Man's Desiring

J. Sarr asked an absolutely essential question on Sunday morning when he reviewed Proverbs 2: What do you treasure? This question has often come to mind over the past few days, and I admit the first thing I always think of is:

Myself. I spend a lot of time with myself - I think I'm pretty great, considering I am far too easily offended when someone doesn't respect me (perhaps a student), or compliment me (my husband) when I think I deserve it.

My husband. I really treasure Andy - I long to spend time with him. But am I quick enough to tell him the things I treasure? Does love cover a multitude of sin, or am I knit-picky? Do I remind myself of all the good things God has given me in Andy, or do I find faults first, grace second? Do I have the same thirst and desire to spend one-on-one time with Christ, my ultimate bridegroom?

My friends. I'm amazingly blessed - I treasure seeing God working in their lives. Knowing someone over many years and seeing them mature is such a praise to God!

My books. I love to learn new things. I get very excited when I see all the books on our shelf I have yet to read - "The Cost of Discipleship," "God's Passion for His Glory," "After Darkness," etc. But I was wondering, is loving knowledge the same thing as loving wisdom? Am I pursuing wisdom because I love God and want to know Him, or to be smart?

There are more things I treasure; students (most of the time...;), gardening, horses, music, my parents and family. But the question "what do you treasure?" compliments John MacArthur's point in "Hard to Believe." He argues that you can tell a Christian not so much by what they do or say, but what they desire. What they treasure. What do you want? When J.Sarr asked - what you would have asked from God had you been Solomon? - my first thought was faith. I often echo the words, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" I would love to have more faith. I would love to see students in One28 and PSCC saved and thirsting for truth.

This morning Spurgeon had a good point that tied in well to such thoughts, and it goes something like this:

Your Lord is very jealous of your love, believer. Did He choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you; He would sooner die than see you perish. He cannot endure anything standing between your heart's love and Himself...He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean on Him, He is glad; but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely on our own wisdom or the wisdom of a friend - worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own - He is displeased and will chasten us so that He may bring us to Himself.

There should be NO ONE with whom we converse so much as with Jesus...to prefer the society of our fellow Christians to intimate time with Him; this is grievous to our jealous Lord.

Do you prefer to society of Christ to everyone else? Do you treasure Him? Wisdom? Love? Where do your treasures lie? What do you desire, and what does that say about you?