“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”—Matthew 7: 7-11 NLT
Have you ever watched those treasure-hunt films where the characters search for treasure that they believe lies beneath the sea, or in the desert or in some rocky mountainous area? Or have you seen some people on the beach with a metal detector scanning the sandy shore, presumably searching for something of value?
The common theme of these films centres on historical information about what happened to the cargo or the haul of gold or rare artefacts. Also, the characters’ belief and faith are that, with the information and the right resources, they can successfully locate the treasure.
Every treasure‑hunt film starts with a story, a rumour, a journal entry passed down, some pieces of history, etc. The characters in the film normally have information, clues, and hints of what might be out there. Armed with this information and their determination, even though without evidence, they set out to unravel the mystery behind the treasure.
In these films, you’d see some try to dissuade the seeker from embarking on the journey, saying, “It’s a myth, it’s impossible, and no one has ever found it”, etc. But the seeker believes anyway and follows their instinct.
In my opinion, a believer’s spiritual life mirrors that of a treasure hunt, especially in terms of prayers. No one has been to heaven and back to tell us what it looks like. We don’t know why God allow some things to happen, for example, why some prayers are answered and others go unanswered. But we’re full of faith. We never stop, we keep going, and we keep believing.
We have the Scripture, testimonies of believers, glimpses of glory and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. These are our clues, hints, and historical documents passed down to us that tell us there is treasure to be found, that it is real, and that it’s worth pursuing.
Every treasure seeker requires patience, faith, belief and endurance. That said, we know that without faith, it is absolutely impossible to run the Christian race. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Treasure hunts sometimes are not really about the treasure itself. They are about belief, endurance, and faith. We will unpack this in the next article.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 