Daily Treasure

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

I have been amazed how perceptive today’s young children can be. The first years of their lives are formative ones no matter what you teach them. That should challenge parents to teach them right from wrong at an early age. Then build upon that foundation.

I mentioned this before. Women, you have a sphere of influence. Use it to teach your children things they will carry with them through life. If later on in their lives they stray, you have given them memories Satan cannot erase.

Women, you are called to build, follow, pattern, prioritize, cleanse, submit, teach by example, and train. Draw ever closer to God for the help and strength to walk worthy of your calling.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: “That You May Know His Calling in the Church” is our theme for October. Pray that God will be known in the church you attend.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. And fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1, 4).

Today’s verse first deals with children, then parents. The key to obedient children is found in the words, “in the Lord.” It is about children and parents being on the same page. If you, as Christian parents are raising your children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord,” there will be mutual respect. There must be one set of values to avoid confusion and discord. Tomorrow we will look at a very familiar scripture that tells parents of the importance of spiritual training in the home. This is helpful with kids learning early on what is good and right.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together:  October is National Clergy Appreciation Month. Pray for your pastor and send him a card of appreciation.

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21).

Like it or not, God established the order of the home. He ordained His plan for the husband to be the head of the home, the wife to submit to her own husband, and the children to submit to their parents. When God’s plan is implemented, there will be harmony. People today are quick to say, “You’re kidding.” When God’s instructions regarding submission are ignored, homes suffer. God never intended homes to be in the shape they are in today. Homes are more like war zones instead of havens.

Women, you have the awesome responsibility to be the heart of the home. There is a saying, “Man is the head of the home and the woman is the heart of the home.” I’d like to share what our study writer said about this tremendous task. “Our homes should provide that protection from the world, giving every family member a place where he or she is accepted. This is no small task. It will demand skill and commitment to offer such a haven. You will have to guard against attacks by the media, by over-full schedules, by well-intentioned friends, by your own selfish desires, and by the Devil himself! But intentionally protect those who share a home with you from the destructive and damaging chaos of this world system.” Women, this means we must fully surrender to the call and will of God.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray that spiritual maturity will increase among new families in home missions church plants.

“Be ye followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ hath loved us” (Ephesians 5:1-2a).

It is often said our families are the most difficult to win to Christ. What kind of example are you showing forth? Can your household see the love of Christ radiating in your life? Does your lifestyle help or hurt your witness? In other words, does your testimony speak louder than any words you could speak? Ponder these questions as you strive to be a witness to your family. We have the greatest example to pattern our lives by. The greatest part of our calling in the home is pointing our loved ones to Christ.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray that WAC programs will draw young women and challenge them to get involved in women’s group meetings.

“For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5).

As we enter the last week of our study, maybe there are areas of your life that need a good scrubbing. Perhaps you personally need a good house cleaning. As we consider today’s verse let us liken it to cleaning the various rooms of our home. Are there things in your life that are causing a buildup of filth and clutter?  We have a Savior who gives us second chances to clean, restore, or rebuild. This will lead to our fully surrendering to the call of God. This world may not be our eternal home, but how we live here will affect that inheritance.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray that both international and home missionaries will battle victoriously the spiritual warfare that arises.

PRAY TOGETHER: Remember Robert Bryan in prayer, as he travels to England to attend a Leadership Matters Course. This will assist him in translating the course into French.

Do you ever feel that you just can not “get a break” or “get a fair shake”? These are colloquial terms meaning we feel we may not deserve what life has handed us. Sometimes our circumstances are the direct result of the choices we make. Other times, it seems the world judges, then, sentences us unfairly. Psalm 11 addresses these issues. In verse three we hear the psalmist complaining about the collapsed foundation of law and order. We have all experienced this from childhood when we whined to our mothers, “It’s just not fair.” What peace and comfort come in reading on to verse four, “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.”  There is a higher court. The Judge sitting there is righteous and just and all His verdicts are correct. Whatever our circumstances in the “trials” of this world system, we can be assured the Lord still rules from Heaven.

Tracy Payne

Oklahoma

Pray Together: Pray for David and Kendra Dodson and their son Deacon as they depart for Montevideo, Uruguay, to start language school.