“Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the armor of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut asunder the bars of iron: And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” (Isa 45:1-3)

We stand at the gate looking at 2008 and wondering what it will hold. I believe there are many treasures hidden in darkness waiting for you and me to discover. They are not lying on the path but rather in the hidden places, requiring light and diligence to find. The treasures are not dark in and of themselves, but are hidden in darkness until someone brings them to light. Furthermore, we are not speaking of a single treasure, though that would be blessing enough, but treasures, expressing an incalculable amount, more than can be expended.

Two things I will solemnly tell you this year. The first is that there is great treasure lying undiscovered all around us, hidden in darkness, waiting for the light to come and reveal it. Will you be the light? It could be something like the great diamond find in Canada that rivals Africa. It could be an invention, a cure for cancer, alternative fuels, a software product, a book, a song or a new way of doing an old thing. I promise you this year, they will be found. That is beyond contestation. The question is… Will you be one who finds it?

That brings me to my second solemn point… I believe God wants to entrust those treasures to His children. But we have to be seekers, searching early for wisdom, watching daily at His gates. As we grow in Him and in His wisdom, we can be trusted with the treasures and they will be used to bless the world, not merely fill our bank account. Are you ready this year to receive the treasures of darkness? Then seek Him first and foremost. Pursue Him diligently. You will find along the way the treasures hidden in darkness reserved for such a time as this.

Should you manage by the numbers and utilize formulas or should you listen to God and build your business through relationships? If you chose either of those answers, you have fallen for the “right/wrong”, “either/or” game. It’s both. And there’s more.

If we rely only on numbers or formulas and we leave God out of the equation, or minimize relationships, then we error indeed. If we leave all the diligence and hard work up to God and just seek Him, expecting Him to deliver the big result, then we also error. It is both. We need to strike a balance.

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