Around the turn of the 20^th century, my great uncle bought an exquisite necklace with a small watch on it in Paris.  The chain was embedded with amethyst and the watch was delicate.  He gave it to his beloved wife, my mother’s aunt.  Somehow my mother came to own it and much later it came to me with its original box bearing the name of the jewelry store in Paris and its address.  I have always thought it was a thing of beauty and treasured it because it was my mother’s and her aunt’s whom I  remember.  I used to wear it on special occasions.  But mostly I just admired it hanging on my vanity mirror.  Then in 2014, we were able to make an extended trip to visit our adult kids and their families on the West Coast.  (We were living on the East Coast at the time.)  I feared that in our absence if anyone broke into our home they would steal my treasure.  So I hid it.  In fact, I hid it so well, that I couldn’t find it on our return! I searched and searched, but to no avail.  I missed its beauty.  I felt like a failure because I had lost a family heirloom, but I had the comfort that it must be somewhere in my house. A year and a half later we decided to move to the West Coast to be close to our grandkids.  You guessed it, didn’t you?  As I was packing up our linen closet I found an ‘empty’ plastic box that had held wipes.  But as I was about to toss it, I noticed it had some weight.  Upon opening it, I was delighted to find my long-lost watch necklace!  When we arrived on the other side of the country it didn’t take me long to safely deposit it in our daughter’s safe.  I don’t get to look at it now, but it’s safe.  Do you think I made the right decision?

What if I told you that I have a priceless inheritance more valuable than my necklace that I don’t have to keep in a safe because this inheritance will never be in danger of being stolen?  (And maybe you do, too!)

“. . . and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” 1 Peter 1:4

What is most valuable and lasting is beyond the threat of loss.  It is safely waiting for us to enjoy at the right time.  

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  Matthew 25:34

We look forward to enjoying our reward in a perfect place.

“Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”  Colossians 3:24

But what about the here and now?  It’s wonderful to have the hope of a bright future.  But in the day-to-day grind, what can we expect?

“Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.”  Psalm 37:18

We can count on God’s own presence, his Spirit, to be with us. He reminds us that God will give us what he promised and that we are his very own.

“The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”  Ephesians 1:14

We can actually enjoy our inheritance in the present.  Our rewards and the full enjoyment of Heaven must wait until the next life, but we can enjoy the best part of our inheritance right this minute!

“Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.”  Psalm 16:5
“I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’” Lamentations 3:24

So what should we do with these incredibly happy-making Scriptures?  We do what we do with a gift- we accept them and enjoy them.  We savor the gift of God’s closeness on a daily basis.  We take time to admire God’s beauty. We treasure our priceless Inheritance, Jesus, who guides us through every experience of our lives. We don’t let fear ruin our enjoyment of him and his gifts.  We wait patiently for him to work everything out.  We rest in our secure relationship with him that he made possible not based on our merits.  We look forward to enjoying eternity with him.

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”  Ephesians 1:11

Watch necklace photos courtesy of L and M Martin

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