Daily Treasure

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

We are to be faithful stewards of  the special abilities God gives us. Don’t hoard them. Use them to minister to the needs of others. Alfred Barnes’ notes on the Bible offers these words of  commentary on today’s verse: “Even so minister the same one to another—in anything by which you can benefit another. Regard what you have and they have not as a gift bestowed upon you by God for the common good, and be ready to impart it as the needs of others require.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Today is Day 2 of 40 days of Prayer and Fasting with International Missions. Pray for God to reveal your sin and help you repent.

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according  to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the  proportion of faith” (Romans 12:5-6).

When I go to the gym, I can use machines to strengthen my body. By doing what is called “circuit training,” I can retrain my muscles. If I choose to only use one or two machines, I don’t reap the same results.  It’s in diversity that the whole body benefits.

The church at Corinth had many problems because of a lack of unity. You can look around and see churches today in the same shape. Paul was determined to help the Corinthian church. They needed to see how the Spirit endows diverse gifts for the needs of the whole body of believers. The whole body benefits by working together as one in Christ.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Today begins 40 days of prayer and fasting with Free Will Baptist International Missions. Pray for God to reveal Himself to you through His Word.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning””(James 1:17).

No matter what the occasion, we all love to receive gifts. The fact someone cared enough to shop, wrap and present something for us is precious to us. However, these gifts are temporal.

The fact God went to extra lengths to give us the greatest gift of all—salvation—is priceless.  He even goes the extra mile by bestowing on us spiritual gifts and abundant blessings.

We do nothing to merit His giving. Everything we have, everything we are comes from our Creator. We can count on His faithfulness because He never changes.  Dr. Grant Richison further explains this concept: “God’s gifts to us are good because they come from His character and not from our performance. Because God is God, His gifts never lose their intrinsic (essential) value.  God does not stop giving to us when we fail Him. To insinuate that God is not good or generous is to misrepresent who He is.”

If we succeed as body builders it will be because God has given us everything we need to accomplish His will. Dr. Richison also said, “We love to take the credit for who we are and what we do. When we stop to think, we remember we operate by God’s unadulterated grace.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Each part of the body serves an important function.  Experiencing knee troubles?  Perhaps we don’t bend them enough in prayer. Father, today, we pray the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21 for your missionary servants around the world:
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

“I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven”  (Psalm 123:1 NLT).

Lifting your eyes may seem like such a small task to some of you. To me, it’s quite a difficult task.

No, it’s not the muscles involved.

No, it’s not the lack of desire.

No, it’s not that I don’t know my strength comes from Him.

It’s the shame that keeps my eyes looking downward some days.  The shame of what I’ve done.  The disgust over what I’ve chosen not to accomplish.  The stench of my actions and deeds surrounding me like bad perfume.

And some days, it’s my lack of worthiness.  Who am I to be looking in to the Creator’s face? Stepping into His presence?  Wanting His attention and power directed toward me, my life, my loved ones and my tasks?

Today?  Today the glory of Who He is keeps my eyes from looking straight at Him.  Like shielding my eyes from the sun, I cannot look directly at Him.  He is too holy.  He is too loving.  He is too righteous.

And then, in a loving moment, He stops the world, reaches down and placed His hand under my chin and directs my attention toward Him…and I am blessed, truly blessed, all over again.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER:  Pray for believers struggling with shame. Ask God to give them new eyes to see their identity, beauty and worth in Christ.

“My eyes are straining to see your promises come true…”  (Psalm 119:82 NLT).

It’s time. Yes, it’s time. Time for your vision to be screened, tested, scrutinized, monitored, checked—whatever you call it, it’s time.

You’ve been spending a lot of your time looking around in confusion. You’ve tripped up more than a few times looking back instead of forward. You’re eyes are red and bloodshot. They’re tired and droopy.

You’re wasting too much of life looking at things that shouldn’t even cause blips on the radar screen of your life: what your neighbor’s doing, where Satan might be next, who is not living what they’re preaching, scrapbooks of your life before Christ, behind doors that you’ve had to pry open with your bare hands and all the energy you could muster.  You’re looking to be disappointed, hurt, broken and left empty. You’re seeing more bad than good.

It’s time for me to fill you in on a little secret…your vision has been sorely affected.

The treatment? Glasses aren’t required in most cases. No eyedrops. No pirate patches. It’s all a matter of looking at different things.

Look into His Word. Look for answers to prayer. Look up. Look to Him for help. Look for the doors He opens. Look for blessings in the craziest of places. Look for Jesus in the hardest of people. Look to be lifted up when you step into His presence. Look for opportunities to lean on Him. See things through the excitement and enthusiasm of God’s grand plan. See the good in every situation. Look for the creativity of our Creator.

I’m not sure what’s better than 20/20 vision, but you’re on your way there if you take the psalmist’s advice.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER:  Thank God today for Home and International Missions personnel who cast the vision for effective sharing of the gospel. Then, look into that Walk-a-thon idea mentioned in yesterday’s Daily Treasure. Check with your local Mission Chairman for date and location or prayerfully consider organizing one for your area.

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”  (1 Corinthians 12:25-27).

I deal with chronic pain in my upper body.  If I only took care of what hurts, the rest of me would suffer.  It takes a blend of  treatment to make my whole body stronger.

As the Holy Spirit endows believers with spiritual gifts, they must remember these are given for a purpose. We blend our gifts so the whole Body of Christ will be strong.

In a church family, when one suffers, all should feel the pain.  When someone has reason to rejoice, they all should rejoice together. This will not happen if unity is lacking. Determine to use whatever gifts the Spirit bestows on you for the common good of the whole body.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Will you use your feet this year in an International Missions Walk-a-thon or other missions effort? Pray for those who will and consider participating in whatever way God allows.

“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.  For our comely parts  have no need : but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked” (1 Corinthians 12:21-24).

Our bodies are very complex.  Every part is necessary for wellness and wholeness.

The Body of Christ is similar, because every member is indispensable.  As believers we are all endowed with one or more spiritual gifts.  No member should feel his or her gift is unimportant.  The NIV Study Bible states “Christians in the body of Christ are mutually dependent as they exercise their distinctive functions.”   We should feel honored knowing we can be used of God. We may not feel as gifted as others, but in the Body of Christ we are all special and needed.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Have you had any organs removed or transplanted? Pray for those facing surgery today.