Daily Treasure

“I will praise him for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14).

Man was God’s masterpiece. We may not comprehend the complex way we were designed. We can’t help but be in awe of the way God fashioned us. Every system and minute detail of the human body makes us realize we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We may not understand how it all works together, but, we do know how marvelous God, in His wisdom, is for making us so special. We must praise our Creator for His work of infinite power in our construction.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Please pray for elderly individuals who are leaving residences and moving into assisted living facilities. Pray that transitions will be smooth.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

The other parts of God’s creation were primarily spoken into existence. Not so with man. God was going to have a more active part in the making of man. Man was formed by God. God sustained him by breathing into him the very breath of life. Man was then placed in the Garden of Eden and divinely appointed to take care of all things within it. God made woman so man would have a “help meet.” The first couple was not only a match made in Heaven, their union was formed by God.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Students in colleges and seminaries need prayer as they prepare for the work God has called them to do.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).

In the verse that precedes today’s scripture we see evidence of the Triune God in the words, “…let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Man was designed to be the “crowning glory” of God’s creation. He fashioned him to be in His likeness. We could never begin to put into words our gratitude for being counted worthy for this to happen. Man was to be master over the rest of His creation of earth. Nothing else on earth was made in the image of God. We see in tomorrow’s verse how the creation of man was going to be the most special of all His works. We will find He is not only man’s Creator but also his Sustainer.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray as the First Free Will Baptist Church in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, holds its women’s meeting today.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1).

Please read the account of the Creation found in Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3. “The earth was without form and void.” It was a lonely and empty space waiting for God to speak into existence that first ray of light that would make God’s mighty works visible. We don’t know how long each day might have been, but, we find God did not rush through each day of creation. He placed everything in an orderly fashion no matter how many hours were in His day. He made it perfect to endure as long as He wanted it to remain. Think about each day of the things He created, not only for His pleasure, but for us to enjoy as well.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for pastors across our denomination as they prepare sermons and lead our churches.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:11).

It is hard to “feel” blessed when you “feel” persecuted, but God presents a clear picture in the Beatitudes. We are to hold to the promise that God blesses us even when we don’t “feel” blessed. His reward is far greater than anything the world has to offer. Trust Him and His promise for eternity.

Diane Conn
Tennessee

PRAY TOGETHER: Today is the National Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. Pray earnestly.

Have you ever thought about the fact that God has chosen you?

Galatians 4:5 “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”

Ephesians 1:5 “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure.”

Isaiah 41:9 “I have called you back from the ends of the earth saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart…”

1 Peter 2:9 “…for you are a chosen people…God’s very own possession…for he called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light.”

John 15:16 “You didn’t choose me. I chose you…”

The part that grips my soul is that He knew me and loved me before I even existed! My mother has often said that I always existed in the mind of God–this is true of everyone! How awesome that such a great and big God has chosen me to be His love, to receive His love and ultimately, to SHARE His love. This thought always brings my wayward perceptions into focus: God’s love becomes real to me in the reality that despite my fears, failures, and flaws; He still chose me. All women of all ages at one time or another have felt this deep and innate need to be wanted; usually we end up looking for it in our fathers, brothers, boyfriends, sons, and husbands. One of my favorite things about my Bible College Sweetheart is that he chose me! Of all the girls here at Bible College, he picked me out! There is truth in that our romantic relationships are the most genuine reflection of our relationship with Christ. Throughout the entire Bible, God uses the relationship between a bride and groom, husband and wife, as His analogy for His relationship with Israel and in the New Testament, the Church (all believers). The danger we face is when we lose our God-given identity to the man we are with, rather than the God we belong to. Think about it; God chose us and therefore we belong to Him. I love knowing that The Creator, The King of Kings–chose me.

Karyn Pugh
Student at FWBBC: Nashville, TN

PRAY TOGETHER: It’s not too early to begin sending in entries for the 2009 Creative Arts Contest. Pray many entries will be received before the March 1 deadline.

“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3).

Next week we will delve more into the account of Creation. For the six days God labored to complete the tasks of creation, He ended each day feeling good about His work. He even said things were “good.” Upon the completion of Creation, God sanctified the seventh day and rested. It wasn’t because He was tired or weary, but because nothing was left to be done. He concluded in Genesis 1:31 saying everything was “very good.” It was like placing His stamp of approval over His completed work. To commemorate His magnificent accomplishment, He rested.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Many home missionaries have significant health issues or ongoing health problems. Please pray for them as they press on to evangelize and plant churches.