Open Your Treasures Podcast

  Time flies, and life is short! Many of us are afraid to think about the number of days we have left. As we get older, especially when someone we love dies, or illness strikes, we reevaluate our need to make every day count. An in depth look at Psalms 90 helps us focus on ways to live better and make a difference. Read More: https://openyourtreasures.com/living-better-numbering-our-days/  

God's powerful promises never change, and our hope relies on His Word. His promises are always present. Psalm 46 reminds us they are always there waiting on us to claim for comfort, refuge, help, and strength for ANY trials we may face. 

“God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”–Unknown I’m pretty sure anyone who has heard the words, “It is cancer,” has asked God, “Why me?” He tells us in Matthew 10:30-31 WEB  “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.” Since He knows every hair on our heads, surely He knows when we are shocked, scared, devastated, and perhaps even angry. Yes, He knows, and He is still steering the ship. Listen to explore God’s promises that explain where He is and what He is doing… even in cancer.  

After praying about this podcast's content, God sent me a devotional through a close friend, Jed Kovach, and I would like to share it with you. The title is "You Are Not Alone," and it focuses on Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  God is nudging me to openly share my recent cancer diagnosis, struggles, fears, and faith builders with you! Here is an inspiring quote by Robert Louis Stevenson. “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” My mission for these podcasts is to play my poor hand well and share God’s faithfulness and mercy with you. You can read and download the transcript and listen to the music at https://openyourtreasures.com/podcast/

Doubts...We All Have Them. To doubt is to feel uncertain, uneasy, unbelieving, fearful, or insecure. Since we all have them, how do we overcome our doubts and keep them from stealing our peace, joy, and hope? As Christians, we sometimes try to hide our doubts, thinking we look less faithful and grateful. But, as Henry David Thoreau once said, “Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe.” Have you recently had doubts or fears? Where do you turn for comfort? What helps you overcome those doubts? Let’s explore scripture for the answers. Psalms 94:19 says, “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Listen to Overcoming Doubts to learn how to manage and overcome your doubts.

Albert Einstein once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” How do we live for today and hope for tomorrow? How do we find freedom from fear? Luke 12:25 says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” We know that fear and worry may cause emotional, physical, and even spiritual suffering. So, how and why can we trust God enough to be free from fear? Listen to OYT:007 Freedom from Fear to get inspiration and practical ways to find peace, calm, and confidence during these troubled times.  

We’re all in the midst of troubled times. The Coronavirus is affecting people from every continent and every walk of life. It’s easy to panic! Maybe you find yourself tempted to hoard supplies, anxiously watch the news, or worry about what could happen to you or your loved ones. These are normal human reactions to uncertain times. But panic isn’t our only choice. There is another option…peace. Peace is not just an unexpected blessing that we happen to stumble upon every now and again. It’s also a choice. Where do we look for inner peace that spills over into our relationships, attitudes, and actions? Romans 15:13 says,  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.” WEB Let’s explore how to abound in hope, joy, and PEACE.

With all the changes, illness, and challenges this pandemic has caused, Do you find yourself asking, "Is God on my side? Is He protecting me during this pandemic? What about all the political and cultural unrest? Is He protecting our country?" Are you wondering where to find peace when so many negative things are going on around you? After all, we are human and prone to negative thoughts, worries, fears, and even panic. How do we avoid being anxious about our health and finances, our children's and grandchildren's health and education, and what our future holds? Anxiety may take over when we think of the "what ifs." Let’s discover how and where to find Peace Over Panic!

Do you remember the story of The Three Little Pigs? What do those pigs and the wolf have to do with our hope and faith? I love this quote by John Calvin: “The word hope I take for faith; and indeed hope is nothing else but the constancy of faith.”  Speaking of hope and faith, how firm is the foundation your hope is built on? I Corinthians 13:13 says, “But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.” If faith, hope, and love will always remain and cannot be blown away, diminished, or destroyed, shouldn’t we spend more of our Time Efforts Energy Resources on what lasts forever? Let’s explore scripture to learn more about building our hope… Go to https://openyourtreasures.com/building-hope to download the whole podcast transcript and get links to two songs to encourage you! Want a FREE PODCAST SCRIPTURE JOURNAL? Go to https://openyourtreasures.com/free to download the companion journal for this podcast!  

In the midst of all the illness, changes, and unrest, where do you find reasons to HOPE? I love this quote by Lloyd Bennett from “The Light in the Heart.”  “Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” Have you ever found yourself thinking or saying, “I read in the Bible that weathering storms makes me stronger, but I don’t want to get stronger…I just want the storms to go away?” I know, I have! 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” What are our reasons to HOPE, especially when storms arise? Let’s explore four of them together. Go to OpenYourTreasures.com/reasons to download the transcript of this episode.

Where do we look for hope that lasts?  I love this quote by Catherine Marshall… "God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope." Isn’t that true? Especially when we find ourselves in a valley of trouble? In addition to the disappointments, failures, rejections, and sad life events we all experience, isn’t NOW the PERFECT time to change our valley of trouble into our DOOR to HOPE? We find lasting hope in God’s Word, the Bible.     

In uncertain times, how do we live with hope? Where do we find it? How do we hold on to the kind of hope that lasts? I love this quote by Barbara Kingsolver… “The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof.” So, where and how do we uncover the kind of HOPE that shines brighter than our struggles? How do we live under its roof?