Hiding Easter Baskets

 

   For those of you who enjoyed the tradition of hidden Easter baskets in your family, why do you think it was more fun for you as a child to hunt for your Easter basket than to just find it sitting out for you? Why did your search make your discovery seem even more valuable?

   I began pondering this question after reading the following statement In Ted Greenfield’s book, God is in this Fight*: “God doesn’t hide things from you, He hides things for you.”  I knew this was true, also, from Proverbs 25: 2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings** to search it out.” I also know from my own experience writing this blog over the past 10 years, that His call to it involved discovering hidden gold nuggets’ 

   Finding the sparkling gems in Scripture often involves a treasure hunt, not a casual read. Not a ‘check off the chapters’ approach. He doesn’t want us to settle for the superficial, putting in our time and not drawing closer to Him, hungry for His deeper truth. 

   He doesn’t want us to do so with other people, either. Seeing, appraising, judging others based on superficial experiences with them grieves God. How many times have we later discovered that we entirely misjudged someone for lack of getting to know them better? Finding out the impact of their past, encouraging the sharing of their deeper thoughts, or drawing out treasure from their perhaps more reserved or cautious personalities?

   My sister and I were just recalling how after moving to a new town, many students at the high school thought we were ‘stuck up’ because we walked staring straight ahead or looking away from them. They assumed we were proud because our dad was a new administrator there.  Instead, we were shy and terrified of our new, seemingly unwelcome, environment. Unfortunately, I can count any number of times I have misjudged people or placed them in categories in my mind after knowing them only briefly.

   I know this grieves God, in fact, it grieves Him that I would deign to judge another at all. I can hear Holy Spirit whispering, “If you only knew…”

   As is true with God’s Word, the more we take time to  search for treasure in people, the more we often find nuggets of gold.. Let’s ask the Lord to help us in these treasure hunts. Unearthing hidden treasure in both requires patience, active perseverance, and sincere listening….

   ….to others and to the Source of all Truth. Compassion flows there, along with insight, discernment, trust, and understanding. Let’s not run by so fast we miss what He, as our Perfect Parent, is excited to watching and waiting for us to discover.

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*I can’t recommend this book enough. I will address it more directly in a future post.

**Scripture says all believers are ‘kings and priests  to God’ (Rev 1: 6)

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” —-Proverbs 2: 1-5