Treasures in Your Sack

Genesis 43:23: “But he said, ‘Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; ..”

 This verse comes from the story of Joseph and his brothers. His brothers had come to Egypt for grain, not knowing that the man in charge was their brother, Joseph- whom they had sold years before. After the men had bought grain and prepared to go back to their father Jacob, Joseph had ordered that their money be placed in their sacks of grain.

 Years ago, the Lord dealt with me on these words- “Treasure in your sacks.” What He was showing me was that it is in the ‘small things’, the everyday things, and the mundane things of our lives- it is there very often that we find true meaning and purpose in our lives. It may be in the least likely place that we find that “treasure” in our sacks--our sack life- our every day order, routine responsibilities--the treasures of His love, grace, loving-kindness, sacrifice and on and on.

I worked at an adult day care center for years. It was hard work but you could always find treasure if you looked. One time I was very busy cleaning the kitchen after lunch. I had my mind on what I was doing- probably complaining to myself about how routine and mundane the job was. A member approached me and spoke with me on her way out of the dining room. She began sharing some of her experiences as a young child. She told me how much she appreciated all of us and that she was writing her life story and we would be in it. She was such a delight to talk with. She brought a smile to my heart. She was a treasure in my sack that day- --there among the dirty dishes I found a jewel- a gem! I could have missed that treasure. I could have not listened and moved on. But God caused me to stop and listen. To stop and uncover the precious treasure in my sack.

There was a time early in our marriage when my husband and I became almost destitute. We felt God calling us to leave our jobs and go "on the road" to evangelize. God brought us back home in less than a year. We didn’t have jobs- no money, no food and we owed more bills than before we went. But the Lord blessed us and we never starved. We both ended up getting jobs. During this time I began keeping a notebook of every penny that was given to us. Every “little” gift, every meal bought every item of clothing that was given to us. The list began to grow and grow, as did my faith and thankfulness to the Lord. Yes, we had it rough, but God gave us treasures in our sack. He used other people as gems and jewels in our sack of life at the time. I thanked and praised Him for it and for all His goodness. It healed my wounded spirit at the time. It brought hope and joy into my life. I began to look for the little blessings, if there is such a thing. I began to expect it. It sowed inside me a heart of thanksgiving and a giving heart. I still have that notebook and every once in awhile I get it out and remember how God brought us through a very rough time in our lives. He put treasures in our sack.

Treasures in your sacks. Look for your treasure, your jewels and gems. They are there in the routine, the daily mundane things of daily living. It can be anything- a rainbow after the storm; a beautiful flower; a gorgeous sunset or sunrise. It can be a smile or a kind word from someone you may not even know. But God fills our lives with treasures—He fills our lives with jewels and beautiful gems from His throne room. I thank God for all the treasures that He has placed in my sack down through the years. And I still look and find them everyday. Treasures in my sack.

One more thing- look for ways that you can be a treasure in someone else's sack. It is wonderful to be blessed, but much better to be a blessing to someone else.