
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."
Isaiah 45:3
A few years ago I saw an HSBC bank ad campaign that read, “There’s enough gold at the bottom of the ocean to give every human being on earth $100,000 dollars.” However, they neglected to mention some very basic economics; if everyone on earth had $100,000 it would diminish the current market value of a hundred grand. The same ad campaign touted that “80% of all living things live in the ocean.” Does this mean that in order to give every human being on earth $100,000, which would diminish exponentially upon receipt by the last person, we would destroy 80% of the world’s life-forms for a measly hundred grand? -Would you be content with destroying 80% of the world’s life forms for that amount? -For any amount?
I am reminded of an old story told by a close friend whose roommate neglected to care for his large Rottweiler; while he, uncharacteristically, fell in love with the dog. When his roommate would leave the house without walking the dog, he would be the one left with the responsibility of taking the 200 pound puppy out for a romp in Central Park. On one occasion, a bitter cold January morning, he woke up and realized that he did not have any money to get to work--none. (Yes, this is way before there were ATM's) His roommate had not come home, and the dog needed to be walked. Running late, he had planned to let his roommate walk the dog; but, the dog gave him those big sad puppy eyes, and so, off they went. As he grumbled to himself about taking the dog for a walk, he said a desperate prayer to God for a miracle concerning carfare to work. As the 200 pound puppy was taking him for a walk through the snow in Central Park, he decided to release her for her morning frolic so she would not pull him through the snow. Here’s what happened.
As the dog was running through the snow, she stopped and began to dig in one location. Wondering what the dog was digging out of the snow, he walked over to see. Out of the snow came twenty New York City subway tokens, and ten one-dollar bills totaling thirty dollars. Needless to say, he hugged the dog and blessed the name of the Lord quite boisterously!
What’s the moral of this story? When you are a child of the Most High God, you do not have to dig through the vast ocean floor destroying land and life to find riches, He will bring hidden riches to you when you need it most, right in your own backyard! L.
Study Reference: Isaiah 45:3
From:"Hidden Treasure." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Yulia Karpova