JOY – Episode 3 – The Hidden Treasure

 

JOY – Episode 3 – The Hidden Treasure

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

It is at least interesting that the fruit of the Spirit of Joy is positioned between Love and Peace. Could it be coincidental that we must find love which comes before joy in order to find peace in our lives?

When and from what sources do you find joy? Is it in a job well done? From your career, hobby, family, possessions or good fortune?

This word, JOY, in the Bible and from the Greek language in which it was written, is ‘chara’,  (pronounced, khar-ah’), means  joy, delight, gladness, a source of joy. The picture is “to extend favor, lean towards, be favorably disposed”. More properly, it means the awareness of God’s grace and favor. Joy is found when God’s grace is recognized.

Read with me over the coming episodes, examples of what the scriptures say about JOY.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

What kind of treasure could cause you to sell everything that you have in order to buy a parcel of land in order to obtain what is buried there? And what is the source of joy, found here? Is it earthly riches of great material wealth? Or is it something greater – much greater?

Keep in mind that this is a simile, comparing two things. In this case, the Kingdom of Heaven compared to a treasure hidden in a field. One is from the spiritual realm, the unseen world; and the other is from the natural world, the seen world.

It is also important to recognize that the kingdom of heaven, the spiritual realm, where all things originate; the natural world is where they manifest. The spiritual realm is the beginning of all things, and the natural world is the end of all things, where ‘dust returns to dust’.

This parable is telling us that there is something in this natural world, a treasure of unimaginable value, which is hidden from the natural mind and therefore, out of view of the natural eye.

Understanding that the natural mind cannot understand or fathom what is hidden, then you must know that this ‘man who found it and hid it again’ had gained the ability to see and understand what he had found. How is this possible? 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, tells us that

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one”.

This man had gained a spiritual mind.

John 14:16-17 tells us the secret. Jesus has said that

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you a Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.” 

By this you are born again, and the Spirit of God dwells within you, giving you the eyes to see and ears to hear!

Still, what is this treasure of great value? Here is an answer taken from Got Questions.Org:

The unparalleled importance and power of God’s Word in the life of those who love, honor, and obey it is the theme of Psalm 119. In verse 11, the psalmist acknowledges, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” stressing the purifying quality of the Word of God to keep believers from straying into sin. Outward obedience comes from having the Scriptures buried deep within our hearts like a priceless treasure.

How can we have God’s Word hidden in our hearts? Let’s start by gaining a better understanding of what the psalmist is saying. The word for “hidden” in the original Hebrew means “to treasure, to regard as highly valued, to hide, keep, save up, store.” Translations range from “I have treasured your word in my heart”, to “I have stored up your word in my heart”, to “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart”.

God’s Word is the agent of His Spirit used to cleanse the hearts of all who believe in Christ and are saved (Ephesians 5:25-27). And it is through keeping God’s Word securely planted in our hearts and living according to what it says that believers continue to walk in holiness (Psalm 37:31; and Psalm 119:9).

The Lord commanded Israel, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 11:18-20). This passage mentions several of the ways we can hide, treasure, and store up God’s Word in our hearts. Let’s explore these in detail.

Read

One of the first steps in hiding God’s Word in our hearts is reading the Bible. We get to know God and understand His plan for our lives through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; and Psalm 119:105). Every Christian ought to pursue a consistent method of reading through the Bible.

Listen

Proverbs 2:1-5 conveys the benefits of listening to the Word of God: “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God”.

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. The spoken Word of Christ, the peaching of the gospel message, has the power to produce faith and reveal Christ. In Jesus Christ’s day, Scripture was read aloud in the synagogues and recited in households. When we listen to the Scriptures, either in music or read out loud, we reinforce God’s Word in our hearts.

Write

Proverbs 7:1-3 states, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands, and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Writing down our thoughts as we read and listen to the Bible will help clarify and strengthen those biblical truths in our hearts, (Exodus 34:27; Deuteronomy 6:6, and verses 8-9; and Habakkuk 2:2).

Talk About

Discussing God’s Word with our children, spouse, friends, and small group members will further strengthen, illuminate, and solidify its teachings in our hearts and minds (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Study

The Bible urges us to study the Scriptures for greater understanding (Acts 17:11). The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Use a study Bible and other resources to help you accurately apprehend what Scripture is saying, not superficially, but historically and in the proper context.

Meditate

The Bible also encourages us to “delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night” (Psalm 1:2). We are to think about God’s instructions and promises all day and night long (Psalm 119:97 and verse 148). As we ponder God’s Word continually, treasuring, storing, and hiding it in our hearts, it will literally transform how we think and behave (Romans 12:2). (end excerpt).

Believe

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-b)

Where does this joy come from? It is hidden deep within you, knowing that through Christ Jesus, you are now eternally safe, secure, made whole, your life filled with purpose and all things are now possible for you!

Let’s enter into this joy!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS:  Joy, Episode 2 – The Rocky Place.

NEXT:  Joy, Episode 4 – Enter the Joy of Your Master.

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