Jeff rushed up to Sam shouting excitedly, “I bought a mountain of silver and gold!” In disbelief, Sam looked at the pickaxe and sack in Jeff’s hands. “We’re getting rich!” Jeff shouted. A big grin spread across Sam’s face, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go get rich!”
For days Sam and Jeff searched the mountain for silver and gold lying on the ground. Exhausted and disappointed, they collapsed. Throwing his empty sack down the hill, Sam scowled, “There’s no gold or silver here Jeff. “Yeah,” Jeff sadly replied. “Larry wants to buy it, so I’ll sell it to him and make my money back. I’ll take back the pickaxe too. It’s still in the trunk.”
Three Weeks Later.
Jeff slowly staggered towards Sam. “I can’t believe it. Larry found gold!” Sam sank onto the floor, “How did we miss it?” Jeff’s eyes glistened with unleashed tears, “Well, it wasn’t on the ground’s surface. Larry said he had to dig with a pickaxe to break up the hard ground encasing it.”
WHAT RICHES ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Sam & Jeff searched the mountain with thoughts of material riches. Although, there is nothing wrong with material riches, the Lord wants us to desire another type of riches more; His riches of the heart.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control,
Galatians 5:22-23a
HOW DO WE GET THOSE RICHES?
By doing things differently than Sam & Jeff. They chose to leave the pickaxe in the trunk and only search on the ground’s surface. If they had done a little digging, they may have extracted silver or gold. For us to extract the Lord’s riches, we need to do some digging too.
As we dig to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus through study and prayer, His riches of the fruit of the Spirit are exposed in our hearts and lives.
The deeper we dig, the more riches we find.
WHAT IF WE AREN’T SEEING HIS RICHES?
Perhaps there’s something obstructing our way.
Has unforgiveness grown from hurt?
Has despair made us feel unloved by God?
Have lies caused us to rebel & tune out God?
Has pride lead us to do things in our own strength rather than rely on God?
Sometimes unforgiveness, despair, pride or rebellion can harden and encase our hearts obstructing the Lord’s riches. We may not realize our heart has hardened. We only realize that we aren’t seeing the riches of the Lord.
In order to expose the Lord’s riches,
the hardness of our hearts needs to be broken up.
Just like gold was exposed when Larry chose to dig breaking up the hard ground encasing it, we can choose for the hardness of our hearts to be broken up, too. All we need is a couple of tools.
WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO BREAK UP THE HARDNESS?
WISDOM & A PICKAXE!
WISDOM!
If Sam & Jeff had used wisdom, they may have exposed the hidden silver and gold. When we ask for heavenly wisdom to expose anything hardening our hearts, He will show us so that it can be broken up to expose His riches.
If you seek her, (wisdom), as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God,
Proverbs 2:4-5
A PICKAXE OF FAITH!
On their journey to search for treasure, Sam & Jeff did not recognize they would need a pickaxe to break up hard ground. So, they left the pickaxe in the trunk.
As we journey through life, we may not recognize that faith, like the pickaxe, is a tool that we need to break up hardened hearts.
Believing in Jesus,
but not living by faith
leaves Jesus in the trunk.
Jesus is waiting for us to recognize that we need to live by faith. By faith we invite Him to come out of the trunk and lead our journey to break up the hardness in our hearts.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,
James 4:8a
Like Larry could swing his pickaxe to break up hard ground, we too, can swing our tool of faith by repenting. By faith, repenting of unforgiveness, despair, pride or rebellion, breaks up our hardened hearts and exposes the riches of His grace.
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace,
Ephesians 1:7
Then we ask for a new, clean heart.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me,
Psalm 51:10
LET’S SWING THAT PICKAXE OF FAITH!
AND EXPOSE
THE LORD’S RICHES!
REFLECTION
Are you enjoying the riches of the Lord?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write James 4:8 and say it aloud, reveal to me any hardness in my heart. Guide me to dig into a deeper relationship with You finding Your wisdom and swinging the pickaxe of faith. Help me to break up the hardness and expose Your riches in my heart and life. In Jesus name. Amen.
IN FAITH, DIG FOR THE LORD’S RICHES
Comment!
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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
Photo supplies, James Stegaall
Photo dog, Sabbra Cadabra
Photo pickaxe, Hennie Stander
Photo car, vai_jcw
