Treasure
in Our Hands
A Spotlight on “The Other Three Sixteens” by Malinda Fugate
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| Image courtesy Pixabay.com |
The Word of God is a treasure.
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all
Scripture comes from the breath of God. Isaiah 55:11 promises that the Word of
God will not return empty. Matthew 24:35 declares that even though heaven and
earth are temporary, God’s Word is forever. Hebrews 4:12 explains that it is
alive and active, while Psalm 119:105 describes it shining like a lamp on our
feet and light on our path. The descriptions continue from the words on the
holy pages to the testimony of saints past and present. The Bible is a precious
book with worth beyond all the gold in the world.
So what do we do with a treasure?
We
seek it. Our eyes are wide open at the mere possibility of treasure to be
found. Like a pirate searching for a chest of jewels, we are driven by the
promise of a magnificent prize- except our reward is not hidden in a dark,
distant cave. God makes His Word accessible and available, waiting for us to
excavate gems of His wisdom and love. The remarkable thing is that our
passionate thirst for Scripture inspires our enthusiasm to increase with every
divine treasure we uncover.
We
sacrifice for it. In Matthew 13:44-46, a man finds a treasure in a field,
then sells everything he owns in order to buy the field and claim his prize.
Jesus says this is like the kingdom of heaven, and it also describes our
willingness to trade less valuable things for what is most precious to us. We
sacrifice our time to spend our mornings in the Word. We give up watching
episodes of television or the latest film in exchange of a few more moments
with the Lord. We build our schedules around Sunday morning worship services
and midweek study groups. The worth found in the Word of the Lord is beyond
compare.
We
value it. We hold our treasure close to our heart. We treat it with great
care. We do not allow it to become lost, misused, or cast aside. It’s kept safe
and handled gently. So too it is with the treasures in God’s Word that we hold
safely in the deepest places of our hearts and minds.
And
we share it. Fine china lives in a display cabinet, used on the most
special of occasions. We don our heirloom jewelry when we want to look most
beautiful. Monetary treasure is spent on luxuries and fun. We even give away
our treasure to bless those in need. Likewise, we share our treasured Word of
God with those around us, marveling at how the blessings multiply the more we
give, never leaving us empty-handed.
A
new approach to Bible study, The Other
Three Sixteens is more than a book; it’s a treasure hunt. Embark on an
expedition, diving deep into the familiar pages to discover fresh, new truths
about God’s love. Examine the third chapter and sixteenth verse of each book of
the Bible, uncovering pearls of wisdom and gems of revelation. Hold them up to
the light to reveal the many ways God loves you and how He is actively working
in your life.
Let us never become weary of seeking
God’s Word. May we continue pursuing His grand adventure, ready to discover the
treasures He has in store for us!
Synopsis of The Other Three Sixteens
"For God so loved the world . . . "
Many of us could finish that sentence in our sleep. John
3:16 is a beautiful Scripture that neatly and simply sums up the message of the
Gospel. But what do all the other 3:16s in the Bible have to tell us?
The words of the Bible weave a tapestry of love,
particularly the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. But a love
so deep and so wide cannot be contained in one memorized phrase. It takes
multiple authors of sixty-six individual books to begin to explore the mystery
of God's care for us.
The Other Three Sixteens by Malinda Fugate examines each third chapter and
sixteenth verse in the Bible and invites a fresh, new perspective to help
readers uncover surprises or remind them of forgotten truths of a faith that
has become routine.
Through Genesis to Revelation, we can soak in its depth,
wonder at its intricacies, and be moved at how much the Lord truly does lavish
upon us. Together, we discover God's love under the weight of Eve's sin in the
garden. It's there in front of Moses, burning in a bush that is somehow not
consumed. God's love sits in the dark with Job, rebuilds a wall with Nehemiah,
and encourages a young pastor named Timothy. Together we will find a deeper understanding
of the way our Heavenly Father cares for each of us today.
Malinda Fugate
Bio
Malinda Fugate grew up in
children's ministry. Now, after two decades of dedicated volunteer service, she
now serves full-time as the Children's Education Director at a church in
Southern California. Malinda studied communications and theatre at Azusa
Pacific University, then worked behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Salem
radio stations, including The Fish and KKLA. Her writing includes The Other
Three Sixteens, Bible Time for Active Kids, commercial copywriting, various
faith-based stage and screen plays, as well as co-producing A Single Girl's
Guide To, a lifestyle blog and web series. Her lifelong study of God’s Word
continues to reveal more about the Lord every day. She lives by the beach with
her pup, Yoshi.
Facebook.com/malthewriter
Twitter.com/malthestar
Instagram: @malthewriter
malindafugate.com
Thank you so much for being my guest today, Malinda. What you share here is so true. The Bible truly IS a treasure trove! We all have our favorite verses and have memorized many passages through our lives. Yet I find something NEW every time I open mine. Maybe I read it through a different perspective, or a certain word wil jump off the page and capture my attention. Thank you for your thoughts.
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