By Matt Healy
It’s been said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure......
There are treasures I have that are invaluable to me, but they’re not man-made. These treasures were given to me during the hardest and darkest times of my life; there’s no price you can put on them, and there’s no taking them from me. They were a gift – just for me. Twenty-three years ago today as I held my stillborn son, there’s nothing good that would come from this, or at least what I thought in that moment. The truth is, that experience provided some of the greatest treasures I have ever found in my life.
Isaiah 45:3 says “and I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches, and you will know that I am doing this – I, the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by your name.” For a while, the pain of losing our baby was too intense to consider it being a treasure, but over time, God began to unveil His word in a new light and speak personal things directly to my heart, which ultimately led me to draw closer to Him.
We all know that treasures aren’t kept in open sight, they’re hidden, because they’re something of value, and like we just read in Isaiah, God wants to give you hidden treasures and secret riches..... Think of that for a minute. Secret riches from God, the one who calls us by name. Secret riches and treasures just for us. It’s personal, and that’s His nature. It’s not that He doesn’t provide them in the light at times, but the most valued treasures will often be given to you in the darkness. I won’t pretend that it’s easy, but I’m learning that those dark times are worth it. God doesn’t stay away from us when we’re down, He’s right there in the middle of it all and He never leaves us.
I think most of you have heard my story and I always vacillate on whether to share it or not, but there always seems to be someone who needs to hear it. Losing a child with no warning was painful, but God has since healed us and blessed us with other awesome kids. This day always resurrects the memories, but I have treasures to hold onto from this experience. As one who’s endured some dark times (even recently), let me simply encourage you right now. You may be reading this in your own dark time of life. You may feel completely out of control and may feel hopeless. You’re okay. As a Christian, you belong to God. Believe me when I tell you He’s there with you, so hang onto Him. Ask Him to show you the treasure, to speak to you and you’ll know He’s the one doing it. It may be immediate, or it could take some time to really discover that priceless treasure from God Almighty. Either way, He wants to show you who He is.
God is light, and light shines brightest in the darkness......
