She looks even better than the last time we talked, almost a year ago. Yet in those intervening months, doctors found a disease ravaging her body. There is no stopping it, she was told, and it will take her life.

“When they told me what was wrong with me,” she says to me now, “all I could think was, What am I going to do? What am I going to do? I knew I’d have to make all kinds of decisions, and I just didn’t know how I was going to go through this.

“So I just prayed and prayed and prayed. And one day — it was just as though someone was talking to me — God said everything would be all right. And I quit worrying.”

She goes on to tell me about mountains that have loomed up along the way that God has shrunk to little piles of dirt in her path. I listen to her stories and think that here is a jar of clay, very fragile clay, who has the all-surpassing power of God shining through.

She is positively shining with strength and peace.

I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

I want to draw on His unlimited resources and strength every day. I want His Spirit to empower me not only when I feel overwhelmed by circumstances or schedule, but also when I am so weak and so unable to live the life Jesus wants me to live — when I would rather hold on to bitterness than forgive, when I am too selfish to live love, when people are so annoying that I lose sight of how much God loves them, when I’m tempted to think any situation is hopeless … then I need the power of His resources.

And how amazing that we have this treasure in our jars of clay! His Spirit living in us. We, who are dust, are the dwelling place of the Lord of the universe, who has unlimited resources and empowers us with His strength!

Live today in the riches of His resources.

*

Scripture: from Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)

When do we begin our hunt for treasure?

As a child, I was smart enough to know no pirate would have buried his treasure on our Midwestern farm, so I never began digging. But while we waded and splashed for hours in the creek that ran through the cow pasture, I kept my eyes open for gold nuggets. I was sure that someday we’d find a diamond or two in a pile of gravel or veins of coal. Once I found a 1905 penny in the dirt under the big front porch where we played; after that, I’d often scratch around for more pieces of lost treasure. And I was certain that somewhere in the corners of Grandma’s attic was a dusty, forgotten box filled with jewels. (Apparently, I could be logical about the pirates, but not about Grandma, who never even wore a wedding band.)

As an adult, I vacationed in Roque Bluffs in downeast Maine. We chose that place for the coastal beauty, the vistas of water and sky, the remoteness, the clean air. We scoured the beach for unusual rocks, shells, and seaglass treasures. But I also discovered the coves and islands of this place were home to real pirate Black Sam, and some say there is still buried treasure to be found. No, I haven’t started digging. But I admit I do look at the rugged coastline and wonder…

We have our more rational, adult version of the treasure hunt. We buy a lottery ticket (okay, so maybe that’s not rational). We measure the growth of a retirement fund, working toward a magic number. We search for the right husband, the perfect house. We look for a stock that might explode next week. We hope a book we write hits the best-seller list, our son’s basketball game makes him a superstar, the jewelry we design or the doo-dad we invent becomes a household name.

But somewhere along the way, my brothers and sisters, we are adopted and born into a new life. In this new life, there is still great treasure to be found, but it’s treasure like nothing we’ve ever dreamed of before. And it’s ours, part of our inheritance. Ours to claim and enjoy.

Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (Many versions use the word abundant.)

The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians about the rich and glorious inheritance he (God) has given to his holy people …

Can you tell me what a rich/abundant life is? What would you say if someone asked you to be specific about the riches you inherited when you became a child of God? It’s difficult to put into words, isn’t it? Yet I know that this is the life I want, and I want all of it! All of the abundance, all the riches.

I feel, though, as if I’ve only stubbed my toe on a corner of the chest that lies buried in the sand. I want to dig it up, lay back the lid, and be dazzled with the riches. And then I want to dance a little jig of joy and live happily ever, reveling in my great treasure!

I believe we know and have experienced only a smidgeon of the great treasure our Father has for us. I want to know, I want to live more of it.

So for the next few days, we’ll look to God’s Word and ask the Spirit to give us just a glimpse — I think even a glimpse will overwhelm us — just a glimpse of the riches we’ve inherited.

Feel free to dance your jig of joy at any time.

*

Scripture: from John 10:10; Ephesians 1:18 ( both NLT)