“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)

As we begin this year, I want us all to be on the lookout for those things, those opportunities, those ideas, those riches God has hidden in secret places and which He is quite willing to reveal to those who carry His heart. It seems to me that it is paramount that we discover and carry God’s heart before we begin looking for His riches. In fact, finding His heart and carrying it is perhaps the greatest treasure of all and it prepares us with the wisdom to carry greater responsibility. If we were to find His riches without finding Him we have gained nothing and risked everything.

Jesus said “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Think of it is this way, when you find His kingdom, discover His ways and lay hold of His righteousness, you will have the keys to everything that pertains to life and godliness. When we grasp the laws of the kingdom and operate within them, “all these things shall be added to us.” So the first treasure to be sought is the knowledge of Jesus Christ. He will lead us into everything else we need that is directly tied to our calling. If you are called to business, get ready to learn witty inventions. Get ready to innovate. Get ready to see that which you have previously missed. Get ready to hear the whisper of God.

Some years ago my wife and I were having lunch and the Holy Spirit directed me to immediately go and make a particular investment. Without knowing the current price, the past history or the projected future, we followed the Lord’s leading. The person we dealt with asked if we were “in the know” because the price had just begun to move off its low where it had been for awhile. I just smiled. Smiled more later when it increased by over 350% in an environment where other investments were failing all around. Get ready folks… Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.