Daily Treasure

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).

When I first looked at this verse, I thought God was just talking to Peter. However, the you in our verse was actually referring to all the disciples. Up to this time only Jesus had suffered  persecution. He knew once He left His disciples, they would have to start facing it as well.  He didn’t feel they were really ready for this, especially Peter. Not long after Jesus spoke these words, Peter would deny knowing Christ. Here was the outspoken leader of the disciples who had said he would go with Jesus  “both to prison, and to death.” (Luke 22:33) about to do something he thought he never would.  Within our verses we see the picture of a loving God who knew what the devil was up to and prayed for Peter and the other disciples. God also knew Peter would deeply regret his sin. I think that’s why He included the last part of our verses. He simply told Peter that when all was said and done, go to his brethren and encourage them. Tell the brethren that the devil wanted to stop the spread of the gospel any way he could.  But we must never let him sift any of us like wheat.

We all make mistakes. We try to jokingly say, “The devil made me do it.”  Wrong. We yielded to temptation and we lost a battle. We don’t have to continue to lose.  The old hymn states “Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.”  He will forgive and give us strength to keep fighting. Who was the dynamic preacher on the day of Pentecost?  It was none other than the one mentioned in today’s verses. He was no longer Simon whose faith had been tested, but Peter, the one Jesus called the rock.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Home missionaries Len and Lynda Blanchard prepare breakfast each week for the Oxford (AL) High School soccer team. Pray that this community outreach opportunity might yield much spiritual fruit.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?  Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?  Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.  And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord”  (Job 1:8-12).

Our study writer begins this week’s study, “The Battle” with these words.  “On that dark day in history when our first parents sinned, the whole world was thrown into the war of the ages—God and His kingdom of light versus Satan and his kingdom of darkness. God called them together and gave them the game plan—even announced the ending score.  But the second He gave Satan limited authority over the earth, the devil promptly closed his ears to the rest and went to work. The Enemy’s plan has not changed, nor has his strategy.  His hatred for God and His Son has been passed onto His followers.  It is Christ in the Christian and the Christian in Christ that our enemy hates and is committed to destroy.”

This battle is waged against even the finest of God’s servants. No one is excluded.  We can choose whether to be a victim or a victor.

Today’s verses describe a meeting of God and His angels in which Satan, called the “accuser” also attended. When God asked where he had come from, Satan more or less answered that he had been roaming around the earth. With that in mind, the Lord asked him if he had ever considered His servant Job.

Satan seemed to know a lot about Job when he started making accusations. First, he questioned God’s fairness. That was wrong because God is always fair. However, he was right that God always protects His own. Then Satan accused Job of loving his wealth more than God. In fact, he wanted God to touch all Job had so Job would “curse Him to His face.” God was not about to do anything evil to Job. However, He did allow Satan to test him. God knew Job would remain loyal to Him in spite of his troubles. God set the rules. Satan was not to kill Job.

Satan might cause us troubles, but it is God who controls the lives of His children.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Today begins the Tennessee Spring Retreat (March 11-13), an event that also draws women from North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia. Pray for Elizabeth Hodges as she attends and interacts with women from these states.

“Ye are of God, little children and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”  (1 John 4:4).

Concerning today’s verse, Albert Barnes, in his commentary, offers these insights. “Ye are of God—You are of his family; you have embraced his truth, and imbibed his Spirit. And have overcome them—Have triumphed over their arts and temptations; their endeavors to draw you into error and sin. The word them in this place seems to refer to the false prophets or teachers who collectively constituted antichrist. The meaning is, that they had frustrated or thwarted all their attempts to turn them away from the truth. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world—God, who dwells in your hearts, and by whose strength and grace alone you have been enabled to achieve this victory, is more mighty than Satan, who rules in the hearts of the people of this world, and whose seductive arts are seen in the efforts of these false teachers.  The apostle meant to say that it was by no power of their own that they achieved this victory, but it was to be traced solely to the fact that God dwelt among them, and had preserved them by his grace. What was true then is true now. He who dwells in the hearts of Christians by his Spirit, is infinitely more mighty than Satan, ‘the ruler of the darkness of this world;’ and victory, therefore, over all his arts and temptations may be sure. In his conflicts with sin, temptation, and error, the Christian should never despair, for his God will insure him the victory.”

We can continue to overcome if we will firmly believe, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”  We have spent time this week identifying our Enemy. Next week we will share some thoughts about the battle our enemy continues to rage against us.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for safety of travel for Elizabeth Hodges as she attends the Arkansas State WAC meeting this weekend.

“Be sober and vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Today’s verse gives a vivid description of our Enemy. We won’t see him in the physical form of a lion. Both will stalk before pouncing on their prey.  If we are not sober and vigilant, we may be caught off guard.. First Peter 4:7b states “be sober and watch unto prayer.”  This is our best defense against one who, like a hungry lion, wants to tear us to pieces. The Enemy wants to destroy us. We will never know when he will attack. However, we don’t have to go about feeling worry or anxiety. FirstPeter 5:7 tells us “casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”

I like what our study writer says at the end of the introduction to week one. “He (the devil has power, but he is not all powerful.  He has only the power afforded him by God and only for as long as God gives it to him.”  That old “roaring lion” doesn’t stand a chance against the Almighty Hand of God.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: This is Bible Conference week at Welch College. Pray that messages would remain in the hearts and minds of attendees. Ask God to grant safety for all as they travel home.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

Sometimes the devil would be easier to spot if he went around dressed in red and carried a pitchfork. He is a master of disguises.  It goes back to the fall of Adam and Eve.  He could even make a deadly serpent look harmless. He will transform himself into whatever is necessary to lure you away from God.  In his impersonations, he will use his resources to manipulate you into believing his lies.  Beware. Just as the false apostles were phony, the prince of darkness is really masquerading as an “angel of light.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for children from unsaved families who attend your church.

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  Being forty days tempted of the devil.  And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread” (Luke 4:1-3).

These three verses begin the account of the temptation of Jesus. .  If you aren’t familiar with the story please read the entire passage (Luke 4:1-13). It is one thing to tempt you and I to sin, but quite another to tempt the very Son of God!

The devil will be there to tempt us to sin when we are at our weakest. The devil will dangle anything he can to get usto cave in and sin. However, even as weak as Christ felt after a forty-day fast, He didn’t fall for Satan’s tricks. Christ was armed with Scripture and sinned not..

Temptation in itself is not the problem.  It is the yielding to it that will cause us to fall.  The devil knows that and plays upon it to draw us into his trap. I never want to give him any credit, but, he is definitely cunning.

When the crafty rascal, the devil, comes to us we must remember the words found in Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  Satan has power, but, it cannot compare to the power of the Almighty God.  When we feel we are tempted more than we can bear, God will “make a way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for the Home Missions Board as they select a new general director and for current director Larry Powell as he prepares for retirement.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

The first of our spring studies is titled, “Enemy Revealed.”  How many of you realize we have an enemy?  We could name things that draw us away from God, but, ultimately we are talking about a person, “an enemy with many names.”  Someone is out there battling for your soul.  You need to learn who he is and everything he is capable of doing.  You don’t want to end up a casualty of this war.

According to today’s verses, Satan, our adversary, was once a shining angel named Lucifer.  His pride and open rebellion against God caused him and those who followed him to fall from Heaven. Our study writer points out the various names for Satan we find in the Bible. The way he wreaks havoc in our lives, I’m sure we all have some names we call him.  Our next three devotionals will deal with some names the Bible uses for him. We will end the week learning how through Christ we have overcome and will continue  By the end of this week, we will close with how, through Christ, we have and can continue to overcome the Enemy.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Steve and Judy Lytle who have returned to Panama for a month to minister at the Bible institute in Chame and for Paul and Chrissy Collins who just left Panama to resettle in the United States.