My son, keep my words, and the treasure my commands within you. PROVERBS 7:1, NKJV
Driving cross-country provides an opportunity to see a lot of interesting things. Perhaps you’ve visited a famous national monument such as Yellowstone National Park. Or have you ever visited a famous national monument such as the St. Louis Arch? During one of our recent road trips, we stopped at a place called Four Corners located in the Colorado Plateau. There were no famous parks, monuments, or attractions. You’re probably wondering why this place even exists.
Four Corners is the only place in the United States where four state borders touch each other in one spot. The states are Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Canada also has a Four Corners, where the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nunavut meet, but that spot is hundreds of miles from the nearest road or railway and very hard to reach. When you get to Four Corners in the United States, there is a large concrete area laid out on the ground with a big inscribed circle. In the middle of the “X” so you can say that parts of your body are in four different states at the same time. Maybe it would be fun to call a friend, and when they ask you where you are, you could respond by saying, “I’m in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah! That would really confuse them. It was a unique place to visit, since X marked the spot.
In many treasure-hunting stories, X marks the spot. Our verse today says that God’s commands are a treasure we should keep close. We sometimes think God’s commands are rules that prevent us from doing things, but God’s commands are rules that prevent us from doing things, but God’s commands were given to make you happy and keep you safe.