Treasured

Malachi 3:17- "On the day when I act," says the Lord Almighty, "they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him."

        In this verse, Malachi quotes God. God says, "On the day when I act." This phrase is referring to Christ's coming earth for our salvation. In a way, the previous phrase can be replaced with, "On the day when Christ comes, they will be my treasured possession..." We know that Christ has already come to earth and sacrificed His life for us. Therefore, when we accept Jesus's gift of salvation we become treasured in the eyes of the Lord. Isn't that amazing?! The creator of the universe sees us as treasure and as valuable! Some translations have the word "jewels" in place of treasure.Not only does God view us as treasured, He does this thing I like to call the "Great Exchange" I was at a conference and it was described like this: Jesus took ALL of our sins and in exchange He gave us His perfection! When that happens, we become perfect in God's eyes. We become TREASURED!
        Matthew 6:21 says, "Where your treasure is, your heart will be also." If God considers us His treasure, then His heart is on us. We are where God's heart is! God's love is on us! I think that is amazing! NEVER forget that you are loved by an amazing God.This is always a verse I turn to when I'm questioning my value or worth. For it clearly states that God considers us as TREASURED and that is something we should always rejoice and praise Him for! If you want to read more about what defines your worth and your value, we wrote an article on it a few months ago. You can check it out HERE

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Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!

Hebrews 13:16 -And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

This week I took the PSAT. As I'm sure many of you did. However, if you didn't, let me inform you of what happened.       Before the test actually began, you had to fill out about 9,000 pages of information about yourself (totally not exaggerating). One of the boxes asked for your religious preference. There was this super long list of religions, denominations, a space marked "none", and "other". There was also a space marked, "Don't wish to give info" or something like that. That space really made me think. Have we become so ashamed of God and the Bible that even on a test we are afraid to proclaim Jesus? There is a scripture that I turn to whenever I feel like stepping back and hiding. 

.     Acts 18:9 -"One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!" This is such a powerful verse that convicts me often. When I feel myself shirking back instead of standing up, I remember that even if people judge you, which they will, even if people hate you, mock you, and turn away the truth, they are not turning away us, they are turning away, judging, hating, or mocking God.       Matthew 10:22 -You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  This verse clearly tells us that we will not be accepted by everyone. Just the other week people were shot and killed at a college in Oregon from standing up for Christ and saying "Yes, I'm a Christian." You can see in America alone that being a follower of Christ is not a popular choice. However, being Jesus wasn't popular either. In fact, HE WAS KILLED! FOR YOU! Let that sink in. If Jesus Christ would die for you, shouldn't it be a joy to proclaim Him to the world?  Psalms 96:2 -Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.  

       Here's another verse that convicts me personally to live a life free of fear and shame. It's a very popular verse that many followers of Jesus have taken as their personal testimony. However, when things happen it's sometimes hard to stand by our convictions. Remember, if you don't stick to your values and beliefs while tested, they are not values or beliefs, they're hobbies. 

Romans 1:16 -For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

Are we an ashamed people? Are we afraid to stand up for Christ? Think about what you just a read over the next week and look for ways in which you can stand up and not be ashamed. Again, never forget the words of Luke in Acts, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!" Thanks for reading! -Maddie