Let the hunt begin! Did you know there is treasure all around you? All over our region (and in most places in America), there are containers filled with treasure waiting to be found! It’s all part of an activity called “Geocaching,” a sort of hobby that my family has come to enjoy. What is it? Simple. You download the Geocaching app. On a map, you see green dots where the containers are hidden. When you click on a dot, you learn the name of the container and can begin hunting for it using the GPS that is part of the app. As you arrive at the coordinates, you hunt in that area for the treasure. When you find it, you record your name in a logbook, take a small trinket from the box that has been left by others for you, and try to leave something small for others who will find the box in the future. Many of the “geocaches” are hidden in places with nice scenery or historical significance. Best of all, the fun is completely free (unless of course you upgrade to the “premium” version of the app!). But beware – some geocaches are more difficult to find than others!

 

Now, my favorite moment in the geocache hunt is that “AHA” moment of finally finding it! You have searched, you know it’s there somewhere, you see a spot that is promising, and there’s a box! You loudly announce your discovery and hurry to see what is inside as others huddle around you. And that is exactly the kind of moment God will multiply as we look together into Proverbs this summer. I have always viewed reading Proverbs as a kind of “treasure hunt.” Many of the Proverbs are sharp one-liners that make for good “refrigerator material.” They have been quoted throughout history because of their simplicity, memorability, and relevance. Sometimes you have to read a few, though, before you find one that you can really relate with on a given day or in a certain season of life. But when you find that one – wow – you know you need it. Even if it’s not easy to hear, you know you need to hear it and apply it immediately in life. And you have that “AHA” moment.

 

And so, church, this summer let’s go on a hunt! Let’s see what the Lord has waiting for us in Proverbs! Let’s discover not just the truth but what our lives might look like if we begin applying that truth to specific areas of living. On Sunday mornings, we’ll be discovering how to treasure righteousness, purity, peace, generosity, humility, our words, our future, our work, and more! I encourage you to join me each day in reading one Proverb for the next two months (in doing so you will read through Proverbs twice this summer!). I encourage you to join my family in working through a devotional guide that we have provided for you. It is designed as a 7-day devotional journey in Proverbs – something you can complete on a week of family vacation or stretch out throughout the summer. And, if you dare, I even encourage you to have some fun geocaching and even discovering more Proverbs along the way (more details on that coming soon!).

 

Now, let the hunt begin!

We have some gold to find!

 

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple… They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:7-10)