The Secret of Pursuing True Riches

T

he spirit of wisdom has given us the highest coun- sel, tucked away quietly in the book of Proverbs:

Get wisdom! Get understanding! …Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get un- derstanding (Proverbs 4:5, 7).

The secret place is pursued by those with an eye for endur- ing spiritual treasure. Time spent elsewhere might enable us to earn wealth on the earthly plane, but from an eternal perspec- tive there are things we value so much more, such as wisdom, understanding, and the knowledge of Christ. Wise people are seekers of God!

When we seek to “get wisdom,” we are pursuing Jesus Himself because wisdom is a Person (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are also pursuing Holy Spirit fullness, for wisdom is a Spirit (Isaiah 11:2). Joseph and Daniel are gripping examples of men who, through their pursuit of the Holy Spirit, displayed such remarkable wisdom that the greatest kings of the earth brought them into their councils (Genesis 41:38; Daniel 5:11). They discovered that wisdom truly is to be valued above gold and silver.

Secrets of the Secret Place

What does it mean to be a person of wisdom and understand- ing? The answer is to be found in Psalm 14:2, “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” The last two phrases of this verse are a “Hebrew parallelism”; in other words, both phrases mean the exact same thing. Thus, “any who understand” means the same thing as “any who seek God.” Therefore, “to understand” means “to seek God.” People of understanding seek God. Those with even half a brain will devote themselves to an abandoned pursuit of God. People who don’t seek God simply don’t get it. They’re dull and obtuse, playing the fool (see the previous verse, Psalm 14:1).

People of understanding—God seekers—have come to un- derstand the nature of true spiritual treasure. The wise know where the “real money” is! By looking at what Jesus means by “true riches,” I hope I can stir your heart to pursue the greatest riches of the kingdom.

Jesus talks about these “true riches” when He says, “‘Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?’” (Luke 16:11). In the surrounding verses, Jesus is calling His followers to responsible management of financial resources. He is saying that if we are not found faithful in our handling of unrighteous earthly money, then God will not entrust us with true riches. So the question is, what are those “true riches?” Are they positions of influence and ministry effectiveness? Are they the entrustment of oversight over eternally precious human souls? Those answers hold portions of truth, but they are not the highest answer.

The highest answer is found later on in the New Testament when Paul wrote under divine inspiration, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7). So what is “this treasure” to which Paul refers? It is, “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Simply put, the treasure is the knowledge of Christ. This is affirmed in Colossians 2:3 when Paul, speaking of Christ, wrote, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom

The Secret of Pursuing True Riches

and knowledge.” So the “true riches” of Luke 16:11 are the wisdom and knowledge of Christ.

Jesus disdains earthly riches. But He extols the true eternal riches of knowing God. When we are faithful with unrighteous money, we qualify for the revelation of the beauty of the glorious Son of God, the Man Christ Jesus.

True riches are the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If we have even a modicum of sense within us, we will pursue the knowledge of God with abandonment. And that’s where the secret place comes in! It’s here—with the word open before us, with hearts tenderized by the Spirit, and with a spiritual appetite that pants for the food of heaven—that we peer into the beauties of holiness in order to see Him more clearly and know His ways. Our souls echo the cry of Moses of long ago, “‘Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight’” (Exodus 33:13).

The Lord’s kindness has promised, “I will give you the trea- sures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel” (Isaiah 45:3). Originally, this was a promise to Cyrus that he would uncover the hidden treasures that were buried in Egypt’s pyramids. Applied to us today, this is the Lord’s assurance that there are great riches to be mined in the secret places of the Most High. Ferret out the nuggets hidden in the dark recesses of God’s richly-laden word!

Lord, help us to value the treasures that are hidden in You, and grant us the appetite to seek You accordingly. Give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of our understand- ing might be enlightened, that we might know You!

“Therefore I also…do not cease to give thanks for you, mak- ing mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your under- standing being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance

in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:15-19).

Secrets of the Secret Place

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