Daily Treasure

Wow! It all begins…again. Doesn’t it seem like Christmas was just here and yet, here it comes again. Life is so busy and quickly flying by that sometimes we let it interfere with our fellowship with our loving Father. Don’t let the busyness of Christmas distract you from the Reason for the season.

Matthew tells us to seek first the kingdom of God. If all you can do each day is say a prayer and read one verse of Scripture…then praise the Lord!

Just remember to keep everything in order of importance…God first!

Diane Conn

Tennessee

Pray Together: Single missionaries need a special touch from God today. Pray for and encourage them.

In the book of Matthew, chapter 22, we find the parable of the wedding garment. A certain king prepares a wedding feast for the marriage of his son. While mingling with the guests, he notices a man who is not wearing a wedding garment. In the context of this story, there should be no excuse for this man to not be wearing the appropriate clothing. It is understood he would have had the opportunity to put on clothes that were proper for the occasion. This inappropriately dressed guest is bound and thrown out of the party. The message of the parable is that we can not enter the kingdom of heaven clothed in our own righteousness, but only in the garment of righteousness that is given to us through the blood of Jesus Christ. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought, “Man. What was that guy thinking? Of course he’s going to get kicked out. Why wouldn’t he wear the wedding garment in the first place?” And then my children remind me.

My daughter loves to pick out her own clothes. Her outfits usually involve several layers of pink—a dress over a shirt over a bathing suit over her pajamas… She waltzes around the house arrayed in princess costumes, sunglasses, hard hats—whatever she feels fits the occasion. As a parent, I can smile benevolently and indulge her in her creative fashionista whims. Until… It’s time… to leave… the house. That’s when it hits me—she really thinks that crazy outfit is her attire for the day. She has no idea why I would prefer she not go to the pediatrician’s office in short sleeves in January. Tears ensue. Some compromise is usually reached. We leave accessories at home and dress appropriately for the weather. The princess dress is chosen because it covers all the necessary body parts. Scenarios like this are pretty common for the parents of preschoolers.

While our everyday attire may be a superficial matter, trying to be clothed in our own righteousness is a very serious matter. If I feel that my super-awesome-sequined-working-the-soup-kitchen dress is enough to allow me entrance into the heavenly wedding party, I am sadly mistaken. Like my daughter, I may want to leave the house in a garment of my own creation. Like my daughter, the unfortunate wedding guest may have felt that whatever he was wearing was good enough, and he wasn’t going to change into an outfit that was forced upon him by “the system.” Although my daughter’s outfit may be sufficient enough to get her through our daily errands, my lack of proper spiritual clothing will not allow me into heaven. I must put on the wedding garment provided me. And fortunately, no matter what kind of crazy outfit I’ve got on underneath, when I submit to the authority of the King, I am totally covered by His garment. That’s all anyone at the wedding feast can see. Not my own righteousness, but His.

Annie Beth Donahue

North Carolina

Pray Together: Ask God to show you how best to study His Word in 2010.

“And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing” (Deuteronomy 24:22).

We’ve often heard or said, “But by the grace of God there go I.”  Remembering what your life was like before you were freed from the bondage of sin should be reason enough to help the needy. Maybe you weren’t homeless or hungry, but your greatest need was for a Savior. What if you faced all those needs and no one reached out to you? Where would you be today? I believe the saddest words ever printed in the Bible are, “no man cared for my soul.” (Psalm 142:4b)  Look around your community. Somebody needs you to care.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray for workers in restricted regions (North Africa and Southeast Asia) where Christmas is not generally observed as a holiday.

“That the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands” (Deuteronomy 24:19b).

Speaking of blessings, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Our scripture is like a P.S. to yesterday’s devotional thoughts. I also could have used the verse pertaining to casting our bread upon the waters as in Ecclesiastes 11:1. Obtaining a blessing shouldn’t be our motivation in helping others in our community. Giving from the heart is doing so with no regard of getting something back in return. Blessings are like bonuses. God bestows them often when we least expect them. More often than not, they are given at a time when we may be in need.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray for Jeff and Heather Goodman and daughter, Ava, as well as Josh and Ashley Bennett, HM’s new missionary team planting a FWB church in Marana, AZ.

“When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:21).

We see in today’s verse how the needy were taken care of in Old Testament times. Obviously, greed was not an issue back then. Many of us have more than we need, but, aren’t always willing to share any surplus. We may be comfortable in our homes with plenty of food for our tables. However, many in our prosperous country are homeless or go to sleep hungry. Be willing to take what you need and leave the rest to help the needy.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: FRANCE: Pray many people will buy an evangelistic calendar for the new year.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

There is much said these days about “religion.” Is yours just a formality filled with rituals or is it a relationship with God? Are you living a life of active obedience motivated by the love of God? Or are you just going through the motions of serving Him? Our verse defines “pure religion.” This will be evident as you put your faith into action helping those in need. Our “religion” will mean more than just having our name on the church roll. We may live in this old world, but, “pure religion” will cause us not to become defiled by its standards. Those around us will definitely see a difference.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray about who you can invite to share Thanksgiving with your family.

“She stretched out her hand to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy” (Proverbs 31:20).

As we get back to our Bible study, we see reference to our friend, “Ruby.” She is a busy wife and mother. She has a lot of responsibility and seems to prioritize well. Last, but not least, she’s not afraid to step out of her “comfort zone” to help those in need. Sadly, we tend to isolate ourselves, staying safe in our zone. I don’t think it’s because we don’t want to help others. I think fear and a lack of trust of people have come into play. Those things have taken over where faith and love used to be. Sure, we must use common sense when we deal with others in today’s society, but simple acts of kindness never run out of style. Step out of your zone and “reach out and touch someone.”

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: CREATIVE ACCESS: Pray God would send more workers willing to face the challenges and risks of working in creative access countries.