Daily Treasure

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).

About the best example of a darkened place is a cave. You may have been there in a group with a good guide, but still felt afraid. What a welcome sight to see some glimmer of light. When we walked in the darkness of sin, we needed God to shine His Light on our darkened soul. Once we believed in Him and repented, He warmed our soul with His redemptive light. What a joy to know we don’t have to stay in the dark.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: If God were on your cell phone speed dial, what number would He be? Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Begin now; call His name.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

In our study of the various phases of light, we have used this verse before. Often times we must be brought to this verse again. God prompts us to remember He is the light and to keeping walking in His light .  He will guide our steps with the assurance we won’t stumble around in darkness.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Can you recall any of your pastor’s sermon yesterday? Pray that God would engrave truths from His Word on your heart and empower His messenger to deliver them.

“Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you.  Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching.  What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor”  (Proverbs 1:8-9 NLT).

Not until I had a small, red, wiggly baby placed in my arms did I realize the capacity this verse held.  Sure, I was a daughter and had parents to whom I was accountable and to whom I owed the deepest of respect and obedience—but having my own?  Having my own child has raised the bar on this power-packed proverb.

There is an endless list of things I’ll never be able to provide for my son.  Monetarily, my hands are tied in so many ways.  We’re not a family of amassed wealth or fortune.  Wants often, and I repeat often, are neglected because needs must be procured.  Gifts I’d love to shower upon our boy remain in the store until a bigger paycheck or a special occasion.  And then I re-read Scripture like the one above and realize the great prize I can provide my child.

I have the potential to raise a king.  I have come to the conclusion that what I give him will never be as valuable as Who I direct Him to.  In wearing the hand-me-downs of my faith, until he has come into his own, I’ll be passing along a relationship with my Savior.  In my commitment to discipline and training him in obedience, I prepare him for a gloriously rich future.  With determination and fortitude I can stand my ground and insist that he not fall short of the marks I set for him to hit when it comes to respect and right living.

To crown my son with grace and clothe him with honor—what more could a mother provide?
Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: We hear a lot about getting our of our comfort zones. Here’s one comfort zone in which we can remain. Read John 15:9 and Romans 8:38-39. Thank God today for the secure comfort of His love.

“Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child!  And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you”  (Galatians 4:7 NLT).

Does that excite you?  Does it thrill you to no end to realize that who you are, and all you have, depends upon Whose you claim to be?

The world no longer controls you.

The enemy no longer binds you.

The old man no longer resides within you.

The future no longer looks bleak.

The past no longer weighs you down.

Power is available to you.

Grace has been doled out to you.

Mercy covers you like an expensive mink coat.

Strength is for the asking.

As His child, how are you living?  Taking advantage of your resources?  Tasting all the great things available to you at His banquet table?  Using the adoption papers as a Declaration of Independence from your captors?

If you’re not living it up, living large or living a life filled with blessings—well, it’s not His fault.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for the song/worship leader in your church as this person prepares to bring people into an attitude of sincere worship tomorrow.

“And when they found them not, they drew Jason  and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, one Jesus” (Acts 17:6-7).

As we serve the Lord, He keeps us in His spotlight. It may mean having problems as we take a stand for the furtherance of the gospel.  You may meet with opposition like Paul and Silas who often faced adversity. However, they made quite an impact on the people of their day.

We don’t know much about Jason and the other brethren. Obviously, Jason was on God’s side even if it meant being charged with treason. I read in one commentary that the accusation against Paul and Silas  was they had  “caused trouble all over the world. We can just follow their path of destruction as they moved from town to town, upsetting the balance and order of things, upsetting governments, over turning religions, rescuing slaves from spiritual bondage.”   Missionaries at home and abroad are “turning the world upside down.”  Will the difference the world sees in you, as you take a stand for the right, shake things up in  your home, community, and world?   Rock your world. Shine on.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Missionary families are not immune to marital problems. Pray for this need.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19-20).

The redemptive light of Christ was sent to this world.  We had been condemned to die in our sins so we did everything to avoid His Light. We needed God to shine His light on our hearts so He could show us the error of our ways.  We thought God had not seen our evil deeds because we kept choosing to walk in darkness. We weren’t trusting Him to fix our sin-darkened heart.  Once we transferred our trust to Him, He released us from our prison of darkness. By His love and mercy, He forgave us of our sins and made us a picture of His grace. He didn’t come to earth to condemn us, but to redeem us. Praise God we are now under no condemnation.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Know a missionary who is homeschooling? Say a special prayer today for this mother-teacher as she combines the two roles. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to pray today for her student(s) also.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Paul used the image of the lost wearing a veil. He drew a contrast to the veil Moses wore after he caught a glimpse of the glory of the Lord. The glory faded and the veil was removed.

For many who continue to embrace the covenant of the Old Testament, the veil covers their eyes and their hearts. When the lost allow God to shine His redemptive light on them, the veil is dropped. Then they can see His glory that will never fade.

Satan, the god of this world, works hard to keep minds blinded to the truth of the gospel so the lost cannot be transformed to the image of God.  As the archenemy of God, the devil doesn’t want people to see the True Light.  Whether he realizes it or not, his days are numbered.

We must realize the urgency of spreading the gospel because ours are numbered as well.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Know a missionary who is homeschooling? Say a special prayer today for this mother-teacher as she combines the two roles.