Daily Treasure

“And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.” Luke 22:35

When we experience stressful times in our lives, God is good to us. He takes care of us physically and even takes care of our emotions at the same time. He reminded the disciples during a very rough time, about His care for them. Meditate on this verse and its context and be reminded of God’s love and care.

PRAY TOGETHER:  As we Travel Light, prayerfully read Luke 22:35. We are on a thrilling journey in our studies.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart, wait I say on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

People who have strong faith and are rooted in the Word of God seem to face anything in life with courage. It isn’t as if they never get worried or scared but they know God’s grace is sufficient to dispel their fears. They draw from God’s strength. They can quote Scriptures to help them stay on track when Satan hurls his fiery darts. They have chosen to be victors and not victims.

In contrast, it’s hard to be brave when we feel bound by fear and doubt. We may pray and, just because God doesn’t give us an immediate answer, run ahead of Him. God sees the total picture and we don’t. There are times when I’m glad He spares us from this. Not that the outcome would change. How often we get in His way when all He needs us to do is trust Him. When we let go of our fears, God can accomplish what He needs to do with perfect timing. Draw close to God and He will give you strength while you wait on Him.

PRAY TOGETHER:  Pray for Yvonne Hampton as she adjusts to her daughter, son-in-law, and five grandchildren’s move to Central Asia.

“. . . that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18: 1b

Whether you have been a Christian for many years or if you are a “babe in Christ,” prayer should be in your arsenal of spiritual weapons. We are in a daily battle with the forces of evil. If we respond to issues in our life with prayer, we will be victorious. Satan is working overtime to cause us not to pray and draw us away from God. He will do whatever necessary to make sure we become casualties on the battlefield.

We are admonished to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 7:11-17). We find in Ephesians 6:18 what we should do while wearing it—”Praying always…..” If we will respond to our problems prepared to do battle with a prayer on our lips, it won’t matter because God will fight for us!

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER:  Widows and family members of pastors promoted to glory this past year need to know we are praying for them.

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” Psalm 42:5

Many times when we feel overwhelmed by our problems, we may become depressed. Do not feel ashamed. If we examine the lives of many of the people of the Bible, we will find this is nothing new. Elijah, Job, David, and Paul faced times when life was more than they could handle. However, their feelings didn’t lead them away from God.

Unfortunately, when people are down on themselves or sad about their plight in life, we often drift away from God. We feel we have to accuse someone for our misery. We are quick to blame the One who can help heal our wounded spirit. Instead of leaning on Jesus, we sink further into despair.

When I feel life is unfair and feel low in spirit, I read the book of Job. He had so much to feel depressed about but he stayed faithful and was restored. I also make a list of at least ten people I wouldn’t want to trade places with. As I begin to write, my depression begins to vanish. I begin to count my blessings until I feel the cloud hanging over me disappear. Whatever we face in this life is temporary. We are to “hope thou in God….” for a brighter tomorrow which will be eternal.

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray warriors; pray for Korean FWB ministries and Dr. Paul Park as he travels.

“Be angry and sin not…” Ephesians 4:26a

You may be facing problems that are causing you to feel anger. You are dealing with issues that have brought you to that point. You want to lash out at something or someone. Will that solve anything? No. It may even make matters worse in the long run. You may say or do things you will regret once the crisis or trial of your faith has passed.

Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple. He had a right to be angry. Your circumstances may make you feel you have that same right. While Jesus walked this earth, He did the will of His Father. He showed us, in the flesh, how to deal with anger and, by not letting it consume Him, He sinned not. We, on the other hand, tend to allow anger to overtake us. Before we know it, we are not doing God’s Will or bringing glory to His Name.

In dealing with others, the Lord gives us a lesson in anger management. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

How you deal with anger may profoundly affect others around you. Those others may be your loved ones or perhaps someone who is unsaved that may be watching your life. If you are reacting to issues in your life with anger, turn it over to Jesus and He will help you manage it.

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for an increase in subscriptions to TWG. These funds are vital to WNAC.

“My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?” Psalm 42:3

When circumstances bring tears and we feel broken in pieces, God is nearby and wants to make us whole. When going through a crisis, a loss, or a prayer burden, tears are like a safety valve for us to use when we are overtaken by emotion. We feel so alone even when we are in a crowd. The tears do not want to stop and we are making ourselves sick. We find ourselves crying out, “Where is God?”

Chances are we haven’t been spending much time in prayer. Otherwise we would know God doesn’t abandon us during the bad times. When was the last time you spent a sleepless night, tears streaming down your face, until you felt the peace of God come over you? God understands our sorrow and stands ready to exchange our sad tears to those of joy. “….weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Allow God to wash your eyes with tears so you can clearly see He is bigger than anything you will ever face in this life.

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17

Today we set our clocks back one hour. This custom allows most of us to rise during the daylight hours. The reason for this was to help on the use of fuel. If people arose during daylight instead of dark, it would use less energy. 

This custom should also remind us not to waste time in other ways. We should be redeeming the time for God and His work. We have a short amount of time so we must use it wisely for God.

PRAY TOGETHER:  Pray that professional business men and women will be bold in their witness.