Daily Treasure

^” For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 2-3).

I remember when I was expecting my son, Isaiah.  I recall preparing a room.  Preparing our home.  Preparing our lifestyle.  Preparing our budget.  Preparing our car.  Preparing our families.  Preparing our hearts.

The excitement.  The anticipation.  The awe.  The wonder.  The joy.  The dreams.  The hopes.  The anxiety.

There’s another Baby’s coming that requires my preparation.

My schedule needs adjustment.  My attitude needs adjustment.  My mind needs adjustment.  My emotions need some adjustment, too.  Any grudges I have need to be set aside.  Any bitterness I’m harboring needs to be placed out of my reach.

A wonderful Baby is about to arrive; am I as prepared?  I’ve known of His coming.  I’ve been made well aware of my need for Him.

Will I be prepared, heart and mind, when this Child arrives?

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Remember the FWBIM family today as they grieve the loss and celebrate the homegoing of Chuck Snow. Chuck and his wife Fleda have been longtime Great Commission enthusiasts. Three of their four children have served as with FWBIM: Nathan (currently serving in Japan), Jonathan (Japan), and  Rhoda (Cote d’Ivoire).
Also be much in prayer for these missionary Christmas outreach events today:
Miharashidai Church, Hokkaido, Japan—Christmas party for church family
Svishtov, Bulgaria—Children’s Christmas program and outreach at church
St. Nazaire, France—Live Nativity

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs  15:3).

Because God is omnipresent, He has a watchful eye on every thing and every place. Matthew Henry makes these statements about our verse: “Secret sins, services, and sorrows, are under his eye. An eye to distinguish both persons and actions. He beholds the evil and the good, is displeased with the evil and approves of the good, and will judge men according to the sight of his eyes, The wicked shall not go unpunished, nor the righteous unrewarded, for God has his eye upon both and knows their true character; this speaks as much comfort to saints as terror to sinners.”

As we close this week of study, I hope we have gleaned the fact that no matter who we are or wherever we are, God sees us.  Nothing is concealed or hidden from Him. Rest assured He is ever near to help us in our time of need.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for international WAC groups in Cote d’Ivoire, Panama, Cuba, Mexico, and Myanmar involved in Christmas projects and outreaches.

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Psalm 34:15).

This verse should give us comfort and peace as we live our daily lives. If we are living as His obedient children, He is keeping a watchful eye on our comings and goings. The following commentary by Charles Spurgeon really blessed my heart: “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. He observes them with approval and tender consideration; they are so dear to him that he cannot take his eyes off them; he watches each one of them as carefully and intently as if there were only that one creature in the universe. His ears are open unto their cry. His eyes and ears are thus both turned by the Lord towards his saints; his whole mind is occupied about them: if slighted by all others they are not neglected by him. Their cry he hears at once, even as a mother is sure to hear her sick babe; the cry may be broken, plaintive, unhappy, feeble, unbelieving, yet the Father’s quick ear catches each note of lament or appeal, and he is not slow to answer his children’s voice.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Praise God for the coming of His Son to earth. Rejoice in the Prince of Peace today.

“And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him”  (Luke 15:17-20).

The story of the prodigal son is one of my favorites. I see the heartbreak of a father who wept as his son leaves home. Day after day he looks down the road, hoping he will come back home. Time passes, but, the father doesn’t stop his vigil. He doesn’t  lose hope.  Then one day, as the father is looking way down the road he saw the shadow of one he had longed to see.  He ran, and the closer he came the more familiar the figure became.  It was his son!  It didn’t matter he smelled like pigs and was dirty and sweaty.  He hugged and kissed him, so excited his son had come home.

Maybe you have strayed from the Father. You find yourself in the proverbial “pig pen” of life. You realize how wrong you have been. By repenting, you are taking that first step toward the Father. He will run to you with open arms, glad you have come back home.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Tim and Lydia Awtrey as they work with city officials to provide a children’s Christmas program today for “at risk” families in Svishtov, Bulgaria.

“And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:18-19).

Most of us are familiar with the story of Legion. He was a man possessed of an unclean spirit.  Most people feared him because he couldn’t be bound, not even in chains. He lived a miserable existence among the tombs. However, one day he saw Jesus and ran to worship Him.

Jesus had compassion upon him and told the spirit to come out of him. The many devils were transferred into a herd of swine which were choked in the sea. God had worked a miracle in Legion’s life.  It changed his life forever. He wanted to spend time with Jesus, but, Jesus told him to back home and share his story with his friends. I can only imagine how excited Legion was to share his testimony with those who once feared him. He could return now to a normal life thanks to the compassion of a loving Savior who saw him and heard his cries.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Is there a shut-in you need to visit or a friend you need to see? Pray for diligence to share the Christ of Christmas.

“And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?” (Genesis 16: 10, 13).

Our study begins with the appearance to Hagar by an angel of the Lord.  We have briefly touched on this already. Our writer gives an excellent description of the runaway Hagar. I agree, the hardest thing Hagar would have to do is swallow her pride and go back to her mistress.

I like another statement by our study writer: “Hagar acknowledged that she had been with God.”  You may be experiencing a desert situation just like Hagar. You feel so empty and helpless.  Take note. God sees you and hears your cries.  Reach out and take Him by the hand. He gave Hagar hope for the future.  He offers you hope as well.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that messages presented in Christmas plays and cantatas yesterday would continue to speak to hearts and challenge lives with the gospel.

“These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found…” (Ezra 2:62a).

My personal Bible reading for today came from 1 Chronicles 1-4. Nothing like page after page of begats at five in the morning to refresh, rejuvenate and restore you for the day, is there?

Oh, don’t get me wrong, family heritage is very important to me.  I know Harry Jr. and Mary begat Bob and that Ernie and Mary Edna begat Nora.  Bob and Nora then begat Malinda, and therefore I’m here typing.

The importance of all this genealogy?   The reason for giving it room in the Big Book?  I found it in the footnotes of my study Bible…
“As the exiles looked forward to the day when they would return to their homeland, one of their biggest fears was that the records of their heritage would be lost.  The Jews placed great importance upon their heritage because each person wanted to be able to prove they were a descendant of Abraham.”  -Life Application Study Bible

And for us?  The value for us?

If the church books were lost and there was no written record of your church membership—would others know you belonged to the King of Kings? If your bank statements were stolen and all copies of cancelled checks—would there be a record of your giving to the Way left for your children‘s children to discover? If the publishers of the yearly church directory inadvertently left your picture out of the booklet?  If you didn’t get one of the new church T-shirts? If your recipes in the fundraiser cookbook were put under someone else’s name? Would the world still know you were a child of God?  Would what you leave your descendents still reveal a faith rooted in the belief that God reigns supreme?  Would there be evidence of a relationship with Christ, hard evidence—enough evidence for them to speak of it at your funeral?

What’s proving your heritage, your Christian heritage?

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that visitors coming for special church programs today would respond to the drawing and convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray also for these special programs today around the world:
Châteaubriant, France—Christmas carols in French and English, guest violinist (Cristina Price), and a buffet
St. Sebastien, France—Christmas program presented by the children
La Boissière, France—Christmas program
Wassakara Church, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire—Evangelistic film
Villalba, Spain—Christmas program