“The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46).

In these two short parables the Lord opens our hearts and minds to the surety of the Kingdom of Heaven. When we find God, it is worth selling all we are and have, to gain Him. Christ is the eternal treasure; He is the unfailing investment, which produces dividends in this life and the next.

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30).

Through Jesus’ direction, we observe there is more hope, joy and peace inside of God’s will, than in everything the world has to offer. The world offers us compromise leading to short-term gain, but Christ tells us to make sacrifices, with rewards in this present age and in the age to come.

Deep inside we all seek contentment and happiness, and in this quest we project our longings onto seeking better careers, relationships, positions of power, titles and express it through religious ambition. But Christ compels us to lay all at His feet and to find the genuine treasure in Him.

Selling-out to Christ does not mean abandoning all sense and responsibility, but to give all to Him, and to allow God to use all we have as He wills. Then, we must follow the Spirit of God, as He leads us into a life of stewardship, rather than ownership. Therefore, when we follow God, we may not have all which the world loves, (which we thought would bring us contentment), but we will have the Prince of Peace and the Spirit of Peace. As Paul testified: ‘As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing and yet possessing all things’ (2 Corinthians 6:10).

This is an excerpt from the book ‘Jesus Today - Daily Devotional - 100 Days with Jesus Christ’ by Paul Backholer and is used by permission.