When I left my previous congregation in Queens for Faith Church about 8 years ago, one of my friends gave me a goodbye present – an old guitar that he was not using anymore. It was something he wanted me to have. At the time, I thanked him, took a quick glance at the guitar, and stored it in its case in the unfinished basement of my house.
Since I have become the pastor of Faith Church, and as a member of the Praise and Worship Team, I have been playing much more guitar than ever before. So a few months ago I dug out the old guitar in the basement and for the first time took a good look at it. It then registered in my mind that the guitar is an old Gibson. I did some research online on the serial number and discovered that it was made in 1960. And here is the pleasant surprise. I learned that it is actually quite valuable. It is probably worth about four to five thousand dollars! This treasure has been hiding in my basement in plain sight for all these years and I never took the trouble to discover it.
God says in Isaiah 45:3 (NIV),
“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
As I reflect on how long it took me to discover the treasured Gibson guitar that was in my midst all the time, I can’t help but wonder how many spiritual treasures there are in our lives that simply go unnoticed. Gifts from God that we don’t take the trouble to notice. God has some treasures that he wants you to discover and appreciate during worship on Sundays and during your weekly grind. The wonder of his presence, the gift of his forgiveness, the blessing of his church family, the treasures of his love, grace, hope, power, healing, guidance and on and on.
I want to encourage you to look for these treasures every day. Look for them in his Word, in the people you meet, in the mundane tasks of everyday life, in your job, with your family. They are there to be discovered, enjoyed and appreciated. Open your heart and life for God to surprise you, never take his love and grace for granted, and thank him constantly.
After I discovered the true value of the gift I received from my friend, I took the time to again thank him for his wonderful generosity. The guitar needed a little bit of work and so recently I had it serviced and some minor repairs were made. Now I consider it a prized possession that I appreciate, spend much time with and enjoy frequently.
Pastor Albert