Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Strictest Discipline
If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell -Matthew 5:30

Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that "if your right hand causes you to sin" in your walk with Him, then it is better to "cut it off." There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then "cut it off." The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.

When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do- things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, "What's so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!" There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God's sight than to appear lovely to man's eyes but lame to God's. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don't use your restrictions to criticize someone else.

The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but in Matthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life- "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."


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Passing the Test of Your Faith
In yesterday's devotional, we saw how God desires for us to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing; but the road to that is the testing of our faith.

The natural question is, "What does it take to succeed when the test comes?"  There are two cooperating forces which must be at work.  James 1:4-5 shows us what those two forces are,

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The first force is patience.  James' point is, "Don't quit before the answer comes.  Let patience have full play, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Hebrews 10:36, says it this way,

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

You and I may actually have done the will of God, done what God wants us to do, but if we don't exercise endurance, we won't receive the promise.  That is the importance of patience.

The second cooperating force at work to pass the test of your faith is wisdom.  If you lack wisdom, if you can't see the forest for the trees in the midst of your trial, you can ask God and He will give it...liberally and without reproach.

God delights when you ask for wisdom.  And He won't belittle you or find fault with you for asking.

So if you find your faith on trial, if you are being sorely tested, ask God for wisdom and patiently endure.  Without these two forces, you will never know victory!


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A Call of Devotion

In His Presence: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife . . . and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26).

God calls us to a total commitment-nothing less will do. He called Abraham to complete devotion, and the same was true for Moses, David, all of the disciples, and the apostle Paul. We can't be halfhearted in our love for the Lord and expect to fully experience His joy and peace in our lives. In fact, until we make a full, uncompromising commitment to Him, there will always be distracting factors at work in our lives. We'll constantly be tempted to step away from His very best for us.

In order to be His disciple, you must be willing to deny-not only yourself and your personal desires and passions-but also your love for anyone or anything that could possibly take His place in your heart. Nothing can be more important than Him.

For many people, this concept is hard to accept. They want to say, "Lord, surely You don't want me to give up my only dream for the future?" Or, "Lord, I really want to marry this person. I love her. I know she's not a believer, but I need her. Besides, if I walked away, who would help her know You? Isn't my love for her a testimony about Your love for us?"

To make her point clear, a Christian counselor climbed up on a chair and asked her client to pull her down. The object lesson? It is easy to pull someone down but next to impossible to pull another up-especially if that person resists the truth. God wants you to be solely devoted to Him so that He can bless you with His very best.

The Enemy of your soul, however, wants you to settle for much less. In fact, his goal is for you to step out of God's will through disobedience. He knows if you do, you will not only miss a blessing, but your life will become shrouded with feelings of guilt and disappointment. When that happens you become ineffective as a witness for Christ. God has a great plan in mind for you. When you dedicate yourself fully to Him, you will see it unfold.

One Minute Please
True worship always gives God the nearest, dearest, and most treasured thing in our lives.



God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Conditions of Discipleship

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple -Luke 14:26-27, 33

If the closest relationships of a disciple's life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person- our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause- He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has "poured out in our hearts" the very "love of God" (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.


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True Faith

James 2:14-20 tells us the substance of true faith,

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works."  Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that there is one God.  You do well.  Even the demons believe-and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

My favorite translation of this last verse is, "Faith without actions that correspond is dead."  Faith must have actions that correspond with it.

You can talk about catching fish, about what lures you are going to use, and how you are going to cook them after you catch them, but if you never throw a line in the water, you are not going to catch a fish.

Or it's like the golfer who comes to a 3-par hole with a lake right in front of the green and says, "No problem, I can hit that green with my six iron."  Then he digs out an old ratty golf ball.  If he truly believes he can hit the green, he will hit his brand new $3 golf ball!

For faith to be genuine, it has to have corresponding actions.


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The Reach of Love
In His Presence: "I who speak to you am He" (John 4:26).

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He decided to pass through Samaria. He was returning to Jerusalem and the disciples could not believe He wanted to travel into the region. Even though it was the shorter route home, the Samaritans were considered to be unclean by most Jews. Therefore, the area was generally avoided. But not by Jesus. He had an appointment with a woman at a well. Only, He did not let His disciples in on His plans.

As He stopped to rest beside the well, they urged Him to keep moving. Finally, He sent them into the city to buy food. When a woman showed up to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. He violated a long list of Jewish rules by talking with this woman-a person whose life was far from pure. Only women who lived sinful lifestyles came to the well at midday. Yet, this was exactly when and where she met the Savior.

The bottom line of their discussion was focused on God's unconditional love. He is willing to go anywhere to meet us, and Jesus proves this by traveling into Samaria. Until we come to know and experience His personal love for us, we will never understand how to worship Him.

Perhaps, like this woman, you have found yourself living in a situation that is rooted deeply in sin. Guilt and fear are wrapped around your heart and are now weighing your life down-causing you to wonder if God could ever love you. The answer is yes. Not only does He love you with an unconditional love, He wants you to be free of anything and everything that would prevent you from truly loving and worshiping Him.

This woman became a believer, and her joy and faith were so powerful that those who heard her speak couldn't wait to meet the Savior. You are never outside the reach of God's love. When you turn to Him, He turns toward You with hope and restoration.

One Minute Please
There is more to worship than finding the right location. It has to do with a heart that is repentant and turned toward the Savior.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Concentration of Personal Sin
Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips . . . -Isaiah 6:5

When I come into the very presence of God, I do not realize that I am a sinner in an indefinite sense, but I suddenly realize and the focus of my attention is directed toward the concentration of sin in a particular area of my life. A person will easily say, "Oh yes, I know I am a sinner," but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on our specific sin, and we realize, as Isaiah did, what we really are. This is always the sign that a person is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but a focusing on the concentration of sin in some specific, personal area of life. God begins by convicting us of the very thing to which His Spirit has directed our mind's attention. If we will surrender, submitting to His conviction of that particular sin, He will lead us down to where He can reveal the vast underlying nature of sin. That is the way God always deals with us when we are consciously aware of His presence.

This experience of our attention being directed to our concentration of personal sin is true in everyone's life, from the greatest of saints to the worst of sinners. When a person first begins climbing the ladder of experience, he might say, "I don't know where I've gone wrong," but the Spirit of God will point out some definite and specific thing to him. The effect of Isaiah's vision of the holiness of the Lord was the directing of his attention to the fact that he was "a man of unclean lips." "He touched my mouth with it, and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged' " (Isaiah 6:7). The cleansing fire had to be applied where the sin had been concentrated.


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The Motive of Faith

When speaking of faith, it is critical to talk about the motive of our faith.  James 4:2-3 tells us what a wrong motive is,

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

God is very concerned about the "why" behind our prayers of faith.  He is very interested in the state of our hearts. And I think it is good to check our motives from time to time.

Why do we want what we want? Is it ego driven? Am I asking for it because I want to impress someone?  Are my motives right?

Now, you don't have to overdo it.  You can overanalyze things to the point that you become spiritually frozen and don't do anything.  I think if you will get honest and lay your heart out before God, He will very quickly put the spotlight on the things that should not be there.

Our dog always stands at the back door and scratches on the glass like he really loves us and wants to come in and be with us.  But the moment you open the door he runs right by you into the kitchen looking for food.

Why do you want the thing you want?  What is the purpose behind asking?  Is it for the glory of God?  Is it to help people?  Is there a pure motive there?

When your motive is right, God will not be long in answering.  But if your motive is not right, God won't answer until it gets right.


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In His Presence: "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me" (John 14:11).

One day, as Abraham Lincoln's son was walking in a park near the White House, he saw a young soldier sitting on a bench crying. The man was greatly distressed, and the young Lincoln stopped to ask what was wrong.

Looking up through his tears, the soldier explained that his brother had been placed in jail for something he did not do. He had been told that the only person who could help was the President of the United States. The problem, of course, was that he could not get a message to the president because no one in the White House would listen to him.

Lincoln's son thought for a moment and then asked, "Mister, will you go with me?" Even though he did not know the younger Lincoln's identity, he agreed. The two walked across the street and through the White House gate. They passed the guards and Lincoln's personal secretary. In fact, they didn't stop walking until they crossed the threshold of Lincoln's office where his son finally spoke up and said, "Hello, Dad. This soldier needs to talk with you."

The president looked up from what he was doing and smiled. Then he listened as the solider explained his situation. This story certainly proves that when you have the right relationship, you can go a lot further, a lot faster.

The same is true of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He is God's Son, and He has direct access to His heavenly Father. We don't have to spend time praying to others, hoping that we tapped into the right source. When you pray to Jesus, you have all the access you need. No one can prevent you from coming into His presence, and nothing can stop Him from answering your prayers.

You can take your heartaches, sorrows, and disappointments to God in prayer. Whatever concerns you also concerns Him. He is your heavenly Father, and He has full control over the entire universe.

One Minute Please
When you come to worship, you are worshiping the God of the universe who is also your Daddy.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

One of God's Great "Don'ts"

Do not fret- it only causes harm -Psalm 37:8

Fretting means getting ourselves "out of joint" mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, "Do not fret," but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It's easy to say, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to "rest in the Lord" then? If this "Do not" doesn't work there, then it will not work anywhere. This "Do not" must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.

Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God's plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.

Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
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The Prayer of Faith

Over the last few devotionals, we have looked at faith-what true faith looks like, and the motive behind the faith that pleases God. 

In James 5:15 we are told,

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.  And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Clearly, James wants us to know that when we pray a prayer of faith, God will answer it.  In this passage, we are told that through that prayer God will indeed heal those who are sick, and raise them up.

So what is it that makes up the prayer of faith?  There are three components, all of which we have touched on in the last few days.

The prayer of faith is a prayer that:

Does not waver.  It doesn't vacillate, moving back and forth.  It is anchored on the promise of God.
Is followed by corresponding actions.
Is prayed from right motives.
The example James cites of someone who prayed a prayer of faith is Elijah.  I encourage you to read his story in 1 Kings 17.  There you find that, through the prayer of faith, God shut up the heavens and there was no rain.  And then, by another prayer of faith, the heavens were opened and rain came down.

Elijah expressed his faith when he said he heard the sound of abundance of rain.  He made that statement before there was a cloud in the sky or before a drop of rain ever fell!

When you and I don't waver in our faith, when we show our faith by corresponding action, and when we pray with right motives, God will act.  As surely as Elijah heard that rain by faith, you can hear the rain...whatever that represents in your life.  That is the prayer of faith.


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On Holy Ground
In His Presence "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple" (Isaiah 6:1).

Isaiah probably felt as though he had been hit by a hurricane. King Uzziah had died. With his death came the end of a great era for Israel, which had become a mighty nation under his rule. Now that the king was dead, the people were in an emotional upheaval. Their security was compromised because it was in a man rather than in God.

What is your King Uzziah? Many people place their trust in savings accounts, jobs, and relationships. Shortsightedly, they mistakenly believe that if they have money and good health today, they will be fine tomorrow. While we don't need to live our lives in fear, we do need to develop a strong, unshakeable faith in the One who will never fail us-the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, when life does take a downward turn, we will rest secure in His loving care.

How do you handle a crisis-when you receive the news that your income will be cut in half or that the relationship you believed would lead to marriage falls apart? What do you do when your Uzziah dies and your dreams fall apart? If the focus of your devotion is set on the things of this world, then when trouble comes, you will be shaken. However, if it is on God, you will remain steadfast and sure.

Our greatest vision and understanding of God often comes in times of crisis. Isaiah stepped out of a national whirlwind into the security of the temple where God's presence appeared before him in full glory. Suddenly, the hurricane that had been ripping at his heart vanished, and he fell on his face and worshiped the Lord.

Are the winds of adversity blowing hard against your life? If so, turn your sense of worry into worship because you are standing on holy ground. F. B. Meyer writes, "A storm is only the outskirts of His robe-the symptom of His advent and the environment of His presence."

One Minute Please
Ask God to help you to see your situation from His perspective. When you do, you will understand that He has a perfect plan and that it involves His goodness poured out in abundance for you.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
Don't Plan Without God
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass -Psalm 37:5

Don't plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him- that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our "spiritual face" before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.

Don't plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? "Love . . . thinks no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.

Don't plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command- "Let not. . . ." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.


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The Importance of Revival

Psalm 85:6 asks a powerful question,

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

Notice that the psalmist says, "again."  This tells me that the nation of Israel was once in a state of revival, but that had waned, it had declined, and they had come again to the place where they needed to be revived.

Perhaps today you are in a place where you need to be revived.

Revival has been described as the inrush of the Spirit into the body that threatens to become a corpse.  That is a good definition.  Something needs to be revived when it is dying or when it has lost its strength or momentum.

Revival brings new life.  It brings fresh vigor.  It brings renewed momentum to that which is in a weakened or dying state.

In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul writes to Timothy, Stir up the gift of God which is in you. The word for stir up literally means to rekindle.  In other words, a fire was there at one time, but it has begun to burn low.  And now it needs to be refueled and tended to.

The Amplified Bible says, Rekindle the embers, fan the flame and keep burning the gracious gift of God, the inner fire.

Maybe you have felt spiritually flat lately.  Maybe the fire that once burned white hot for God is now just a glowing ember.  If so, it is time to rekindle those embers and fan to flame what He has put within you. 

As God goes to work in your life, you will find that once again your life will be filled with purpose, and you will once again rejoice in God.


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Out of a Whirlwind
In His Presence: "When Elijah heard [a gentle whisper of wind], he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave" (1 Kings 19:13).

Huddled in a cave and miles away from his home, Elijah tried to warm himself and remember how he got to this place. The memory of Queen Jezebel and her violent threats against him came rushing back to his mind. By then, he had almost forgotten the miracle God had done on Mount Carmel and the spiritual victory that had been gained there. Instead, he hid out in fear (1 Kings 19).

At some point, many of us have done the same thing. God breaks into our lives through answered prayer, and we are left speechless. Then, some little sign of trouble appears on the horizon, and we begin to break down emotionally. Instead of sleeping soundly at night, we wake up, toss and turn, and wonder if God will help us. Of course, He always does.

Elijah's first mistake was to believe that he was the only one left in Israel who had a pure heart before God. Pride always leads to feelings of fear, loneliness, and discouragement. As Elijah waited in the cave, God began to demonstrate His mighty ability to His prophet. First, He did so through a strong wind that tore at the mountain, then through an earthquake, and finally, through a mighty fire. God's presence, however, was not in any of these. Then the prophet heard a gentle wind blowing around him, and he knew that he was standing in the presence of God.

God doesn't have to lift a finger in order to deal with the problems you face each day. He spoke the world into existence, and at His command, the storms surrounding your life will cease. Perhaps as He did with Elijah, He will gain your full attention by allowing the storm to blow a little longer. If this is the case, let the earthquake, fire, and wind come, knowing that you have a loving heavenly Father whose only desire is to draw you nearer to Himself. Take time to worship Him and tell Him that you are listening for His voice.

One Minute Please
When thoughts of fear surround your life, remember, God is still on the throne.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
Visions Become Reality
The parched ground shall become a pool . . . -Isaiah 35:7

We always have a vision of something before it actually becomes real to us. When we realize that the vision is real, but is not yet real in us, Satan comes to us with his temptations, and we are inclined to say that there is no point in even trying to continue. Instead of the vision becoming real to us, we have entered into a valley of humiliation.

Life is not as idle ore,
But iron dug from central gloom,
And battered by the shocks of doom
To shape and use.

God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. Just think of the enormous amount of free time God has! He is never in a hurry. Yet we are always in such a frantic hurry. While still in the light of the glory of the vision, we go right out to do things, but the vision is not yet real in us. God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor's hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal.

The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it.


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The Vital Sign of Joy

In yesterday's devotional, I challenged you to consider whether God needs to do a work in your life to revive you spiritually.  Perhaps you feel it, but you just don't know what it is.         

Over the next few days, I want to point you to the vital signs that may indicate the need for spiritual revival in your life.  The first one we find in Psalm 85.  It is lack of joy.   Look at the language in verse 6,

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

When a person is sullen and depressed spiritually, cheerless and despondent, it is a sure sign that they need revival.

You might say, "Well, you know, if my circumstances would just change, then I would rejoice."  No.  Joy is not dependent upon your circumstances.  In fact, let me give you a great example.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 states,

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:  that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

Notice this language.  The Macedonians were not in a little trial.  They were in a "great trial of affliction."  They were experiencing deep poverty, tremendous lack in their life, and yet they had abundant joy.

What was their secret?  Living in the grace of God.

More than anything else, joy is dependent upon understanding the grace of God, knowing that God's grace is at work even in your affliction. 

If you are joyless today, ask the Spirit of God to fill your heart.  If you do, there will be a joy regardless of what you are facing.


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His Plan for Your Life

In His Presence: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling" (Psalm 73:1).

There will be days when you find that you just don't feel like worshiping God. Perhaps the temptation to compare yourself to someone else has caused you to feel down and even depressed. Driving home from work on Friday, you tell yourself you are glad the week is over because it has been a rough one. As you lament over how tired you feel, Satan blindsides you with the thought that your friends and coworkers do not really appreciate you.

By the time you open the front door of your home, your eyes have narrowed and your forehead has tightened. You are frustrated and ready to give up. Still, you do not pray and ask God for His perspective. You just keep repeatedly thinking through the day and rehearsing your negative feelings. Saturday morning you get up feeling haunted by the same emotions. By Sunday you force yourself to drive to church, but you certainly don't feel like singing or praising God.

Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, would understand your plight. He allowed discouragement to grow in his life to the point where he was deeply disturbed.

Whenever we take our eyes off of God and His faithfulness, and begin to compare our lives with those around us, we either end up feeling defeated or prideful. God has created each one of us for a unique purpose, which includes worshiping Him.

Psalm 73 is a rambling account of what Asaph was feeling, but by the end, he realizes the truth and puts an end to his negativity. "As for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works" (v. 28).

The closer you are to God, the less likely the Enemy will have a shot at your emotions. Stay focused on what God has for you to do. You are His beloved child, and He has an amazing plan for your life. Will you praise Him for this?

One Minute Please

Sometimes God seems so far away that you can't talk to anyone else but Him-because nobody else will understand what in the world you are talking about.





God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Will You Examine Yourself?
Joshua said to the people, 'You cannot serve the Lord . . .' -Joshua 24:19

Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, "I cannot live a holy life," but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. "You cannot serve the Lord . . ."- but you can place yourself in the proper position where God's almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?

"The people said to Joshua, 'No, but we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, "But God could never have called me to this. I'm too unworthy. It can't mean me." It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, "I will serve the Lord."

We say, "Oh, if only I really could believe!" The question is, "Will I believe?" No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?


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The Vital Sign of Passion to Reach the Lost

One of the major signs that someone needs to be revived is a lack of concern for the lost. In David's psalm of repentance, Psalm 51:10-13, he says,

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

When David says, Renew a steadfast spirit in me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, he is saying, "God, revive me, restore me, renew me." One of the fruits we find in a heart that has been revived is a desire to see others converted. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

When a person's spiritual life wanes, there is very little thought and very little action aimed at reaching the lost. Yet, someone who has been revived and is spiritually healthy will be actively engaged in the evangelization of the lost.

Read carefully these words from Elton Trueblood, a Quaker scholar. He said, "Evangelism occurs when Christians are so ignited by their contact with Christ that they in turn set other fires. It is easy to determine when something is aflame. It ignites other material. Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out."

When you are spiritually revived, you will think about the spiritual state of the people that you rub shoulders with every day. It is inevitable that when your heart is revived and close to God, you will have a concern for the lost.
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A Heart of Gratitude
In His Presence: "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The little boy looked up at his father and grinned from ear to ear. He said, "Thanks, Dad!" as he gently rubbed his hand over the new baseball glove and then, with a balled fist, pounded it into the glove's center. He had wanted a new glove for weeks, but he didn't know how to ask for one. How did his dad know what he needed?

"Wow, this is great!" An endless line of happy comments came tumbling out of his mouth as he proudly displayed the glove to his mom. "I'll be able to catch Bobby's infield throws now! How did you know, Dad? Wanna play some catch?"

Who could resist such a request? Certainly not this father. He was overwhelmed by his son's gratitude and appreciation.

When was the last time you thanked your heavenly Father for something that He gave to you? Maybe you are thinking that it doesn't seem like you have received much lately. It is time to look deeper.

This young boy didn't ask for a new glove because he knew his family was having financial trouble. Instead of lamenting over the difficulty, he became determined to keep using the glove he had. His father, however, had noticed his son's need and turned to God in prayer. He didn't know how the Lord would answer, but he believed God would. So, he also began to thank God every morning for hearing his prayer and answering this simple request. A few days later, he wasn't surprised when a friend called, telling him that there was extra work that needed to be done at his office. The father jumped at the opportunity, and when he was handed a paycheck, he headed to the nearest sporting goods store. God always meets our needs, and we need to say "Thank You, Lord."

Your heavenly Father has a solution for your situation. Whenever you express gratitude to Him, His heart is filled with great pleasure because He knows that you have learned how to be thankful in all things.

One Minute Please
Thanksgiving is the recognition of God's goodness with a grateful heart. It is simply gratitude expressed to God for His faithful, loving care.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

The Spiritually Lazy Saint
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together . . . -Hebrews 10:24-25


We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative- our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

"Yes, I think it is right," Peter said, ". . . to stir you up by reminding you . . ." (2 Peter 1:13). It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up- someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up- all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement- He says, "Go and tell My brethren . . ." (Matthew 28:10).


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The Vital Sign of Spiritual Insight

In the Old Testament, we find the story of Ezra and a large group of Israelites who returned to Jerusalem to reestablish the temple and the worship of God. In the midst of this incredible effort, Ezra prays a powerful prayer, as recorded in Ezra 9:8,

"And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage."

Ezra prays that their eyes would be enlightened spiritually. It is reminiscent of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1, when he prayed that the eyes of the Ephesians would be enlightened, spiritually opened.

One vital sign of the need for revival is when we are spiritually dull and insensitive to God's promptings, and the Holy Spirit's direction and creativity.

Perhaps you can remember something creative that once operated in your life, but sadly, it has waned. It has declined. It has gone dormant.

It shouldn't be that way! The Holy Spirit wants to prompt you and guide you and give you knowledge and creativity. But when you are living in a spiritual fog, and you have become accustomed to living in that fog, you can be assured you have become spiritually dull.

That is when you need to be revived. And when you are, there is an enlightening of the eyes. There is a renewed sense and an awareness of the prompting, and the wooing, and the guiding of God's Spirit. That is what comes with revival.

When you are spiritually revived, you will be sensitive to God's Spirit, and you will gain from Him supernatural insight and enlightenment.

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Walk by the Light of His Love
In His Presence: "Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand" (Psalm 73:23).

Harriet Tubman was a small wisp of a woman, yet God used her to do a mighty work. Maybe, as you read these words, you are wondering how God could possibly use you. You feel defeated and want to quit. Don't. Instead, keep reading.

While the Civil War threatened to tear our country apart, there were key players behind the scenes that not only worked to preserve life but also defended liberty, hope, and the belief that there is another life worth living. Harriet was one of these people. Without a thought about her own safety, she led hundreds to safe houses along the Underground Railroad and became a legend as she crossed back and forth over lines of battle.

She made the journey countless times, and many wondered how she could continue traveling such long distances-along roadways that were carved out of thick and unruly landscapes. But she did. Even though the threat of death shadowed her, she refused to stop. How did she do it?

The answer is simple: She had a fixed focus on her goal and nothing was going to turn her. Her faith in God's unconditional love gave her the strength she needed to continue her treks to freedom.

Perhaps you long to travel your own road to freedom. You look up at night into the heavens and wonder how you will continue-especially when your heart feels weary and burdened by life's pressures. You can continue on but only when your faith is in Someone much greater than yourself.

The psalmist writes, "Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day" (Psalm 139:12). Each night, Harriet Tubman walked straight through the darkness and on to freedom. In fact, nighttime was the safest time for her to travel, and she did not walk in fear. Perhaps it was because she carried a light of hope with her-the light given to her by an eternal God.

You too can worship the Lord because He does great things, and His loving hands encompass your life.

One Minute Please

Satan spends a lot of effort bricking up your view of God's victory and grace. Therefore, keep walking and keep holding up God's light of hope and grace.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 
The Spiritually Vigorous Saint
. . . that I may know Him . . . -Philippians 3:10

A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing- even eating, drinking, or washing disciples' feet- we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. "Jesus, knowing . . . that He had come from God and was going to God, . . . took a towel . . . and began to wash the disciples' feet . . ." (John 13:3-5).

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is "that I may know Him . . ." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.
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The Vital Sign of Pride

Pride and self-sufficiency are unmistakable signs of a heart that is in desperate need of reviving. Isaiah 57:15 tells us,

For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

To have a contrite heart literally means you break easily. Even at the thought of grieving God's Spirit you break and repent very quickly. It means you walk softly in your heart before God.

God says He will revive those with a humble spirit and a contrite heart. But one of the great dangers among Christians today-especially for those living in the western world with all of its abundance-is a belief that we don't need anything.

More than ever we need to read the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:17,

"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

How can you be miserable and naked and not know it? It's obvious that Jesus is speaking of their inward, spiritual condition. Apparently, their outward wealth blinded them to their inward poverty. They fell into the trap of pride, which is one of the inherent dangers that comes with prosperity. As Christians living in a very prosperous western world, we need to heed this word!

At Disneyland there is a ride with cool little cars. I remember once seeing a little boy on the ride with his dad, and his feet didn't even reach the pedals! But Junior thought he was driving, oblivious to the fact that Daddy was actually driving the car and making it go.

We need to remember that our feet don't even reach the pedals, and that Daddy, our God, is the One who makes this thing go. We need to maintain a humble heart.
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No Shifting Shadows
In His Presence: "Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude" (1 Timothy 4:4).

What looks like a closed door to you is God's pathway to blessing. What appears to be a nightmare can become His dream for your life. And what may seem like the worst news you could possibly receive can actually be the point of a new beginning. This is because no matter what God allows to touch your life, He has a plan for your future through it.

It is easy to think of God's goodness in a lighthearted way when it seems that we have everything going for us-a good job, health, a growing family, two new cars in the garage, and a house with several bedrooms. Life seems rich and full. But if we never learn to say "thank you" to the Lord, then we have not learned the truth of James 1:17. "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

There are two extremes that can prevent us from living with grateful hearts. One is a sense of pride. We become prideful and believe that we have earned all that we have. When we have this attitude, we can expect to run headlong into trouble (Proverbs 16:18).

The second extreme comes as a result of feeling sorry for ourselves. While the temptation to be sorrowful-and even depressed-may pull at our hearts at times, we need to refuse it by turning our eyes heavenward. With a grateful heart we should say, "Thank You, Lord. I'm hurting, and I know You understand. I don't know how You will use this heartache that I am feeling, but I trust You to do just that-use it for Your glory and for my blessing."

God loves to hear our words of worship and praise. When we thank Him-even in times of difficulty-for His constant care over our lives, we are expressing our faith and trust in an omnipotent God who watches over every aspect of our lives.

One Minute Please
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:. Therefore, be grateful that the light of His love covers you.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church
. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . -Ephesians 4:13

Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose- that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ- ". . . that I may know Him. . ." (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God's perfect design for me requires my total surrender- complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace, Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less?


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View from the Top

I sometimes think Jesus views the Church much differently than we view the Church. In fact, there is a really alarming verse that points to this. It is Revelation 3:1,

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

WOW! That was written to a church that on the outside looked like they had it all together!

They had a reputation of being a living, vibrant church! People who saw them went to seminars to find out how they were doing it, and people applauded them for their success. But Jesus says, "You're dead!"

The Knox Bible puts it this way, How thou dost pass for a living man and all the while art a corpse. The Living Bible says, I know your reputation as a live and active church, but you're dead.

You see, activity is not synonymous with life. Sometimes people and churches that are decaying spiritually cover it up with activity. They are still "going through the motions," but there is really a spiritual decay eating away inside.

People think they are doing great, but Jesus sees right to the heart of the matter, both in our individual lives and in the Church.

May God keep you and me from being so mislead. May we look to Him always for our daily bread, recognizing and acknowledging that every blessing we possess, every stride of progress we make, is the result of His goodness and His grace alone.

He is the One whose view really matters!

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Your Heart, God's Home
In His Presence: "I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it" (Acts 15:16).

What makes the place where you live merely a house? What transforms it into a home? Many people purchase houses that never become their home while others live in an apartment they do not own, but they consider it home. The thing that makes a house a home is not a deed or piece of paper. Rather, it is the relationships that are shared by those who live within its walls. If there is a lack of love and respect, then you simply have a meaningless building framed with brick and mortar. However, if the relationships are firm and loving, even a small apartment can be a lovely place to live.

God has a favorite home. In Acts 15:16 He tells us that one day He will rebuild the tabernacle of David. It always helps to understand what God does not say. He doesn't say that He is going to rebuild the tabernacle of Moses or the grand temple of Solomon. Instead, He says, "I am going to rebuild the tabernacle of David."

What is so special about the place that David built? The answer is in Acts 13:22, "[God] said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.'" It was David's character that drew God to his home. And it was through that kind of devotion that the Messiah would reign. Therefore, the tabernacle to be rebuilt was the spirit of David's kingdom.

The Lord loved to be with David because David loved being with Him. He passionately sought the Lord's presence. Therefore, David's tabernacle was unlike that of Solomon's because it was more about God's kingdom than a place to practice rituals. Though grand, Solomon's temple had veils within that separated the people from God. But David's kingdom was an example of love and obedience to God. David was always ready to worship; he was always in the presence of God.

This is what the Lord desires for us. He wants our hearts to be His home-His place of worship where He can meet with us and know that He is welcomed. Is your heart a heart of worship and one that seeks the God of love and truth?

One Minute Please
The passion of any house of worship must be Jesus Christ. Then it will be God's home.


God bless