Daily Treasure

“He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.”
Matthew 10:39

“Look in the lost and found.” When things went missing, whether at school, church, or in our house, that was my pat answer. Sometimes the item would be there, in that designated area; often times it would not. It was, at least, a good place to start.

My children got the message so well, they started regularly frequenting those designated closets, whether or not they recalled losing a specific item. It’s amazing what you can “find” and not even know it’s lost.

The world tells us we have to find ourselves. Like my children, many search for elusive purpose, possessions, and power, not even knowing what they are seeking.

Jesus says if we lose our life for His sake, we will find it. When we lose ourselves in Him, enthralled with His presence, and empowered by His Word, we truly find life. Lost and found. That’s where I want to be.

Sarah Fletcher
Tennessee

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray as single missionary, Cathy Crawford, returns to France in January.

“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.”

Jacob was on his way out. Out of the homeland. Out of Esau’s reach. Away from the deception that had so characterized his life. Along the way, he stopped to rest, laying his head on a rock for a pillow. A life of lies behind him. An angry brother after him. A deceptive uncle before him. He was truly, as the adage declares, “Between a rock and a hard place.”

Enter the heavenly hosts. A ladder appeared with angels going up and down from earth to heaven. And above the ladder stood God, giving Jacob promise of land and blessings for the whole world. Jacob awoke and declared, “The Lord is in this place…what [an awesome] place.”  Jacob built an altar and worshiped.

God revealed Himself and even gave promises and blessings to this son of Isaac while he was still “the deceiver.’ It would be a long time before he became a “prince with God.” Yet, the Lord was in that place.

How wonderful and encouraging to know that God reveals Himself to us in our sinfulness and weakness. While we were yet sinners, He died for us. And we can worship today, in spite of our imperfections. Yes, God meets us to lead us to a better place. But we can experience the awesomeness of worship along the path. No matter your past or your present rock or hard place, worship Him today in spirit and in truth.

Sarah Fletcher
Tennessee

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray as 2007 Cleo Pursell Scholarship recipients begin studies at the new Panama seminary, opening this month.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).

The majority of people don’t have great wealth, but we do have possessions in this life we treasure. Think about the things you value most. I’ve heard the expression, “I wouldn’t take a million dollars for any of my treasures.” If these were things that would distract you from doing God’s Will, would you be willing to forsake them and follow Him? Your response will tell God what you value most in life.

God entrusts us with the things of this life. He may never ask you to forsake all but He does expect you to be a good steward or overseer of what He blesses you with. Using our wealth and possessions to bring glory to God will show Him how much we value all He has done and given to us. You will fully understand the meaning of today’s scripture.

PRAY TOGETHER: The annual audit of WNAC will begin in January. Pray for WNAC bookkeeper Diane Conn and auditor Joel Collum.

“…but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.” “Jesus said unto him, If thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me”(Matthew 19:17b and Matthew 19:21).

Matthew 19:17-22 gives the rest of the story of the rich young ruler. We find the answers he needed but sadly we see his response to what Jesus had to say. The ruler was ready for the first answer Jesus gave. He had kept the commandments since his youth. However, he wasn’t prepared in his heart to accept the second answer Jesus gave him. He had to have felt stunned by Jesus’ words. Like the young ruler, many people are willing to follow Jesus to a certain point. Then when they feel God is leading beyond that, they are reluctant to continue to obey His voice.

Jesus was aware of the young ruler’s wealth and how it would interfere with serving Him. His answers were given so the ruler could make a choice. Unfortunately, he went away sorrowful because he chose to value his wealth and possessions more.

If the ruler had just transferred his trust over to Jesus, He would have gained more than he would have given away. Salvation, blessings, and life eternal are more valuable than any amount of silver or gold.

PRAY TOGETHER: Continue to remember the family of Rev. R. Eugene Waddell, former director of Foreign Missions, who lost his battle with cancer October 29, 2007.

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life” (Matthew 19:16).

Most of us are familiar with the story of the rich young ruler. He had great wealth and everything others only dream about. One would think the young ruler would not have had a care in the world. He did have a question and in spite of all his wealth, he couldn’t find an answer until he spoke with the one he referred to as, “Good Master.” Jesus quickly reminded him God was the only who could be referred to as good. The young ruler might have known that if he hadn’t been so consumed with his wealth. But he wanted to know what he should do to obtain eternal life. Rich or poor that question can only be answered by Jesus. Unfortunately, the rich young ruler first asked if there was some “good thing” he could do to have eternal life. Many in the world today still think of that first when the question of eternal life is mentioned. It’s like they think they can negotiate a deal with God. God’s grace is not earned or deserved. It is freely given when we repent of our sins and accept the valuable gift of eternal life.

When we stand before God, all our deeds and wealth will not mean a thing. What will matter is what we did after we asked Him how to have eternal life. If we accepted Him as Savior and Lord, we will become the children of God. As though that wasn’t enough, we will become joint heirs with Jesus according to Romans 8:17. We may not have great riches on this earth, but oh the glory that awaits us!

PRAY TOGETHER: “Little is Much” Rejoice Hymnal, p. 525, would be a good song to sing or read as we pray concerning the study “How Much Is Too Much.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

Jesus continued to teach about the kingdom of heaven using the parable about “one pearl of great price.” This one involved a merchant who was a buyer of fine pearls. His goal was to find one more fine than any he had ever purchased. Once he found it, he sold all he had to buy this priceless gem. All he had now in life was a pearl. In time, he probably regretted making such a deal. Have you ever desired something so much you would go to great lengths to have it? Once the novelty wore off, you had to question your logic. You felt terrible because your wallet and your life were left empty.

To be included in the kingdom of heaven by accepting the gift of eternal life is far more valuable than any “pearl of great price.” God’s matchless grace may defy earthly logic. However, His mercy and love will not leave your life empty now and for all eternity.

PRAY TOGETHER:  Pray for home missionaries with health needs, those recovering from surgeries and those who have lost loved ones in death. Let’s encourage our missionaries.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field” (Matthew 13:44)

As we begin the new year, we are going to begin a study on how we can be a better steward of our finances. Money seems to have become an obsession to some. Statistics show most young people feel gaining wealth is most important in their lives. People nearing retirement are doing all they can do to save for their future years. Our goals in life have changed to the point that stewardship, self-denial, and sacrifice for the cause of Christ are secondary issues. If we are placing more emphasis on money and earthly possessions, maybe our study in the book of Matthew will help us understand what we should value most in life.

Our scripture today is part of some parables Jesus used to teach us about the kingdom of God. It is about a man who found a treasure in a field. He hid the treasure but couldn’t contain his joy until he sold all he had to buy that field. Whatever that treasure was worth, was it worth selling everything for something that was temporal? What if that treasure was only valuable to him? He wouldn’t be able to sell it or even the field. He would be left with nothing. That’s how the world operates. It entices you and the end results leave you empty.

Jesus offers us entrance to His kingdom. He paid an extreme price for us to have the gift of eternal life. That is of greater value than any treasure we could ever find.

PRAY TOGETHER: Remember 9:00 am each morning is a designated time to pray for missions.