Hidden Treasure

From the Word:
Click and read Joshua 4:1-9

Key Verse:
In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:6-7

I discovered hidden treasure in my closet this weekend.

The "treasure chest" is an old stationary box. On the lid is a 3x5 card with the words "Thy Will Be Done" handwritten on it, and inside are scraps of paper notes. It is my "God Box," something I made after reading a devotion years ago. The devotion recommended making a box to place your worries into, giving you a physical representation of letting go, of leaving the worry in God's hands, and trusting Him to take care of all of your needs.

This weekend, when I took the lid off, I realized the notes inside were written over six years ago, and I hadn't read them since I put them into the box. Standing in my closet, I read every piece of paper. Some were one or two words, while others were full page letters pouring out my concern and anxiety to the Lord. All of them were legitimate needs and worries of the past, bringing back memories of lost sleep. But the me of today stood there realizing that every single need in that box had been met. There wasn't one worry written down that was a current worry today.

Finding the box truly was a treasure arriving at the perfect time. I've been dealing with anxiety lately, and it was so good to be reminded of God's faithfulness to me. My discovery allowed me to see my anxiety through a proper perspective. Left in His very faithful hands, God will work out the issues of today just as He has so faithfully worked out the issues of yesterday.

Personal Application:

Consider making your own God Box. It can be something as simple as a shoe box. Whenever you find yourself fretting over an issue, write it down, leave it in your box and walk away knowing you have left it in God's capable hands. Don't take worries back out of the box. You have my permission to read them six year later, though, so you can see how well you've been taken care of! : )

Throughout the Bible God asks us to remember His goodness to us. After God parted the Jordan River for the Israelites, Joshua instructed men to take stones from the middle of the river and to construct a memorial for future generations to see and know of God's faithfulness to Israel. Are there ways you can make memorials that point to God's goodness in your life?

Father,

When I am tempted to worry, remind me to trust you for my every need. Thank you for your faithfulness and goodness to me. Show me how to set up memorials so I won't forget all you have done and will be able to proclaim your faithfulness to the generations that follow after me.

In Jesus' Precious Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." - 1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)

2. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? - Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

3. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. - 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)


Love,