A Treasure You Must Not Miss, Part 1

Today, Chuck Swindoll reminds us that God is always working His plan. With Him there is no monotony. There is no lost weekend.

There is no unimportant hour. He's in it all. He's through it all. The arrangement He has put together for each one of us, perfectly designed to shape us ultimately into the image of His Son. In this final week of 2021, we're staring ahead at a blank calendar with 365 uncharted days. While we've sketched out a preliminary plan for 2022, we don't really know how the coming year will go. What are the unforeseen trials ahead, the surprises? Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll presents a framework for what's ahead, and in particular, he wants us to embrace the promise that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him. Chuck titled today's message, A Treasure You Must Not Miss. For these first two Sundays of January, I would like for us to think in tandem together about these services rolling in our lives through the year together so that we'll not forget, we'll not miss, some very important things all year long. This first Sunday of the year, I want to talk about a treasure we must not miss. It'll be based on Romans 8, 28-30, and then next Sunday I'll talk about a truth we dare not dismiss, based on Romans 11, 33-36. You may want to read that over this week to prepare for it, but today we'll look at the familiar words of Romans 8.

For many, the favorite verse of scripture is 828. We'll try our best to unpack it and help us realize within it is a treasure that is easily missed, and when it is, the new year becomes just as frustrating and irritating and disappointing as the old year has been for many. This is a way to step into the new year with a whole new frame of mind as you remember this treasure. You don't miss it.

You claim it. I'll be reading for us Romans 8, 28-30, and I'll be reading from the New Living Translation. If you have your Bibles, please follow along and we will see what the Lord has for us as we unpack these verses.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his son so that his son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself.

And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. You're listening to Insight for Living. To search the scriptures with Chuck Swindoll, be sure to download his Searching the Scriptures studies by going to insightworld.org-slash-studies. Chuck titled his message, A Treasure You Must Not Miss. My message for you today is a warning. It's a warning to be heard and hopefully heeded. We are standing today on the shoreline of an entire year, an ocean of days spread before us.

Over 360 of them remain. And as James writes, we do not know what a day will bring forth. Amazing thought, isn't it? All those days before us, and we have no idea what they will include. But there they are, marked out clearly on a new calendar we've just hung on our wall, the beginning of the year, not knowing what that year will include. My concern is that it be filled with the stuff of life rather than the significance that there is within life. Put another way, that we focus on the trivia while we miss the treasure.

So easy to do. I was thinking as I was preparing my thoughts, a good illustration would be when we travel, especially when we are doing business in another city where we don't normally live but we're there for, let's call it an extended period of time, and we go there to work. That's why we are taking our time to be there. Let's say it's Washington, D.C., the capital of our wonderful country. We've got a lot of business to take care of, in fact so much so that we miss the treasure of the Smithsonian Institute, which is right there for us to visit. Or we don't, even in an afternoon, stroll along that pathway leading to the Lincoln Memorial or the magnificent Jefferson Memorial. We don't even look into the possibility of strolling through the White House, which is our house.

How many are in Washington, D.C., and have never taken in the treasure of the White House? Or you may be assigned to Orlando, Florida, so you look forward to a time down there where you can get some things done. You're going to be there maybe a week and a half, maybe two weeks. But you have a weekend there that you could go to Disney World and EPCOT Center if you weren't so busy taking care of business. Or you might spend several weeks in Los Angeles. Oh my goodness. What is there not to see while you're there? Well, you have work to do, so you need to focus on the responsibility of getting your job done.

You certainly need to do that. But you have time to enjoy at least an evening at the Hollywood Bowl out under the sky listening to a great symphony. I remember Cynthia and I were there several occasions and one of my favorites was when we heard the 1812 Overture with cannon. I remember sitting there and watching hairpieces lift off of heads in front of me as the cannon blast at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a great evening. We had such a great time. But how many go to Los Angeles and have never taken in the treasure of the bowl? Or for that matter, the Rose Bowl, the parade. Oh, I'll watch it on television. Really? Really? That's like taking a shower with your raincoat on.

It's not the same. You're missing the treasure of the parade or the bowl itself, the game. Or you may want to drive up the coast if you have the time and you don't want to miss the 17-mile drive, the treasure of Pebble Beach walking alongside the greens there made famous by the great golfers. And on up you certainly would want to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. I fear asking for a show of hands how many have been to California and never cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

Moving up into Muir Woods in Marin County where you could stroll along in the afternoon and smell the luxurious foliage that fills that wooded area. Magnificent sight. Or you might be going across the sea to London and yet you're busy.

You're just so busy. You have to admit in all the times you've been there you've never been in Westminster Abbey along the Thames or visited Trafalgar Square or the great British Museum, one of the centerpieces in the world of museums. What a treasure. Or to Paris and you've missed the Louvre. Or to Italy and you missed Michelangelo's David in Florence. Or the fountain in Rome. Or the Sistine Chapel.

You didn't go there when you were in Rome. And I have to mention Israel. Love Israel. And yet how many go to Israel and don't walk along the Mount of Beatitudes or sail the Galilean Sea?

Not even once. Or moving into Israel you have a chance to go down to Judea where there's the Dead Sea. Or in the hills of En-Gedi you can visit the caves where David hid when Saul haunted him and pursued him. What a treasure it is to be up there as far as the waterfall, having seen the caves of En-Gedi.

Or how about a Shavat morning when you sit quietly and watch the sun rise over this marvelous golden Dome of the Rock, though city like Jerusalem with its treasures. But you will miss it. Those treasures are there whether you take time for them or not.

You've lived and traveled to a lot of places, but I'm not referring to travel in my message. This is a warning, remember. It's a warning about living your life and missing one of the great treasures God has preserved for us. And I might even say missing it repeatedly year after year. What treasure am I referring to? I'm referring to the providence of God. One of the authors I read as he talked about missing treasures referred to it as self-inflicted poverty. I like G.K. Chesterton's way of referring to it. We hold the dust and let the gold go free. The year will unfold day after day and if you're not careful you will rarely, if ever, think of the providence of God. So today I want you to put on your thinking cap. I want you to journey with me into Romans 8.

We'll be there in a moment. First let me unpack the word so you have a better grasp of what it means. I looked in Webster's dictionary this past week and I found this simple definition.

Care or preparation beforehand. We're talking about God's providence so this is his care and preparation before we live our lives. All planned, all arranged, all put together so that we see his hand in the details of our lives, every detail of our lives.

Everyone. The good, the bad, what we would call the bad, even the indifferent. With him there is no monotony. There is no lost weekend. There is no unimportant hour. He's in it all.

He's through it all. So I come to the theological reference, God's timely provisions for the needs of his people. To go further, our world events, our personal lives, are not ruled by chance or fate or luck or coincidence.

All of God's acts filled with his wisdom, the beauty of his plan for us, the arrangement he has put together for each one of us, perfectly designed to shape us ultimately into the image of his son. Think of that. What a great plan. What a great thought. An entire year, this is a warning, an entire year must be lived with that as our focus. Today, Lord, is in your hands. Before I get up out of bed, I want to remind myself as I say to you, Lord, this is your day. Whatever it may hold, whatever it may include, whatever I may hear, whatever I may be aware of, whatever may happen in the events of my world, all of it is an unfolding of your plan, and it will work together for good, just as you have arranged it.

Now, a question before we get to Romans 8. Why do we wrestle with this? Why do we have pushback when we hear things like this? Why do we let another year pass and fail to model an awareness of the treasure, this providence of God in our lives?

I think there may be a couple of reasons. Number one, because we focus on the immediate, our goal is quick relief. We're looking for things that are logical and reasonable, but God focuses on the ultimate, and when he cultivates his Son's character within us, it's often convoluted. Invariably, it takes time. Very little of what God does that's great for us happens quickly. Oh, the moment it happens will be quick, but there's a process preparing us for it. Remember, this is God's provision for the needs of his people.

This thing's planned for you this year that you and I have no idea what they include. They're not our plans. They're his.

Which brings me to the second reason we wrestle. Our knowledge is limited and God's is unlimited. His knowledge is unlimited as well as profound and deep.

As we'll see next week, next Sunday. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, the depth of the riches. This plan is deep.

It takes a while to think it through, to realize it's happening. Isaiah said it best in chapter 55. My thoughts are not your thoughts, says the Lord, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my way, the Lord's ways above my ways, our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. So as we begin the year, we say to him, take charge. Remind me every day, Lord, and the passing of every day that you're in control. Your plan is unfolding. Can I be sure of that?

Is this something I can count on? Well, look at how this 28th verse begins. And we know. This is a promise to be believed, not ignored. This is something we know. Not something we hope for, we know it. This is not an educated promise, this is what we know. Not something we feel or even pray for, we know what this promise states.

And by the way, it is unconditional. By the way, this word know suggests an absolute unshakable confidence. And it's not a self-confidence, it's God confidence. It's knowing that God himself is engaged and involved in our situation. It's being sure that he is aware and at work, regardless of how what's happening may make us feel, whether it is joyful or painful, whether it is pleasant or exacting, demanding. He is aware and he's involved. We know this. Now look further. We know God causes.

Maybe you've never paused at that point and I want us to do that now. God causes. So the project is God's, it's not ours. Maybe you've never thought about that before, but the year before us is all about God.

We have the opportunity to live it, but we are living out what God would have for us. You want to make sure you join us for the next few programs because Chuck Swindoll is presenting a time-sensitive teaching series designed to prepare us for what's ahead. Today we're talking about a treasure you must not miss, and this is Insight for Living. To learn more about this ministry, please visit us online at insightworld.org. Well before we hear an important closing comment from Chuck, I want to remind you that as God prompts you to partner financially with Insight for Living, we urge you to give a donation today. Because of the magnitude of this request, we sat down with Chuck Swindoll in our studio for a one-on-one conversation. His focus was on our year-long study in the book of Matthew and the ways in which this first-century book gives us a plan and a focus for ministry in the new year.

Chuck's 30-minute conversation can be found online, but it might be quicker if you simply follow the link at insight.org slash conversation. Well Chuck, in recent days you've made it your mission to communicate the power of each gift given to Insight for Living Ministries. The needs are urgent, but more importantly, each gift is channeled into reaching men and women with the life-changing power of God's grace. In that sense, God transforms our charity into a tool He can use for His purpose.

Well you're right, Dave. No gift compares to grace, and each of us who has received God's grace is called to share that grace with others. In these final hours of the year, and as this holiday season draws to a close, let me urge you to ask the Lord how you personally can help other people experience His life-changing grace just as you have received it.

Then however He leads, please obey Him right away. One of the ways He might lead you to share His grace is by sending a year-end gift to Insight for Living Ministries by December 31. Or perhaps He will call you to become one of our faithful partners who generously spread the fragrance of grace through the teaching of God's Word to the whole world.

Please know this, your financial support is greatly appreciated, and I might add, urgently needed. So today I'm asking you to do your part. Please respond to God's prompting and give a generous gift to Insight for Living Ministries. When we work together in harmony, God will use our partnership to infuse hope into those who desperately need a touch of His amazing grace.

How about being a part of that process? Thanks so much. And you can respond to Chuck Swindoll by selecting the donate button on our convenient mobile app. Or you can give your gift right now by going online to insight.org slash donate. Or give us a call. If you're listening in the United States, call 1-800-772-8888.

That's 1-800-772-8888. Join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll describes a treasure you must not miss. That's Tuesday on Insight for Living. There's an easy and effective way to leverage your support of Chuck Swindoll's ministry. Become a monthly companion. For me, it was an easy decision. I've gotten far more from Insight for Living than I'll ever be able to give back. So signing up was an easy choice. Sign up today.

If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. It makes me happy to know that my gift is actually helping someone get in touch with God's grace. In this hostile, me-first world, people are craving just one gentle whiff of God's goodness and grace. And when we respond today, our simple act of generosity will be transformed into that irresistible, sweet aroma of grace for someone we may never meet this side of eternity. Do for some unsuspecting person what someone once did for you. Become a monthly companion. If you're listening in the United States, call 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org slash monthly companion. The preceding message, a treasure you must not miss, and the sound recording were copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.