I don’t know about you, but nothing on earth brings me as much joy as treasure hunting!
I fondly remember tromping around in the sand hills behind our house with my father. He began taking me up there as a toddler. It was all so exciting! Like exploring some wild and possibly dangerous far-off land. I remember that at around age four, we first began discovering fossil shark teeth and sand dollars. Fossil hunting quickly became a childhood obsession, and I was allowed to wander all over those hills in my worn-out little bell bottoms and blue sweatshirt ‘til dinner. This passion for exploring the outdoors and fossil hunting carried over into adulthood, leading to a 20+ year side job in paleontology. Going birding with my husband is also treasure hunting for me! Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of fossil hunting, looking for sea shells, finding pennies on the ground as a child, or some other sort of treasure hunting?
It’s that childlike rush of JOY I remember, that feeling you get when you discover some treasure!
Reading God’s Word ought to inspire this same spirit of “pleasure and delight.”
Psalm 119:162 (ESV) says, “I REJOICE at your word like one who finds great spoil.“
Once, I put off reading the Bible because I thought it was boring compared to the adventurous fiction I would read and the excitement I described above. It was like a chore that I had to complete. But as my relationship with Christ grew, my curiosity developed into a hunger for God’s words. I was on the treasure hunt again! But this time, my childlike JOY was sparked by every word I read within the Bible. The beauty of this is that since it’s impossible to reach any limit on how close we can grow in our relationship with God, the JOY in Him and His Word only grows exponentially over time.
Wouldn’t you also like to discover, rediscover, or develop a greater sense of JOY in God’s Word?
I fondly remember tromping around in the sand hills behind our house with my father. He began taking me up there as a toddler. It was all so exciting! Like exploring some wild and possibly dangerous far-off land. I remember that at around age four, we first began discovering fossil shark teeth and sand dollars. Fossil hunting quickly became a childhood obsession, and I was allowed to wander all over those hills in my worn-out little bell bottoms and blue sweatshirt ‘til dinner. This passion for exploring the outdoors and fossil hunting carried over into adulthood, leading to a 20+ year side job in paleontology. Going birding with my husband is also treasure hunting for me! Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of fossil hunting, looking for sea shells, finding pennies on the ground as a child, or some other sort of treasure hunting?
It’s that childlike rush of JOY I remember, that feeling you get when you discover some treasure!
Reading God’s Word ought to inspire this same spirit of “pleasure and delight.”
Psalm 119:162 (ESV) says, “I REJOICE at your word like one who finds great spoil.“
Once, I put off reading the Bible because I thought it was boring compared to the adventurous fiction I would read and the excitement I described above. It was like a chore that I had to complete. But as my relationship with Christ grew, my curiosity developed into a hunger for God’s words. I was on the treasure hunt again! But this time, my childlike JOY was sparked by every word I read within the Bible. The beauty of this is that since it’s impossible to reach any limit on how close we can grow in our relationship with God, the JOY in Him and His Word only grows exponentially over time.
Wouldn’t you also like to discover, rediscover, or develop a greater sense of JOY in God’s Word?
Posted in Joy in Scripture
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4 Comments
Karen I love you comparison of reading the Bible to treasure hunting, the joy of finding. God's Word truly is a source of Joy and the morning is when I do my reading. It's quiet and I can hear better. Sadness has been trying to smother me, but God keeps assuring me He is here.
Thank you for sharing, your writing made me smile this morning.
Now I know how you discovered your passion for paleontology! I used to think the Bible was boring too. Now I am excited because I get to read and study God's Word. I never thought about it before, but it brings me joy!
A beautiful message, Karen. Loved these words: "my curiosity developed into a hunger for God's words." That rings true for me. I love treasure hunting answers to all my questions! I'm so glad God never tired of those!
It does become a treasure as we look at it as one. All the words in the Bible that are answers to the way to a joyful life! Your childhood seemed magical! What more could a child want!!💜💜💜