Daily Treasure

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal”  (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Today’s Scripture begins what many refer to as the Love Chapter.  For any gift to be effective, it must be bathed in love. Its use will prove meaningless without love in our hearts.   Our recipe for true joy and fulfillment will be missing an ingredient if we leave out love.

When we surrender to God’s will and accept the gift or gifts the Spirit gives us, we may think we must do more than unwrap them.  Yet, all we need is love and the willingness to allow the Spirit to equip us for serving God with our gifts.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Spend this last day of November recounting His blessings and thanking God for the gifts He’s given you. 

“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew  I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

“…the Corinthians were apparently seeking status through the exercise of the gifts that seemed to them to be more important.   Paul now shows the right way to exercise spiritual gifts—the way of love” (from the commentary in the NIV Study Bible).

Paul was going to show the Corinthians something that would surpass all gifts.  He wouldn’t call love a gift, but rather a fruit of the Spirit.  As with the Corinthians, Love will also be evidence of the Spirit working in our lives.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for development of spiritual gifts within young believers in mission churches in the U.S. Ask God to give home missionaries wisdom and discernment in developing leaders characterized by love.

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

One group of Bible scholars offer this reading of today’s Scripture: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of services, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”*

In spite of all the different gifts, the church can achieve unity if each one uses their particular gift for the good of the body. Never think any one gift is more important than the other.  Each is necessary for the church to function properly.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for unity within your church body. Ask God to give your pastor and church leadership wisdom to develop and utilize members’ spiritual gifts.

“Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone.  Obey his commands, listen to his voice and cling to Him”  (Deuteronomy 13:4 NLT).

I’ve been a word sleuth.  I’ve spent time in my Bible and time on the Merriam-Webster website.  What I read in the Word stopped me in my tracks.  What I discovered in the dictionary concreted His command in my heart and head.

I understood the word serve.  It’s the doing part required of His kids—the acts, deeds, hands-on moments in the field.

I understand the word obey. I don’t always carry it out, but I do understand it.  It’s also the doing part of being His…the doing it when He asks—no sooner, no later.

I understood listening.  That’s another word on which I have a competent grasp, but not a working knowledge of—on any level whatsoever. But I’m working on it.

Cling?  I know what it is to cling to God during a storm.  I’ve experienced clinging to God when the boat’s about to capsize.  I thought I understood clinging—I do it whenever times are tough and my efforts are limited.  But Merriam-Webster has opened my eyes to the depth of its meaning.  May I share?

cling: –a) to have a strong emotional attachment to or dependence (he clung to his friends for support) b) to remain or linger as if resisting complete dissipation or dispersal (the odor clung to the room for several hours).

The second part of the definition is what I want my life to imitate.  I want to resist being spread out too thinly in the world.  I want to linger in His presence as long as I possibly can before the excitement, enthusiasm and zeal fades or is erased by outside influences.  I hope to be so completely full of Christ that no part of myself remains at all.  I want to refuse infection by the world, by my desires, by what I believe is best, easy or makes me look good.

Serve.  Obey.  Listen.  Cling.   Hmmm.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Pray that believers will truly anticipate Christ’s coming.

“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you!  But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all? asks the Lord Almighty”  (Malachi 1:9 NLT).

I see it almost every day in the lives of those wanting God’s blessing, but not willing to give up themselves and their desires.  I hear it repeatedly in prayer requests and the ho-hum attitudes of those stating, “Well, I know what I should be doing, but….”  I experience friends and family members who would love nothing more that God’s richest offerings in their lives, but they continue to allow sin to block the blessings.

Want to live the fullest and most rewarding life available to you?  Give up the sins that are barriers between you and God.  Want to live a life that reaps bounty and blessings, if not in this life, then in the one to come?  Separate yourself from evil desires and ungodly ways.

Need mercy?  Need grace?  Need strength?  Need peace?  Then make sure there’s nothing, nothing at all, blocking the relationship between you and God.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that God would begin to prepare hearts to attend the many Christmas outreach events planned by churches throughout the world.

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).

Some things bear repeating: by now we should have this clear in our minds.  We don’t all have the same gift, but we all have the same Spirit.  Today’s Scripture passage lists some of the gifts.  The same Holy Spirit who endows the gifts determines who gets what gift or gifts.  We should completely trust the Spirit’s decision.  God will enable and equip us to use your gifts.

Our Treasure study writer states “The proper niche for our spiritual gifts, as well as when and how to use them appears a matter of personal stewardship. When too many things compete for our attention, we would do well to choose those activities that fall within the confines of our spiritual gifts.”

Next week we will wrap up our study by highlighting key points.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: On this Black Friday, pray for WNAC finances.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The NIV Study Bible states: “Every member of the body of Christ has been given some spiritual gift that is an evidence of the Spirit’s working in his life. All the gifts are intended to build up the members of the Christian community. They are not to be used for selfish advantage, as some in the Corinthian community apparently were doing.”

I think by now we have gleaned the why of spiritual gifts. The Living Bible states “The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”

We are entrusted by the Spirit to use our gift or gifts to profit the church.  What a wonderful privilege we have to be given gifts to use for God’s glory.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Today is Thanksgiving. Spend time in praise, thanking God for the spiritual gifts He has endowed you to profit the church.