Something to Treasure

The cool ocean breeze held a salty taste in the air as my shoes sank into the soft wet sand. As I knelt peering into the rocks, pebbles and broken shells, sifting them through my fingers, I looked for the crystalline, translucent treasures, agates. With a quick shout, Bryce pops his head up over the tide pool rocks, and declares he’s found another one. We are agate hunting. Sometimes we scour a rock field with others, hunched over, scanning the area before our feet like a War of the Worlds alien machine. This time we find ourselves at low tide in the midst of tide pool rocks that form miniature canyons with sand, streams, pebbles, and tide pool life.

Agate Hunting has become my favorite beach activity. In that suspended moment of time, with the waves, seagulls and wind orchestrating a symphony that carries my burdens, roles, frustrations, and responsibilities away with each harmonious note, I feel care-free, cleansed and child-like.

I feel a similar way as I think of this week’s devotional in Goodness, by Calvin Miller, “The Gift of Christ’s Righteousness”. As I reflect upon my righteousness, I am very mindful that my attempts at righteousness leave me carrying the burden and responsibilities of being “good” and fall short…very short of anything pure, clean and holy. It is only through the gift of Christ’s righteousness that I am lifted up above the muck, and grime of my human attempts at goodness…I am free, cleansed and child-like. Christ’s gift of righteousness, found in His sacrificial love, and displayed in His power on the cross, frees me from the burden of sin, guilt and shame. As an added benefit my anxieties, frustrations, over-concern of life responsibilities are carried away by the notes of His love. The Apostle Paul makes this claim in his letter to the Romans.

The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-24, The Message

A pure gift, now that is something to treasure. When you find this treasure, you can rejoice and proudly proclaim for all to hear, “I found it!” You can display this treasure to your family and friends, and live each day holding on to the gift of Christ’s righteousness. Rejoice, celebrate and live in the purity, holiness, power and freedom of Christ’s righteousness.