Treasure Lost, Treasure Found

                                      (Matthew 13 and The Jesus Storybook Bible)

"God's kingdom is wherever God is king. Where he fills your heart with his Forever Happiness and you stop running from him and love him," Jesus said. He told lots of stories ("parables") to help them understand: "God's kingdom is like a hidden treasure. A man was digging in a field. He found a buried treasure. He buried it again, went and sold everything he had, and bought the field, and gained the treasure."
"Coming home to God is as wonderful as finding a treasure! You might have to dig before you find it. You might have to search, and give up everything to get it. But being where God is, in his kingdom, is more important than anything else in the world. It's worth giving up anything for! God is the real treasure."
God had a treasure too. A treasure that was lost a long, long time ago: his children. And he sent Jesus to regain his treasure. And Jesus would do whatever it took-- even if it cost him everything he had.

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Jesus,
You gave everything to win me back. I want to leave everything behind, like the disciples, and follow you, to gain so much more than I could ever find or keep on my own. Some of it is hard to give up. But I leave it behind. Help me to leave it behind. To find my security in your arms, in being your child, a child of the true King, the One who created the world, and me. You are my treasure.