When I was in youth group we used to play a game called “Bigger or Better.” The idea was that every team started off with some innocuous object – a toothpick, a paper plate, etc. The goal was to go house to house and see if the occupants would trade that object for something that was bigger or better. You repeated this with each new object you acquired until time expired and whichever team brought back the biggest or the best item won the game.
It was amazing the things you could get in return for some worthless object. Much like a white elephant gift exchange prompts people to scour their closets for that long-forgotten treasure that they no longer desire, people would search their houses in order to find some object that would help us win. One time a team brought a toilet back. I’m pretty sure that they claimed victory that day.
The thrill of a treasure hunt is not new to this youth group activity. The lure of a forgotten gem buried and waiting for us to discover it is the stuff of fairy tales and real-life adventures. We like the idea that there is something of value just waiting for us to find it. It’s the excitement of finding a neglected $20 bill in your pocket, just magnified considerably.
Christians, however, often neglect to realize that we have far greater gems waiting for us in God’s Word. John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress is said to have remarked, ” I never knew all there was in the Bible until I spent those years in jail. I was constantly finding new treasures.” A dedicated, regular, and intentional reading of God’s Word is not just a “nice thing”for those who follow Him, but a requirement for anyone who wants to more thoroughly know the deepness of Who God is. And as the richness of His character is beyond our finite comprehension, His Word will constantly prove to be full of new discoveries.
Treasure hunters celebrate when they find the long-sought riches that they have been looking for. In much the same way, we should share with others as God reveals Himself through the reading of His Word. After all, there is nothing “bigger or better” than Him.
