“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
“Hidden Treasure”--Anonymous ‘Twas long ago I read the story sweet-- ‘Of how the German mothers, o’er the sea, Wind in, throughout the yarn their girlies knit, Some trinkets small, and tiny shining coins, That when the little fingers weary grow, And fain would lay aside the tiresome task, From out the ball will drop the hidden gift, To please and urge them on in search for more, And so, I think, The Father kind above Winds in and out the skein of life we weave, Through all the years, bright tokens of His love, That when we grow weary and long for rest They help to cheer and urge us on for more; And far adown within the ball we find, When all the threads of life at last are spun, The grandest gift of all—eternal life.”1 I must admit that I’ve never looked at my life as a skein of yarn, but when I now do, I can clearly see how God has woven tokens of His love into it to encourage me not to waiver from the path He has laid before me. My Father does this in His own timing and in His own way. We all know that in life, we will be faced with a multitude of trials: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” James 1:2-4 James' words do not state if troubles come, but when troubles come (they are guaranteed), we are to consider them opportunities for joy. These trials develop within us strength and endurance to help us become the people God wants us to be, and we learn to focus on the joy set before us--the grandest gift of all--eternal life. If we but look during those times of our deep, hard struggles, we can discern God’s loving hand as He drops into our lives tokens, hidden until needed, that encourage us along our journey. What possibly could they be? Yours will differ from mine, but I would encourage you to look back and recount those episodes that have lifted your hearts during times of darkness. Here are a few from my life:
1. Leaves of Gold, edited by Clyde Francis Lytle, 1948, Coslett Pubishing Company. VERSES: Acts 13:2 “One day as these men (prophets and teachers at Antioch) were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.” John 1:16 “From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” Isaiah 41:20 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” Numbers 6:24-26 “ ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.’ “ PRAYER: Thank you, Father, for blessing me with trinkets—tokens—gifts—not before or after I need them, but when I need them. With each of these, You help me rise from possible despair into the joy of understanding who You are and how good You are, no matter what circumstances may indicate. You are the great I AM—the all-knowing, all-loving, all merciful, kind, and caring God who has chosen me in my wretchedness to be saved through faith in Your Son, Jesus. Please fill me daily with Your Holy Spirit so I may worship you with a clean heart, being thankful for all You’ve given to save me. Amen. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Comments are closed.
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Author Candice Mary Thomas writes about loving God and loving people! Coming to Christ at age 32 and now in her 70's, Candice knows what a difference it makes living with or without Christ as one's personal Savior. Archives
December 2022
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