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A Prayer for Treasuring Jesus

     ”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be alsoMatt. 6:19-21 (NIV)

Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.Phil. 3:8-9 (The Message)

     Dear Lord Jesus, meditating on these Scriptures reminds me that the greatest determinant about what kind of year I’m going to have in 2014 has very little to do with my resolve, but very much with my riches. Whatever, or whoever, I treasure the most, that’s going to determine how I experience this New Year.

Irrespective of how much rapture or rupture this year brings—whether I receive a windfall of comfortable circumstances or a waterfall of difficult providences, what matters the most is treasuring you; for if you are my treasure, you’ll have my heart and, therefore, everything else about me.

You’ll have my affection, and therefore, full sway over my longings, cravings, and wanderings. You’ll have my tears, to show your mercy and compassion for the broken and heavy-hearted. You’ll have my laughter, to bring your joy and encouragement to the weary and exhausted.

You’ll have my fears, so I won’t give in to unbelief and the whisperings of the enemy. You’ll have my failures and burdens, so I won’t try to be my own savior, again and again. You’ll have my disappointments and hurts, so I won’t become preoccupied with relief or paralyzed with revenge.

Jesus, treasuring you is easy, for you first treasured us in the gospel. You weren’t so much a treasure we found in a field, as much as we were rebels you ran after and won for yourself. We make much of you, Jesus, because you’ve made so much of us by your life, death and resurrection. We embrace you only in response to your engulfing embrace of everlasting love.

Exponentially increase our capacity to love you, delight in you, and treasure you this year, Lord Jesus. So very Amen we pray, in your glorious and grace-full name.

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