“A story is told about William Randolph Hearst, the late newspaper publisher. Hearst invested a fortune in collecting great works of art. One day he read about some valuable pieces of art and decided that he must add them to his collection. He sent his agent abroad to locate and purchase them. Months went by before the agent returned and reported to Hearst that the items had at last been found—they were stored in his own warehouse. Hearst had purchased them years before.”²

Sometimes we get so bogged down with the busyness and pressures of life, with the abundance of things we possess, and/or with unresolved baggage from the past that we are either unwilling to claim, unable to appropriate, or simply unaware of the riches in Christ Jesus that God has for us.

We’re not talking about material riches that clutter many of the lives of those of us who live in the West, but about riches of a far greater kind, such as peace with God, forgiveness of our sins and wrongs, freedom from guilt, the assurance of eternal life and a home in Heaven, and the journey in the “here-and-now” to growth, inner healing and wholeness.

God has all these riches [blessings] and many more for all of us. But it’s up to each of us to claim them. To discover what they are, it helps to read and study God’s Word the Bible.

“Suggested prayer: “Dear God, deliver me from the barrenness of a life that is too busy, a life that carries too much baggage from the past, and from the curse of being controlled by materialism. Help me to make my peace with You through Jesus Christ, to resolve every impaired relationship, and to find inner peace, healing and wholeness as You promised to all who truly want it and put their trust in You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. The Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:19, NIV).
2. From Our Sufficiency in Christ by John MacArthur, Jr.