Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Third Day singing … Blessed Assurance … poignantly singing the old hymn of how we praise Jesus for His sacrifice by giving our all in this life for His glory.
Saddle Ridge Hoard
==============Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 13:44 [NLT] … 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
… Jesus’ parable showing the treasure in heaven awaiting those who’re willing to give their all for him in this life.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 13:44-46 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus relates the parable of the hidden treasure.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:19-21 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus warning about avoiding selfish hoarding in this life.
Reference Passage : … Matthew 16:24-25 [NIV] … 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. “
… Jesus clearly tells of what it takes to be His disciple.
Reference Passage : … Matthew 19:28-30 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus has an immeasurable heavenly treasure awaiting those who’re willing to invest their lives for Him in this life.
Reference Passage : … Matthew 25:14-18 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ parable of the three servants and God’s gift of talents to show us the heavenly treasure awaiting those who’re willing to invest their lives for our Master, King Jesus.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Banks, uses Biblical parables from Jesus to show us that we must be willing to invest all we have in our lives for Jesus to receive the heavenly treasure awaiting those who do. And the ODB author wrote: John and Mary were walking their dog on their property when they stumbled on a rusty can partially unearthed by recent rains. They took the can home and opened it, discovering a cache of gold coins over a century old! The couple returned to the spot and located seven more cans containing 1,427 coins in all. Then they protected their treasure by reburying it elsewhere.
The cache of coins (valued at $10 million) is called the Saddle Ridge Hoard, the largest find of its kind in US history. [see photo] The story is strikingly reminiscent of a parable Jesus told: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).
Today’s Scriptures, repeated by Matthew and copied above, and the ODB entry, show Jesus telling His followers, especially His 12 Disciples, of the heavenly treasures awaiting all who would be willing to invest their lives, giving their [our] all, to be willing to serve our Lord. I think the question from God’s truth for all reading here today is obvious.
ARE WE willing to give our all for King Jesus?!! Because if we are, the eternal benefits are heavenly!!
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving anyone and everyone the opportunity to receive unimaginable heavenly treasures by investing our lives for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to give up what we have now for the heavenly benefits which await those of us who’re willing to give our all for You, King Jesus. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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