Daily Devotional for June 4

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June 4                                                      Matthew 13:44-58

Hidden treasure buried in the dirt. Nourishment concealed in
a net full of all kinds of fish. Value is revealed only by sorting
and sifting, digging and examining, saving and discarding. Such
is the process of discernment.

God considers the whole valuable for the treasure concealed.
God, slow to discard and careful to search out hidden worth,
values the whole catch, in all its variety.

We are called to do the same. We are called to consider care-
fully the whole of our walk with God before casting out what
seem on the surface to be useless events. Like the householder,
we are to examine what is old as well as what is new, for the
old holds the story of our journey. Remembering what is now
old tells us how far we have come and enables us to appreciate
our life, seen now from a new perspective.

Consider Jesus. To his childhood neighbors he was only a
carpenter's son. Unwilling or unable to search out the hidden
treasure, they focused only on the field of dirt, considering
it of little value. But some were able to look upon Jesus and
discern God in their presence.

Dig out of the field of your mind the memory of an event.
Think back to the time when it happened. Focus on the per-
sons, sights, smells, and feelings surrounding your memory
of it. Find the hidden treasure in it. This is your story. It is
what has brought you to today. By valuing it you will find
God in your presence as you walk forward into the future.

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From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989