Daily Treasure

“But as or me, God will redeem my life…”  (Psalm 49:15 NLT).

Are you fully aware of what the word redeem means?  We sing about being redeemed in many of our hymns.  We read the word redeemed in several Bible verses.  Many of us have grown up knowing that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

But do we truly know what it means and, in turn, how much it should mean to us?

Redeem, according to Noah Webster and his colleagues means:  1 a: to buy back : repurchase <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repurchase>  b: to get or win back, 2 : to free from what distresses <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distress[2]>  or harms: as a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ransom[1]>  b: to extricate <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extricate>  from or help to overcome something.

Does the definition personalize it for you?

We have been bought back from our sins.

We will be free from what distresses or harms.

We will be extricated, if we haven’t already.

As for me, I don’t deserve it.  As for me, I could think of several others more worthy.  As for me, I wouldn’t have wasted time or energy on myself, knowing my track record.

And yet He did.  My life has been and will be redeemed.  To God be the glory!

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that many souls will be redeemed today in mission churches around the world.

“God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light”  (Job 33:28 NLT).

Today God whispers to my heart, “Purpose, dear girl.”

I have been created, formed, birthed, saved from the pits of hell, set aside, regenerated, mentored and guided by the Holy Spirit to shine a life-giving light in a dark world.

Hiding what I know about God under a bushel basket is not an option.

Allowing Satan to huff and puff and reduce my flame to nothing but a smoldering wick, is not an option.

I’m to shine brightly; I’m to shine radiantly.  I’m to shine with excitement, enthusiasm, anticipation and a feeling of accomplishment, doing just what I’m called to do.  I’m to shine with confidence, not in myself, but in the God who has set me to this task—really only a minute favor I’m allowed to do for my Savior.

I’m to shine where I’m not expected to shine.  I’m to absolutely glow in the places where light is least expected to be.  I’m to shimmer in the light of Christ on the darkest of days, through the roughest of storms and under the worst of conditions.

What about you?  Are you filled with light?  Are you properly responding to the fact that He has saved you from the grave?

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Elizabeth Hodges as she encourages and ministers to California Women Active for Christ this weekend.

“Enter into gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name”   (Psalm 100:4).

It may seem odd to end this month’s study with this verse, but, in spite of our infirmities or circumstances, God is faithful.  Miss Liberty started praising God immediately after her healing. I envision that she had been faithful to worship on the Sabbath for 18 years in spite of her infirmity. Her faith was honored and she was very grateful.
Praise and worship Him today for His goodness and  mercy.   Paul addresses this very well in the book of  Philippians.  If you have ever done a study on the life of Paul, you may wonder how he could pen these words found in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned , whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
This chorus to a gospel song, “I’m A Winner Either Way,” summarizes this principle.
I’m a winner either way
If I go or if I stay
I will still have my Jesus
Each passing day
I’ll have my healing here below
Or life forever if I go
O, praise the Lord
I’m a winner either way.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for our nation and for Christian legislators who constantly face moral and ethical challenges.

“Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.  Is any merry? let him sing psalms.  Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and he Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your  faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent  prayer of a righteous man availeth much”  (James 5:13-16).

A study on prayer on www.biblegateway.com offers some interesting thoughts. Since the study is quite lengthy, I will try to cover some of its highlights.  “For his (James) concluding instructions to suffering Christians, he dwells on the matter of prayer with three emphases: when to pray, how to pray, and why to pray. James’ first emphasis is on the diversity of circumstances for prayer.” Pray is the key that will unlock the answers to the questions posed in today’s verses.  We seem to pray harder when circumstances are bad.  “Is anyone cheerful or encouraged?  Like James’s  original readers, we might allow times of happiness to make us complacent, and so we would pray less.”  During those  merry times, we are to “sing psalms.”  Psalms were set to music and many of them are prayers.  “Pray in all kinds of circumstances. The habit of prayer should be, and indeed is, one of the most obvious features which differentiates a Christian from other people.”
(quote from Tasker, 1983.)  The study writer lists four principles for an effective prayer life (listed below with my comments).
1.    We should call upon the elders of the church for prayer. (This is an expression of our faith.)
2.    We are to pray in the name of the Lord. (This expresses our submission.)
 3.    We are to offer prayer in faith. (This dispels doubt or a lack of faith.)
 4.    Pray united as repentant sinners. (There may be a need for physical and spiritual healing)
“These verses, coming as the conclusion to all James has addressed in his reader’s lives, describe a healing of their relationships with God and with each other….Instead of judging each other, we will be driven to confess to each other.  Instead of desiring to place guilt on each other, we will become eager to forgive each other.  Instead of moving to criticize, we will move to intercede for each other….The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. …this reveals the vigorous expectation that God dynamically answers prayer.”
I close today’s devotional with one last comment from the study program on prayer: “Commit yourself to doing what is right without compromise; then you may rely on God in prayer for all your needs.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for former FWBIM missionary Sherwood Lee as he attends the funeral of his brother Gordon, today in South Carolina.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing, I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong  (2 Corinthians 12: 7-10).

We find in today’s verses the story of one who had a “thorn in the flesh.”  We may not  know what it was, but this kept Paul humble.  Paul asked  for this “thorn” to be removed  three times. God answered no.  Paul was going to have to live with the “thorn” the rest of his days. On the surface, this sounds harsh.  God will never say no and abandon you. He didn’t leave Paul either.  He assured Paul of that fact with words that would give him hope and strength. Paul had to be completely dependent on the Lord.  He gloried in his infirmity and times of adversity knowing the power of Christ would be upon him.

Today you may be battling some type of infirmity. You may have your own “thorn in the flesh.”  You’ve begged for Him to remove it. You have everybody you know praying for you.  As time passes, don’t get discouraged. God is still there and the same words He gave to Paul, He will give to you: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect  in weakness.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for sufficient financial support for the WNAC office—an ongoing need.

“And as he entered  into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests.  And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them,when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.   And  fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said.  Were there not ten cleansed?  but where are the nine?   There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole”  (Luke 17:12-19).
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines leprosy in this way. (The definition itself may seem very gross to many, but, you will see why all ten lepers should have thanked God  for their cleansing.) “A generic term applied to a variety of skin disorders from psoriasis to true leprosy.  Its symptoms ranged from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes.  For the Hebrews it was a dreaded malady which rendered its victims ceremonially unclean—that is, unfit to worship God (Leviticus13:3).  Anyone who came in contact with a leper was also considered unclean.  Therefore, lepers were isolated  from the rest of the community so that the members of the community could maintain their status as worshipers.  Even houses and garments could have “leprosy” and, thus, be unclean.   Jesus did not consider this distinction between clean and unclean valid.  A  person’s outward condition did not make one unclean; rather that which proceeds from the heart determines one’s standing before God.”

Christ saw the plight of 10 lepers.  He told them what they needed to do.  All 10 obeyed and were cleansed.  However, only one of the 10 turned back to give thanks and praise for his healing.

When Jesus told that grateful leper, “go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole,”  I imagine the grateful leper ran all the way home.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for missionaries Tim and Amanda York as they work with the deaf community in the Buffalo, New York, area and as they prepare for the upcoming birth of their second child.

“…and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him”  (Luke 13:17b).

What a scene in the synagogue—a miracle performed on the Sabbath, Jewish leaders in an uproar to their shame, and a praise and worship service to end  it all. Miss Liberty’s praise began right after she stood up straight for the first time after 18 years of suffering.  I can almost see her leading the praise service mentioned in today’s verse.
Have you ever been healed? How did you respond?  Who did you credit for your healing?  In the introduction of week four of our study we read: “While we are grateful for medicines and doctors, and while we can be thankful for the help of family and friends, we must not fail to say, “To God be the glory—great things He has done.”  You have been set free from your infirmity.  Do as Miss Liberty did.  Give God the glory.
To close today’s devotional, here’s another thought from our study: “In  our own lives, as well as in the lives of fellow believers, we should rejoice at the powerful works of God.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray diligently for Geneva Poole as she battles aggressive cancer She has now completed radiation treatments. Ask God to give her strength and grace. Pray for wisdom, physical and emotional strength, and peace for Brother Bobby as he cares for her, participates in the Marincek church, and continues to mentor young pastors and leaders.