Month: July 2016

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PWTE Daily Devotion

Hidden Treasure

God’s grace, unexpected and unbelievably valuable.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again,
and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
Matthew 13:44

I was reminded of this very short parable of Jesus when Brian came to excavate for my new house two weeks ago.  I joked with Brian, “If you dig up any buried treasure, remember that it’s mine!”

July 21We both laughed at the very unexpected image of him digging up a chest of gold coins, when so far all my property had yielded was old wire, broken bottles, and rocks.  But then, you never know!  What if you were digging on some rented land and found a great treasure?  Wouldn’t you want to sell all you had to buy that property so you could have the treasure?

Now never mind the ethical questions that Jesus’ parable raises about “finders and keepers”.  Notice the main points of this parable.  The treasure, when found, was unexpected and extremely valuable.  And the man who found it gave up all he had to get that treasure.

Just so with God’s grace.  God comes and finds you and me when we are not even aware of Him.  And when he finds you and you experience the joy of His love and the riches of His forgiveness, everything else in your life pales in comparison.  To know Him, to know His grace, is better than all the wealth in the world, better than the largest house or the finest car or dare I say it, the most powerful Harley.

Saint Paul said it this way, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” (Philippians 3:8a)  When you have the greatest Treasure in the world, what are a few other baubles or trinkets?  If you know the unbelievable love of Jesus, everything else in your life is a mere footnote.

Lord Jesus, you are all the world to me, my Joy, my Hope, my Life.  Forgive me for ever considering that anything in this world compares to You and your grace.  You are my Great Treasure! Amen.

Text and Picture copyright Steve Nickodemus

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PWTE Daily Devotion

This Old House

The door to renewal.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Old door FX

Many people have passed through the door of this old house. This is my husband’s grandmother’s home in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Many family members lived in the town years ago and many Sunday dinners, celebrations and family memories happened beyond that door.

But his grandmother passed away many years ago and now it stands empty, except for some of her possessions which are still stored in the house. Her flowers, her vegetable garden, and her home cooking are all just fond memories in her remaining family’s minds.

Today is my birthday. As you and I get older, we sometimes feel like this old house. We are slowly deteriorating from the moment we are born until the moment we die. The paint fades, the roof sags, the screens rust. But yet there are such amazing blessings within — moments shared with family and friends, time spent with God, the wisdom He gave us every time we asked, the purpose and plan He invested in us that gave our lives meaning, unknown experiences we look forward to in Him.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 New International Version

So each morning, we arise to fix our eyes on our Lord and await His daily renewal. He will always have a purpose for us. He will give us what we need for the life He prepares for us until our last breath is taken.  Then He will come and take us to the new home He has prepared for us to live with Him forever.

Copyright Text and Picture Desiree Bustamante

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Podcasts

PWTE Podcast Episode 029: “Who Is My Neighbor?”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Vincent van Gogh's painting, The Good Samaritan, was completed in 1890, the year he shot himself and died.
Vincent van Gogh’s painting, The Good Samaritan, was completed in 1890, the year he shot himself and died.

A missionary living in Middle East joins Richelle Hecker and me in this episode of Praying With The Eyes podcast. We talk about the adjustments that he and his family have made living among Muslims, what he is presently doing in ministry, and how people living in the Middle East view Americans and Americans view people living in the Middle East. We conclude with our examination of the parable of the Good Samaritan in context of showing mercy across cultural differences.

Links:

  • Blog: Who Is My Neighbor by Pastor Doug Brauner
  • Our guest had previously joined me on iB Network broadcast in April of 2015. Click on this link to listen to that broadcast: Not of This World
  • If you want to make a difference for Christ where you live, check out Alan Brigg’s book, Staying is the New Going: Choosing to Love Where God Places You. Alan is a pastor at Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs. Click on this link to purchase either a paperback or Kindle version of his book: Staying Is the New Going
  • Follow this link to view Eugene Delacroix painting of the Good Samaritan that Vincent van Gogh copied.

Scripture Links: