the Treasure of Time...part 2

February is a very special month to me. Not only is it the “Snow and Blizzard ”month…It is the month when both of my parents were born back in the 1920s. There birthdays are only 2 days apart which makes remembering and celebrating a lot easier. ( remembering and celebrating their birthdays, that is not remembering and celebrating them as my parents!)

I remember when I was little thinking my parents could do anything !! In the physical sense, they were my creator, provider, lawgiver, teacher, and protector—and sometimes even savior. In God’s eyes they stood in the gap, bearing the awesome responsibility of teaching me, and Davis, and Fran and John. And they taught us diligently about Him; and about His Word…That was one thing both of my parents were firm about~their love for the Lord Jesus Christ and an urgent need to spread the message of His Kingdom.

Life and Wisdom began at home …and in my parent’s home, God’s way was the way of the house, If there were are questions about what you could do…you needed only to check out God’s Word, and follow what He said to do. Our home was the primary and most vital factor in our development into a mature and stable Christians. My parents taught and continue to teach us by example….only now the “us” doesn’t just include my 3 siblings….it also includes 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren .

It was important to my dad that we learn to be faithful stewards of the talents the Lord had given us. In all to do our very best giving Christ the glory and credit. My mom always said that if you had nothing to say that was encouraging and uplifting…. then you had nothing to say. And she always encouraged us to speak positively of our other siblings, learning to appreciate the talents the Lord had given to them. And I do, even at age 60, greatly respect and appreciate each of my brothers and sister. (but that can be for another day’s topic!)



My parents worked with youth all their lives and we always had “kids” in our house. They worked in Christian Service Brigade and Pioneer Girls and Youth for Christ and Teen Missions, along with local churches in California, New York and Maryland. They loved teens with the Love of the Lord and the teens loved them back! In fact many FB users have contacted my mom and wished her well after her fall this winter.


This wasn’t meant as a biography of my parents but an overview to honor them on their birthday week… a moment in time , a break in the day, when I stop and say Thanks!!
Thanks to them for loving and raising me in the fear and admonition of the Lord
And Thanks to the Lord for blessing me with them and this precious time we have together.  Thanks for these Traceable, Trustable Treasures....my parents!

Phil 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

The Treasure of Time

There are many inequities in the world, but one thing we all havein common is the same amount of time each day. God has allotted twenty-four hours to each one of us. God has not short changed any of us in regards to time….but time is a resource and it can not be stockpiled or saved….it has to be used as it comes to us. It can not be turned on and off,…or replaced. So it is important that we make good use of our time. This does not mean we have to always be busy doing things….but it does mean at we should be conscious of how we spend our time.

Ephesians 5:15-17 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Are we using our time wisely, as the Lord would have us use it. Are we always on the go, go, go or do we take time to rest and fellowship with the Lord and others. Are we busy because of what others think of us, or our need to make more money or our need to appear important ? Or are we living with eternity’s values in view.

Psalm 39:4-5 “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,And my age is as nothing before You;

Our God is the Eternal One so time does not have dominion over Him….He is not limited by time: He is sovereign over it . One day is as a thousand years to him and He sees the past present and the future as if they were one. But unlike our omnipotent Lord; man is finite and governed by 60 sec….60 min…..24 hours …..365 days ….and the lifespan that God has ordained for us. Man has a deep need for the Immortal God who gives our life meaning and purpose because He is not constrained by time. Psalm 90 the psalmist realizes that without the Lord’s wisdom he is living for the moment and not eternity.

Psalm 90:12, 14, 16a, 17 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let thy work appear unto thy servants. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives us truths which we can find helpful “The lesson is that we can and should enjoy life and the time on earth God gives us, but apart from knowing and loving God, nothing on earth will have any eternal value. Purpose and meaning to life cannot be found in material or temporal things. God alone can give us that. Since that’s the case, He must be our priority in life”1

Matt. 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of Godand all these things........these Traceable, Trustable Treasures... shall be added unto you !




1 www.bible.org Stewardship of time by J. Hampton Keathley III

Treasures through the door

This is THE wrong side of the door to be on when you are a cat and there is 3 ft of snow out there... but hey, he wanted to go out !!


Isn’t this a picture of us many times….we want to go out, but when we get there, there is 3 feet of snow and we want back in “now”. Lord, teach us to wait on you in our comings and goings, our wants and requests, our ins and outs.

I can just see myself sitting at the door looking into the warmth of a fireplace and my food and water bowl, my family…..not to mention my toys and my bed. All those good things and more….inside !! What am I doing out here?? Well, it seems I wanted to go out… out into the freedom and excitement or maybe the new and different…only to find as did the Prodical son, that what I wanted wasn’t really what I wanted or needed !! God had another plan…a better plan… and once again I had not waited on the Lord. I had foolishly run ahead of Him and now, I was where I didn’t want to be, looking in the door.

What treasures can I gleam and share with you as I sit outside at the door looking in….
1.Wait on the Lord…..He is often doing a work on and in us during the waiting…
He may be making His desires our reality or He may be changing our desires to fit His will.

        Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
        Psalm 38:15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.   

Heb 13:21 that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever

2. God will work everything out…to His honor and His glory and for our good… His job is not to conform to our wants; and our job is not to run ahead of Him and to go our own way

Psalm 16:4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends

Ephesians 1:11-12 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

3. We need to learn to be content where the Lord has placed us…..and for the time He has placed us there.

Philippians 4:12-13  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

Well, I do believe my Master is coming to the door to let me in…..how thankful I am for His loving kindness, His faithfulness, and His mercy. But, what treasures I learned sitting at that door…..what Traceable, Trustable Treasures !

PS Thanks to Julie Ford whose picture of her cat at the door I used and it was the Lord’s inspiration for this blog !

the Treasure of Friendship

In facebook everyone has a million (well maybe not quite that many) friends. There is an old Jewish saying that goes He (she)who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure!!

Since we are interested in finding treasures maybe we had better stop and analyze this statement. We had better examine it in the light of God’s Word…..

What makes a friend a faithful friend and why would they be so treasured??

Lets take a look at an example of 2 faithful friends…..Jonathan and David…..talk about a friend who sticks beside you ! They were what we would call kindred spirits…….

I Sam 18 :1, 3 says “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself”…

Sounds like a friend I would like to have and one that I would hope to be !!

Later in Chapter 23 we will find, when Jonathan’s own father is pursuing David,

1 Sam 23:16 "Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God."

He did not only go to give his friend his support but to encourage him to

 Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might (Eph 6:10). The friendship of David and Jonathan was the direct effect of the power of God’s divine grace. His Spirit produced in them united hearts, and caused them to love each other.….When God unites friend’s hearts, carnal matters are too weak to separate them. And if we are honest, it is always carnal matters that separate us from one another and from Him. Oh that our friendships can rise above carnal matters! Truthfully, the only way we can accomplish this is thru the power of the Spirit of God.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:9-12  

As the Father loved Christ, so Jesus loved his disciples. As our love for the Savour continues to grow, we should take all occasions to show that love to one another…The joy of the carnally minded is but for a moment, but the joy of those whose friendship abides in Christ's love is continual. And we are to show our love to Him by keeping His commandments. It is that same power, that first shed abroad the love of Christ in our hearts, which will direct us in how to love each other.

He didn’t leave us alone to figure it out, He gave us His commandments (His Word) and His example, as well as other examples like David and Jonathan. Thus we find what the Lord says is a faithful friend.…I don’t know about you, but, I know I want to have and, through God’s power, to be such a friend…such a Traceable Trustable Treasure.

Forgiven, Forgotten Treasures

I was thinking of a chorus we sang when we were in children’s SS…perhaps you remember it as well ! It goes "Gone, Gone, Gone, Gone, Yes, my sins are gone. Now my soul is free and in my heart 's a song, buried in the deepest sea. Yes, that's good enough for me. Now I'll live eternally, praise God, my sins are G-O-N-E, Gone!!!"

What a wonderful treasure, what a wonderful promise !! To know that when our sins are forgiven , they are buried in the Sea of Forgetfulness….and God has a “no fishing allowed” sign posted there.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12

God’s word is faithful and true; and His Word says He will be merciful and remember our sins no more.  Once we have confessed our sins, He forgives them completely. And in Christ we are new creatures so God sees us only through the shed blood of His precious son Jesus Christ.

It isn’t the Holy Spirit that reminds us of our past sins, it is Satan, and he delights in getting out our fishing pole and handing it to us. But God’s forgiveness is perfect and when He says he will remember our sins no more! He means it !

…Even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isa 43:25

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 8:12

He will cast our sins into the sea, not near the shore-side, where they may be washed on shore again, but into the depth of the sea, never to rise again.

Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea

Don't try fishing where God has told you not too ! And be thankful for those

Traceable, Trustable, Forgiven & Forgotten Treasures.Linked to the this blog is Casting Crowns "East to the West" Enjoy listening to it and remember your sins have been cast into the depth of the sea .
.

Casting Crowns "East to the West"