Treasure

"I rejoice at Your word like one who finds great spoil." Psalm 119:162

Isn’t wonderful that we can praise our Lord God just as the Psalmist does? The Bible is like a treasure chest full of huge valuable gemstones. His Word makes it possible for us NOT to measure ourselves by standards that are too high to achieve. We measure ourselves through the truth of God and His promise. 

"I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22

Stop in awe. These words were written long before Jesus Christ died for our sins. They give us a glimpse of the plan Our Heavenly Father always had for our lives! But, that’s not the only buried treasure we find in His Word. 

"I will instruct you  and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  Psalm 32:8

Our Lord wants us to walk through life with the Bible as a map. He watches us as we follow its direction, carefully keeping us from stumbling.  And, like a diamond becomes beautiful and strong, so are we strengthened.

"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."  Psalm 119:165

This morning I had no Idea I would be hunting treasure. But, as I read the priceless Word of God, I discovered pearls of wisdom, rubies of comfort, sapphires of peace, emeralds of assurance, and diamonds of strength. Discover the treasure the Lord has for your life. It will be an adventure that yields great joy! 

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:21

by Eve Montano

Inspiring Love of the Word

Editor's Note: Anne Martin has requested we post these comments by Jon Courson, Pastor of Applegate Christian Fellowship in Oregon. May we grow to love God's Word with this kind of dedication.

"I read about a French woman who lived fifty years ago and had been blind from birth. One day, someone gave her the gospel of Mark in Braille. She was so blessed by the story of Jesus that she read it over and over until her fingertips became calloused and lost their sensitivity. To regain feeling in her fingers, she cut off the callouses, and with bloody fingertips, read Mark's gospel yet again.

As she continued to cut away the skin and the callouses, she damaged her nerve endings so badly that soon she permanently lost all feeling in her fingertips. Devastated, she held her copy of the gospel of Mark in her hands one last time and literally kissed it goodbye.

It was then she discovered that her lips were more sensitive than her fingertips had ever been. She continued to study the Scriptures, with her lips, and went on to become a gifted teacher of the Word."  Jon Courson

Jesus at Work in Dublin, Ireland

"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children. And He placed His hands on their heads and blessed them before He left."
Matthew 19:14-15 (NLT)

When she came to our first Fun-n-Bible camp nearly six years ago, she refused to wear shoes. She hid in the toilet and didn't want to participate in any of the group activities.

Each year, as she returned, we would ask for Gods love, grace, and kindness to flow from us into her life. She now looks forward to Fun-n-Bible camp with anticipation and invites her friends to come along.

Today she made a beautiful drawing and with excitement showed us what Jesus means to her. Her drawing is such an encouragement that no matter how bone tired we become, this is why we ask the Lord to give us strength for one more day!

by Deanna Tebbe, Missionary to Ireland

Yield

"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

She sat still, eyes closed, not moving a muscle. Her stillness bellied the whirling inside. She thought over and over again “God..., God...!”

She didn’t trust her emotions. She had learned her feelings did not stand up against the knowledge of her Saviour.

“Dear God, not my will but Yours be done,” she whispered. As she sat quietly, scriptures started to press on her heart. “Be anxious for nothing” - “I know the plans I have for you” - “The steadfast love of the Lord...” Finally every fear, every worry, every question faded and was replaced by truth. Silent tears ran down her face – not tears of sorrow but of thanksgiving, yielding her will to God's. She took a deep breath and reached for her bible.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places." 
Habakkuk 3:17 – 19

I can’t tell you how often I’ve sat like this, sitting quietly and waiting for the Lord. Yielding doesn’t come naturally for me.

A good example is yielding to traffic on the freeway. I start to direct how things should go. “You go, GO, you go, WAIT! No! I go next!!” I direct, I command; I have the plan as to how it should flow. I want to be in control and I'm afraid when I’m not - things might turn out differently, not the way I think it should be. It was more important that I ‘tell’ God what I wanted - what I thought I needed and expected - never listening.

But, by yielding I came to understand how important it is to simply read His word, to slow down and pray for understanding. I began to realize how sweet time with Jesus could be.

"He (she) will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in it season An its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he (she) does, he (she) prospers."
Psalm 1:3

When I first sat down to write about sitting quietly and listening to Our Lord I looked up the definitions of yield and merge.

Yield – To give way to, to produce – Synonyms: surrender, submit
Merge – Combine, to form a single entity, to blend gradually into something different – Synonyms: unite, mix, and fuse.

As I read these definitions I realized that to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit - to be transformed - I needed to submit to God and allow Him to unite my will with His.

"For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness."
Galatians 5:5

I hope these points may help you in listening for the Lord in prayer.

First: Pray. Ask for His help to quiet us. It's not easy. That’s usually when I remember I have errands to run or have to go to the bathroom or what I want for dinner. My trick: I sit with a pad and pencil and when some distraction comes to my mind, I jot it down knowing I can revisit it after my quiet time.

Second: Listen. Expect to hear from the Lord. He is always with us, it isn’t easy but, believe me, your stillness will bear fruit. Think of this as time invested in honoring God. It is never a waste of time. Wait. It’ll be worth it.

Third: Read. Often times scripture comes to mind. It may be that He will speak to you through His word. Remember, God's Word never goes out void. It accomplishes His purposes.

Fourth: Give Thanks. Be grateful whether you tangibly hear from Him or not. He is God and He will reveal His will for you in His time.

Fifth: Make time with God a daily habit. I know and understand in this busy life it’s just hard to sit for long periods of time. God knows that too. He will honor what time you have given Him because He knows your heart. Try to do it daily at the same time.

Waiting expectantly - listening quietly and reading His word with the purpose of merging your heart with His refocuses your attention from wanting your will to wanting your Heavenly Father's will.

"I would have despaired unless I had believe that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14

Wait, listen, quiet, submit, abide, yield and unity – these are not words the world uses. However, for the daughters of the King, these are actions that transform us into women who bear fruit in God's Kingdom.

by Eve Montano

Set The World Aflame

"I would have despaired if I didn't believe that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."  Psalm 27:13

Before the cross they walked with Him, watched Him, worked besides Him and learned.

"For I have given them the words that You gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me."  John 17:8

Some lessons they didn’t realize were lessons until after the resurrection.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."  John 14:26

He also prayed for them.

"I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours."  John 17:9

During the Passover dinner they laughed and talked but when their beloved teacher got up and washed their feet, He gave them a lesson on how to be a servant to each other.

"Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him."  John 13:5

Friday came with fear, disbelief and confusion. All they had learned the last three years was forgotten. The man they knew as Jesus, whom they believed was "The Messiah," was beaten, then killed and they ran. Saturday came and they waited. The two Marys waited to wash and anoint the body of their Lord. The disciples spoke in quiet voices in shock. “What happened? We were so sure He was the One."  Peter was quiet, withdrawn.

We, too, wait with hope because eleven "fishers of men" saw the goodness of the Lord manifested in Christ in the land of the living. They set the world aflame with the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ.

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word."
John 17:9

Peter - the one who denied, who had fled, the one restored by Jesus Himself – opened his mouth. He spoke with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit and turned the world upside down!

"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: 'Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning.! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel."  Acts 2:14-19

"It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days." Joel 2:28-29

by Eve Montano