Daily Treasure

Remember to pray for the National Retreat in Branson, MO.

“And Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth good. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 3:18-19a).

As we progress further into our study, we will see how being faithful to the call of God will open opportunities for us to either mentor or look to be mentored. Samuel had a good mentor in Eli. Eli was one Samuel could trust and pour his heart out to if needs be.

Passing along what we have learned to our children or perhaps to other women will be an added bonus as we live a godly lifestyle. Women, we have a sphere of influence. We can make use of it or neglect it. I’m very thankful for the “mentors” I’ve had along my Christian journey. They helped me grow as a woman, wife, and mother. Their examples encouraged me when things in my home might not have been as they should. They were there for me to share their experiences and wisdom. If you feel you need a “mentor,” seek out a trusted friend. In time, you may get the chance to be one to others.

Next week we will study about God’s “blueprint” for the “virtuous woman.” If we are going to be “builders” we must follow God’s plan. We have already discussed making our preparation by heeding to the call to follow Christ. Now we must begin our task in the home according to the details laid out in God’s Word.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray daily for the persecuted Church around the world.

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

Our verse today deals with Isaiah’s vision and his response to the call of God. We need to still ourselves in the presence of a holy God and catch of glimpse of Him the way Isaiah did. We will be humbled that an Almighty God would choose us to labor for Him. Some feel the role of the home is a lowly one, but one God has chosen to give us. We should walk worthy of our calling to be a “home builder.” The management of a home and the influence we have within it is indeed a calling from God. We cannot take this responsibility lightly. Our response to that calling should be likened to Isaiah’s, “send me.”

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Rejoice and give thanks; two more mission families have merged. Rachel, daughter of Jim and Sylvia Martin, and Nathan, son of Richard and Sandy Atwood, were recently joined in marriage.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 4:23).

Yesterday we learned one aspect of making choices. Today we will deal with a choice that is indeed ours to make. We must choose to surrender our will over to Him. This is something we may have issues with, but once He becomes Lord of our lives this should become easier. Denying ourselves and taking up our cross are areas we may struggle with from time to time. If we are going to do His Will, we must surrender all. God doesn’t call us all to go to the regions beyond, but we must be willing to follow Him as we build our homes, labor in our churches and witness in our communities.

If you are neglecting to spend time daily in His Word or in prayer, you may be missing His call as He calls us all to follow Him. Following Christ will make an impact on your home and the lives of those around you. You will never regret your decision to take that call.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Please pray for Sandy Stiles, speaker at WNAC National Retreat in Branson, MO.

“What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Whether to answer the call of God in your home, your community, or go to the uttermost parts of the earth, the choice is not ours if we have accepted Christ as Lord of our lives. Yes, we love Him as Savior, but our walk with Him doesn’t end there. We must be willing to commit to living a lifestyle that brings glory to the One who gave His life to save us. Before we can begin to “build,” we find two words we must be willing to accept. These words are “follow me.” Tomorrow we will learn more about this concept. These words are so easy to say, but, often too hard to commit to doing.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Robert and Judy Bryan will serve as missionaries in residence at Hillsdale for the school year. Pray for their classes and contacts with the students.

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1).

The month of September we will be dealing with the theme “Our Calling in the Home.” We, as women, experience a variety of calls in the course of a day. What about when God calls? Are you listening for that, or, are you screening His call? Are you taking the attitude, if it’s important, He’ll call back? Or perhaps are you just hoping He’ll leave a message for you on your answering machine? These are just a few questions to ponder as we consider our call from God.

God is calling you to be a builder of something very needful today. He needs you to build a strong home base for your family. Today’s verse says if you do this; consider yourself “wise.” The home is under siege by Satan today. Women, we need to be ready to answer the call to build with every tool God can possibly give us. To do otherwise is foolishly “plucking down” our homes. Whether you are a married woman with children, a single parent, a widowed Mom, or a single woman you have a household. God can equip you to be a great builder if you are willing to answer the call.

Sue Winchester

Missouri

Pray Together: Pray for veteran missionaries, Clint and Lynette Morgan, as they serve as Cross-Culture Specialists at FWBBC.

Acts 1:7 – “He told them, ‘You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s Business.'” I see myself as a fairly organized and structured personality, but I live with one of those wonderful people who is WAAAAAAYY more scheduled and driven. Sometimes in my life (and his) we see most of the interruptions to our schedules and plans as an irritation or an inconvenience. Sometimes all it takes is one little phone call, visit, computer glitch or spill to throw us completely and utterly off our courses and block our goals for the day, week, month or year.

Proverbs 16:9 says that it is the Lord who is directing our steps. Could it be that God is in charge of these interruptions and inconveniences, however minor or major they may be? Philippians 2:13 asks us to remember that it is God who is working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. Isn’t He in control?

What seems like a major veer off of our self determined course may indeed be in His perfect plan. Romans 11:33 compares God’s ways with the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God! His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out! His ways are higher than our ways – even sometimes beyond our ability to understand, yet I seem to always “know” the plan of action I am determined to take and if it gets messed up, well . . . that is just WRONG!

Many of our favorite Bible characters had their own life plans severely interrupted in the process of being used of God for greater things. Joseph went from favored son to foreign slave. Moses went from wealthy prince to murderer and lowly shepherd. David went from trusted shield-bearer to number one enemy. Esther went from humble Jewish beauty to ambassador for her whole nation. Daniel went from being a trusted advisor to a prisoner on death row, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, went from sweet and honored bride-to-be to the topic of scandalous gossip. God worked things out in His way and in His time for these men and women of God. Won’t he do that for me?

When things suddenly seem to go awry, according to my plans, I should fight the temptation to become discouraged or frustrated. I want to have the courage to pray for the spiritual awareness to see these interruptions as just a part of God’s sovereign plan for my day and my life. Challenge to myself – remember this unique perspective on kinks in my schedule and plans – pray that I can practice changing my attitude about such frustrations. Type A’s? Try it – you might like it.

Jan Clay

Indiana

Pray Together: Pray today for each home represented in your WAC group.