TREASURES!
The Word I heard today was treasure. I thought of the many treasures there are in the Word of God, that are ours just for the asking. Among them, perhaps one of the greatest is found in Colossians 2:2-3 (AMP)
2 [For my hope is] that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in [unselfish] love, so that they may have all the riches that come from the full assurance of understanding [the joy of salvation], resulting in a true [and more intimate] knowledge of the mystery of God, that is, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [regarding the word and purposes of God].
The longing of Paul’s heart was that the Colossians, in fact all of the people he discipled, would come together in such an "unselfish love’ that they would be able to understand what a great treasure their salvation was. Rarely does one appreciate a great gift in its’ fulness until they are placed in a position where they give something of value to someone who really doesn’t appreciate it. When we really give what is to us a treasure to someone else, then we begin to understand a little bit what it means to sacrifice and give with no strings attached, the best of what you have to someone else.. The greater the value of the gift, the more we understand and learn to treasure valuable things.
Paul knew that if the Colossians could understand the joy of their salvation that they would begin to come into understanding that this God gave them "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" both for their life and for the world! Until we come into this revelation we cannot fully appreciate "the mystery of God, which is Christ Jesus". We then begin to see the tremendous love and the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus gave to us in providing the gift of salvation and the wisdom and knowledge of the purposes of God, as undeserved as we are.
This is not a condemnation but an invitation to open the package of this gift – through prayer, praying for this kind of understanding and revelation – for with it we unlock all the wisdom and knowledge God wants to impart to us.
Maria