Playing Marbles With Diamonds

Luke 12:34 (Msg)      It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. 

High up among the mountains of western Brazil sits the city of Ouro Preto. When the Portuguese first came to Brazil, the town mushroomed because of the gold ore found nearby. Once that played out, it went back to its sleepy small town existence.

One day a man from Lisbon, a mining engineer, came into town.  Stepping off his horse in the town square, he allowed the animal to drink his fill of water from the central plaza's fountain, a remnant of the earlier glory days.

He happened to notice some children playing nearby, and wandered over to ask where to get a bite to eat. The kids were playing a spirited game of marbles and as he walked up, one flew out of the circle and rolled to a stop at his feet.

Picking it up, he thought he saw something in the smooth stone. He rubbed it against his clothing for a moment or two, and what he saw changed his life. The children, poor and ragged like the town they lived in, were playing marbles with diamonds.

We're in America, not Brazil. Our children for the most part aren't ragged, or poor, and neither are we. Our access to almost everything that we could want is unparalleled in the history of man.

Freedom? We have more of that precious commodity than anyone who has ever lived. But what's happened is we've taken all the precious gifts given us and used them for our own selfish pleasure. In our own way we're playing marbles with diamonds too.

Friend, look at the indicators of where your life's priorities are - your checkbook, your calendar, your relationships with people, your relationship with God.

I've spent some time in our VBS "town square" this week, and too many of the richest kids in the world are poor in the things of the Spirit. We're doing everything we can as a church to help them understand what a priceless gift God's love through Jesus Christ is, but nothing would make more of an impact than a mommy or daddy, aunt or uncle, grandmother or granddaddy, teacher, librarian, fireman or friend in love with Jesus Christ.

Make a decision. Live the life.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.