An Unexpected Treasure 

As one of my grandsons was helping his dad take down the outdoor Christmas lights in their yard, he found an Easter egg in one of the bushes. Apparently it was left over from the family egg hunt that had taken place on their property last spring. When he opened it, it wasn’t filled with spoiled candy or melted chocolate from enduring months of various kinds of weather. It was a prize egg with money inside of it. Although our grandson had recently received other gifts for Christmas and his birthday, this was especially memorable because it was such an unexpected treasure.

Sometimes the Lord surprises us with His generous blessings. In some cases we might be looking, asking, and praying for something when He provides us with an unexpected treasure that is different and much better than what we were hoping for. It reminds me of the lame man whom Peter and John encountered (see Acts 3:1-10). This man had been crippled his whole life. He was at his usual place that day – at the gate of the temple looking to receive handouts from any compassionate people who were entering the sacred house of God. When Peter and John approached, he asked them for assistance. When they stopped and spoke to him, the Bible says that he was expecting to receive something from them. However, instead of giving him a few coins, Peter gave him something totally different. He told the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Immediately the man’s legs were strengthened and healed. And he ended up going into the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. This gift wasn’t what he was asking for or expecting. It was so much better.

At this time of the year when we are often looking ahead, making resolutions, setting goals, contemplating hopes and dreams for the new year, what are we looking for the Lord to do in our lives? What are we praying for? What do we hope to receive from the Lord this year? We likely aren’t in the condition of the lame man, but we may have our own physical issues we are grappling with. We may not be standing at the interstate exit holding up a sign asking for help, but we may be facing some degree of financial struggles. There may be relationship problems weighing heavy on our hearts. Other challenges loom ahead this year. Maybe we are looking for the Lord to heal our sickness, to provide some funds, to help us to get along better with other people. And certainly God can move in those situations and fulfill our hopes. However, maybe He wants to do even more than we imagine or are asking for. He may not just want to heal our body but to heal our spirit. He may not just provide money to get us through a crisis, but provide a whole better lifestyle to help us not get in that tough financial spot again. He may not just help us get along with others but change our hearts or their hearts so that we can enjoy a totally different and better relationship moving forward. And if we are just looking at getting our physical and temporal problems dealt with, the Lord may go deeper and deal with the more pressing spiritual issues in our lives.

Let’s not limit what the Lord may want to do in our lives. He may have some unexpected treasures to send our way. Let’s be ready to receive them. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).