Treasure and Street Lamps

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into the containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 13:44-50

Recently, I attended a missions conference where my former church meets in Hardin, KY. Speaking at this conference were two of my favorite preacher/teachers on the face of the earth: Russell Moore and Paul Washer. I cannot tell you how rejuvinated I was sitting under them for the weekend. Yet the teaching and preaching were not the only highlights of the weekend.

Many of the young adults of the Sunday school class stayed together at the Kentucky Dam Village on Kentucky Lake. It was in the mixture of getting to know each other better through eating together, driving together, worshipping together, "Big Bootie" (If you haven't played it, you simply have not truly lived), and the valiant effort by Moore and Washer to proclaim the true weight of the gospel that I began to experience the JOY of possessing the Pearl of Great Value on this earth as a fellow heir.

One night, while praying, I took notice of something interesting. A cold front was moving in, so the air was crisp, smelling of rain. The moon was full, but seemed unusually bright. Clouds were moving in at a rapid pace, so I could only see the moon and the starts through occasional "windows". I couldn't help but marvel at it without words. It was during this time that I began to take notice of the massive distinction between the nearby street lamp and the moon. Both produced light, but the light was different.

The indirect sunlight produced by the moon totally dominated the dull, pale light of the streetlamp. There was simply no comparison. The light of the moon triumphed over it in such an AWEful way that it literally left me in a speechless state of adoration. I believe it was mostly due to the fact that, throughout this semester, it has been a struggle to see such beauty. Why? It is because I have settled for man-made street lamps rather than pure glory.

Who is our Treasure? It is so easy to get caught up in the building of various earthly "towers of Babel". Why are we here? Is it to get a letter grade, a reputation as a risk-taking missionary, a wife/husband, a title, a NAME for ourselves? Since when did life become about us??

It is in the midst of "doing life" that we find ourselves living by the light of street lamps rather than by the glory of our Treasure. Our minds and our hearts are caught up in earthly things rather than the things above. We get caught up in complaining, in business; so EATEN UP with building and protecting our NAME that we lose our grasp on the Pearl.

We have a Treasure. He is no longer hidden, or is He? Do you see Him, or are you only seeing the man-made "street lamps" of an unfulfilled life? IN HIS JOY, the man sold all he had and bought the field.

Where is the joy? Where is it found? Street lamps or glory?