Unknown Riches
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
The following story and its subsequent application is just as valuable for us living today as it was when it was written. Sadly, many of us hunt for treasure that has been right in front of our face all of the time, but we either can’t (or won’t) recognize it as such:
Several years ago an old man living in New Jersey discovered about $5,000 in a family Bible. The bank notes were scattered throughout the Book. In 1874 the aunt of this man had died, and one clause of her will was as follows:
“To my beloved nephew, Steven Marsh, I will and bequeath my family Bible, and all it contains, with the residue of my estate after my funeral expenses and just and lawful debts are paid.“
The estate amounted to a few hundred dollars, which were soon spent, and for about thirty-five years his chief support had been a small pension from the Government. He lived in poverty, and all the time within his reach there was the precious Bible containing thousands of dollars, sufficient for all his wants. He passed the Bible by. His eyes rested on it, perhaps his hands handled the old leather-bound Bible, with its brass clasps, but he did not open it once. At last, while packing his trunk, to move to his son, where he intended to spend his few remaining years, he discovered the unknown riches which were in his possession. What thoughts of regret must have come to his mind. If he only had opened that Bible years ago, he then might have used the money to great advantage. Instead of it the treasure lay idle for thirty-five years. And he might have had it and enjoyed it all that time.
This is a sad story. But there is something infinitely sadder than the experience of this man. It is the neglect of the Bible by God’s people. Our God has given to His people a costly treasure in His own Word. In this Book of books the riches of the wisdom and knowledge, the love and grace of God are made known. All the child of God needs spiritually is to be found on its pages; all wants are there supplied. And yet these riches, put at our display by a loving Father, are unknown and unused riches. Instead of being enjoyed, used, and in using them multiplied, they are neglected.
Many of God’s people are dragging along in a spiritually impoverished state, when they might have all their need supplied and constantly increase in the knowledge of God. Occasionally we receive letters from aged Christians, including preachers. They tell us how they deplore the fact that they did not know certain truths thirty or forty years ago. “How different my Christian life and experience as well as my service might have been,” is what an old Christian wrote to us recently. And all this time these riches were in the Bible, they might have enjoyed them. Oh, the neglected Bible! May we arise and possess our possession (source).
—Faithful Words via the Montana Street bulletin