I was thinking about this verse as we went "geocaching" last Monday. Geocaching is when you use your gps to find a cache (a hidden storage case) that was planted by someone else. There is a website to find caches in whatever area you are wanting to search. We were heading down to Nebraska City for the day and decided to search for "treasure" on our way down.
Our first cache was hidden where a monument used to stand. The monument was in remembrance of missionaries who served the Otoe Indians. For whatever reason, the monument was removed so someone hid a cache in the same spot as a way to preserve the memorial spot.
Here is Don leading us to the hiding spot.
A little cooperation was required.
Our second cache led us to a cementary and the gravestone of a civil war hero. Many of the caches contain trinkets that you can take but you have to leave one to replace it. We have a bag of little toys, pens, etc. that we take with us so we can leave things in place of the great "treasures" that we find.
Two dogs came up to us while we were searching. Bethany thought this was better than a trinket.
Hannah went back in to replace the cache after we found it. She loves the searching part of the adventure. She found three of the four caches we searched for that day.
Once we arrived in Nebraska City, we headed for the apple orchard. We picked about 20 pounds of apples. Another "treasure" that we got to take home with us.
We also ate some apples!
A picnic for lunch.
Our last cache of the day was at the site of an old bridge built during the depression. We had to go down these steps to find the bridge.
The kids, especially Samuel, get very excited about the "trinkets" in the caches that we find. Sometimes to the point of fighting over one that appears to be better than the rest (this day it was a little rubber lizard!). I was thinking about how I often spend so much time and money on the "trinkets" of this world. I want to have the perspective of the man in the scripture above. Imagine being so overjoyed over a treasure that you sold EVERYTHING you owned (your house, cars, wedding ring etc. etc.) so that you could have the treasure. The treasure that Jesus is talking about is the kingdom of heaven. Now imagine selling EVERYTHING you own so that you could have the kingdom of heaven.
Later in Mathew Chapter 19, Jesus told the young, rich man to go sell all of his possessions and give to the poor and then he would have "treasures in heaven". My desire is to not spend so much effort and money on the "trinkets" of the world but to focus on the true "treasure"!
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