Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 10, 2008

Loving Our Grown-Up Children

READ: 1 Corinthians 13
Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13
Comedian Henny Youngman used to say, "I've got two wonderful children-and two out of five isn't bad."

When children reach adulthood, most parents have an opinion about how their offspring have "turned out." Some are proud of everything their kids have done, while other parents express misgivings or disappointment about the choices their children have made. How can we continue a positive parenting role after the birds have left our nest?

In 1 Corinthians 13, often called "the love chapter" of the Bible, Paul writes that the greatest gifts of speaking, understanding, and sacrificial service are worthless without love (vv.1-3). Love itself is the foundation of winsome behavior, and its influence never ends. "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (vv.4-8).

When our children no longer seek our advice, they still value our love. In every stage of parenting, it's not only what we say but what we do that counts.
  - David C. McCasland

May God in mercy grant to us
A home where Christ holds sway,
Where peace and joy from heaven above
Abide from day to day. -Crane

A parent's love never ends.

The Joy of My Salvation by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 12:2-3
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."

The Joy of My Salvation

Someone once asked Haydn, the famous church musician, why his music was so cheerful. He replied, "I cannot make it otherwise. When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen!"

Isaiah felt the same way. As he thought about the Lord, he reveled in the realization that God was totally trustworthy. He need never be afraid. No one could harm him when he was under the care of an omnipotent God. Furthermore, it was from this same God that he could draw his strength, not just physical strength, but the strength to face the trials and tribulations of life. Yet the crowning touch came as he considered that God was also the "well" of his salvation. Just as someone could draw life-saving water from a well in the ground, so Isaiah rejoiced that he could draw from the Lord the spiritual water he needed for his eternal life.

Such thoughts are the secret to a constant attitude of joy. But don't take your joy for granted. After David's sin with Bathsheba, God used the prophet Nathan to bring him to repentance. In the midst of his sorrow over his sin, David cried out, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation" (Ps. 51:12). When David lost his fellowship with God, he did not lose his salvation, but he did lose his joy. And without the joy, our salvation is lacking an important ingredient.

Is your salvation a source of joy in your life? Do you delight in your relationship with God? If not, confess any sin that might be blocking that joy and then let your heart be filled with the joy that only God can give.

If there is no joy in your salvation, check what's in the well of your religion.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you." Psalm 37:5 NLT

Thoughts for Today
We all make choices on a daily basis. We decide what to wear, what to eat, where to go and how to respond to people and to situations.  Should I give an honest answer even though it might keep me from making the sale?  Should I forgive this person who hurt me so badly? Should I tell the cashier she gave me too much change?

Making choices brings responsibility-responsibility to do the right thing. And when we make wrong choices, we bring about the natural consequences. If we lie to our boss, we might lose our job. If we refuse to forgive, we live with unhappiness and sometimes bitterness. If we break a confidence, we might lose a friend.

Consider this
Sometimes we want to take the easy way out-even though we know it is not the right way. We feel as though we don't have the strength to make the right choice. The good news is that we don't have to be alone in making choices. Jesus is standing by, wanting to help us-he is just waiting for an invitation. He knows what is best for us-and he wants to guide us into right choices and give us the strength to make them.

Are you struggling with a choice right now? Maybe you know the right thing to do, but aren't sure you have the strength. Are you willing to trust Jesus? Take a moment right now to ask for his help. You'll be glad you did.

Prayer
Lord, you know about this choice I am struggling with. Please help me to know the right thing to do-and then give me the strength to do it. Thank you that I don't have to do this alone. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Free to Grow by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. The purpose of this group study is to help people overcome disappointments and setbacks that have arrested or are presently hindering their emotional and spiritual development. The group will help participants understand how to be set free so that they can grow and become all that God has designed them to be. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

THE NEXT BEST THING TO DO
Oswald Chambers
 
"Seek, and ye shall find." Luke 11:9

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, i.e., you ask from a desire for self-realization. The more you realize yourself the less will you seek God. "Seek, and ye shall find." Get to work, narrow your interests to this one. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you only given a languid cry to Him after a twinge of moral neuralgia? Seek, concentrate, and you will find.

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." Are you thirsty, or smugly indifferent - so satisfied with your experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a gateway, not an end. Beware of building your faith on experience, the metallic note will come in at once, the censorious note. You can never give another person that which you have found, but you can make him homesick for what you have.

"Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "Draw nigh to God." Knock - the door is closed, and you suffer from palpitation as you knock. "Cleanse your hands" - knock a bit louder, you begin to find you are dirty. "Purify your heart" - this is more personal still, you are desperately in earnest now - you will do anything. "Be afflicted" - have you ever been afflicted before God at the state of your inner life? There is no strand of self-pity left, but a heartbreaking affliction of amazement to find you are the kind of person that you are. "Humble yourself" - it is a humbling business to knock at God's door - you have to knock with the crucified thief. "To him that knocketh, it shall be opened."
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 11, 2008

A Cure For Futility

READ: Micah 6:6-8
What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8
I once heard interviews with survivors from World War II. The soldiers recalled how they spent a particular day. One sat in a foxhole; once or twice, a German tank drove by and he shot at it. Others played cards and frittered away the time. A few got involved in furious firefights. Mostly, the day passed like any other. Later, they learned they had just participated in one of the largest, most decisive engagements of the war, the Battle of the Bulge. It didn't feel decisive at the time because none had the big picture.

Great victories are won when ordinary people execute their assigned tasks.

When followers of Ignatius (1491-1556) endured periods of futility, he always prescribed the same cure: "In times of desolation we must never make a change, but stand firm and constant in the resolutions and determination in which we were the day before the desolations." Spiritual battles must be fought with the very weapons hardest to wield at the time: prayer, meditation, self-examination, and repentance.

Perhaps you sense you're in a spiritual rut. Stay at your assigned task! Obedience to God-and only obedience-offers the way out of our futility.
  - Philip Yancey

When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain. -Cowper

If you sense your faith is unraveling, go back to where you dropped the thread of obedience.

Trouble in the Evening by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 17:13-14
The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, and be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.

Trouble in the Evening

What do Assyria, Babylon and the Roman Empire have in common? All of them, at one time or another, conquered Israel. Yet they share another commonality?none of them exists today as a nation. You will never get an Assyrian stamp in your passport. No one will every proudly announce to you, "I'm a Babylonian!" None of these once-powerful nations has survived into the 20th century?but Israel has.

Throughout history men and nations have demonstrated their hatred for God's people. The Roman Emperor Diocletian is a good example. He issued an edict in 303 A.D. designed to annihilate the Christian religion and destroy the Bible. The emperor even built a monument on which were inscribed the words Extincto nomene Christianorum (The name Christian is extinguished). Only 25 years later, however, the emperor was dead, and the new ruler, Constantine, commissioned 50 copies of the Bible to be prepared at government expense.

Are you are facing persecution at work or school? Maybe people in your own family are seeking to discourage you from living out your Christian faith. God never promised that you wouldn't face these kinds of trials. What He did promise, however, was that ultimately those who afflict His people will fail. Your day of difficulties may seem long, but it won't last forever. Take heart! Morning is coming and when the sun rises, the night of despair is no more.

For every night of trouble, there's a morning of glory.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right-you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set." Psalm 119:1-3 MSG

Thoughts for Today
Jesus is interested in helping us make choices. Perhaps one of the biggest choices for us to make is whether or not we are going to trust him to guide us.

The Bible promises us that if we follow Jesus, all things will work together for our good. I have found this to be so true. As I trust Jesus to help me make the right choices, I know without a doubt that no matter how things may look right now, in the end they will work out for the best. His way is always the best way and his time the best time.

Consider this
Why should you trust Jesus?

First of all, he loves you. In fact, he loves you so much that he died on the cross for you. His love is perfect-and nothing can ever separate you from that love. You are important to him.

            And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death
            nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about
            tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in
            the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to
            separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
            Romans 8:38-39 NLT

Second, he knows what is best. He knows what is best for you in the here and now-and even more important, he knows what is best for you in eternity. He sees the whole picture-a perspective we can never have. Today's scripture beautifully expresses the blessing of trusting him in all planning and decisions.

And last, he is able. He has the power to work things out for your good.

            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. Romans 8:28 NLT

All God asks is that you choose to trust him. That you are willing to do things his way.

Are you?

Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I thought I knew better than you how to work things out. I know that you love me and want only what is best for me. And I know that no matter how things may look sometimes, your way is always the best way. Help me to trust you more and choose to do things your way. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Free to Grow by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. The purpose of this group study is to help people overcome disappointments and setbacks that have arrested or are presently hindering their emotional and spiritual development. The group will help participants understand how to be set free so that they can grow and become all that God has designed them to be. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

Getting There (1)

Come to Me . . . -Matthew 11:28
Where sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saint starts. Do I really want to get there? I can right now. The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words- "Come to Me." Our Lord's words are not, "Do this, or don't do that," but- "Come to me." If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.

Have you ever come to Jesus? Look at the stubbornness of your heart. You would rather do anything than this one simple childlike thing- "Come to Me." If you really want to experience ceasing from sin, you must come to Jesus.

Jesus Christ makes Himself the test to determine your genuineness. Look how He used the word come. At the most unexpected moments in your life there is this whisper of the Lord- "Come to Me," and you are immediately drawn to Him. Personal contact with Jesus changes everything. Be "foolish" enough to come and commit yourself to what He says. The attitude necessary for you to come to Him is one where your will has made the determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit it all to Him.

". . . and I will give you rest"- that is, "I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm." He is not saying, "I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep." But, in essence, He is saying, "I will get you out of bed- out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity." Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about "suffering" the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that?
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 12, 2008

It's Elementary!

READ: Psalm 139:1-6
Known to God from eternity are all His works. -Acts 15:18
On a recent trip to London, we exited the Baker Street underground station where we were greeted by a life-size statue of legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Created by novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes was an investigative genius who could routinely assess seemingly random clues and solve the mystery.

Baffled by Holmes' uncanny brilliance, his sidekick, Dr. Watson, would ask for an explanation-to which Holmes would glibly respond, "Elementary!" and then proceed to unfold the solution.

If only life operated that way. So often, we face events and circumstances that are far more baffling than a Sherlock Holmes mystery. We struggle to figure life out, but we always seem to come up short.

In times like these, it's comforting to know that we have a God who doesn't need to assess the situation-He already knows everything perfectly well. In Acts 15:18 we read, "Known to God from eternity are all His works." He never has to wonder or resort to inductive reasoning.

Despite our finiteness, our lives rest in the hands of the One who knows all the whats, whys, and whens we'll ever face. As we trust in Him, He'll guide us in the path He desires us to take-and His way is never wrong.
  - Bill Crowder

God is the One who sees the whole,
His knowledge is complete;
We see but portions of the truth
As lines that never meet. -D. De Haan

In a world of mystery, it's a comfort to know the God who knows all things.

Praise the Lord by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 25:1
O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Praise the Lord

William Law, in his Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, wrote, "Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives the most alms, or is best known for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it."

Isaiah certainly fits Law's definition of a great saint. Even though this Old Testament prophet lived in a time of tremendous political upheaval, he never lost his sense of awe at God's greatness. He could see God at work doing "wonderful things." And despite the danger and peril that surrounded him, Isaiah was always ready to sing God's praises. He continually rejoiced in the knowledge that God's counsel is faithful and true.

Christians today live in a high-stress world as well. In some countries their physical lives are in danger. Kent Hill, executive director of The Institute on Religion and Democracy, said, "There have been more martyrs produced in the 20th century than in all the other centuries combined since the time of Christ." In the Western world the stress is more likely to come from rapid changes in technology and society. Yet these struggles produce anxieties and apprehension that are real as well.

What's the solution? Give yourself to praise. Whatever your situation, the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe is worthy to be exalted and glorified. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, once said, "Something happens to the man who praises God; his life is blessed and enriched and he is strengthened." Let that be true of your life as well. Determine to take some quality time today just to praise the Lord. See if your day doesn't go better.

Faith runs best when oiled with praise.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." Luke 15:20 NLT

Thoughts for Today
Jesus taught the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. This young man made many wrong choices, but ultimately he accepted responsibility for the consequences of those choices.

Deciding to set out on his own, he asked his father for his inheritance and off he went. He proceeded to make more bad choices, squandering his money on wild living. Eventually the money was gone and he fell to the position of feeding another man's livestock. He was so hungry that even the food he was feeding the pigs looked good. He thought of home-even his father's servants would be eating better than this.

I think I'll return home and become one of my father's servants, he thought. I don't deserve more than that, but I believe he'll hire me. Good choices. To admit his error and not try to blame anyone else. To face up to responsibility.

The young man's father saw him coming home. He ran out to meet him with open arms, killed the fatted calf and had a huge party to celebrate his son's homecoming.

Consider this
Have you made some bad choices? Wandered off and squandered your talents, your opportunities to do good? I encourage you to make the right choice of coming to your Heavenly Father. He awaits you with open arms.

Prayer
Father, I've made so many mistakes. I know many of the things I've done have not pleased you, but I thank you for this assurance of your love. Please forgive me and take me into your loving arms. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Free to Grow by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. The purpose of this group study is to help people overcome disappointments and setbacks that have arrested or are presently hindering their emotional and spiritual development. The group will help participants understand how to be set free so that they can grow and become all that God has designed them to be. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
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Getting There (2)

They said to Him, 'Rabbi . . . where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see' -John 1:38-39
Where our self-interest sleeps and the real interest is awakened. "They . . . remained with Him that day . . . ." That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past. Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

"You are Simon . . . . You shall be called Cephas" ( John 1:42  ). God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don't dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him- self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the sin of making "self" our god. And some of us today do this, not like the Pharisee, but like the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14 ). For you to say, "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, "I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ." Why aren't you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. You say it would be all right if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is exactly what He will do! And not only do we make our home with Him, but Jesus said of His Father and Himself, ". . . We will come to him and make Our home with him" ( John 14:23  ). Put no conditions on your life- let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 13, 2008

For Such A Time As This

READ: Esther 4:10-17
I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish. -Esther 4:16
When Sha'Ri Eggum was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, doctors told her that only a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative could save her life. Complicating matters, Eggum, 32, was adopted and didn't know anything about her biological family. But a private investigator tracked down her brother, Mike Ford, who was a perfect match. Today, Eggum's leukemia is in remission. Ford was the right person for the right moment.

The book of Esther tells another story of love, sacrifice, and God's timing. Mordecai, a Jew in exile, refused to bow to Haman, second in command to King Ahasuerus. Haman became furious and plotted to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. So Haman deceived the king and persuaded him to issue an edict condemning the Jews to death. When Mordecai told his cousin Queen Esther about the edict, he urged her to intervene. "Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" he said (v.14). Approaching the king uninvited was punishable by death. But Esther seized the moment to save her people!

When we are able to rescue others, we should do so at all costs. Ask God for His direction and act! He may have placed you here "for such a time as this."
  - Marvin Williams

O for a faith that will not shrink
Though pressed by many a foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe. -Bathurst

Courage is not the absence of fear-it is the mastery of it.

Perfect Peace by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Perfect Peace

Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many days. When it returned to port, someone asked the captain, "How did the terrible storm last night affect you?" The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Storm? We didn't even know there was a storm!" The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as "the cushion of the sea." Although violent storms might whip the ocean above into huge waves, the waters deep below are never stirred.

This is the promise that God gives to every believer who is willing to put his total trust in Him. The word for perfect that Isaiah uses means "complete, with no parts missing." God will give us a peace, not just in some circumstances but in all. We will have peace about our family, about our finances and about our health. When we surrender our lives to Him, the God of peace gives us a peace that "surpasses all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). It is a peace that guards both our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. It's a deep-down peace.

But this peace comes only to those who truly believe in and focus on the promises of God. The apostle James wrote that the person who allows doubts to cause division in his mind will be "like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind . . . he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6, .

As you read your Bible, be alert to the promises of God. Keep a list of those that are especially precious to you. Think about them. Meditate on them. Focus your attention on them. Pray back these promises to God, not as a reminder to Him, but as a reminder to yourself. If you fill your mind with His promises, God will fill your heart with His peace.

God's peace is for those who trust His purposes.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG

Thoughts for Today
Jesus never changes. When you climbed out of bed this morning, regardless of how you might have felt, he had not changed during the night. He is trustworthy and consistent.

            Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV

No matter what your situation, you can turn to Jesus. What choices are you facing? I encourage you to choose to follow Jesus to choose his way, not yours to choose to receive his love to choose to trust him.

If you do this, you will still have problems and challenges You may still suffer consequences from wrong choices you made in the past But you won't have to face any of these things alone. Jesus will always be there-loving you and guiding you.

Consider this
When you choose to trust Jesus and do things his way, God has room to work in your life. He will help you move on past the hurt or pain or failures of the past. He will give you hope for the future.

            "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and
            not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Prayer
Lord, I do trust you. I know you love me and that your plan for me is the best plan. Please keep me on track. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Free to Grow by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. The purpose of this group study is to help people overcome disappointments and setbacks that have arrested or are presently hindering their emotional and spiritual development. The group will help participants understand how to be set free so that they can grow and become all that God has designed them to be. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

Getting There (3)

READ:
. . . come, follow Me -Luke 18:22
Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself (see Romans 12:1  ). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you- and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus. Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.

If you abandon everything to Jesus, and come when He says, "Come," then He will continue to say, "Come," through you. You will go out into the world reproducing the echo of Christ's "Come." That is the result in every soul who has abandoned all and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Him? Will I come now?
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 14, 2008

For Those Who Serve

READ: Romans 13:1-7
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine! -1 Timothy 5:17
When my son Steve walks into a room, he often gets immediate respect. People want to shake his hand. They smile. They congratulate him. They thank him.

It happens at church. It happens in restaurants. It happens wherever he goes-as long as he is wearing his uniform of the United States Navy.

While in uniform, Steve gets instant respect because everyone knows that he is serving. He has given up many personal freedoms and desires so that he can serve his country.

People respect service. We honor police officers who serve. We pay homage to military personnel who serve. But do we give the same honor and respect to those who are in an even greater service-service to God? Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers?

Scripture tells us to give honor to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7). Specifically, it tells us that double honor goes to those who direct the affairs of the church through teaching and preaching (1 Tim. 5:17).

Instead of criticizing your pastor, teacher, or spiritual leader, let others hear your words of gratitude and praise for their service. Hold them up in prayer. God's servants deserve our respect and honor.
  - Dave Branon

Putting It Into Practice
· Send a card or note of appreciation to your pastor.
· Thank your teacher for a lesson that helped you.
· Ask your leaders how you can pray for them.

We honor God when we honor our leaders.

Building on the Cornerstone by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily."

Building on the Cornerstone

Historically, the cornerstone was the most important part of any building. The total weight of an edifice rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure. The cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight. The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building. If the cornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well. Thus, the cornerstone became a symbol for that which held life together.

In the days of Isaiah, the leaders of Israel had chosen to rest their security on a different cornerstone. They chose to put their trust in their own political savvy. Through various military alliances, they thought they could hold their nation together. Ultimately, however, this shaky cornerstone failed and Israel was taken captive by the Babylonians.

Yet God declared through Isaiah that He would establish a cornerstone that would never fail?a stone that could be trusted because it had been tried and proven to be precious and sure.

The New Testament writers recognized that this stone was Jesus Christ. The Savior said of Himself, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'" (Matt. 21:42). The apostle Peter repeated Isaiah's prophecy and added, "And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame" (1 Pet. 2:6).

When the pressures of life bear down on you, there's only one cornerstone capable of handling the weight. When your need for guidance is urgent, there's only one cornerstone you can trust to keep your life straight. That cornerstone is Jesus. Trust Him with every aspect of your lives, and you will find that He never fails. He's not just a Rock; He's the Cornerstone.

A solid life begins with an immovable cornerstone.

Week of June 9

A Roaring Lion

After checking with those who work with wild animals, I was told that there are three reasons lions roar:

They roar when strange animals hunt in their territory. 
Lions sound a roar of triumph after they have captured their prey. 
Lions roar loudest when caught in a storm. They cannot tolerate the flashing lightning or the clashing of thunder.
Peter concludes his first epistle by drawing a word picture of Satan as a lion constantly on the move, prowling around and roaring each time a careless Christian falls victim to his deception.

This is why Peter admonishes us to "be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:.

Being alert is the antithesis of being in a drunken stupor. Each week, there are reports of people who have died as a result of being hit by drunk drivers. People who drink and drive have impaired mental and physical capacities. They cannot react properly to their circumstances and end up causing deadly accidents.

Peter is telling us that sin can numb your spiritual senses to a point where you are no longer spiritually sober. Your reaction time is affected and you fall victim to Satan's ploy.

In contrast, a person who is spiritually alert views life according to God's principles and values. Spiritually, alertness means being aware of approaching danger and having the determination to avoid it.

When it comes to the enemy, be very serious-minded. Don't be flippant about his intentions. His desire is clear: to destroy your testimony and life for Christ. Therefore, stand firm in your faith. Commit yourself to prayer and you will gain the victory!

Be self-controlled and alert (1 Peter 5:.

Are you spiritually alert? Can you recognize your real enemy? Michael Youssef explores this topic in our free resource-"Who is Your Real Enemy?" Download it today.

By Passionately Proclaiming Uncompromising Truth, Leading The Way is revolutionizing lives at home and around the world. Discover more at www.leadingtheway.org.
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Get Moving! (1)

READ:
Abide in Me . . . -John 15:4
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus- I have to do it myself. I have to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5  ). "Abide in Me"- in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.

Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord's inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father's plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord's life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is "hidden with Christ in God" ( Colossians 3:3  ).

Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, "Yes, Lord, just a minute- I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then." Get moving- begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 15, 2008

A Perfect Father

READ: Proverbs 20:3-7
The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. -Proverbs 20:7
My father once admitted to me, "When you were growing up, I was gone a lot."

I don't remember that. Besides working his full-time job, he was gone some evenings to direct choir practice at church, and he occasionally traveled for a week or two with a men's quartet. But for all the significant (and many small) moments of my life-he was there.

For instance, when I was 8, I had a tiny part in an afternoon play at school. All the mothers came, but only one dad-mine. In many little ways, he has always let my sisters and me know that we are important to him and that he loves us. And seeing him tenderly caring for my mom in the last few years of her life taught me exactly what unselfish love looks like. Dad isn't perfect, but he's always been a dad who gives me a good glimpse of my heavenly Father. And ideally, that's what a Christian dad should do.

At times earthly fathers disappoint or hurt their children. But our Father in heaven is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy" (Ps. 103:. When a dad who loves the Lord corrects, comforts, instructs, and provides for the needs of his children, he models for them our perfect Father in heaven.
  - Cindy Hess Kasper

How blessed are the children
Who in their fathers see
The tender Father-love of God,
And find their way to Thee. -Johnson

A life lived for Christ is the best inheritance we can leave our children.

The Quiet Spirit by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 30:15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not . . . .

The Quiet Spirit

Human wisdom seldom produces the results that we desire. In an issue of Meat & Poultry magazine, the editors reported on a device used by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to test the strength of windshields on airplanes. The device launches a dead chicken at a plane's windshield at approximately the speed the planes flies. This indicates if the windshield could withstand a real collision with a bird during flight.

The British railway authorities were so impressed they borrowed the FAA's chicken launcher to test the windshield of one of their new high-speed train engines. In their test, however, the chicken not only went through the windshield but also the engineer's chair and embedded itself in the back wall of the engine cab. Stunned, the British asked the FAA to recheck everything to see if they had done anything wrong. After thoroughly checking it out, the FAA had one recommendation: "Next time, don't use a frozen chicken."

The people of Israel also were seeking solutions, but they, too, were looking to human wisdom. God noted that they trusted "in oppression and perversity" (v. 12). He called upon them to rest in Him, but they declared, "No, for we will flee on horses." Therefore God concluded, "those who pursue you shall be swift!" (v. 16). All their human wisdom would end in failure. When viewed objectively, human wisdom doesn't have much of a track record.

If you are going through a troubled time, stop trusting in human wisdom. Instead, let your spirit be quiet before God. Take the difficulties that are bothering you and prayerfully hand each one to Him. Leave them in His care and rest confident that He who loved you so much that He sacrificed His only Son for your salvation, also loves you enough to deal with whatever might be disturbing your heart today.

The key to a quiet spirit is a trusting heart.

Week of June 13

An Uncommon Call to an Uncommon Life
by Max Lucado

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.
1 Corinthians 12:7 MSG

Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed one Fifth Symphony. And God made one version of you. He custom designed you for a one-of-a-kind assignment. Mine like a gold digger the unique-to-you nuggets from your life.

When I was six years old, my father built us a house. Architectural Digest didn't notice, but my mom sure did. Dad constructed it, board by board, every day after work. My youth didn't deter him from giving me a job. He tied an empty nail apron around my waist, placed a magnet in my hands, and sent me on daily patrols around the building site, carrying my magnet only inches off the ground.

One look at my tools and you could guess my job. Stray-nail collector.

One look at yours and the same can be said. Brick by brick, life by life, God is creating a kingdom, a "spiritual house" (1 Pet. 2:5 CEV). He entrusted you with a key task in the project. Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny. "If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 4:11). When God gives an assignment, he also gives the skill. Study your skills, then, to reveal your assignment.

Look at you. Your uncanny ease with numbers. Your quenchless curiosity about chemistry. Others stare at blueprints and yawn; you read them and drool. "I was made to do this," you say.

Heed that inner music. No one else hears it the way you do.

What about you? Our Maker gives assignments to people, "to each according to each one's unique ability" (Matt. 25:15). As he calls, he equips. Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness.

You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life. "The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others" (1 Cor. 12:7 CEV). So much for the excuse "I don't have anything to offer." Did the apostle Paul say, "The Spirit has given some of us "? Or, "The Spirit has given a few of us "? No. "The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others." Enough of this self-deprecating "I can't do anything."

And enough of its arrogant opposite: "I have to do everything

." No, you don't! You're not God's solution to society, but a solution in society. Imitate Paul, who said, "Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us" (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Clarify your contribution.

Don't worry about skills you don't have. Don't covet strengths others do have. Just extract your uniqueness. "Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you" (2 Tim. 1:6 NASB).

From
Cure for the Common Life:
Living in Your Sweet Spot
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005) Max Lucado

Now in paperback with practical assessment tools included in the back of the book apply the powerful principles of Cure for the Common Life

Get Moving! (2)

READ:
Also . . . add to your faith . . . -2 Peter 1:5
In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become "partakers of the divine nature" and that we should now be "giving all diligence," concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5 ). We are to "add" to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits- we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God's perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, "Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples' feet . . ." ( John 13:3-5  ).

We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God's way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don't always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.

It is difficult for us to do the "adding" that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty's sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 16, 2008

Strings, Rings, Troublesome Things

READ: James 4:1-10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. -James 4:10
Ray Bethell is a world champion kite flyer. He can make multiple kites twist and turn in such precision that they behave as if they are one. As I watched an amazing video of Ray and his three synchronized kites, I recalled a poem I had read many years ago.

In the library of Pastor Howard Sugden, I came across a well-worn book containing the works of John Newton. Inside was a poem titled "The Kite; or Pride Must Have a Fall." The kite in Newton's poem dreamed of being cut free from its string: "Were I but free, I'd take a flight, / And pierce the clouds beyond their sight, / But, ah! Like a poor pris'ner bound, / My string confines me near the ground." The kite does finally manage to tug itself free, but instead of soaring higher in the sky, it crashes into the sea.

The analogy calls me to reconsider some "strings" that make me feel constrained. Vows. Promises. Commitments. Responsibilities. Although such things make me feel tied down, God uses them to hold me up. As James teaches, it is our willingness to be humbled (or held down) that God uses to lift us up (James 4:10).

Before cutting any string, make sure it's not one that's holding you up.
  - Julie Ackerman Link

Though I am His sheep, I'm still prone to stray,
So Jesus in love sends afflictions my way;
The lessons that come in this school of deep pain
Will teach me to follow my Lord once again! -Bosch

A Christian rises against the winds of adversity.

This Is the Way by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

This Is the Way

It used to be when you were lost that you stopped at a gas station and asked for directions. Hopefully the person who directed you knew what he was talking about. Technology, however, is changing all that. Rockwell International has produced the PathMaster system, which uses a satellite not only to beam route instructions to specially equipped automobiles but also allows the user to call up reviews of nearby restaurants and hotels. Etak Incorporated is offering a similar program, but in addition to travel directions it also keeps the driver up-to-date via satellite on possible traffic tie-ups and provides alternate routing instructions if necessary. The cost of these systems? Around $3,000.

Isaiah tells us, however, that there is a guidance system that takes no extra equipment or cash. All it takes is a heart sensitive to the still, small voice of God.

God has always been concerned with the direction in which mankind is headed. When He inquired of Adam in the Garden of Eden, "Where are you?" it was because He knew that Adam had veered off course. When the Israelites left the land of Egypt, He gave them a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so that they would not lose their way. Isaiah confessed that the people of his day were "like sheep [that] have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). But God did not give up on them. Instead He offered to restore them and give them the guidance they needed.

If you need God's guidance today, make sure your heart is right with Him. Then claim His promise. If you will listen to the voice of His Spirit, He will guide you through every twist and turn of your life's journey. He will tell you the way. Will you walk in it?

If you want to know God's way, you have to listen for His voice.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT

Thoughts for Today
Is there an area in your life that feels out of control?

We all have the potential of coming under the influence of a life-controlling problem. Facing the reality of the problem may be difficult; however, doing so can be the first step on the road to recovery.

One sign of a life-controlling problem (or the start of one) is when a substance, behavior or relationship interferes in an important area of our life (job, school, family ) but we continue the behavior regardless. In other words, we are hurting others or ourselves but do not make a change to correct the destructive issue.

Admitting our powerlessness over a life-controlling problem is not a weakness; it is a strength.

Consider this
Is there some negative issue in your life that you don't seem able to control? Perhaps you have thoughts like these: "There is no way out." "I am in over my head." "I feel like a runaway truck." "I feel overwhelmed."

As trapped as you might feel right now, there is a way out. You can change-but not by yourself. Take this first step. Admit your powerlessness over this problem. Don't allow embarrassment, pride or hopelessness to stop you from getting help. Admit your need to yourself and to God. Tell him that you need his help. He loves you, he wants to help you and he is able.

Prayer
Father, I do need your help. I have tried to hide this problem from you and from others-even from myself. Please forgive me and show me the way out. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Stepping into Freedom by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. is a Christ-centered twelve-step program suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism.

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

"Will You Lay Down Your Life?"

READ:
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . -John 15:13, 15
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, "I will lay down my life for Your sake," and he meant it ( John 13:37 ). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing- our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, "Will you lay down your life for My sake?" ( John 13:38 ). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (seeMark 9:1-29 ). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" ( 1 John 3:16  ). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.

If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, "Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful." And Jesus says to us, ". . . I have called you friends. . . ." Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 17, 2008

Captain Thunderbolt

READ: 2 Corinthians 11:3-4,12-15
Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. -2 Corinthians 11:14
When an English robber called Captain Thunderbolt escaped the law and moved to the eastern US in 1818, he began practicing medicine. He took on the name Dr. John Wilson. Often he wore three suits of clothes to escape recognition by making himself look larger and covering up a deformed leg.

Just before the man died, he asked his friends to bury him without removing his clothes. But to prepare his body for proper burial, that request could not be honored. The mortician was surprised to find scars from wounds and a withered leg. A search of "Dr. Wilson's" house revealed a stash of watches, jewelry, and diamonds. The sheriff learned that the doctor was in fact Thunderbolt, a thief in disguise. They had been fooled!

Satan and his followers have disguises too. It says in 2 Corinthians 11:15, "[Satan's] ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness." But how? One way is through false doctrine. Ever since Paul's day, false teachers have taught that good deeds can earn salvation.

Paul warned us not to be deceived by the devil's craftiness (v.3). The truth is: "By grace you have been saved through faith . . . ; it is the gift of God, not of works" (Eph. 2:8-9). Don't be fooled.
  - Anne Cetas

The powers of darkness have blinded the race,
Closing our eyes to the glories of grace;
But faith in the Savior brings healing and sight-
He floods our soul with His truth and His light. -DJD

Satan has many tools, but deception is the handle that fits them all.

A Desert Rose by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 35:1-2
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God.

A Desert Rose

Boulder Dam was built in order to bring water to areas that had been desert. During the building of this dam, several workmen lost their lives. After its completion, a plaque was placed on the dam with the names of those who had been killed, with the following inscription: "These died that the desert might rejoice and blossom as the rose."

God revealed to Isaiah that Israel also would one day be restored. The land that had been devastated and destroyed until it was nothing more than a desert would be revived and become a place of beauty and fruitfulness.

To a certain degree, this prophecy has been realized. With the aid of technology and significant irrigation, Israel has restored many areas of the land to fruitfulness. Ultimately, however, Isaiah's prophecy will find fulfillment during the millennial reign of the Messiah. Then, not only will the nations beat their spears into pruning hooks (2:4) and the lion eat straw like the ox (11:7), but Israel will become an agricultural paradise. God promised it, so you can believe it.

Yet in a spiritual sense, this fulfillment can take place now. If your life has been a spiritual desert, Jesus can make it blossom. When you receive Him as your Savior, you become spiritually alive (Eph. 2:1). With the cultivation of the Holy Spirit, you will produce spiritual fruit a hundred times over (Matt. 13:23). Don't put that day off to some future time; do it now. Your life can blossom in the grace and mercy of God.

A surrendered heart is always a fruitful field.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity, he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ." Romans 3:23-24 MSG

Thoughts for Today
In dealing with life-controlling problems-actually in dealing with life itself-we all need help from a power greater than ourselves. People look in many places for that help: wealth, fame, success, New Age philosophies, and even their own willpower. But ultimately there is only one answer: Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Some people see God as a crutch for the weak or sick. Others may be dealing with anger toward God. Still others may have had unpleasant experiences with Christians and developed a distorted concept of God. The most important thing to remember is that there is hope for all in Christ.

Consider this
If you have been trying to deal with a life-controlling problem in your own strength, you are probably experiencing frustration, anger, fear, shame or rejection. It is important that you recognize that you can't do it on your own and turn to the only one who can truly help you: Jesus.

Jesus loves you. He paid the price for your failures by dying on the cross. He wants you to reach out to him and receive his forgiveness and his strength. He has a special purpose for your life and wants to help you achieve it. But first you must acknowledge your need for him and ask him to take charge of every area of your life.

Prayer
Father, I've been trying to handle things on my own too long. I need you. I need your love and forgiveness and guidance and strength. Forgive me for all the wrong and help me get back on track. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Stepping into Freedom by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. is a Christ-centered twelve-step program suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

Beware of Criticizing Others

READ:
Judge not, that you be not judged -Matthew 7:1
Jesus' instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, "Don't." The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5 ). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24 ). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person's situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 18, 2008

An Invitation To Friendship

READ: John 15:9-17
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends. -John 15:15
I grew up in a home with lots of wall plaques. One had a quotation by poet Claude Mermet that stands out in my mind: "Friends are like melons; let me tell you why: To find a good one, you must one hundred try!"

Most of us can identify with that. It's hard to find good friends.

I wonder if God ever feels that way about us? Out of all the people in the Old Testament, only one was ever called His friend. In Isaiah 41:8, God says that He chose Jacob, who was an offspring of "Abraham My friend." Pretty exclusive club! So you can imagine how shocking it was for the disciples to hear Jesus say, "No longer do I call you servants, . . . but I have called you friends" (John 15:15).

Better yet, He is saying that to us as well. So, what does friendship with Jesus look like? It starts with commitment. As He said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (v.14). Then He added the dynamic of communication. He promised to tell us all that the Father has told Him (v.15). Are you listening? And as His friends we begin to bear fruit (v.16), sharing a commonality with Him by reflecting His glory in our attitudes and actions (2 Cor. 3:18).

Jesus welcomes you to the privilege of friendship with Him! Are you His friend?
  - Joe Stowell

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer! -Scriven

Welcome to the privilege of friendship with God.

The Eternal Word by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

The Eternal Word

Very few things are permanent, no matter how solid they seem to be. Japanese scholar Chikaosa Tanimoto is now saying that the Sphinx, which has stood immovable on the Giza Plateau outside of Cairo, Egypt, for more than 4,500 years, is destined for destruction within the next 200 years. Because of erosion created by pollution and the forces of nature, the structure eventually will disintegrate into a heap of rubble. Other ancient monuments such as the great pyramids, Cheops, Chephren and Myceriuns, which were supposedly built to last forever, are also showing signs of crumbling. Given sufficient time, they also will return to the dust from which they came.

The same, however, cannot be said of God's Word. Even though portions such as the Book of Job and the five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) are nearly 4,000 years old, they are as relevant today as the day they were written. Because the Bible deals with the nature of man and the love of God, it will always be applicable to man's need. Technology changes, cultures vary, fads come and go. But human nature stays the same, and the Bible always has the answer for man's deepest need.

Nor will Scripture ever lose its validity. The Bible is absolute truth, and truth doesn't change with time. Just as two plus two is four today, it was a thousand years ago and it will be a thousand years from now. The sins that offended the holiness of God when the Bible was written, such as adultery, homosexuality, lying and stealing, are just as sinful and offensive to a holy God today.

Other things may last a long time, even thousands of years, but only God's Word is forever. Every word of Scripture that you make a part of your life is an investment in eternity. Study it, memorize it, apply it, and your life will never be out of date.

Only the eternal Word can meet the needs of an eternal soul.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins-make a clean breast of them-he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God-make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God." 1 John 1:8-10 MSG

Thoughts for Today
Overcoming a life-controlling problem is a process. It is important to acknowledge that you have a problem and come to Jesus for help. Your next step should be to get real-with yourself and with God.

Take an inventory of your life. Think about the ways you have been denying the reality of your condition. Have you been isolating yourself? Keeping your struggle a secret? Making light of it or rationalizing that it's OK?

Have you blamed other people and circumstances for your problem instead of accepting responsibility? Perhaps you point your finger at your parents or spouse or friends. Maybe you blame a job loss or even your childhood.

Consider this
Think about the ways your behavior has affected other people. Have you lost their respect and confidence? Are you experiencing strained relationships or problems with your children?

Determine to be honest about your problem and to accept responsibility for your behavior. Repent for what you have done and turn to Jesus for the hope that only he can give. Change won't be easy. And you may suffer natural consequences of past failures. But begin to focus on your new hope in Christ. He will not disappoint you in your time of personal searching and change.

Prayer
Father, forgive me for blaming people and circumstances for my behavior. I am ready to accept responsibility for my situation. Forgive me for my sin. I thank you for helping me through this time of change. In Jesus' name

These thoughts were drawn from
Stepping into Freedom by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. is a Christ-centered twelve-step program suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.

Keep Recognizing Jesus

READ:
. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . -Matthew 14:29-30
The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn't see them at first. He didn't consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and "walked on the water." Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn't our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter's continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, ". . . why did you doubt?" ( Matthew 14:31  ). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, "Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?" Be reckless immediately- totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything- by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness- being willing to risk your all.
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 19, 2008

Juneteenth

READ: Romans 6:15-23
Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. -Romans 6:18
On June 19, 1865, over 2 years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and read General Order Number 3: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." For the first time, slaves in Texas learned that they were already free. Some were shocked; many others celebrated. June 19 soon became known as "Juneteenth."

Nearly 25 years after the "Emancipation Proclamation" of the cross of Jesus, Paul wrote to the Roman believers. Some of them still did not understand what it meant to be free from sin's bondage. They thought they could go on sinning because they were under grace (Rom. 6:15). So Paul reminded them of their status in Jesus by appealing to a familiar fact: Whatever we submit to becomes our master (John 8:34). To commit sin puts us in bondage to sin.

The other option is to be a slave of righteousness. Salvation actually means a change of bondage. As we once served sin, we are now committed to lives of righteousness because of the freedom Jesus provides.

My brothers and sisters, let us become in practice what we already are in status-free!
  - Marvin Williams

The Savior can break sin's dominion,
The victory He won long ago;
In Him there is freedom from bondage,
He's able to conquer the foe. -Smith

True freedom is found in bondage to Christ.

Those Who Wait by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 40:31
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Those Who Wait

People in the United States hate to wait. Some define a split second as the time between the traffic light turning green and the person behind you blowing his horn. Fast-food chains have sprung up everywhere because many people don't want to go to restaurants where they have to wait for their food. Grocery stores have express lanes so that those with only a few items will not have to wait long. Patience is certainly a dying virtue in our culture.

God knew that Israel would have to wait a long time for fulfillment of the many promises He gave through the prophet Isaiah. Nearly 150 years would pass before "Cyrus . . . My shepherd" would restore the people from captivity (44:28). It would be more than 700 years before the "people who walked in darkness" would see the light of the Gospel (9:2). And many promises have yet to be fulfilled (11:6-9; 35:1-10).

We may not like to wait, but God attaches a promise to waiting. In patiently trusting Him, He assures us, we will find a new strength. When the right time comes, we will have wings like eagles and supernatural endurance.

Many Christians wear themselves out because they are running ahead of God rather than waiting for His perfect time. If you're prone to do this, let God not only have His will in your life, but also let Him accomplish that will in His time. Use the waiting time as an opportunity to renew your strength and prepare for what lies ahead. Waiting doesn't have to be a drag; it can be a surge.

It's better to be renewed by waiting than ruined by rushing.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." James 5:16 AMP

Thoughts for Today
This week we've talked about admitting your needs to yourself and to God. Now it's time to share what you've learned with another person, perhaps a trusted Christian friend.

Sharing with others helps remove you from the isolation caused by defenses you may have built around yourself in an attempt to avoid pain and embarrassment. As you prepare to take this step, it is important to remember that although it may be helpful to share your concerns with another, only Christ can forgive sins. There are some personal concerns that only God needs to know.

Consider this
After honestly admitting your problem to God, yourself and others and receiving God's forgiveness, it's time to put the past behind and begin taking positive steps to rebuild your life. Some things will require continued prayer and corrective action on your part. Be open to God's guidance and to the people he may send to help you along the way. Throughout the process, remember this: You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)

Prayer
Father, give me the courage to share my struggles with a friend. Help me to be open and obedient to your guidance. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Stepping into Freedom by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. is a Christ-centered twelve-step program suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism.   

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
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My Utmost for His Highest

READ:
. . . do you love Me? . . . Tend My sheep -John 21:16
Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple" ( Luke 14:26 ). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, "If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me." A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, "Now I see who Jesus is!"- that is the source of devotion.

Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord's primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people- the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a "doormat." The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that "falls into the ground and dies"- it will spring up and change the entire landscape ( John 12:24 ).

God bless