Riches in Secret Places (#249 of 365+)

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Isaiah 45:3)


I used to work with a man who told me stories about his early days in sales. He once worked as a car salesman and the entire sales force would stand outside on the front steps of the dealership waiting for the next customer to drive up. During his first month there, when he was still learning the ropes, an old farmer wearing dusty overalls drove in behind the wheel of a beat-up pickup truck. Suddenly it seemed all the veteran sales consultants had something important to do and they all disappeared. My co-worker, being the newbie, was the last man standing so he offered his assistance to the farmer.

To make a long story short, that customer ended up buying several vehicles over the years from this particular salesman who “didn’t know any better” and showed him the respect that every customer deserves. That man happened to be the father of famous football analyst and former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw… but he also had plenty of his own money to spend even though he didn’t appear to have two coins to rub together.

Joni said Christians too are exceedingly wealthy in “hidden” ways. She listed the following examples of our assets that would never be disclosed on any earthly balance sheet:

- “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8)
- “the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience” (Romans 2:4)
- “the riches of his glory” (Romans 9:23)
- “the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33)
- “the riches of God's grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
- “the riches of his glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18)

“God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field” (Matthew 13:44 MSG)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)

Lord, how could I ever forget about the hidden riches that are available for my immediate use? It would be worse than forgetting about a winning lottery ticket or a pot of gold. Help me to take ownership of what I already have. Thank you for meeting all my needs so I can live the “good” life with You! Amen.