Flea Market Bargain

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:162-168

Willow stood at the entrance to the flea market and gazed at the noisy scene. Vendors and customers were talking loudly to be heard, and booths full of dishes, toys, books, and furniture spread out through the whole building. “Wow! What a lot of stuff!” she exclaimed as she ran to catch up with her mother. “Are you looking for something special?”

“Aunt Helen’s birthday is next week, so I thought maybe we could find a candy dish for her,” replied Mom. “She likes old-fashioned things.”

“Yeah, she says they have character.” Willow pointed. “The booth over there has dishes.” So they went to look and soon found one they liked.

“I’m ready to go,” said Mom after paying for the dish. “How about you?”

“Can I look at those books first?” asked Willow, pointing toward another booth.

“Okay,” said Mom, “but don’t go out of this aisle. I’ll look at some other things along here.”

Among the old books, Willow found a big, tattered family Bible. If it’s old enough, it might be worth a lot, she thought. She checked to see how much it cost and found that it was only fifty cents. So she promptly bought it and went to show her mother. “Look, Mom. Do you think this Bible is old enough to be worth a lot of money?”

“Did you check the date in the front to see when it was printed?” asked Mom.

“I didn’t think of that.” Willow checked the date and was disappointed to find that the Bible wasn’t very old at all.

That evening, Willow showed her dad the Bible she had bought. “I thought I might be getting a priceless treasure, but I forgot to check the date to see if it’s really old.” She sighed dramatically. “It isn’t. The good part is that it only cost fifty cents.”

“Oh, but it’s still priceless,” Mom assured her. “It’s the Word of God, which is valuable beyond measure.”

Dad nodded. “The Bible tells us how we can have eternal life through Jesus, and it offers us guidance and encouragement as we go through life with Him. Mom’s right—even though you can’t sell it for a lot of money, you bought a priceless treasure at the flea market today.”

-Harriett A. Durrell

How About You?

Do you have a priceless treasure—a Bible? No matter what you paid for your Bible, it is valuable. The paper may not be the finest, and the binding may not be the softest leather. But the Word of God—which is written inside—is priceless. It’s full of God’s treasure—the truth and promises of Jesus. Read it so you can discover the priceless treasure He wants to share with you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

The Bible is true treasure