A Woman's Walk

[Judy Harder]

Choose Forward
by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of December 23, 2012

"Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the LORD be with those who do what is right."  -2 Chronicles 19:11

I love how God moves us forward when our divine assignments are completed. I love how when we process through the journey God's way, we finish right on time—His time. What assignment have you recently finished? And where are you going next? If you don't know, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His answer—His purpose and plan for your life at large and in your new season.

A job well done feels good. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and builds our faith and confidence, our trust in the Holy Spirit and God's word for the next mission.

It is important that we intentionally keep our pathway clear along the journey by following the leading of the Holy Spirit and consistently making right choices.

Is there anything holding you back from finishing on time, finishing well or simply doing the job right? Any hindrances, little foxes? Has there been anything annoying you in your mission at hand? Maybe a stack of "I'll get to it eventually" documents at home or at the office that confronts you daily? Is it something you really need to accomplish or is it something you can delegate or contract someone to do for you? Sometimes, the process is well worth spending the money to get rid of the hassle, the impending pressure. Maybe it's something you can toss out all together? Does it have real value or perceived value? What's pressuring you, robbing you of peace, joy? What are the root causes to annoyances or ungodly cycles and patterns in your world?

For months now, I have seen evidence of the Holy Spirit moving swiftly in setting people free from stumbling blocks during these accelerated times in which we live and work. And as I see God serve new projects on my plate, I have chosen to pray a very bold prayer: "Lord, please remove everyone and everything out of my life that is not of You for me in this season." Sometimes, we can grow familiar with ungodly things and patterns that we let linger. We can tend to dismiss them, minimize them in our minds; and they can become little foxes that we learn to step around; but the clutter can slow us down, discourage us and cause us to feel a subtle sense of defeat. Such is a ploy of the enemy.

Sometimes, we have to come away with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to shine His light on the issues at hand to enable us to see them clearly. Sometimes, there are strongholds, which have to be dismantled through repentance and an intentional change of habits.

Recently, I sat in a church service with family and friends, and a woman came forward to say a special prayer. She said, "Lord give us the courage . . . " Immediately, I thought, "No, He has already "given" us the courage. We need to "take" the courage He has already given to us with us everywhere we go. It is our choice to intentionally receive the courage that God has already given us and to step up to apply it to our lives to accomplish the mission at hand daily, moment by moment, step by step. It is not enough to simply know Biblical principles. God's word is living, active, sharper than a two-edged sword. When we take God's courage forward with us, we can take dominion, take possession and subdue as the Lord leads in the areas in which He has call us and assigned us. As we do choose forward, His favor will be upon us to get it right and to finish well.

Hebrews 12:1  tells us, " . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." May we receive the fulfillment of every promise from God (Heb. 10:36) and know that shrinking back is not an option (vs. 38).

As the New Year approaches, I encourage you to spend some special, uninterrupted time with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to shine His light on the little foxes that could otherwise prove to be a hindrance going forward. Resolve to resolve the issues and forget those things behind. God has much for you to accomplish and much for you to enjoy in the New Year ahead. May God be pleased with all your efforts in this season and beyond. God bless you and Happy New Year!

Pray: Father God, thank You for every opportunity for strength and clarity. Thank You for going before me and making a way and for being my rear guard. Thank You that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Open my eyes to Your assignments. Help me to take courage and to step into all that you have for me, accomplishing Your will Your way in my life as I help build Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Hope Restored
by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of December 30, 2012

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us," - Ephesians 3:20

When I ask God for provision, I also ask Him to help me receive His provision. I do this for two reasons: One, I am mindful that His provision can come in a form I do not expect and I may not understand initially. Two, I am aware the enemy can intercept God's provision, once it has been released from heaven, before it manifests on earth.

Are there provisions you have asked God for but have not seen the manifestations of yet? If so, why? This is a legitimate question for the Holy Spirit. Is the manifest provision just not God's time yet? Has there been enemy interference? Is there some type of blockage within you, such as unforgiveness or fear, that is causing you to not receive or see the manifest provision? Do you need to let go of something first? Or does God have something better for you?

The Holy Spirit sees and knows all things; and He is your helper. If you ask Him for His perspective, He will answer you.

Always pray, "Enable me to receive Your truth," because sometimes, we just don't want to face God's truth. Facing God's truth requires discipline. We can make the biggest messes of our lives if we do not live in God's truth. His plan is always better than ours, even if we don't understand it at first.

Likewise, when we pray for others, it is best to ask the Holy Spirit to enable them to receive His will, not ours or theirs.

Proverbs 13:12  tells us, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

Without hope, we may not receive the promises of God. Hopelessness is a barrier that says, "I don't believe You anymore God. You've forgotten me." Hopelessness is a form of self-pity, and it can be at the root of fruitlessness. Look around. Do you see any excellent fruit? Hopelessness affects the quality of every aspect of our lives—our homes, our relationships, our jobs, etc.

Long-term hopelessness can even open a door to a spirit of hopelessness, which can attempt to defeat our desires from being met at all. It can try to shroud us like a cloak of grayness, causing us to not even bother to ask or expect God's best anymore for decades. This can even happen early in life, when we are children, when we feel powerless to change our difficult circumstances, when we feel that things will never change on our behalf. This spirit can stay with us into and throughout adulthood until God exposes it for the purpose of breakthrough.

Hopelessness can happen to Christians when the road has gotten so hard for so long that it becomes too painful to hang on and not see the promised provision manifest. The enemy lies to us and tries to cause us to believe we have been forgotten and are unworthy to receive God's finest blessings. We are called to be gentle as doves and wise as serpents. So we must be savvier than the enemy. He is strategic. But so is God, and so are we. And we are strongest through Jesus, who is stronger and savvier than we alone or the enemy. (Hebrews 2:9 tells us that we are created "a little lower than the angels." The enemy is simply a fallen angel from heaven who is not redeemed.) If you are feeling hopeless, your heart needs to be healed. Repentance is the first step to getting unstuck.

When God reveals root issues of hopelessness, repent of having believed the enemy's lies, of having aligned our minds with them, of having adopted them and of having behaved out of them. Repent of these lies as idols over God's truth. Repent of unbelief, doubt and hopelessness—all of which are the opposite of God's very nature. Recite scriptures about belief, assurance and hope, which are God's truths. Doing all this causes you to go deeper with God and will help deliver you into His light of truth. As you see a new level of intimacy emerge, your heart will be touched by the mercy and grace of God; and you will be awed at how the Holy Spirit helps you. You will come to know His love even more. And you will be able to trust Him more the next time an issue arises. You will be better prepared, more on guard, savvier against the enemy's devices. You will be stronger.

Your best strategy for fighting battles of hopelessness is to get God's vision for your life. To receive God's vision, simply ask Him for it; pray your heart out to Him concerning the matter. Surrender your will to His. Ask Him to reveal any root issues that have held you back. Then praise and worship Him in the midst while you wait. Also, get into God's word (The Holy Bible); and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scriptures to you that will best illustrate His heart to you concerning the matter(s), and speak them out as affirmations until you either have peace or until you see God's provision manifest.

God has no shortage of resources. In terms of receiving God's provision, I sometimes have to remind myself to expect the unexpected. And it's okay to ask the Holy Spirit for confirmation. Don't let the enemy deceive you into accepting second best or "Ismael" (as opposed to Isaac). Don't let him intercept manifestations of provision through personal shame, unworthiness or guilt trips over your past sins. Know who you are in Christ. Know that once you repent, Father God sees your sins no more because He sees you through the blood covenant of His Son, Jesus. (Only the enemy rubs our noses in our former sins.) Know God's word so that you can stand firm in His truth. Choose to believe God's truths over the enemy's lies, and pray in Matthew 6:10: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

If you are coming out of hopelessness, you may feel uncomfortable in the new place of restored hope. So it is important to keep moving forward until your hope feels like second nature once again. Remember, If God is saying, "I give this to you," who are you to say, "I will not receive it" in the face of God? Receiving is an act of love. It says, "Yes, I will receive what you have to offer. Yes, I accept what you labored to give me. Yes, I affirm that your gift is worthy."

Choose to get used to God's provision, His abundance. Massive breakthrough requires massive honesty. The extent that you "take courage" and confront issues that have held you back, to the extent that you repent, to the extent that you receive God's best provision, this will be the extent of freedom and blessing that will manifest in your life.

May God fully restore His hope in your life. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Week of January 6

The Potter
by Margaret D. Mitchell

"'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'"  -Jeremiah 18:6

Whenever God assigns us to a task, a position or a season, He always purposes a triune work: In us, through us and for us. In other words, when we work unto the Lord—where He plants us—He simultaneously does a work in us and on our behalf. He is the ultimate multitasker!

This is good news for people, especially moms, who feel they're leaving their homes and their children to go to work. You're not leaving them behind. You're leaving them in God's hands. There is a difference when we operate in divine obedience.

When we prayerfully step up and step out into a day of the "unknown," God does extraordinary works because of the sacrifice and honor our faithfulness offers Him. When we are aligned with God's directives, He will take care of that which we leave for Him. And He will purpose the challenges of our day to conform us to His liking if we yield to Him.

Recently, the Holy Spirit inspired me to write a prayer to be distributed to our Women's Expo attendees. We printed several copies of the prayer, laminated them and cut them into small prayer cards. They were purposed to serve as a reminder to women to keep their heart's eye on God during their workday, to affirm that He is with them and for them.

I placed my prayer card on my desk, and every day, immediately after I sat down, and before I began to work, I picked up the prayer card and prayed the prayer:

"...Thank you that as I work, You are working through me, doing a work in me and working on my behalf."

Four months after praying this prayer daily, something extraordinary happened: A manager came to me and asked me to step into a new role in a new department. His invitation seemed urgent, and it took me aback. Something didn't seem right, so I decided to fast and seek God's will on the matter.

At the end of a week of fasting and praying, when my response was due to the manager, I still hadn't heard from the Lord. So I prayed, "Lord, I won't take this position, because I haven't heard from you. But I'm curious as to why You don't want me to have it?" Almost immediately, the Holy Spirit led me to Philippians 3:2, "... beware of evil workers..."

Alarmed in my spirit, I returned to work and declined that position.

A few weeks later, the same manager invited me to work in another department. So I prayed again, and the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that I should accept the offer; at the same time, I sensed this new assignment would not be easy.

What ultimately happened was that God used this new position to do a quick and deep work in me.

In this new role, God enabled me to feel intense pressure and great challenge, which caused me to press into Him for help.

One day, after hearing nothing from God, I cried, "What is it?! What do you want me to see in this?"

Immediately, I received a resounding revelation from the Holy Spirit: "You disrespected your father!" In that moment, I instantly understood what He meant and why He was allowing me to experience this.

God used this new position to cause me to feel the level of pressure that my father had felt on his job decades earlier, a level of pressure that caused him to behave in ways for which I judged him. I had walked unaware of my sin judgment towards my father for decades, held captive by this sin.

But God has a way of revealing our sins to us for the purpose of giving us an opportunity to repent, forgive and be forgiven, to be set free from captivity (Isaiah 5:13, Hosea 4:6). This was one of those inner works.

In an instant of revelation understanding, I was able to repent on a deep level and gain compassion for my father in a new area. When I called my dad to ask for his forgiveness, he extended grace to me on a level and in a way that I never knew he had in him. It touched my heart deeply and caused me to feel a deeper love towards my father (Malachi 4:6).

Because I invited Him to do so, God purged decades of sin judgment from me, which, no doubt, had blocked many blessings in my work life and in my relationship with my dad for years. In doing so, God broke the bondage of sin, which positioned me to move into the next season and out of that job.

Like strong medicine, God used these intense circumstances to do me a favor.

Sometimes, God has to set us on the potter's wheel to conform us into a more beautiful vessel for a more beautiful place. How is He working in, through and for you?

[Judy Harder]

Week of January 13
Rest

"Come away alone with me and get some rest,"
–Mark 6:31

I love how God is so concerned about our wellbeing that He corrects us to stop working when we should rest.

The Holy Spirit illuminated this scripture to me first thing one Monday morning. It came the first weekday after I had left my day job, the frontline. God was instructing me to rest at the end of a difficult assignment, after coming off the frontline. He wanted to give me rest after my mission and from my enemies.

I love what Billy Graham says in his book, Nearing Home: "God rested on the seventh day after He had finished His work of creating the universe, and we shouldn't feel guilty if He gives us the opportunity to rest once our work is done."*

God instructs us to rest because He knows we need refreshment and to hear from Him before He opens the door of a new project or situation that will require a significant amount of dedicated energy, a promotion.

In my case, I had pre-scheduled a morning coffee appointment that Monday with a friend who looks to me for spiritual counsel, and I hadn't seen her in awhile. Because I knew she had been looking forward to our meeting, I did not want to disappoint her. So I drove off to the north side of town to her home.

A couple of days earlier, God had impressed upon me to get some orange juice, which is not a food item I typically keep at home. I intended to pick it up at the store, but with the busyness going on around me, I had forgotten. So on this Monday morning, while driving to my friend's home, the Holy Spirit brought it to remembrance, and I set my intentions on a particular store.

When I approached the store, I saw much road construction and could not get into the turn lane that led to the shopping center. So I told myself I would pick it up on my way back. But when I journeyed back, I saw even more road construction and decided to take another route. In doing so, I passed up the store and the orange juice that day.

Make no mistake about it, delayed obedience is disobedience. And the ultimate consequence of my disobedience was a head cold. God saw this coming, and He tried to thwart the issue by guiding me to drink orange juice (vitamin C).

I often say, "there is no small sin," especially because of the multiplied effect of our actions. Usually, the effects of sin affect more than us; they affect (and in this case, infect) those around us and those around them.

What better way for God to remind me of the careful obedience required in hearkening to the Holy Spirit than to allow me to catch a cold?

I love Psalm 23:2—"He makes me lie down in green pastures." As God's sheep, He has to make us rest sometimes. Only God knows and sees all things. He knows what is up ahead. He knows the amount of energy that is required to accomplish His tasks. And He doesn't want us to fall into sin, which makes the journey more difficult.

A couple of days later, after I finally bought the orange juice and poured myself a glassful, I noticed a scripture in a new book I had recently purchased. The scripture was Exodus 15:26: "He said, 'If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.'"

Could the Holy Spirit have made His point any clearer? I don't think I will soon forget this learned reminder.

There comes a time in our spiritual walk when we realize we have become a wheel within a wheel, and any action short of careful obedience pulls us out of sync with God. God will allow us to wobble through these lessons as precursors to trusting us with more. In so doing, He refines us and affirms us.

Like work, rest is important. God did it; He expects us to do it; and it is an area in which He will test us. What's more, His purpose in having us come away alone with Him to rest is not only to provide refreshment for us, but also to give us something more. In my case, God was waiting for me to enter into a place of intimacy with Him to receive a major ministry directive for the forthcoming year. And the day I came away with Him alone was the day I received what was on His heart.

How about you? Are you willing to lay down your agenda and rest at the Holy Spirit's directive? What does God want to share with you, and how will that affect your life your ministry?

____________________

*Quoted in Billy Graham, Nearing Home (Nashville, T.N.: Thomas Nelson, 2011), p. 26.

[Judy Harder]

Week of January 20
Tenacity

"Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well."  ~ Mark 6:56 (NKJV)

Tenacity means to cling to a belief without doubting.  It is a set kind of faith, a determination that doesn't waver.  It takes a lot of tenacity to believe for a healing touch when we are sick, when our physical bodies suggest hopelessness, when we have waited a long time. 

But our Father made divine healing a commodity through Jesus.  In the marketplaces—the center of business—divine healings were common and useful for building people's faith and winning souls, for setting people free from the bondage of disease, for restoring them to productivity and for the purpose of spreading the good news.  Miraculous wonders of healing were evidence that Jesus was who He said He was.

Hebrews 13:8 enlightens us that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  Indeed, He heals today.  His power hasn't changed since He walked through marketplaces full of sick people on earth.  Still, all we need is one touch from Him.

Tenacious faith is exhibited profoundly in the testimony of the woman with the issue of blood (Matt. 9:20).  The Bible tells us that she was sick for 12 years.  We don't know at what rate blood drained out of her body, but we do know that blood is life.  Surely, her faith was tested as she felt the very life drain out of her.

But, according to the Amplified Bible, she kept saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health" (Matt. 9:21).  Her declarations of divine truth built her faith and determination above her natural circumstances, which kept her going to the point of receiving complete healing.  Touching the hem of Jesus' garment brings perfect restoration to people (Matt. 14:36).  But we must journey forth, reach out and connect.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 tells us that when we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him.  And in His presence, His hem is available to us.

To be sure, Jesus heals in many ways, and, I believe, in His appointed time.  Like salvation, healing is a faith journey extended from the very heart of God's love, grace and mercy.  But do we have the tenacity to see it through?  How deep and how far are we willing to journey in our commitment to the kind of faith that brings life and restoration?

Surely, God has called us to tenacious faith.  Do we humbly present or "lay" people from our assigned workplaces before Jesus?  Do we desperately beseech Him for a healing touch?  Do we have a heart for others to be healed, a heart for doing the work of Jesus?

So often, the Lord has shown me that when I step out in faith and pray for the restoration of others, He rewards me by caring for my needs.  Tenacity is about selflessness.  It is about choosing to believe the truth of God's divine precepts over natural circumstances.  And it's about taking courage to journey forth with Jesus no matter what.

Regarding divine healing, tenacity allows us to confront and overcome all root causes of diseases, such as unforgiveness and other unconfessed sin.  It keeps us going to completion.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6).  Won't you bring life to someone in your workplace through a tenacious heart for Jesus?

[Judy Harder]

Week of January 27
Humility

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  ~Col. 3:12

Very recently, God sent me back into the workforce.  One of many things He said to me beforehand was "Humility."  What I sensed that meant for me was that He purposed this job assignment to do a work of humility in me and that humility would be a key for survival.  Whoa, was He right!

Divine humility is the opposite of pride.  It is confidence in God, not self.  It is unpretentiousness at its finest.  It was the walk of Jesus, and it can be ours if we choose it or, as in my case, thrust into it.

Contrary to some beliefs, true humility is not passive, pathetic or weak.  Rather, it is divinely powerful.  It does not pause at or placate to foolishness.  Rather, it ushers in unity.  It does not damage us or grieve the Holy Spirit.  Rather, it honors God, and God, in turn, honors us when we exercise it according to His plan (Prov. 15:33).  Like truth, humility is a swift and divine weapon of righteousness, unity, love and wisdom that we can choose to wield.

Many of us understand that we are to humble ourselves before the Lord.  But what about choosing humility in the face of false accusers, persecutors, people who intend to harm us?  People who compete with us?  People who react out of fear and insecurity?  The ones the enemy uses to separate believers and thwart divine plans.  The ones God uses to test us?  Jesus chose humility.  His example was an important demonstration for us, a divine strategy, an assignment from The Father.

Surely, as He painfully hung on the cross with undeserved insults hurled at Him, His flesh and His heart ached for relief.  But He knew He was on a high mission to save a world of people for generations.  He knew His role of obedience and love, of priority, of divine purpose.  He knew divine truth in the face of ignorance.  He knew His Father and the humbling power of His love and mercy, and He was obedient to the call, even though it opposed man's limited understanding.

Jesus did not fall to the enemy's devices.  He needed no man's approval, only His Father's.  He trusted in His Father's plan.  He understood that humbling Himself unto the Father also meant responding with humility to man (Titus 3:2).  He knew that God's grace would sufficiently carry Him through the mission and that His divine purpose would be fulfilled regardless of man's actions.  Indeed, God was in control.

It is difficult to provoke a truly humble person into a dispute because they will lean into God's powerful love, peace and mercy when attacked, just like Jesus.  Simply put: Humble people do not react to other people's issues.  They are not controlled by them.  They respond in the Spirit because they do not feel the need to prove their worth to others.  They know their security and identity rests in Christ, even if others do not.  They are committed to the Lord's ways, and they are purposed.  They are too dedicated in seeking the Lord's righteousness and humility to give way to futile, self-exalting spats.  They hold onto God's power like a lifeline, and they are not willing to foolishly let it go.

You will know humble people by the fruit they bear and the mercy, peace and sincerity they exhibit (James 3:13-18).  This is because God can work His virtues through a humble person, whereas, with a prideful person, this cannot be.  Rather, selfishness rules, leaving little space for God to operate.  When we choose selfishness, we get what we choose: Our limitations.

Conversely, the humble journey is a true adventure.  There is great freedom and excitement in soaring with our trustworthy God.  Yielded to Him, He will take us higher than we can venture on our own or even imagine.  Yielded to Him, we receive His supernatural power, favor, rewards, strength, provision, love, grace, mercy and strategies to complete divinely-appointed assignments that are larger than we.  Is there any greater thrill?

Who among us couldn't use more divine humility?  I am challenged daily to respond to circumstances like Jesus, in His strength, His power and His love.  It is a process, a lifestyle, a series of moment-by-moment choices, a walk.  If you would like to break out of the prison of limitation, repent and take hold of the Lord's hand.  Choose to trust Him.  Soar with Him.  And prepare to be awed like never before!

 

[Judy Harder]

Week of February 3

Relationship

"The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him."  ~ Galatians 3:11 (The Message)

Oh the power of relationship.  From our primary and everlasting relationship with the Lord to working relationships and intimate relationships, we are blessed by those which God arranges in so many ways.

Often, God sets us up with people who greatly influence our lives—bosses, leaders, mentors, co-workers, family members and even those who appear to have little power.

And He always works in us and through us simultaneously.  His purposes are mighty and far reaching, often influencing nations of people.  And they always require obedience.

Consider Ester and her cousin Mordecai.  Ester 8:1 says, "And Mordecai came before the king because Ester had explained their relationship."

This was no accident.  It was a set up or an "arrangement" by God for purposes bigger than either of them.

Mordecai was not only Ester's blood relative and adoptive parent, he was her advisor, confidant and informant (Es. 2:10, 20-23).  God strategically assigned them to work together—one inside and one outside of the king's palace—as His secret agents for the higher purpose of freeing a nation of Jews.

Although their missions felt risky to them, their faith in the Lord and trust in each other had been established (Es. 2:11).  Indeed, God knew just what they needed, how circumstances would unfold and which emotions would be pricked as His process for ultimate deliverance took place.

Mordecai and Ester honored God and consulted Him on strategy (Es. 4:16).  And God never forsook them along their journey.  They remained loyal to God and to each other throughout, no matter how hopeless things appeared, even as the power of their positions shifted (Es. 4:17).

God honored them in return with His divine favor, wisdom and life, perfectly advancing them amid the enemy's deception and plot to kill Mordecai (Es. 5:2-14).

Desperate, Mordecai waited on God, urgently standing at the king's gate again and again.  He never gave up.  And when the time was right, God exposed His truth of evil through them (Es. 7:6).  God's justice was accomplished (Es. 7:10), Mordecai was promoted (Es. 8:2, 15, 9:4, 10:2-3), and the Jews were ultimately set free (Es. 9:1, 5).

Throughout their assignment, Ester and Mordecai remained obedient to God.  They lived in right relationship with Him by embracing what God had arranged for them in advance.

When God assigns us to relationships, He always purposes them beyond what we know at the outset.  One of my favorite (and usually desperate) prayers is, "Lord, reveal to me Your divine purpose in this.  Let me see it as You do.  Give me Your divine understanding.  Open my eyes, and help me to receive Your revelations and stay on track."

God loves it when we humble ourselves and seek His heart and His purposes for each arranged assignment in our lives.  He honors us and blesses for seeking His face and for desiring earnestly to be obedient and serve Him, placing His ways above our own.

Ester and Mordecai stepped into a risky life-or-death journey.  The only way they could get through it successfully was to carefully obey God in their relationship with each other and with Him.

What arrangements are you involved in?  Are they divinely assigned or ones of your own making?  How's your relationship with God and others?  Do they honor Him?

If you're not sure, our Divine Creator has all the answers, and He's waiting to reveal them to you for the asking.  May you be blessed and walk in divine peace and purpose in all your arrangements.

[Judy Harder]

Week of February 11
Intimacy

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  ~ Mark 7:6 (NIV)

Jesus spoke against the traditions of the temple elders that denied His Father's commands in their worship.  Their unrepentant hearts were prophesied in Isaiah 29 and resulted in consequences of judgment upon them.

Moses experienced a similar confrontation in Numbers 16 with appointed councilmen, who were deceived in their minds and hearts, convinced they were holy among themselves.  In verses 31-35, we see God do a bit of house cleaning among this relentless leadership, as each one instantly perished in an earthquake. 

God's truth is that we can only come close to Him by being chosen by Him. Jeremiah 30:21 says that God causes us to draw near.   The councilmen were not chosen by God to have the same anointing or assignment as Moses.  It was not their place to elevate themselves above the role in which God had placed them.  Likewise, we are not worthy to come close to God except through His covenant with His Son, Jesus Christ.

In Romans 7:7-25 the Apostle Paul explains this principle in painstaking detail, confessing in verse 24, "What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord."

When we obediently choose to draw near to God through Jesus, we receive life, rewards and blessings in great abundance.  We thrive!  We move toward our divine destiny.  And a surrendered heart opens the door.

David understood this.  He declared to God in Psalm 50:6, "Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart."  Later in verse 10 he boldly beseeches God by saying, "Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me."

When we come close to God through Jesus, He will make known to us His mysteries through revelation (Eph. 3:3).  What better place to be than understanding the wisdom of God that He longs to give us and to know His love that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:19).

Not surprising, the word intimacy is from the Latin words "intimare," which means "to make known" (as in reveal Himself) and from "intimus," which means "innermost" (as in holy of holies, heart).

To be intimate means to have a close personal relationship, to be thorough as in having an extensive knowledge or experience, to be connected through influence (of God), involving the innermost nature (spirit, soul, heart).  It means having a quiet or private atmosphere and a personal or private utterance (prayer) or action (praise, worship).

Where there is intimacy, there is power; there is grace; there is peace. To get in position to receive God's fullness of power, we must exercise faith, respect, reverence, communication and honor.  When we love God, we listen to Him.  We care what He has to say.  His heart is important to us, much more than our own.  We regard Him as higher than ourselves.  And life becomes all about Him.

Psalm 73:28 assures us it is good to draw near to God.  Isaiah 58:2 confirms it is a delight to draw near to God.  As we choose to do this through Jesus, we can lay claim to the truth of John 7:38, which says, "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as in the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water."

[Judy Harder]

Week of February 17
Unity

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them in all together in perfect unity."  ~ Colossians 3:13-14 (NIV)

In Colossians 3:1-17, the Apostle Paul offers up these Rules for Holy Living.  As we read them, may we be reminded that, as Christians, we are chosen and assigned by God to our places and positions of work.  These scriptures offer a roadmap to getting along with our cohort's, who are also divinely-assigned, and to thriving in our careers God's way . . .   

"Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things . . .

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry . . . you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other . . . put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator . . . Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Unity is important to God.  In order to achieve it in a work environment, we must work out issues that arise with others through forgiveness, truth and love.  Simultaneously, we must overcome our own fears, insecurities and baggage and lean into God to remove the obstacles that are out of our control.  Our attitudes and commitment to God's ways, along with the levels of dysfunction within us, others and the organization, can determine how hard and how long our journey will be.

When God assigns us to usher new order and breakthrough into a work environment, our roles are usually challenging and require fortitude and perseverance.  Oftentimes, this feels like anything but God's doing.

But if we commit ourselves to remaining in our divinely-assigned role, moving forward in God's purposes, we will witness Him break obstacles and make a way to unity (God's finest), which can involve changing people's hearts and attitudes, promoting people or reassigning those who, by their free will choice, are not willing to cooperate.

Therefore, unity is often a process.  And in this process, God forges us, our co-workers, our leaders and our organizations often through the heat of pressure.  The reason He has us in this vice is because He's trying to teach us, purify us and position us for promotion.  But are we willing to be teachable?  Are we willing to die to the limitation of selfishness?

I love the NIV note for verse 15, which tells us that the peace that only Christ can give us is to prevail in all human relationships, like an umpire over an attitude of bitterness and quarrelsomeness.  Where there is disunity, there is disconnection, fragmentation, a loss of synergy, of power.  It is a place where the enemy thrives to negate the plans of God.

The path to unity is through repentance, forgiveness, cooperation and a commitment to journey God's way through the circumstances that surround us by His leading, no matter what.

If you find yourself in a chaotic work environment, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what your divine assignment is.  Ask Him to reveal to you strategic keys.  Ask Him how to pray, what He desires for you to learn.  Then ask Him to help you receive what He wants you to so that you do not have to journey around the mountain repeatedly.  Walk in humility and confession.  Praise the Lord in the midst.  Submit to the Lord's ways, and enter into the place of peace where God leads you.  Then watch the favor of God manifest on your behalf.

[Judy Harder]

Week of February 24
Beauty

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  ~ Proverbs 31:30

God is the essence of beauty, and He longs to share His beauty with us.  When we accept Jesus, His beauty resides within us.  And if we revere Him, we will mirror His beauty from the inside out.  This is God's desire.

Consider Esther.  Although she was physically beautiful, Esther also glowed with an inner beauty that was established and purposed by God before she ever entered the king's palace (Es. 2:7, 15).  She won the king's favor and approval because she was on a mission from God to save His and her people.  And God's hand of favor and protection was upon her as she consistently made right choices, yielding to the Father's will.

Esther understood wisdom as is evident by how she followed her uncle Mordecai's counsel to not reveal her identity and the eunich Hegai's suggestion to not ask for anything when she came before the king (Es. 2:10-11, 15).  Esther understood the wisdom of 1Peter 3:4, ". . . the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."  And she also understood the power of revering God through fasting (Es. 4:16).

Esther had substance, and her beauty was a power tool used by God to accomplish His will to save a nation.

How is God using your beauty?  Likewise, how are you using your beauty?

Contrary to the nobleness of Esther, the once perfect (Ps. 50:2) but fast fleeting beauty of Jerusalem is described in Ezekiel 16 as prostitution.  When we "trust in our beauty and use our fame to become a prostitute" (vs. 15), our beauty becomes pillaged by the enemies of destruction and death.  Our own disobedience and idolatry to ungodly pleasures opens the door, giving the devil a legal right to "pimp" us out, leaving us depleted, defiled and disgusted.

As we journey through life, what will we choose?  Perfect beauty or prostitution?

If the latter has been your choice (even if not in the literal sense), there is freedom through repentance and restoration.

The beauty of God is everlasting.  It doesn't fade.  It is perfect.  In this, we have hope.

Lamentations 3:22-26 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

May we choose to honor God by living in the nobility of a yielded heart, mind and body and therefore embrace His full measure of reigning beauty for His glory.