“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45b-46 NASB)
Two years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Destin, Florida during some very hard times in our lives. It was a powerful few days to focus on each other and our relationships with God. This afforded long stretches of unhurried time pondering, listening and taking in the beauty of God’s white beaches, emerald waters and western coast sunsets. During one of these times with God, the following words began to flow from my heart to the pages of my journal, along with a tune.
Lord, You never leave me,
Lord, You never leave me,
Lord, You never leave me,
For this I know is true.
You show me how to listen,
You show me how to listen,
You show me how to listen,
To the words You want me to.
I don’t know what will happen,
I don’t know what will happen,
I don’t know what will happen,
But I know You’ll see me through.
I just got to trust You,
I just got to trust You,
I just got to trust You,
Forever me and You.
This moment is a treasure,
This moment is a treasure,
This moment is a treasure,
As You show me something new.
I live this life now for You,
I live this life now for You,
I live this life now for You,
And I love You through and through.
As soon as the words stopped flowing, I made a video to capture the tune and sent it to my wife and two daughters.
A year later, one of my daughters, who is a musician, professionally recorded the song and gave it to me for Christmas. Priceless. It was truly one of the wonderful gifts I’ve ever received.
Recently, as I continued to enjoy the song, one of the lines took on a deeper, more intimate meaning.
“This moment is a treasure.”
God loves me more than I can ever understand. He was willing to be pierced and crushed in my place [1] that we might commune. Right now, the Creator of the universe treasures me.
But also, the Lord Himself is my Treasure. In the last couple of years, God has lovingly, but violently revealed idols that needed to be surrendered. I’m asking Him to teach me how to love Him more. He’s showing me things I value more than Him; areas in my life I need to surrender to Him for my own freedom and joy.
God doesn’t want me to settle for anything less than Him to fill my heart. He alone is my Treasure. In His presence is fullness of Joy. [2]
You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. (Psalm 4:7 NASB)
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NIV)
In this hard road, Lord, I turn to You. You’re acquainted with grief. [3] You understand. I trust You with my life. As I look back at the last couple of years, I see that the hard times are extremely valuable. In the midst, I’m learning that you alone are my Peace, my Hope, my Joy and my Life. Nothing else will do. I’m sorry for seeking happiness in the things you’ve given me and not in You alone. All joys flow from my nearness and dependence upon You. Please continue Your work in me.
“I myself preached Christ some years, when I had little, if any, experimental acquaintance with access to God through Christ; until the Lord was pleased to visit me with sore affliction.” John Owen [4]
Conclusion
This moment is a treasure, no matter what I face, because God Himself, is my Treasure. He’s always with me. As I travel with Him, I can slow down and truly enjoy His creation around me. Moment by Moment.
Note: Contact me if you’d like to hear the song. It’s very moving.
[1] Isaiah 53:5-6
[2] Psalm 16:11b
[3] Isaiah 53:3
[4] Puritan Theology, ed. Beeke and Jones, 112
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading.
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