Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 20, 2008

Ghost Town

READ: Nehemiah 1:4-11
What does the Lord your God require of you, but . . . to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. -Deuteronomy 10:12
A gold rush that began in the 1970s made Boa Vista, Brazil, a boomtown on the edge of one of the world's richest gold fields. That changed when the gold mines were shut down. Government officials say the miners were destroying the rain forest, dumping mercury into the rivers, and bringing guns and diseases that killed thousands of local residents. Today Boa Vista is a "town of lost souls and frustrated adventurers too poor to return to their bleak beginnings."

Such was the picture of God's people exiled in Babylon. All they had were memories of the days when God's favor was on them. Jerusalem was in ruins because a blessed people had been exploiting the weak, not caring for the land entrusted to them (2 Chron. 36:19-21), and going through the motions of worshiping God. The prophet Nehemiah confessed: "We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments" (Neh. 1:7).

God loved His people too much to let them continue harming themselves and others. By letting them "do time" in Babylon, He helped them see what can happen when a blessed people get caught up in a life that leaves God out of the picture. He'll do what it takes to help us see that as well!
  - Mart De Haan

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne
And worship only Thee. -Cowper

God gives blessing to us so we can give glory to Him.

Fear Not by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Fear Not

As an old farmer sat on his front porch, a stranger came along and asked, "How's your cotton coming?" "Ain't got none," he replied. "Didn't plant none. 'Fraid of the boll weevil." "Well, how's your corn?" "Didn't plant none of that either. 'Fraid o' drought." "How about your potatoes?" "Ain't got none. Scairt o' tater bugs." The stranger finally asked, "Well, what did you plant?" "Nothin," answered the farmer. "I just played it safe."

Isaiah was not called to "play it safe." Instead, God called him to confront kings (7:3) and denounce mighty nations (34:1-2). All around him vast armies were on the move, and political scheming was rampant. Yet in the midst of all these intimidating situations, God said, "Don't be afraid. I am with you."

There are many things that cause fear; in fact, someone has estimated that the average person has at least 200 fears. Yet the answer to all of them is the same, God. As the hymn writer so aptly put it, "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand."

If God has called you to something, don't be afraid. If He has called you to be single, don't be afraid. He will stand in the gap. If He has called you to live alone, don't be afraid. His company will comfort you. If He has called you to serve Him far from family and friends, don't be afraid. He will be there for you. God has not called us to play it safe; He has called us to trust Him.

Where God has called us, He will keep us.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed." Philippians 3:16 CEV

Thoughts for Today
This week we've looked at the importance of acknowledging any life-controlling problem in your life, admitting it to God and to yourself, asking him for forgiveness and help, accepting responsibility, sharing your struggle with a friend and preparing to move on. Then begins the process of walking out the changes-to keep going in the direction that you are now going.

These changes may involve steps like stopping the use of alcohol or drugs or pornography, ending an unhealthy relationship, reordering priorities, becoming accountable to a support group, and going to church regularly. The negative behavior caused by your problem may have destroyed your self-esteem. You might still be dealing with anger, fear and shame.

Consider this
As you begin to walk out the changes in your life and to see yourself as God's special creation, it is vital that you walk in agreement with God. Agreement that he has forgiven you. Agreement that he will give you the strength you need. Agreement that he created you for a positive purpose and will help you accomplish that purpose. Agreement that you will submit to him and put him first in all you do. Agreement that he loves you and will be with you through every trial, through every circumstance, through every difficult step and that with his help, you can do it. "Christ gives me the strength to face anything." Philippians 4:13 CEV

Prayer
Father, thank you for helping me get turned around. Help me keep going in the right direction. Thank you for the promise that you will give me the strength to face anything. 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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Have You Come to "When" Yet?

READ:
The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends -Job 42:10
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, "Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer- I will walk rightly before You if You will help me." But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us- He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.

If you are not now receiving the "hundredfold" which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29 ), and not getting insight into God's Word, then start praying for your friends- enter into the ministry of the inner life. "The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends." As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

June 21, 2008

Bird Song
READ: Psalm 104:24-35 Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. -Psalm 98:4
Why do birds sing? Birds sing "because they can and because they must," says David Rothenberg, a professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. "Songs are used to attract mates and defend territories, but the form is much more than function. Nature is full of beauty, and of music."

Birds sing because they have a syrinx instead of a larynx. The syrinx is the bird's voice box, an organ that lies deep in a bird's chest and is uniquely fashioned for song. That, at least, is the natural explanation for their gift.

But I ask again, why do birds sing? Because their Creator put a song in their hearts. Each bird is "heaven's high and holy muse," said John Donne, created to draw our hearts up to our Creator. They are reminders that He has given us a song that we may sing His praise.

So when you hear God's little hymn-birds singing their hearts out, remember to sing your own song of salvation. Lift up your voice-harmonious, hoarse, or harsh-and join with them in praise to our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord.

The birds of the air "sing among the branches," Israel's poet observes. "[Therefore] I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being" (Ps. 104:12,33).

  - David H. Roper

Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee. -van Dyke

All creation sings God's praise.

Compassion Fatigue by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 42:3
A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

Compassion Fatigue

An Irishman was down on his luck and was panhandling on Fifth Avenue before the annual St. Patrick's Day parade got underway in New York City. As a couple strolled by, he called out, "May the blessing of the Lord, which brings love and joy and wealth and a fine family, follow you all the days of your life." There was a pause as the couple passed his outstretched hand without contributing. Then he shouted after them, "And never catch up to you!"

Perhaps we can identify with that couple. Our mailboxes are stuffed with appeals from various organizations; our phones ring with individuals seeking pledges; some people even come right to our doors with solicitations. After a while, we can fall into an attitude that sociologists call "compassion fatigue." It simply means we turn our back even on worthy causes because we can't handle another request.

Fortunately, God never suffers from such an ailment. No matter how often we go to Him with our needs, He never turns us away. His compassion is always available. He treats us as one who is as tender as a bruised reed or as fragile as smoking flax.

Christians need to take care that we do not become fatigued in our compassion. The apostle Paul exhorts us, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:9-10).

With limited time and funds, we must prayerfully ask the Lord what He would have us do when we are presented with an opportunity to give. Once we know His will, however, let nothing keep us from showing compassion. Succumbing to compassion fatigue can squelch the work of God.

Duty makes us do things well; compassion makes us do them beautifully.

Week of June 16

The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

A spoiled little boy was throwing a temper tantrum. He was angry because the housekeeper would not let him have a valuable vase from the cabinet. Hearing him cry loudly, his mother went into the room to find out what was wrong.

The boy said, "I want that," pointing to the vase.

The mother said, "Yes, darling, you shall have it," falsely thinking this was how to make her son happy. But when she put the vase in front of him, the little boy cried even louder.

"What do you want now?" asked the mother.

Between sobs, the boy said, "I want something I can't have."

The apostle John explains that Satan can attack you in three ways-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). His attacks have also been described as inner selfishness, envy, and pride.

Satan is not merely interested in tempting you. He knows if he can get you to see something and to desire it, then ultimately it will have your affections and loyalty.

When you find yourself facing temptation, ask: Is it appealing to my selfish nature? Is it appealing to my covetous nature? Is it appealing to my pride?

Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, but the enemy could not overcome the Lord. As long as you are in the wilderness and at the center of God's will, He will sustain you.

The secret of Christ's victory also is the secret to your victory. Recognize the nature of the spiritual battle facing you, and use God's Word to resist the devil. When Satan appeals to your flesh, tell him that in Christ you have all of your sufficiency.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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.

   The Ministry of the Inner Life: You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . -1 Peter 2:9
By what right have we become "a royal priesthood"? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our "hanging on by the skin of our teeth," although we say, "What a wonderful victory I have!" Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don't worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, "Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men." Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: "Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now."

How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.

God bless 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 22, 2008

No Gripping

READ: Philippians 2:12-18
Do all things without complaining and disputing. -Philippians 2:14
During my first week of Bible college, we had several days of orientation in which we were given a rule book to study. Several days later, during a meeting to discuss those rules, one student stood up and asked, "What is 'no gripping'? And why is it against the rules?"

He was referring to a statement in the rule book he had misread. Instead of "gripping," it read "griping"-complaining or grumbling.

A rule against griping is perfectly understandable. The cancer of a complaining spirit can undermine the spiritual and emotional health of an individual and can infect an entire group. This can result in discontent, frustration, and even rebellion.

Moses heard griping among God's people a mere 3 days after leading them from slavery into freedom (Ex. 15:24). Centuries later, Samuel felt the weight of griping as he sought to represent God to his generation (1 Sam. 8:4-9).

A complaining spirit can destroy the effectiveness of a church too. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, "Do all things without complaining and disputing" (Phil. 2:14).

We need to avoid a complaining spirit when serving Christ. Instead, rejoice and thank God for all He has done! No griping allowed.
  - Bill Crowder

When things go wrong, I would not be a grumbler,
Complaining, seeing everything as grim;
For when I think of how the Lord has blessed me,
I cannot help but give my praise to Him. -Hess

When you feel like griping, start counting your blessings.

The One and Only by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 44:6, 8
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. . . . Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."

The One and Only

Michel Lotito of Grenoble, France, is one of the most unusual individuals in the world, at least when it comes to his culinary tastes. Since 1959, at the age of nine, Mr. Lotito has daily dined on metal and glass. According to The Guinness Book of Records, he consumes two pounds of metal per day. So far he has eaten, among other things, ten bicycles, a supermarket cart, seven TV sets, six chandeliers, a low-calorie Cessna light aircraft and a computer. Few have cared to match his record.

Michel Lotito is unusual, but God is more than unusual; He is unique. There are no others like Him. The God of all knowledge declares, "Is there a God besides me? Indeed there is no other rock; I know not one." No one is able even to come close to matching His deeds.

Yet in spite of his uniqueness, this singular Person of the universe has declared His love for you and me. He offers Himself as our rock, a place of safety and stability. He is the rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1), the rock of refuge (31:2), the rock of our strength (62:7) and the rock that is "higher than I" (61:2). He is the one and only Person able to meet all our needs.

If you do not know this one and only God, you can. He has revealed Himself in many ways, most especially in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you come to know Jesus as your Savior, you come to know God as the One and Only God. Why not surrender your life to Him today?

There are many pebbles, but only one Rock.

Honor God in Your Work
by Max Lucado

Heaven's calendar has seven Sundays a week. God sanctifies each day. He conducts holy business at all hours and in all places. He uncommons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafés into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures.

Workdays? Yes, workdays. He ordained your work as something good. Before he gave Adam a wife or a child, even before he gave Adam britches, God gave Adam a job. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it" (Gen. 2:15 NASB). Innocence, not indolence, characterized the first family.

God views work worthy of its own engraved commandment: "You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest" (Exod. 34:21 NASB). We like the second half of that verse. But emphasis on the day of rest might cause us to miss the command to work: "You shall work six days." Whether you work at home or in the marketplace, your work matters to God.

And your work matters to society. We need you! Cities need plumbers. Nations need soldiers. Stoplights break. Bones break. We need people to repair the first and set the second. Someone has to raise kids, raise cane, and manage the kids who raise Cain.

Whether you log on or lace up for the day, you imitate God. Jehovah himself worked for the first six days of creation. Jesus said, "My Father never stops working, and so I keep working, too" (John 5:17 NCV). Your career consumes half of your lifetime. Shouldn't it broadcast God? Don't those forty to sixty hours a week belong to him as well?

The Bible never promotes workaholism or an addiction to employment as pain medication. But God unilaterally calls all the physically able to till the gardens he gives. God honors work. So honor God in your work. "There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good" (Eccles. 2:24 NASB).

Here is the big idea:

Use your uniqueness (what you do)
to make a big deal out of God (why you do it)
every day of your life (where you do it).

At the convergence of all three, you'll find the cure for the common life: your sweet spot.

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

The Unchanging Law of Judgment

With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you -Matthew 7:2
This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution- "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God's throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26 ).

Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, "Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge."

Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged" ( Matthew 7:1 ). He went on to say, in effect, "If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way." Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, "My God, judge me as I have judged others"? We have judged others as sinners- if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Are you a Prayer Warrior? 
   
  A prayer warrior is a person dedicated to pray faithfully.
  James 5:16 says... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 
   
  Is this you? 
   
  Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer , being watchful and thankful

  Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

  Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

  Luke 6:28
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.




How to find a NEW LIFE in Jesus Christ



God loves you and wants you to know that He has a plan for your life.

The Bible says: "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." John 10:10b (NASB)

God has given each of us a free will to choose to follow or to reject Him. Unfortunately, since Adam man has chosen to disobey God and to go his own way. Everyone has sinned against God.

The Bible says: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

As hard as you may try, nothing you can do will compensate for your sins and bring you back into a right relationship with God.

The Bible says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Someone must pay for your sins before you can be rightly-related to God. Because you cannot pay, God did. He loves you so much that He sent His perfect, sinless son Jesus to earth to be crucified on a cross for your sins. When Jesus died that agonizing death, He paid the penalty for you.

The Bible says: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

If Jesus had not risen from the dead, you would still be separated from God by your sins. But He did. Jesus could not be overcome by death. He came back to life and now lives in heaven with His Father.

The Bible says: "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9

Because Christ died for your sins, He has the power to forgive your sins and wash them away.

The Bible says: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

Jesus wants to give you the gift of salvation. But He won't push His way into your life. You have to invite Him into your heart and ask Him to be your Savior and the Lord of your life.

Jesus says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Revelation 3:20

You can ask Him to come into your heart right now. Pray this prayer, or a similar one. The words you use aren't as important as the meaning that comes from your heart.

"Jesus, I am a sinner. Thank you for taking my place and dying for my sins. Right now, I open the door of my heart and accept You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness and for giving me a new life. Help me to be what You want me to be and to live each day for You. Amen.

Now what?

If you sincerely asked Jesus into your heart, you have been reborn as a member of the family of God. To continue to grow in your relationship with Christ, you need to do the following things:

Tell someone about your decision to live for Christ.

Jesus says: "Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32

Read and study your Bible. God speaks to us through the Bible to let us know what He wants to do for us and through us.

The Bible says: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15

Pray every day. Talk to God and tell him about all of your joys and your problems. He wants you to depend on Him. Also, be sure to listen for God speaking to you.

The Bible says: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:6-7

Attend a Bible-teaching church. In fellowship with other believers we can encourage one another, study the Bible, worship the Lord and pray.

Jesus says: "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them of My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered in My name, there am I in their midst." Matthew 18:19-20

Now, if you prayed and accepted Christ as your savior, we would love to hear from you so we can be praying for you. (Click Here)




*This is truly a foundation that will get you started in the right direction. As you read more into God's word you will find we have only touched the surface on what a wonderful life you will have through Jesus Christ.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 24, 2008

Fire Mountain

READ: Matthew 24:36-44

Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. -Matthew 24:44
Rising 2,900 meters (9,600 ft.) above the rainforest in Indonesia's southern Java, Mount Merapi (the Fire Mountain) is one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.

As the Fire Mountain showed signs of renewed activity, authorities tried to evacuate local residents. Then, on May 13, 2006, Merapi spewed a gray plume of sulfurous smoke that resembled a flock of sheep leaving the crater. Amazingly, villagers ignored the signs and returned to tending their livestock, apparently forgetting that in 1994 Merapi had killed 60 people. It's our human tendency to ignore signs.

When Jesus left the temple at Jerusalem for the last time, His disciples asked what would signal His return to earth (Matt. 24:3). He told them many things to watch for, but warned that people would still be unprepared.

The apostle Peter told us that in the last days scoffers would say of Jesus' return: "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4).

Scoffers are with us today, just as Peter warned. Are you among them? Or are you ready for the Lord Jesus to return? Ignoring these signs is even more dangerous than living in the shadow of the Fire Mountain.
  - C. P. Hia

Signs of His coming multiply,
Morning light breaks in eastern sky;
Watch, for the time is drawing nigh-
What if it were today? -Morris
© Renewal 1940, by F. M. Lunk. Assigned to Hope Publishing Co.

To ignore the Bible is to invite disaster.

In Old Age by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

In Old Age

The U.S. Census Bureau has declared the year 2020 as the beginning of the age of the elderly. The 65 and older segment of our population will increase from one in eight Americans today to one in six by that date and one in five by 2050. By the beginning of this new era, the nation's elderly will total 53.3 million, a 63 percent increase over the current elderly population of 33 million. It would appear that the United States is destined to become a nation of the aged.

Yet the very thought of old age strikes fear in the hearts of many people, perhaps with good reason. Old age brings with it health concerns as the body deteriorates, financial concerns with the onset of retirement and even social concerns as friends and relatives die. Just the thought of such dramatic changes is a terrifying prospect to some.

In the midst of all this, however, God promises that He will never change. Even though you experience many changes as you grow older, He will stay the same. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:. Just as He saw you through the crises of youth and middle age, so He will see you through all the challenges of growing old. When your strength fails, just remember that He promises to carry you. When you feel trapped inside an aging body, remember that He who sustains you today will continue to bear you throughout all your days.

The God of the ages is also the God of the aged.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:19 NLT

Thoughts for Today
People struggling with eating disorders become preoccupied with food and their body image. They become overly concerned about how others see and react to their body size. They tend to feel extremely guilty after eating and think a lot about dieting. Sometimes they even have fears about never being able to stop eating.

Consider this
If you or someone you care about is experiencing this kind of fear and guilt, here are a few thoughts. Try to accept the fact that bodies come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Remember that we can be our own worst critics and that others really find us attractive. Cut yourself some slack! Allow for normal variations in your weight and shape.

Let yourself enjoy the functions of your body parts, not just how they look. Be thankful that you can use your legs to walk and run and your arms and hands to do thousands of wonderful things.

Be willing to recognize your strengths in terms of your appearance- the parts of your body that you like-and your personal qualities like caring, enthusiasm and honesty.

God created you  He loves you And that makes you very special indeed!

Prayer
Father, help me to refocus on your love for me. Help me to remember that I don't have to weigh a certain amount or look a certain way to be special. I am special because you love me ... and you always will. Thank you for your love. In Jesus name

These thoughts were drawn from Seeing Yourself in God's Image: Overcoming Anorexia and Bulimia. Written by a counselor with experience helping those with eating disorders, this study is born from her own struggles in adolescence. The group challenges members to find their identity in Christ as they overcome this difficult struggle. This guide offers understanding of distorted body image, denial, and the family systems influence. It also explains how to break free of social pressures and how to restore the temple and tie the recovery process together.

A companion booklet, Seeing Your Loved One in God's Image, can be used as a quick reference guide dealing with issues associated with eating disorders. $3.00 plus shipping.   

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.

Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin

READ:
This is your hour, and the power of darkness -Luke 22:53
Not being reconciled to the fact of sin- not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it- produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this "hour, and the power of darkness" into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, "Yes, I see what this sin would mean." The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship- it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 25, 2008

Anytime, Anywhere
READ: Ephesians 2:11-19 Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. -Ephesians 2:18
When Mike Marolt is out of town, he remotely accesses the computer and files in his Aspen, Colorado, office. On a recent overseas trip, Marolt answered e-mails and kept in touch with his clients by using his laptop through a satellite phone hookup. This time, however, he was sitting in a base camp tent at 21,000 feet on the side of Mt. Everest. These days even that doesn't surprise us because we have become used to the technology that provides access to the rest of the world anytime, anywhere.

We can easily develop a similar lack of amazement toward prayer. Talk to God? "Of course." We don't have to wait in line, enter a building, or wear nice clothing. We can pour out our hearts to the Lord anytime, anywhere. It's easy to lose the wonder of that because it has become so familiar.

Paul always seemed to marvel at the door opened wide into the presence of God. "In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ," he wrote. "For through Him we both [Gentiles and Jews] have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:13,18).

The door is open for everyone. God welcomes all who come by faith. Through Christ we can enter His presence- anytime, anywhere. Amazing!
  - David C. McCasland

Let's always keep the prayer lines open,
Knowing God is always there;
For we upon His name may call
Anytime and anywhere. -D. De Haan

There is no place or time we cannot pray.

Never Forgotten by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 49:15-16
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

Never Forgotten

I can empathize with the man who said, "I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it on." Most of us are able to forget much better than we remember.

Yet God assures us that He will never forget us. Not for a second are we ever out of His thoughts. In fact, Isaiah tells us that we are inscribed on the very palms of His hands, the part of our body we use to reach out and demonstrate our love and concern through the ministry of touch. And the palms are the most tender part of those hands. So it is with compassionate and tender love that God has engraved us on His divine palms.

Sometimes in the midst of our troubles it may seem as if God has overlooked us. We pray and God doesn't seem to hear us. We read our Bibles, but the verses all seem lifeless and meaningless. We look for solutions, but God provides no answers.

Despite your circumstances, remember where your name is engraved. Be assured that God has not forgotten you. The forgetfulness that is so common with humans can never afflict Him. Jesus' nail-pierced palms are vivid reminders of our infinite value and His unending love. Give God time to accomplish His purpose in your life. Have confidence that your situation is only temporary. Stand firm on God's promise, "Yet will I not forget you." You're in good hands with God.

God always oversees; He never overlooks.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him." Romans 12:1-2 CEV

Thoughts for Today
People with eating disorders tend to get so preoccupied with their body image that they develop a distorted view of themselves. Their concerns about food, diet, body and weight can even begin to affect their relationships and their ability to function in day-to-day life.

If you are in this situation, determine not to let your obsession with your body keep you from closeness with God and with others. Decide how you wish to spend your energy-pursuing the "perfect" image?  Or focusing on your spiritual growth and your personal and interpersonal needs.

Society changes its view of what is beautiful ... styles come and go. But God's view of beauty never changes. Identifying and challenging your negative thoughts and feelings about your body and keeping God's view in mind are essential to accepting yourself and your body.

Consider this
Always remember your value as a person is not based on how you look or what you accomplish. Your value is based on the unchangeable fact that God loves you so much that he gave his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. Reach out to him today. Receive his love and forgiveness. And thank him for making you just the way you are.

Prayer
Father, I guess I've been pretty confused lately. I've been so concerned about how I look that I've ignored you. And relationships with others I care about have suffered. Please help me to begin thinking more clearly to see things from your point of view. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Seeing Yourself in God's Image: Overcoming Anorexia and Bulimia. Written by a counselor with experience helping those with eating disorders, this study is born from her own struggles in adolescence. The group challenges members to find their identity in Christ as they overcome this difficult struggle. This guide offers understanding of distorted body image, denial, and the family systems influence. It also explains how to break free of social pressures and how to restore the temple and tie the recovery process together.

A companion booklet, Seeing Your Loved One in God's Image, can be used as a quick reference guide dealing with issues associated with eating disorders. $3.00 plus shipping.

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.

Receiving Yourself in the Fires of Sorrow
READ: . . . what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 'Father, glorify Your name' -John 12:27-28As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.

We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow removes a great deal of a person's shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
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God bless 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 26, 2008

One Exception  READ: Isaiah 53:4-12Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words. -John 8:46-47
Are there any perfect people alive today? Not in the opinion of Harvard University psychiatrist Jerome Groopman. In his engrossing book How Doctors Think, he expresses agreement with the profound insights found in the Bible. He writes, "Everyone is flawed at some time, in thought or in deed, from Abraham to Moses to the Apostles."

But what about Jesus Christ? He challenged His listeners regarding Himself: "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46). The disciples' verdict after they had opportunity to scrutinize His life for at least 3 years was that He was without sin (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).

Was Jesus a moral miracle, the one sinless Person in the whole procession of sinful humans? Yes, He was the one spotless exception to this observation of the apostle Paul: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). And that word all includes both you and me!

Because all humanity has sinned, we can rejoice that Jesus was qualified-He and He alone-to be the flawless Sacrifice we need.

We give thanks for Jesus Christ, our sinless sin-bearer-the one exception!
  - Vernon C. Grounds

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
"Full atonement!" can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior! -Bliss

Only Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, can declare guilty people perfect.

Man of Sorrows by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 53:3-4
He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Man of Sorrows

Ted Turner, founder of Cable News Network, spoke in Orlando, Florida, a few years back and told a very moving story. Turner mentioned that he was raised in a God-fearing family and had a sister who was ill. Her illness progressed; she became critical. He prayed desperately for the Lord to spare her life and make her well. But she died. Then Turner told the audience that from that point on he knew, even as a kid, there was no God. What kind of loving God would have allowed his sister to suffer and die? Since that experience, he said, he has depended upon himself, not on an unfeeling, phantom-being that does not exist.

It's sad that Turner's perspective on God became skewed. Isaiah gives us a much different insight. The prophet does not say that God removes our sorrows; instead He sent someone to bear them with us, the Lord Jesus. He is acquainted with our griefs because He experiences them along with us. For reasons beyond our comprehension, God chose to link His happiness to ours. When we hurt, He hurts.

What a great blessing this is! The writer of Hebrews says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:15-16).

How can you be sure you will find mercy and grace? Because God experiences your pain right along with you. He understands how you feel. So come boldly, not with the expectations that God will always remove your pain, but with the assurance that He will bear it with you.

The sorrow and grief that Christ bore were not His but yours.

Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23 NLT

Thoughts for Today
People with eating disorders tend to become very self-focused and overly concerned with being acceptable to other people. More and more they believe that in order to be lovable they must be thin and beautiful, and they become preoccupied with making that happen.

Acceptance of your body is a daily process of perspective. One day you may feel fat and unattractive, and the next day you may feel slim and pretty, even though your body has not essentially changed. Ask God to help you see your body from his perspective and to accept yourself as his special creation.

Consider this
It is important to take your primary focus off your external body and begin to explore your internal self emotionally, spiritually and as a maturing human being. Remember that attractiveness comes from within. The Bible tells us to guard our hearts above all else. And you will learn that feeling positive about yourself will affect how others view you.

Spend regular time reading the Bible. Ask God to help you begin to understand just how much he loves you and how special you are to him. Remember that he knew you even when your body was being formed within your mother's womb. He has a special plan for your life and it is a good plan. Begin to focus on maturing your "inner self" in order to become all he has designed you to be.

Prayer Father, help me to shift my focus and to be more concerned about becoming what you want me to be-on the inside. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus' name

These thoughts were drawn from Seeing Yourself in God's Image: Overcoming Anorexia and Bulimia. Written by a counselor with experience helping those with eating disorders, this study is born from her own struggles in adolescence. The group challenges members to find their identity in Christ as they overcome this difficult struggle. This guide offers understanding of distorted body image, denial, and the family systems influence. It also explains how to break free of social pressures and how to restore the temple and tie the recovery process together.

A companion booklet, Seeing Your Loved One in God's Image, can be used as a quick reference guide dealing with issues associated with eating disorders. $3.00 plus shipping.   

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.

   Drawing on the Grace of God- Now READ: We . . . plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain -2 Corinthians 6:1
The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. ". . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses"- that is where our patience is tested ( 2 Corinthians 6:4 ). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, "Oh well, I won't count this time"? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you- it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don't say, "I will endure this until I can get away and pray." Pray now - draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God's grace through prayer.

". . . in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 6:5 )- in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

". . . having nothing . . . ." Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. ". . . and yet possessing all things"- this is poverty triumphant ( 2 Corinthians 6:10  ).

God bless   

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 27, 2008

God's Greater Goal

READ: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. -2 Corinthians 12:8
I have an unmarried friend who prays earnestly for God to lessen or even remove his sexual drive. It causes him constant temptation. As gently as I can, I tell him I doubt that God will answer his prayer the way he wants. More likely, he will learn fidelity the way anyone learns it, by relying on discipline, community, and constant pleas of dependence.

For whatever reason, God has let this broken world endure in its fallen state for a very long time. God seems to value character more than our comfort, often using the very elements that cause us the most discomfort as His tools in fashioning that character. This was true in the life of the apostle Paul, who prayed fruitlessly that his mysterious "thorn in the flesh" be removed (2 Cor. 12:.

In my own life, I am trying to remain open to new realities, not blaming God when my expectations go unmet but trusting Him to lead me through failures toward renewal and growth. I am seeking a trust that "the Father knows best" in how this world is run. I see that the way in which I may want God to act does not achieve the results I might expect.

When God sent His own Son-sinless, full of grace and healing-we killed Him. God Himself allows what He does not prefer, to achieve some greater goal.
  - Philip Yancey

For Further Study
Astoundingly, God doesn't exempt Himself from the
consequences of our sin. Read Why Did Christ Have
To Die? at www.discoveryseries.org/q0202

God uses our difficulties to develop His Son's likeness in us.

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 55:1-2
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money; come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

An anonymous author who had lived for the fleeting things of this world penned the following lines: "How foolishly I have employed myself! In what delirium has my life been passed! How I've wasted my life while the sun in its race and the stars in their courses have lent their beams. perhaps only to light me to perdition! I have pursued shadows and entertained myself with dreams. I might have grazed with the beasts of the field, or sung with the birds of the woods, to much better purposes than any for which I have lived."

What a contrast to those things which God has to offer. Not only are the portions from His table free and abundant, but most important, in the end they satisfy. Instead of regret, they result in joy and satisfaction.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

Israel had to learn this truth the hard way. In spite of Isaiah's pleas, the people chose to chase after material well-being and political security rather than turn their hearts to the Lord. In the end, they lost everything as they were carried away to Babylon.

Are you looking for satisfaction? Then open your Bible and partake of the feast that God has spread for you. His promise is that when you reach the end of your life, you will never regret a moment that you have spent at His table. With God, satisfaction is always guaranteed.

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! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!" Proverbs 3:5-8 MSG

Thoughts for Today
Preoccupation with our body image is counter to God's will for our lives. If you find yourself in this struggle, take this first vital step: Run to God! Ask him to help you see yourself as he does-as his treasure, his precious child. He loves you unconditionally. He loves you so much that he gave his son, Jesus, to provide a way for you to be forgiven and live with him in heaven forever.

God loves you just the way you are. No matter what you have or haven't done, no matter what you look like, or how much you weigh. He wants you to know how special you are to him. He has a good plan for your life.

Consider this
Take time right now to talk to God. Tell him how you feel. Ask him to help you. Accept his forgiveness for all past sin and commit to follow him, to do things his way. He won't turn you away. Actually, he is waiting for you with open arms.

Your problems and challenges probably won't instantly disappear. But Jesus will be holding you hand and guiding you to health and healing, to right choices, and to becoming all he has designed you to be.

Run to him today!

Prayer
Father, I need your help. I come to you asking for forgiveness and for help in doing things your way. My way certainly hasn't worked. Guide me to health, to right choices, to becoming all you want me to be. In Jesus' name 

These thoughts were drawn from
Seeing Yourself in God's Image: Overcoming Anorexia and Bulimia. Written by a counselor with experience helping those with eating disorders, this study is born from her own struggles in adolescence. The group challenges members to find their identity in Christ as they overcome this difficult struggle. This guide offers understanding of distorted body image, denial, and the family systems influence. It also explains how to break free of social pressures and how to restore the temple and tie the recovery process together.

A companion booklet, Seeing Your Loved One in God's Image, can be used as a quick reference guide dealing with issues associated with eating disorders. $3.00 plus shipping.   

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 Overshadowing of God's Personal Deliverance

READ:
. . . I am with you to deliver you,' says the Lord -Jeremiah 1:8
God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally- ". . . your life shall be as a prize to you . . ." (Jeremiah 39:18  ). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God's personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, "Don't worry about whether or not you are being treated justly." Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, "Why should I be treated like this?" If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, "Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance." Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard- we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God's name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6  ).
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 28, 2008

Amateur Christians

READ: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The love of Christ compels us. -2 Corinthians 5:14
The word amateur has been redefined over the years and has lost the luster of its original meaning. The English word comes from the Latin word amore, which means "to love." An amateur is someone who does something simply for the love of it.

In today's way of thinking, receiving payment moves you into a "higher" category-that of a professional. The reasoning is that if someone is willing to pay for your service, you must be really good. An amateur, therefore, is considered to have less skill or talent.

As I read my Bible, however, I see a different hierarchy of values. During the time of Jesus, the religious professionals were using their position to gain power and prestige for themselves, not to serve the people. Jesus didn't choose those who were wise, mighty, or noble by human standards (1 Cor. 1:26). He sought those willing to follow Him and be trained for loving service.

In today's world, the scene is much the same. God is still looking for "amateurs," those who will serve the Lord for the sheer love of it. Compelled by our love for Jesus, may we, like the disciples and apostles before us, proclaim the love of God for the world by following Christ's example of loving and serving others.
  - Julie Ackerman Link

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. -Featherstone

One proof of our love for God is our love for our neighbor.

Gotcha' God by Woodrow Kroll by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Gotcha' God!

A young boy at the dinner table asked, "Dad, is God everywhere?" "Yes," his father assured him, "God is everywhere." "Is He in this room?" the boy wanted to know. "Of course," his father said. "If God is everywhere, then He is in this room." Eyeing the sugar bowl on the table, the boy continued, "Well, is God in that sugar bowl?" "Yes," his father replied, "if God is everywhere, I guess we'd have to say that He's even in the sugar bowl." Reaching for the lid, the boy quickly slipped it over the bowl. "Gotcha', God!" he said.

The Israelites also wanted a "sugar bowl" god, someone they could control. Isaiah rebuked them for cutting down a tree and using part of it to warm themselves and with the rest making it "into a god, his carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!'" (44:17). Israel wanted a god who could be contained in their temples and manipulated by their worship, but the God Isaiah had seen (6:1) was not that kind of a God.

How wonderful to know that the real God is so much greater than anything we can imagine or create. His ways and even His thoughts are so far beyond our finite minds that we can't begin to comprehend Him. When we come to Him with our problems and our difficulties, we never have to worry about whether He's big enough to handle them.

Don't try to put God in a sugar bowl. You won't be successful, for He is an awesome God. Rejoice that though you may not be able to understand Him, you will always be able to trust Him.

God will be God regardless of what we do!

Week of June 23

Be a Winner

Coach Bear Bryant is known as a football legend. But more than anything else, he is remembered as a winner. At the end of his 38-season career, he held six national championships and more victories than any other coach in college football history.

In a tribute to Coach Bryant in the February 19, 1983, issue of National Review, Victor Gold wrote, "Like all authentic Southern legends, he was of the soil."

Bryant once said, "If I hadn't found football, I would have ended up behind a mule just like my daddy. But I will tell you one thing: I would have plowed the straightest furrow in Arkansas."

Somebody asked Bryant if he considered himself an innovator or a trendsetter.

"No," Bryant replied, "I'm nothing but a winner."

This winning attitude and winning career says something very important to you as a believer. When Jesus died on the cross, He declared Satan's power to be no longer invincible. As a victor in a battle takes away the spoils of victory from his enemy, Jesus took away the privileges of Satan. "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15).

Because of the cross, the barrier of sin that once separated you from God has been removed. The gulf of sin has been bridged. The death that characterizes your fate has been taken away, and through Christ you have been made alive.

Wherever you are spiritually today, you can be a winner. Satan has no power over you. When Christ died on the cross and rose again, He was saying to you, "Be a winner."

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

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.

Held by the Grip of God

READ:
I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me -Philippians 3:12
Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you "turn aside to the right hand or to the left" ( Deuteronomy 5:32  ). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has "laid hold of" us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, "Well, I'm really not suited for this." What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God's hand on you- your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?

Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are- you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do. . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:13-14  ).
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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 29, 2008

True Confessions
READ: Psalm 51:1-13
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. -Psalm 51:5
I love coconut. I always have! So, after an exhausting day in second grade, I found a bag of shredded coconut in the cupboard and devoured the whole thing. When my mother went into the kitchen later to bake-you guessed it, a coconut cake-I heard, "Who ate the coconut?!"

I knew I was in trouble, but my escape plan was simple-a quick, easy lie: "Not me!"

She continued her inquiry with my sisters, but after they denied it, we all heard the familiar words: "Wait till your Dad comes home!" My cover-up plan was doomed to failure, and later that evening I finally confessed.

No one had to teach me to lie. As the psalmist David admits, "I was brought forth in iniquity" (Ps. 51:5). But in his sin David knew where to go-to the God of abundant mercy who will cleanse us from our sin (vv.1-2).

When we recognize the ongoing reality of sin in our lives, we are reminded of our ongoing need for the presence of God and the power of His Word to keep us safe and spiritually sane. He is waiting for us to confess our faults and embrace the forgiveness and cleansing that He readily offers.

Remember, a refreshing plunge into God's mercy awaits you on the other side of confessed sin!
  - Joe Stowell

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee. -Sleeper

Own up to your sin and experience the joy of confession.

The Living Link by Woodrow Kroll

Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear

The Living Link

Great Britain's King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference with the speech relayed by radio to the United States. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in a New York Radio station and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, Harold Vivien, solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him harmlessly. He became a living link.

Sin causes the same problem as a broken cable. It interferes with our ability to communicate with the King of the universe. In fact, Isaiah goes so far as to say that sin separates us from God.

Fortunately, a provision has been made to bridge that break. Just as Mr. Vivien became the means for communication to be restored with King George V, the Lord Jesus Christ has become the link to reconnect us to God. The apostle Paul wrote, "He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13-14).

When our sins are covered by the blood of Christ, God can communicate with us through His Word. Instead of being dull, lifeless words on a page, they are infused with spiritual vitality that can change our lives. Furthermore, our own communication with God, prayer, becomes unfettered. We have the assurance that He hears us and will respond to our needs.

If you feel like you aren't getting through to God, maybe the link is broken. Ask Him to show you any sin in your life that might be hindering your ability to communicate with Him. Then confess it, forsake it, and get back in communication with the King.

The Living Link is the only solution to the broken link.

Your God is a Good God
by Max Lucado

Use your uniqueness to take great risks for God!

The only mistake is not to risk making one.

Such was the error of the one-talent servant. Did the master notice him? Indeed, he did. And from the third servant we learn a sobering lesson. "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground' " (Matt. 25: 24-25).

Contrast the reaction of the third servant with that of the first two.

The faithful servants "went and traded" (v. 16). The fearful one "went and dug" (v. 18).

The first two invested. The last one buried.

The first two went out on a limb. The third hugged the trunk.

The master wouldn't stand for it. Brace yourself for the force of his response. "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest" (vv. 26-27).

Whoa. What just happened? Why the blowtorch? Find the answer in the missing phrase. The master repeated the assessment of the servant, word for word, with one exclusion. Did you note it? "I knew you to be a hard man" (v. 24). The master didn't repeat the description he wouldn't accept.

The servant levied a cruel judgment by calling the master a hard man. The servant used the exact word for "hard" that Christ used to describe stiff-necked and stubborn Pharisees (see Matt. 19:8; Acts 7:51). The writer of Hebrews employed the term to beg readers not to harden their hearts (3:. The one-talent servant called his master stiff-necked, stubborn, and hard.

His sin was not mismanagement, but misunderstanding. Was his master hard? He gave multimillion-dollar gifts to undeserving servants; he honored the two-talent worker as much as the five; he stood face to face with both at homecoming and announced before the audiences of heaven and hell, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Was this a hard master? Infinitely good, graciously abundant, yes. But hard? No.

The one-talent servant never knew his master. He should have. He lived under his roof and shared his address. He knew his face, his name, but he never knew his master's heart. And, as a result, he broke it.

Who is this unprofitable servant? If you never use your gifts for God, you are. If you think God is a hard God, you are.

For fear of doing the wrong thing for God, you'll do nothing for God. For fear of making the wrong kingdom decision, you'll make no kingdom decision. For fear of messing up, you'll miss out. You will give what this servant gave and will hear what this servant heard: "You wicked and lazy servant" (v. 26).

But you don't have to. It's not too late to seek your Father's heart. Your God is a good God.

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

The Strictest Discipline

READ:
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 inMatthew 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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God bless