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The Joy of Discovered Treasure - Thursday, 11/20/2025

Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46

"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."

Notice the word that shows up in both of these mini-parables: joy. The man who found treasure didn't reluctantly sell everything he owned. He did it with joy. The merchant searching for fine pearls didn't begrudgingly trade his collection for the one pearl of great value. He recognized what he'd found and acted immediately, joyfully.

This is what authentic giving looks like. It's not grinding obligation or guilt-driven duty. It's joyful recognition of what we've found. When we truly discover our identity as God's beloved image-bearers, when we understand that we belong to the One who created galaxies and calls us by name, everything changes. Our resources, our time, our very lives stop feeling like things we have to protect and start feeling like things we get to offer.

The world tells us to hoard our treasure, to grip tightly to what we've earned. But Jesus invites us into a different joy — the joy of selling everything for the one thing that actually matters. The joy of generous living. The joy of aligning our resources with our identity. When you've found treasure, everything else becomes negotiable.

Reflection Question: Do you experience joy when you give, or does it feel like loss? What does your answer reveal about what you treasure most?

Action Step: Make a list of what you treasure most — not what you think you should treasure, but what you actually treasure. Then ask God to help you see if anything on that list needs to be "sold" to make room for Kingdom treasure.

Prayer: Jesus, You are the treasure worth everything. Help me hold my possessions, my time, and my plans loosely. Give me the joy of discovering that life with You is worth more than anything I might cling to. Amen.