The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44
A promising parable when looked at from the perspective revealed to me by Jesus while in my present season. This one line of scripture tells an incredible story of a man who was searching the field for something deeper contained within, he invested time in digging for buried treasure! He not only recognized what was found as being special but that the ground from where it came was as much a part of the gift as what it brought forth. He joyfully gave up everything else to have the field with this amazing treasure in it. A field of dreams…that will have to wait! This field has been taken off the market. For the next year it’ll be a public park, one that orphans can run around on.
Note to future racers…When Adventures In Missions has you sign a commitment to remain single until off the mission field honor that and let the mission be your field of dreams.
There is more to this story of the good ground. It’s been in a season of drought, crop failure, and pestilence. Weeds, thorns, thistles and tares started to take root as a result. What does fallow ground get? Broken! God sees the field worthy of development and has set about the business slash and burn style with a piercing of the plow and sifting of the soil. Some cast stones contributed to the breaking but the Lord has a purpose for them in the water feature being produced, living water is bursting forth from the deep! A well watered crop of good fruit is coming. A very valuable field indeed worthy of investment but only for the painstaking work of Jesus who is at the center of it all as the treasure within.
Praise God for refinement via brokenness. He knows the intent of our hearts long before we take action. Here is a conversation between myself and the Lord a few months ago. Me: Will he ever take this window of opportunity before I leave for the mission? God: What happens when you leave the window open to long? Me: Pests get in. God: And a window that won’t close? Me: It’s a broken window. Despite the warning I let my free will run wild through my open window and by the end of month two this was one of our last exchanges…He walks me out to the car and tells me the back window is open, I turn on the car, press the button and it won’t work, He pulls the window up and it slides back down. I try to choke back the tears as I say to God “Broken window. I’ll have to pay for that.” His reply “Jesus already did.”
In His infinite wisdom, the Lord knew that my broken window wouldn’t keep out what it should have but as I am identified with Christ, God loves me as His child. An ever transforming likeness, sometimes by way of suffering! For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. Hebrews 12:6
It really is amazing grace that the story doesn’t end there! Jesus is the ultimate comeback kid so I claim that victory and I’m moving forward. Throughout all of this God has been moving on hearts and faithfully provided for the field that’s the prize of my present battleground; MY WORLD RACE MISSION FIELD IS ALMOST FULLY FUNDED AT $14,162. For me? I have felt so undeserving. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
What a faith journey! The Lord must have some divine appointments waiting on the other side. Such an epic battle endured just to get there but it’ll be worth it! Would you like to join me on this adventure? Sign up as a subscriber of my blog? Click the support me link to contribute? Only $2800 remains!
Special thanks to ALL who have made donations, it is by your gift of love I am able to take this walk of faith and run with it.
