That is a hard question, isn’t it? Perhaps you are thinking about money in the bank, or maybe about your strength and energy, or maybe some medals you have won. These are good things to have, but they are not for keeps!
The captain had a very shiny brass teapot, but it was not shiny enough to suit him. The cabin boy was told to polish it, which he did most carefully, resting it on the ship’s rail to give it the final shine. That was the moment when the ship gave a sudden lurch.
“Captain,” he cried, “your brass teapot is at the bottom of the sea!”
You have probably lost some treasures too, and some of them hurt a lot, more than the loss of a brass teapot. Maybe you have lost someone you loved dearly. Maybe you have lost your strength and energy. Or maybe the medals you have won are just an empty memory.
A very gifted scientist spent about two years writing down his discoveries for publication. The day he finished was the day his little dog made a false move, and his whole studio went up in flames! The dog was rescued. “Oh, Diamond, Diamond,” cried the scientist. “You have no idea what damage you have done!”
What do you have that you can’t lose?
Is there any treasure that cannot be lost? Paul had one. He tells us about it in a letter which is 2000 years old, and he has not lost his treasure yet. He says that he has “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Then he adds, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels [here on earth], that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:67).
Paul’s body has now returned to dust, but God knows exactly where that dust is, and He will raise it up again. Right now, Paul is absent from his body of dust and present with the Lord, and he still has his treasure. His treasure is for keeps!
And this treasure can be yours too. It is the wonderful good news of Christ who is the image of God—not an image for your hands to touch, but Christ Himself-the Son of God who shows you all that God really is and what He will be forever!
Will you claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Saviour and treasure right now—for keeps - forever?
ML-03/24/2002