TRUE TREASURE

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it

again, and in his joy,^G5479 he went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the

kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very

precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

Matthew 13:44-45

The joy of the kingdom is here and now as well as in eternity. We give up all that we are—our inconsistencies, our incompleteness, our sin—to receive all the purpose and fulfillment that Jesus is and wants to reveal through our lives. We also give up any claim to our achievements and endeavors. Paul says that everything “good” about him was waste material compared to the righteousness of Jesus and all that the Lord has to offer:

Philippians 3:7-9 (VOICE) But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written off as a loss because of the Anointed One. And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus as my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him. When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith.

Susan’s legs were literally “a pile of waste.” The doctor described them as “ticking time bombs” because necrotic ulcers—dying flesh—covered both legs from just below the knee to the bottoms of her feet. Amputation seemed to be the only solution. You may think that giving up her legs in order to live longer to serve the Lord was easy since she had never really walked. However, when her teenaged niece and goddaughter first suggested the idea of cutting off the bad legs in order to have more of a life, Susan was appalled. Give up a part of herself? The majority of society had never seen her as whole. How much would that intensify when she was missing approximately one-third of her height, both legs? When she was eight years old, a stranger asked her Nana, “Why would you bring that out in public? Why should we have to look at that?!” What cruel comments would she hear when her legs were gone? However, knowing that the Lord would have her choose life, and reflecting on what her niece had suggested out of a pure love for her and not desiring to see her in pain, she eventually made the difficult decision to have both legs amputated above the knee. God had used Rylee to plant the seed of removing the legs which ultimately gave me the courage to suggest amputation to my doctors. Looking back, we now know the Lord used the time in the hospital to minister to people, to grow us closer to Him, and to strengthen the bond between us (Susan and Susie), to do His work. For every inch of height lost, we believe we have gained exponentially spiritually!

The true treasure is Jesus Himself! Knowing Him is worth more than any earthly accumulation or even our “rights” to our own bodies. Rather than succumb to the toxicity of her legs and go home to Heaven, Susan surrendered one-third of her height in order to live out God’s purpose for her here which brings her true joy. Is there anything you are valuing more than your relationship with the Lord Jesus and your God-given purpose? Give up even the greatest wealth you have to gain the only true treasure, a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Source of true joy!

Father, help us to value You above all else. Help us to prioritize studying Your word, to know You more completely. Help us to surrender anything that stands in the way of serving You and building Your kingdom!