Buried Treasure
For where your treasure is, there your heart will, be also. Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
Once upon a time (decades ago) I had some hamsters. They were cute, fun to watch but hard to catch when they escaped from their cages. Poor things had to be starving before they got back into their safety zone to eat again and get a drink. Diane Stark (All God’s Creatures) tells us about her own experience with her daughter’s little guy, Pumpkin.
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I headed into my daughter’s bedroom to clean the hamster cage. While I adored Pumpkin the teddy bear hamster, I really hated cleaning his cage and especially the plastic tunnels. I transferred Pumpkin to his travel cage and started to disassemble the cage, starting with the tunnels. I noticed that my daughter, Julia, had placed her Bible under section of the tunnel.
I called for her. “Why did you put your Bible there?” I asked.
“Part of the tunnel came apart,” she said. “I think its because Pumpkin is fat now. When we give him treats, he stuffs them in his cheeks and then holds out his paws for more.”
“The tunnel separated, so you put your Bible there to prop it up?”
She nodded. “I saw it several days ago. It hasn’t come apart since I stuck my Bible underneath it.”
I had to admit it was a smart idea, even if it wasn’t the ideal use for a Bible.
Julia ran off, and I continued cleaning the cage. When I reached the little house inside Pumpkin’s cage, I found his buried treasure: a huge cache of treats he’d hidden for later.
I cleaned his house, replaced the cedar shavings, and then put his buried treasure back where I’d found it. When I put him back in the cage, he immediately scurried to his house. When he emerged minutes later, his cheeks were puffed up, clearly filled with his most valuable possessions.
“When something is important to you, you’ve got to keep it close, right, Pumpkin?” I said, laughing.
My gaze landed on Julia’s Bible. It sat on her nightstand because we read it at bedtime. But I’d been busy lately and hadn’t even noticed that for several days her Bible had been holding up the hamster tunnel.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us, and it’s a treasure that should never be buried. Just like Pumpkin with his treats, we should consider it an item of great value.
Father God, thank You for Your loving words and guidance we can find in the Bible. Teach us to use it everyday to show us Your ways. AMEN.