Daily Treasure

“Yet though He did all this for them, they continued to test his patience.  They rebelled against the Most High and refused to follow his decrees.  They turned back and were as faithless as their parents had been…”  (Psalm 78:56-57 NLT).

I’m not sure what kind of childhood you were given, but mine was filled with wonder, love, peace and innocence.  I had the greatest family, the perfect place to grow up and continual opportunities to be filled with the message of Christ from the time I was born.  I realize not everyone has been blessed in this way.

As great as my growing up years were, I want even better for my son.  No, not more things, but a greater sense of being loved,  more amazement and the ability to be a kid for as long as he possibly can.

Parents are like that, aren’t they?  We always want better for our kids than we had.  This verse really puts that into perspective for me—I don’t want Isaiah to have my level of faith, I want to see him excel in his Christian walk, grow strong in his commitment to the Lord and never give in to Satan’s tricks and tactics.

I want him to have a deeper love for Christ than I possess.  I want to see him reach out and grab hold of more blessings than I’ve chosen to partake of.  I desire that he be filled to overflowing, at all times and in all ways, with volumes of peace and joy—-the stuff I’ve allowed to slip through my fingers as I’ve reached for the world’s offerings.  I want to witness my child experience miracles because of his faith in the Lord, not in himself or in his abilities, not like his mother has chosen to opt out of.

I want more for my child than I’ve experienced—in so many ways.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Thank the Lord for godly fathers. Ask God to strengthen commitment and devotion within the men in your church and burden them with the responsibility to be father-figures and godly mentors for all who need dads.

“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam”  (Genesis 2:22 NLT).

Ever Googled anything about ribs?  No, not the sticky, barbecuey type, but the ones from which the female population is made? Interestingly enough, without our ribs, we’d be nothing but floppy beanbags.  God creatively and uniquely designed our ribs to be just  strong enough to protect our most precious systems–our heart and our lungs.

And we, gals, are made from that tough stuff.  What might come your way today only God knows. But He’s created you to handle it—with His help, of course.

You can do it, fellow rib-sisters—whether it’s facing a giant, cleaning up around your house filled with blessings or knee-deep in raising your little rib-lets. He’s made you out of some tough material.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for young mothers in your congregation. Ask God to grant them “stress-reduction” as they prepare for church in the morning.

Read Acts 2:14-42.

As you read this exciting Scripture text, don’t you wish you could have been there on the day of Pentecost?  Peter would no longer be defined by his failures.  Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, preached and 3,000 souls were saved.  God used the lips that once denied Christ to boldly preach the gospel.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Indiana Woman Active for Christ meeting together for their annual state meeting today and tomorrow.

We find in Acts 3 the account of the healing of a lame man. It was Peter who, in the name of Jesus, helped this lame man leap for joy.  Peter made a comeback thanks to the grace of God. That gives us hope that in spite of any setbacks we face, Christ is there to help us pick up the pieces.

Dear friend, once you give Him those broken pieces, He will give you the power to do extraordinary things for Him…like Peter.

The words of the chorus in the beautiful song, “Sinner Saved By Grace” provide a great ending to this week’s devotional focus. The whole song vividly describes Peter and us, today. We, too, are nothing without God’s grace.

I’m just a sinner saved by grace.
When I stood condemned to death,
He took my place.
Now I live and breathe in freedom
With each breath of life I take.
Loved and forgiven, backed with a living
I’m just a sinner saved by grace.

“So when they had dined,  Jesus saith to Simon Peter, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?  He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith unto to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?   And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.  Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep”  (John 21:15-17).

Do you believe Jesus posed His question to Peter three times to match the number of times Peter had denied Him?  Many people do. Whether you believe this or not, one thing is certain—God wasn’t through with Peter. We will learn tomorrow of the ways Peter was greatly used by God. Peter would indeed  “feed my lambs.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Texas Women Active for Christ meeting together for their annual state meeting, June 12-14.

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?  And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:28-32).

It was after the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus had sent the people away and went up into a mountain for a time of prayer. Jesus knew His disciples were out on the sea and their boat was being tossed with waves. He walked out on  the water to meet their boat. At first the disciples were scared.

Only one of them decided to be brave. When Christ bid Peter to come to Him, he started to walk on the water. Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.  Peter cried out for Christ to help him.  In mercy Christ reached out and took  Peter’s hand and pulled him to safety.  It is a lesson for all of us.  Don’t take your eyes off Jesus.  On the sea of life, trials come like storms to rock the vessel of our lives.

We look away from Him and we begin to sink.  That same hand offered to Peter will reach out to us and pull us to safety.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for E-TEAMers departing to their respective fields today. Ask God to give them safety and good health as they travel—many of them internationally for the first time.

“And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them.  And Peter said, Man, I am not.  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest.  And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.  And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly”  (Luke 22:55-62).

There was no doubt that Peter loved Christ. However, in a weak moment, the Enemy used him for target practice.  We can learn from this.  Never say, like Peter, that you would never betray Christ.  As one of Christ’s disciples, Peter had to wonder what would happen to Christ after the arrest. Would the disciples be the next ones arrested?  By telling others he didn’t know Christ, Peter was probably playing it safe—a game he regretted.  We wonder how Peter could have done such a thing.

Have we ever faced a situation when we didn’t take a stand for Christ and the right?  Even though we often judge Peter harshly, we may have denied the Lord at one time or another.

We find in verse Luke 22:62 that “Peter went out and wept bitterly.”  It is with a contrite spirit Peter found grace from a God Who lovingly forgives. The grace of God is there when we have failed Him. He stands ready to forgive and forget.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for George and Kathy Lemelin and their children Josiah, Marie and Isaac, working as Associate Missionaries with FWBHM to establish a Bible-believing church among the Native American Ojibwa people in Ogema, Minnesota.

“And he brought him to Jesus, And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone” (John 1:42).

Peter was a rough and rugged fisherman who left his nets to follow Christ. He was often the most outspoken leader of the other disciples. Even though he was in Christ’s inner circle along with James and John, Peter faced times of failure. One of the latter was his betrayal of Christ. Two other failures of Peter was when he cut off Malchus’ ear when Christ was arrested before the Crucifixion and the incident of his failing to walk on water.  We must look beyond Peter’s failures because he found grace in spite of them. By the grace of  God,  Peter went  on to accomplish great things for God’s glory.

He helped further the gospel until he died a  martyr’s death. Tradition contends he was crucified upside down. Tomorrow we will look at Peter’s denial of Christ—something he vowed he would never do.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Molly Barker, FWBIM veteran missionary to Uruguay, as she recovers from knee-replacement surgery.