. There are precious few hours left.

How we spend our time shapes who we are.

Who we have become is the only thing we take with us through the fire of death.

This is the plot twist. We do not gain wealth. We ARE the wealth.

From the beginning God wanted to create a people for Himself.

His own possession.

Deuteronomy 32:9 For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the allotment of his inheritance.

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for His own inheritance.

Malachi 3:17 They will be mine says the Lord of hosts on the day that I prepare my own possession.

Ephesians 1:18 that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints.

We are his inheritance. His people.

Not just a tool for Him to use in the world, we are His pearl of great price.

We are told this parable means we must give everything to find him which is true.

But He gave everything to find us first!

I would posit to you that true wealth is becoming His. How do we do that?

Becoming His means becoming like Him.

Follow His treasure map. Following what HE dictates as a worthwhile life.

A look at the sermon on the mount tells us that true wealth is often opposite to what we think it is with our natural mind.

Our minds naturally follow the bent of the world, to want what it offers.

Material wealth, recognition. Everything going smoothly, having our own way is a good day!

He worked as a carpenter, but He did not focus on becoming rich. From an early age He prioritized learning and obeying the scriptures. That grew into a lifestyle in which He cared only about doing what the Father wanted Him to do. He followed the treasure map and explained the symbols on that map to His disciples. He told them what to watch out for; He marked the false trails where no treasure could be found.

He not only pointed the way He told them He IS the way.

I haven’t even touched on what was on my mind to write about today.

What’s that you say?

I see a bombardment, a flood, a raging current of sewage in the ‘streets’ of my mind.

It threatens to overwhelm you as well.

A continual barrage of information begging for our attention. A friend coined it for me, he calls it ‘infobesity.’

Thing is, we are sponges taking it all in. It is imperative that we erect a wall, put in a filter to keep it at bay. The only thing that will work is the word of God. That is the only thing that will be an effective obstacle to present-day propaganda.

The world and the church both have false prophets that use social media as a tool to attempt to shape our worldview, what we live by.

We cannot hope to be able to discern the false without eating a regular daily diet of the scriptures.

We must integrate it into our thinking.

Knowing a verse does not internalize its truth. I do that by applying it to my life.

I must allow it to correct me; it must be my only plumbline.

I say all this because it wounds me to see so many of us shipwrecked in our faith. The exposures of many church leaders disillusion us.

OR we double down on a false foundation by believing lies and a false gospel.

We waste our time and attention and money on pursuits that are ‘worldly.’

Worldly is not just being “of the world” because the world is in the church.

To be worldly is to pursue anything useless in changing our hearts or bringing us into deeper relationship with Jesus.

Ok read that line again.

I will finish with Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; And eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see.

Jesus said that men think the definition of being rich is to not need anything. Most of us live under that paradigm.

His response? This makes Him nauseous, makes Him want to vomit.

What about what I said at the beginning that we are people, made for His own possession, His pearl of great price, His reward and inheritance?

One day, on the other side of the fire it will be revealed where we have spent our treasure.

We may suffer loss but still be saved.

If we have followed Jesus’ injunction, we will have laid up treasure in heaven.

That treasure? To look like Him.

Pray with me today.

“Lord, please forgive me for the time I have wasted on things that have no eternal value, which cannot help me to change my heart. Forgive me for not giving You ‘the time of day’ I have viewed time with you as something that is optional and not a priority. Forgive me and give me a hunger for time with You. Show me the value, the gold to be found in Your treasure map, the scriptures.

You are the treasure that I seek.

All the love, my friends.