Treasure in the Hand of Believers

When some people are close to the corridor of power of the rulers in the government, or in another high ruling cadre in life, they say, “We have connections!” They are very proud of the connections they have. They are so sure and dependent on these “connections” they beat their chests in assurance of many advantages and opportunities that can come forth from the connections. They jealously guard the relationship so that their “connections” will not be severed. Surprisingly, the spiritual connections of the children of God are not upheld with as great an intensity. In fact, we consider it to be far fetched. Or better still, not easily attainable, partly because we do not see God face to face. The word of God did not leave us in darkness over this. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) In the time of need, we wonder in our agony, “Where will our help come from?” At times, we cry as if the end has come. Many people in the Bible were in the same trauma of life until they discovered the important treasure in their hands which is the connection they have with God. Before we go into details let us consider an understanding of some important facts.

THERE CAN BE NO CONNECTION WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP

A connection cannot take place on its own. In the activities of man, some people are connected because of blood relationship. Some people are close because they are friends from childhood. Some become connected because they are members of the same party or club. Some on the other hand are connected because they are business partners. The people that are interested in connections seek other people that are already connected in order that these people may introduce them to the person they intend to be connected with. There can be no connection without a relationship. When man fell from grace to grass in the Garden of Eden, in the spiritual depravity of man, God sought man so that we may have relationship with Him. From Abraham through his generation that were vessels of honor unto God, up till Our Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate vessel of righteousness, we can trace all the efforts of the Father to connect man to his former position before his fall. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7) The Father/son relationship we have with God today was brought about by the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son who died instead of us on the Cross of Calvary. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:5-6) The blood is the Heavenly seal upon our relationship with God. That is why when we come to the Throne of Grace in our prayers, we have assurance that God, in His Majesty, will give us an audience. God recognize us immediately because we bear the mark of the blood of Jesus Christ. When He sees the blood, He identifies us with Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ relates us to God. This is our connection. The connection of the world may not last, but connection with God lasts forever unless we severe the relationship ourselves.

When God uttered His promise to His adopted children by the blood of Jesus Christ, “I will be with you,” He meant every detail of the statement with all the mightiness of His strength.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior; . . .” (Isaiah 43:2-3)

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised. (Genesis 28:15)

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. (Deutronomy 20:1)

Let us consider what is going on around us today. The important dignitaries and the people that matter in our society are always under the watchful eyes of the government protective agencies. Wherever these dignitaries go, the secret service will be there before hand to prepare the ground. They will have mapped out their protective logistics to ensure that nothing evil befalls the leader. In His faithfulness, God does more than all these things for His children. King David put it beautifully in Psalm 121:1-8Psalm 121:1-8
1. I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?
2. My help comes from the Lord, the Mater of heaven and earth.
3. He will not let your food slip – he who watches over you will not slumber;
4. indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber no sleep.
5. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6. the sun will not harm you by day, not the moon by night.
7. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life;
8. the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. His watchful eyes is always upon His children. “He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber not sleep.”

In the world today, you cannot lay claim over a treasure unless you have right of possession on the treasure and it can be identified with you as a rightful owner. In the same way, you cannot lay claim upon the divine presence of God as your possession if God cannot identify you as His own and if you cannot be identified with God as His son. The son that identifies himself with the father is a beloved son. The son that recognizes his father, and the father recognizes out of thousands, is the precious son. God wants you to be identified with Him. He wants you to recognize Him as the Vine and He will recognize you as the branch. He wants you to establish a relationship with Him. Your relationship with God will bring about the divine registration of your name in the book of life. After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my on heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13: 22) David recognized God as His God and the Almighty God recognized him as His son. You have to establish your position in His presence. You have to be identified with God in obedience and righteousness so that your spiritual connections can be established.

THE WEALTH OF BELIEVERS

The wealth of a believer is not measured in terms of the money you have in your wallet or in your bank account. It is not measured in terms of the value of your stocks on the Wall Street. It is neither the valuable and invaluable assets you have amassed that constitute being rich. The wealth in the hand of a child of God are far more valuable than these. The wealth of the Children of God is measured by the closeness of the presence of God in our life. Whoever God stands with is more than a majority. God, being the Creator of the universe, owns everything we consider wealth and that includes us. It is measured by the peace that passes all understanding that became our portion by His mercy. It is being measure by the fact that we are alive, hale and hearty. It is being measured by the amount of appreciation we can graciously express in our praises unto Him for every opportunity that God had made available to us. Every detailed aspect of our lives is to glorify God. Whenever we are nursing our helplessness, we cannot behold the glory of God in our live. Nevertheless, if we can behold the presence of God with us in our situation, when we faithfully concluded that, “no matter how deplorable our situation may seems to be that God is there with us. God will honor the glory you have ascribed to His name. He will do a new thing in your life that will further establish your faithfulness in Him that will justify the glory you have ascribed to Him.

WHAT MAKES US STAY CONNECTED WITH GOD

It is one thing to establish a relationship; it is another thing to maintain the connection. In order that a relationship will not be severed, the rules guiding the relationship must be upheld and adhered to. The same applies in our relationship with God. The pillars of the rules guiding the relationship of God with Israelites are stated in the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:2-17) The same was summarized as the golden rules for Christians when a lawyer asked Jesus Christ question to tempt Him. “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40) The further analyses of the commandments of God are all over in the pages of the Bible.

Obedience to the instruction of God is one of the ways we can stay connected to our Creator. Saul the son Kish was the first anointed king in Israel. God sent to destroy the sinners, Amalekites with all their belongings utterly. He did destroy them but Saul and his men brought the plunders to the camp of the children of God for sacrifice against the commandment of God. For this reason God rejected him from being the king in Israel. (I Samuel 15:11, 17-23) Jesus Christ said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in they name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom . . . (Psalm 111:10) A quotation from “Go to the Ant” a book written by Michael A. Eleyinafe, “Without the fear of God in the mind of an individual, his life would become chaotic because of worldliness, empty because of spiritual poverty, desolate because of the pain and sorrow that sin brings. The fear of God should not be misconstrued for being afraid of the punishment that sin would bring forth. Although, an unrepented sin will not go unpunished, but the fear of God means the opposite. It means the love that we have recognized that God has for us that daily encourages us to be like Him. It is a link within our relationship with God that we will not allow anything to severe. The fear of God is the scale that weighs our action and evaluates our thought. It is the control that bridles our tongue and utterances. It is the divine molding mechanism that daily shapes our lives according to the will and expectations of God. On the other hand, it is a self-examination question that we always ask ourselves at every point of decision, “Will God be happy in watching me to do this evil?” “What will be the value of your gain compared with the weight of grief upon the hearts of people you directly or indirectly perpetrated the evil?” (Deutronomy 10:12-13Deutronomy 10:12-13
12. And now, Israel, what doeth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?)

In our days, uprightness and integrity of mind seems to be an unattainable. Whichever way we look at it, it is still one of the yardsticks with which God measures the attribute of His servants. The Psalmist said, “For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; non of his steps shall slide.” (Psalm 37:28-3) He went further in Psalm 97:11 and said, “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”

One of the attributes of God is faithfulness. The one thing that is impossible for God to do is breaking covenant. “By two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie. . .” (Hebrew 6:18) In order to stay connected with God, He expects us to be faithful. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrew 11:6) Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrew is known as Hall of Fame of the Faithful in the Bible. The faithfulness of the Patriarchs set them apart and made them unique in the hand of God. They knew who had called them they stayed connected and the covenant of God became manifested in their lives. The same faithfulness is expected of those who want to be closed with God.

The Bible admonished to pray without ceasing. (II Thessalonians 5:17) The purpose is not only to praise God’s name or to register our petitions and needs before the Throne of Grace. The intention of God in our lives concerning this commandment is that there may be a consistence flow of communication between our Father in Heaven and us. When we read the Bible and meditate therein, we will understand the ways of God and we will be able to flow in the knowledge and understanding of His word. When we pray to God, He will understand our pains and needs and with His mercy, those needs will be met. This two-way communication between us enhances our ability to come to the presence of God with pure hearts. In between our understanding of His words and our prayers, we see our sinfulness in the mirror of God and we seek His face for forgiveness. In this way, we stay connected with God because His mercy endures forever. This reminds us of the fellowship of God and man in the Garden of Eden at the beginning before the fall of man.

Other Christian attributes that can make us connected with God are not stated here. Add your own list. You can as well share your thought with other.

GOD BLESSES US WITH THE TREASURE IN OUR HAND

A righteous man with his possessions, whether abundant or little, is like a living seed with potential to germinate, to blossom and bear good fruit, if it is sowed in a good ground. In the relationship of God with man, the trail of his mercy and blessing over us is the acknowledgment of His mightiness. It is the glory we give to Him in our appreciation. It is His pleasure that we are prosperous in all our ways. He feels honored when we trust Him concerning our needs. He feels glorified when His divine blessings manifest in our lives.

God uses the treasures in the hand of a righteous man to bless him. An insignificant treasure in the hand of a righteous man is as effective as dynamite. It endures for the glory of God and it is always sufficient for the purposes it is applied. The unseen treasure in the hand of a righteous man is the presence of God. Some of us do not see that as treasure. They look at this as a relationship. Which ever way we look at it, it is the same.

God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” Moses replied. That is the beginning of the dramatic transformation of the staff in the hand of Moses. Moses was the shepherd of the flock of Jethro, his father in law. The insignificant staff he used in the field to control the sheep and cattle became a devastating weapon when the presence of God with Moses became manifested. The rod in the hand of Moses became a rod of assurance that manifested signs and wonders. It convinced the Israelites that Moses was truly a chosen servant of Almighty God. (Exodus 4:2-5Exodus 4:2-5
2.Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" A staff," he replied.
3. The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
4. Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
5. "This," said the Lord, "is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has appeared to you.") Even in the presence of the hardhearted Pharaoh, the staff in the hand of Moses turned into a snake and swallowed the snakes of the magicians who tried to trivialize the signs and wonders the staff represented. (Exodus 7:8-12Exodus 7:8-12
8. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
9. "When Pharaoh says to you, "Perfom a miracle," then say to Aaron, Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.
10. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded.  Aaron threw his staff down in fron of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.
11. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same by their secret arts:
12. Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake.  But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.)

The staff of Moses became a rod of judgment upon King Pharaoh and his kingdom for his wickedness and his hardheartedness. Every rejected plea of “Let my people go,” of Moses brought forth judgment upon the king and his kingdom. Nearly all the judgment of God upon the Egyptians was connected to the usage of the staff of Moses.

• The water in Egypt was turned to blood (Exodus 7:19-20Exodus 7:19-20
  19. The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take yourstaff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt - over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs - and they will turn to blood.  Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.
  20. Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and sturck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.)

• The frogs evaded the nooks and corners of Egypt. (Exodus 8:5-6Exodus 8:5-6
  5. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'"
  6. So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.)

• The plague of gnats engulfed Egypt (Exodus 8:16-17Exodus 8:16-17
  16. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats."
  17. They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats camd upon men and animals. All the dust throught the land of Egypt became gnats.)

• The swarms of flies overtook Egypt (Exodus 8:20-24Exodus 8:20-23
  20. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, "This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
  21. If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses.   The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are.
  22. "But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I the Lord, am in this land.
  23. I will make a distinction between my people and your people.  This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.")

• The plague on livestock (Exodus 9:1-6Exodus 9:1-6
  1. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me."
  2. If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back,
  3. the hand of the Lord will bring terrible place on your livestock in the field - on you horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats.
  4. But the Lord will make a distinction between the live stock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.
  5. The Lord set a time and said, "Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land."
  6. And the next day the Lord did it. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.)

• The plague of festering boils (Exodus 9:8-12Exodus 9:8-12
  8. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh.
  9. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals through out the land."
  10. So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals
  11. The Magicians  could not stand before Moses because of theboils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.
  12. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.)

• The unprecedented hailstorm came down over Egyptians (Exodus 9:22-24Exodus 9:22-24
  22. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt - on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.
  23. When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground.   So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt;
  24. hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth.  It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.)

• The unprecedented evasion of locust over Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15Exodus 10:12-15
  12. And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything frowning in the fields, everything left by the hail."
  13. So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind flow across the land all that day and all that night.  By morning the wind had brought the locusts;
  14. they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague or locusts, nor will there ever be again. 
  15. They covered all the ground until it was black.  They devoured all that was left after the hail - everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees.  Nothing green remained on the trees or plant in all the land of Egypt.)

The same staff in the hand of Moses and the divine presence of God paved the way of deliverance from the Egyptians in the Red Sea for the Israelites. (Exodus 14:15-16Exodus 14:15-16
15. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
16. Raiseyou staff and stretch out your hands over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.) The same staff was the instrument of provision of water for the Israelites in the desert of Rephidim.(Exodus 17:4-6
4. Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? Thy   are almost ready to stone me."
5. The Lord answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people.  Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.) And lastly the same staff was the staff of victory against the Amalekites. (Exodus 17:9-13Exodus 17:9-13
9. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites.  Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff and God in my hands."
10. So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11. As long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12. When Moses hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.  Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
13. So Joshua overcame the Amalekites army with the sword.)

The Widow of Zarephath was only left with a “handful of flour and a little oil in a jug.” In fact it was the last meal she intended to make for herself and her son after which they would die. God does not need a lot to bless His children. That little and unworthy treasure was enough to cause the miracle of God to manifest. The man of God, Elijah, told her, “Don’t be afraid. First make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’” (I Kings 17:13-14I Kings 17:13-14
13. Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
14. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.") According to the word of God, the little resources sustained them through out the famine period in the kingdom of Ahab.

A little cloud as small as a man’s hand sighted at the seventh time of watching of Elisha, the servant of Elijah, made the difference between the three and half year drought in the kingdom of Ahab. I Kings 18:43-44I Kings 18:43-44
43. "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
44. The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you."

When the disciples of Jesus Christ reported that there were only seven loaves, Jesus Christ bid the multitude to sit on the ground because the "little" is enough for the glory of God to be manifested. (Mark 8:1-8Mark 8:1-8
1. During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples to him and said,
2. I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
3. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some have come a long distance.
4. His disciples answered, But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"
5. "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.
6. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so.
7. They had few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.
8. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.) Jesus Christ took the seven loaves and gave thanks - a clear sense of appreciation. It is not only a lesson that we should thank God before and after our meal everyday. More importantly, it is a lesson that we should thank God for "little," those things we considered insignificant. It means that in any situation we may find ourselves we still need to see that the divine presence of God is there with us. We need to show how appreciative we are for what He is doing in His own ways to accomplish His divine purposes in our lives.

The multiplying effect of the little treasure in your hand is the fruit of compassion of God towards us. It is cultured in faithfulness, flourished in trust and obedience, and launched out in thanksgiving. Anytime you apply this spiritual principle to your material situations, whatever may be its nature, you will experience the mightiness of God in your "little."