Here is a photo that I found online of people and a popular hobby, especially on beaches and areas where there were Civil War battles.

They are using metal detectors to look for “treasure.” What do they do with what they find? Many are collectors and go to shows to display all that they have found. We had a speaker come to our church group last spring who is a collector of bullets, parts of weapons and even parts of swords from the Civil War. Fascinating, but not anything I am interested in doing.

I read a devotional this morning about buried treasure off the coast of Florida that was salvaged in the twentieth century after being in the ocean since the 1600’s. It is amazing to me the persistence people have in finding things that are so deeply buried in the ocean and under all that sand.

Their persistence is especially amazing since they have a treasure right next to them all the time, but they are not even looking for it.

God’s words to us are like a treasure that we can hide in our hearts and keep forever and it will never rust or corrode. We don’t take it out to display to others, but it is there for us to call on whenever we need it. Sometimes, we can use His words to comfort or guide others. Sometimes, it is just for us to ponder and wonder at the awesomeness of God.

If you are looking for God’s wisdom as hard as you would look for buried treasure, then you would be able to understand the Lord better and His resolve to love us in spite of us. The fact that He treasures us and keeps us close to His heart should give us a clue about how much we should treasure Him.

Look at the last part of this scripture…God made mankind so that they would seek Him and find Him. But He isn’t hiding. He is always as close as the next prayer or words you say to Him.

If we are always keeping our heads down looking for the treasure on the earth, then we won’t recognize all of the gifts that God has already given us. Whatever treasures the earth has will not last, but God’s love, mercy and grace are forever gifts.

Back to the whole looking for treasure concept. Buried treasure is elusive and illusory. It may or may not exist, but the treasure that God gives is ever present and never hides from us. We have to spend time with God to avail ourselves of His wonderful treasure house of gifts that He bestows on His children. Rather than spending time walking around in a field with a heavy metal detector, just pick up your Bible and you will find treasure on every page.

I do want to be a treasure finder, but the treasure I want to find is eternal and life-giving. Hobbies aren’t a bad thing, but whatever you do, keep your focus on God and His Word because that is the true gold in your life.