ORGANIZE YOUR TREASURE BOX

Do you know that the ‘Gold Vault’ of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the most valuable and most protected places in world? The treasure house was built 50 feet below sea level and 80 feet below street level in the basement floor of the main office building in Manhattan in the early 1920s. It holds approximately 4,97,000 gold bars weighing approximately 6,190 tons as of 2019. Not even the staff can easily enter into it. The only way to it is through an entrance that is cylindrical and it turns when a wheel is turned. When the wheel is turned to a particular point there is a sliver shaped cut in the cylinder, and only when this comes in right alignment with the entrance to the hall way, one can have access into it. Gold bars are transported to it through elevators from the street level to the storage compartments. It is guarded by multi-layered security system.

The Word of God says that there is one organ in the body that every man must protect it to his best because all matters of life depend on it. 

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

WHAT IS KEPT ON GUARD?

As we saw earlier, we safe-guard our valuables like money, jewels, properties, documents, data, etc. Even the President, Prime minister and Chief Ministers of a nation are given Z-level security comprising of commandos and police personnel. Is the heart so valuable? Should it be guarded with all diligence above everything else? Yes, it is like a treasure box or the jewel box that carries our valuables.

WHY SHOULD OUR HEARTS BE GUARDED?

The reason we keep guard is that it should not get robbed. So, when the Scripture asks us to guard our hearts with all diligence because

i) It has the most valuable possession of the person (all issues of life are contained in it – Proverbs 4:23)

ii) It is the pilot of our life (Proverbs 23:18-19)

iii) It can be robbed or altered (Matthew 13:25)

WHAT IS IN OUR HEARTS?

The heart of a man owns the following features:

i) Thoughts (Genesis 6:5)

ii) Seat of all emotions & feelings like Grief and Joy (John 16:22; Exodus 4:14), anxiety (John 14:1), peace (Philippians 4:7), fear (John 14:27), terror (Deuteronomy 28:67), pride (Luke 1:51), depression (Leviticus 26:36), longing (2 Samuel 14:1), confusion (2 Kings 6:11)

iii) Affection (Acts 21:13)

iv) Sensitivity & Perception (John 12:40)

v) Belief (Romans 10:10)

vi) Reasoning (Mark 2:5-7)

vii) Wisdom and skill (Exodus 35:35)

viii) Conscience (Romans 2:15; Acts 2:37)

ix) Imagination (Jeremiah 23:16)

x) Ability (Exodus 35:34) (ability to teach, etc.)

xi) Repentance (2 Samuel 24:10)

xii) Understanding (1 Kings 3:12)

xiii) Desire (2 Chronicles 1:11)

OTHER TRAITS OF OUR HEARTS

i)It can be strong as a lion (2 Samuel 17:10)

ii) It can stir and make a person to will (Exodus 35:21)

iii) It can be deceived (Deuteronomy 11:16)

iv) It can deceive (Jeremiah 17:9)

v) It can be wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)

vi) It can be hardened (Deuteronomy 15:7)

vii) It can backslide (Deuteronomy 17:17)

viii) It can dishonour (2 Samuel 6:16) (Micah dishonoured king David for dancing before the ark)

ix) It can melt (2 Kings 22:19)

x) It can blaspheme (Job 1:5)

xi) It can be hypocritic (Job 36:13)

xii) It can be broken and crushed (Psalm 34:18)

xiii) It can go astray (Psalm 95:10)

ix) It can be fattened & made dull (Psalm 119:70; Matthew 13:15)

x) It can be senseless & darkened (Romans 1:21)

LESSONS FROM THE HEART OF HANNAH

Hannah was often provoked by her counterpart for she was barren. Whenever they went to Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices to Him, Peninnah would vex her and make her feel so miserable, that she would weep and not even take food. This was the regular occurrence in her life year after year. But this time she turned it all out, went back happily and had her child. Let’s learn from what Hannah did on going to the tabernacle of the Lord.

* Hannah spoke in her heart to God (1 Samuel 1:13), poured out all her grief and unnecessary things at the feet of God (1 Samuel 1:15)

* She received the words of Eli, the priest and was never again sorrowful (1 Samuel 1:18)

* She guarded her joy that she sang with her heart rejoicing in the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1)

* She renewed her experience of receiving the Word from Eli and reaped its fruits in her life (1 Samuel 2:20-21)

Let this be our practical experience today.
Four steps we learn from Hannah:

i) Clean the treasure box – Let go every burden, doubts, failures & depression of our hearts at the feet of God

ii) Fill it with treasure – Be filled in our hearts with His Word & presence

iii) Guard it forever with all diligence

iv) Keep renewing it with the Word, accumulating more of it

WHAT TO CLEAN OUR HEARTS FROM?

Jesus said that whatever comes from the heart of a man is that which defiles and dishonours him. From within the heart of men comes forth evil thoughts, sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness (Mark 7:20-23). We may say that we aren’t that bad with such immoralities. But sexual immorality is compared with the love of the world. If we say that we don’t have any love for the world, we will never fight for anything (James 4:1-4). Murder is likened to hate a brother or accuse him (1 John 3:15; Matthew 5:21-22). Not giving what is due to God is equated with theft (Malachi 3:8). Let’s check our hearts for any such sin, frustration, hurts, unforgiveness, doubts, laziness, unbelief, curse, sickness, etc., let’s honestly lay them all at His feet and get cleansed from every one of it.

HOW TO BE CLEANSED?

i) THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST cleanses us from all sin, unrighteousness, every defilement of our body and spirit and purifies even our conscience (1 John 1:7; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 9:14)

ii) THE WORD OF GOD makes us clean (John 15:3)

iii) THE HOLY SPIRIT washes and makes us pure (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 6:11)

iv) THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST washes us (1 Corinthians 6:11)

WHAT TO REPLACE OUR HEART WITH?

We won’t treasure the most valuable diamond or gold along with mud, dust, iron or wood. When we know it’s valuable, we will be ready to put out everything else from the treasure box, clean it to the core and then treasure the most valuable thing. The kingdom of God is like a very precious treasure hidden in a field. A man finds it, hides it again, and with so much joy he goes out, sells all that he has and buys the field (Matthew 13:44). The man sold away all his former properties to own this treasure for himself. Those things are no more wanted when he has the new treasure.

So, treasuring something means to leave other things, to treasure the most valuable thing. The Word of God is much more precious than pure gold and sweeter than the purest honey dripping from the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10). It is better to acquire wisdom than gold and understanding is preferrable than silver (Proverbs 8:19). The fruit of wisdom will be better than pure gold the harvest of wisdom will surpass choicest silver (Proverbs 8:19).

The one who is not ready to forsake anything else to follow God cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33). So, let’s be willing to let go every thing else and be filled with the Word of God in turn.

Job says that he had treasured the Words of God more than his necessary food (Job 23:12) and the psalmist says that he has hidden the Word of God in his heart so as not to sin against God (Psalm 119:11). Let us therefore search the Scriptures and collect the precious ones out of it every time we are in need in a particular situation.

VALUE YOUR TREASURE & LIVE BY IT

Our treasure is not just to be kept locked but to be lived out of it. Having tons of gold at store and living a pauper’s life would be insane. We should not only know to secure our treasure but also survive according to it. Let’s learn from a few Bible characters who used it and were buoyant, and others who did not use it and were left miserable.

* Though Joseph’s brothers envied him and did a lot of evil to him, his father Jacob treasured in his heart the dreams and visions of Joseph. One day when he knew that Joseph was alive, his spirit was revived (Genesis 37:11)

* It was Mary’s habit to treasure and ponder the Words said to her and things going around her. He was conceived with the Word and gave birth to Jesus Christ (Luke 1:48; Luke 1:51-52; Luke 2:19; Luke 2:51)

* On his fleet from king Saul, David went to Achish, the king of Gad. The servants of Achish recognized David and said, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” David took these words to his heart and was very much afraid of the king and pretended to be a mad man, scratching the doors of the gate and letting his saliva fall down on his beard (1 Samuel 21:10-14). David who meditated the Word of God, day and night gave heed to the words of his foe and had to act ridiculous.

* The spies sent by Moses to explore Canaan came back with the report that it was surely a land that flows with milk and honey. Yet they said that the people were stronger, their cities were fortified and large, there were giant sized people and that they were like grass hoppers in their own sight (Numbers 13:27-28; Numbers 13:32-33). Though all these were FACTS, did any of these facts prevent them from getting inside Canaan. It was their disobedience and unbelief that thwarted them from entering the promised land (Hebrews 3:18-19).

* The report of Caleb who went to spy along with them was totally different. He quieted them and said that they could immediately go and possess the land for they could certainly conquer it (Numbers 13:30; Numbers 14:8-9). More than the facts, Caleb rested on the promised Word of God that said that He will bring them up to Canaan (Exodus 3:8). It was for that reason that He delivered them from Egypt.

The Scripture questions us in Isaiah 53:1 saying that the arm of the Lord is revealed to those who believed in His report. Whose report do we believe? Our medical reports may sound bad, our bank balance may declare ‘Null’, our family circumstances may express ‘No chance’, our boss and co-workers at office may express ‘Ousting’. But whose word do we choose to believe? Let us believe in the Word of God and live by it as God designed us to live our lives on earth. God bless you!