Joy: Day 6
“Everything must go!” The ads blare at us when a store or company is going out of business. While this means a good deal for us, it often means sadness and loss for the owner and employees of the store. Yet in the parable that Jesus tells, the man, “in his joy” sold everything he had. How? The man knew that everything he owned was not even comparable to the treasure he was about to own with the purchase of that field. He sold everything he owned in joy because he understood that what he would gain was far more than he would lose. Now before you go putting a “for sale” sign in front of your house, realize the point of the parable. Jesus was showing us that whatever we “sell” for the treasure of eternal life is worth the price. Every day, there are things that we cannot do and say if we choose to live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven. This ‘price’ is so small when compared with the greatness of knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior and living for Him. We should not give the pleasures of sin up with a sense of loss but with great joy. All that is needed is a firm grasp on the real value we gain when we live God’s way.
Prayer focus: Ask God to make real to you the incredible gain that is yours when you live according to His commands. Thank God that He makes living for Him a joy.