It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. (Joseph Campbell)
back it up with bible
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting [lacking] nothing.
1 Peter 1:6-8 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Psalm 71:20,21 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Psalm 126:5,6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
core christianity
In Times of Intense Drought — Find Your Treasure!
Isaiah 33:6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
It was 1986, in the midst of a three year drought, when two brothers who lived in a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee made an incredible discovery. As these two fishermen monitored their equipment on the lake, they noticed something glistening in the sun covered in mud. It was a fishing boat. Upon deeper examination, archaeologists determined that these two brothers had discovered an ancient boat from the time of Yeshua (Jesus). It’s was called the “Jesus boat” and is now located in a museum next to the Sea of Galilee.
Hidden under water for centuries, the only reason it was discovered was that the severe drought had lowered the lake surface so drastically; so that even when no one was looking for it — this treasure was discovered totally unexpectedly.
You may have noticed — it’s becoming more and more spiritually dry in this world and sometimes I wonder, will anything good ever come out of this mess? Yet I think the same thing can happen for us as happened to those two fishermen. When things get low, and dry, and sparse, suddenly when we least expect it, God can reveal treasure that we couldn’t see or know about because everything was abundantly okay. Maybe it’s a friendship that blossoms because of the pressure or need … or, maybe just a new and deeper insight into the Lord’s own sufferings; or maybe a new spiritual gift of encouragement…..there are many possibilities, and I think we ought to be looking for them, though they might appear when we least expect it. (George Whitten)
previously published
See the Good!
(Jesus:) There are no exceptions to My promise that if you love Me and are called to My service, all things will work together for good in your life. You could think of nasty situations and scenarios all day, yet there isn’t a single one you could come up with in your own mind, or any real-life example you can bring up, that I couldn’t show you how there is some good that can be brought out of it--for you and for all involved. And finding the good in a bad situation isn’t just a “glad game” exercise or a good idea; it’s vital to your spiritual health. What greater triumph is there than to bring good out of bad? That’s the ultimate way to conquer your past hurts or things you didn’t agree with…by allowing Me to make you a better person on account of the bad that happened to you. That way the Devil doesn’t win in any way. Not only was he unable to stop you via the difficulty, but he actually contributed to making you stronger because you learned and grew and became more humble and loving on account of it‚ not less so.
You cannot discount the possibility that although some things were bad and were mistakes, I could have allowed them because I had a greater purpose in mind. Consider the all-time good example of Joseph and all that he went through--the rejection by his brothers, the misuse, the slavery, the heartache, the false accusations, the imprisonment--all bad things. Yet in the end he was able to clearly see that although those were all terrible things, I intended them for good in the long run. Had he held on to his bitterness and wasted away in prison or slavery blaming all involved for the rest of his days, he never would have risen above those things and fulfilled My purpose for him…You know that I am bound to My Word, therefore you should assume that in all cases‚ no matter how you feel about what transpired, there is a silver lining for you, and it’s your job to find it! (Shooting Straight, Part 7)
make it personal
Stop, get quiet for a few minutes (or more), and meditate on some of the “treasures” you have found in your life, both present and past. Then spend some time thanking Jesus for bringing them into your life, even though you didn’t see them as “treasures” at first.
