THE HIDDEN TREASURES
The story was told of a Christian man who had wished his son could be saved and had prayed for him to get born again. He was a rich man, who had a lot of estates and properties. The son, at one of his birthday pleaded with the father to give him a car as a birthday gift. The father gave him a bible on his birthday rather than grant his son’s request for a car. This boy, out of rage and feeling disgusted for his father’s action, threw the bible somewhere and continued his sinful lifestyle. Time passed, and the Christian man eventually died and went to glory.
After his father’s death, this boy had some experiences that frustrated him. He decided to pick the bible, which he had left untouched all the while. He opened the pack, and right in the midst of it laid the key to the car he demanded from his father years back. He had mixed feelings: happy to finally possess a car but sad that he had waited for so long to get his dream realized, just because he did not understand that the key to his dream car was within the bible pack. It was an hidden treasure that he waited too long to realize.
Many people today hold and possess the bible with little or no knowledge of the treasures that can be found in the pages of the scriptures. The bible is filled with precepts and promises that will guide us from earth to heaven. Many only know few scriptures that are commonly quoted or only open their bible at the prompt of a preacher’s quotation at a church service. The bible contains very deep well of treasures. It covers all aspects of human endeavours. It is applicable from generation to generation and can never be outdated nor forgotten.
Some other people, out of knowledge of scriptures and familiarity with its contents, now read the bible with ‘I know it all’ attitude. We cannot know the scriptures all. Every day comes with new revelations on the same verse that you have always known. No matter how hard you study the scriptures, you are only scratching the surface, dig a little deeper, the treasures are inexhaustible!!
As we study the word of God, we must also rub minds with bible scholars and true believers who had gone before us and had penned down words for our edification. Don’t let the popular saying that ‘if you want of hide an information from people, keep it in a book’ be true on your behalf. Have goals of reading Christian and other relevant literatures that will make you a better believer and a good minister of Christ. Read books and Christian articles like the ones on ‘Pause and Ponder’ for your edification. Paul the Apostle was given to reading. He read not just the scriptures, but also books. He told Timothy to bring the books and parchment he left in Troas in 2 Tim 4:13. This explains how dear these books were to him.
In our age, the social media has not just taken over peoples’ time but has also replaced the love for books and reading in the lives of so many. People will rather press their phones and go from one site and one app to another than taking time to read useful books. The fast-paced society also chokes people’s time that creating time to read seems super infeasible for folks in this age.
Wherever our reading culture had gone, we must find it so we can find hidden treasures left unopened on the book shelves. We can create time out of no time to ensure we read. Readers are leaders because of the depth of information and knowledge they have access to that others don’t. You can reorganize you schedules and ensure reading is part of your agenda. Think of official leave from work, weekends, quiet daily moments, while on a journey, while sitting on a que, and the likes. When there is a will, there is sure going to be a way. You can! Start reading!! Start digging deep into the scriptures!!! You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. (Phil 4:13) AMEN