Here is your next clue for Project Revelation 12.12.12 as well as your daily encouragement! Only three more days!
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12)
Keep gathering the clues… it won’t be long now.
Treasure Inside
A dear friend gave me a gift with unexpected treasure inside. I didn’t open my present immediately but waited until I got home. Later, when I opened the little velvet bag, I was delighted to find a little wooden plaque shaped like an apple with the following words engraved on the front: The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE (Gal. 5:22)
I was so blessed by this little reminder of the fruit of the Spirit, but hadn’t decided where to put it yet, so laid it on my nightstand until I could find it a more permanent home.
A few days later, I picked up the wooden plaque to admire the thoughtfulness of my sweet friend. As I began turning the plaque over in my hands, I noticed a separation in the wood along its sides. To my surprise, the plaque opened and inside was an unexpected treasure – two mirrors, one on either side. My plaque wasn’t a plaque at all. It was a compact mirror for my purse.
If I had set the item on a table somewhere and only admired the outside, I would have completely missed out on its practical, intended purpose.
The Bible is God’s Word to us – it is living and active. It has practical applications for our everyday lives. Scripture teaches, rebukes, corrects, and trains us in righteousness.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
If we don’t ever open and read our Bible, as I might have done with my wooden apple, it’s nothing more than a decorative piece collecting dust in our home. God has hidden treasures in His Word for us to find, but if we never crack open the manuscript and explore the pages of Scripture; we will never receive and experience the riches He has for us.
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3)
The next time you walk past your Bible, pick it up and think about the ONE who preserved, protected, and endowed you with this priceless treasure. Thank Him for His unbelievable love and thoughtfulness to leave you the wonderful gift of His Word – the greatest love story ever told. Take time, each and every day, to open your prized possession and discover its intended purpose for your life.
“In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:19)
“I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12)
