Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 12

Poor in Spirit – What Does It Mean?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3

What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Jesus is talking about being a beggar. He is saying, "Blessed are the beggars." He's not talking about finances here. He's talking about a person being poor spiritually.

Before a person can enter into the kingdom of heaven, he must first admit that no matter how much he may have in the material realm or psychological realm, he is absolutely and totally spiritually bankrupt and a beggar before God.  If he doesn't see that, he will never, ever get into the kingdom of heaven.

I've often said that I am just one beggar showing another beggar where to find food. Do you see yourself as a beggar in need of the Bread of Heaven?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 13

What Is Meekness?

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth -  Matthew 5:5."

What does it mean to be meek? First, let me tell you what it is not before I tell you what it is.

Meekness is not weakness. The word "meek" means yielded. It literally has the idea of strength under control. When an animal, especially a horse, is domesticated, it is trained so a rider can sit on its back or so it can pull a plow. The proper term for this process is that the animal has been "meeked." It has been broken. Now it yields to the rider or the yoke. Now the animal exhibits strength under control. That's what meekness is.

Read Matthew 11:29 and 21:5. What does Jesus say about Himself, and how can you emulate Him?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 14

Mourning with Purpose

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." - Matthew 5:4

We've done all we can do to keep ourselves from feeling any pain. We have psychologists who numb our neuroses, counselors who absolve us of guilt, doctors to sedate our pain, insurance agents to take away our worries, and even at death we have the mortuary to try to beautify death for us.

But Jesus was a man of sorrows. He saw the sin around Him, and it broke His heart. In Matthew 23:34-39 we read how Jesus' heart ached for Jerusalem and the destruction sin had wrought in the hearts of men.

Do the things that break the heart of Jesus, break yours?
Do you have a dry eye in a hell-bent world?
It's time to be like Jesus.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 15

Seeing Him Who is Invisible

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." - Matthew 5:8

Let me tell you how to experience God: Get your heart pure, and you will see God with the eyes of faith.

You see, Jesus is not talking about your physical body. You get your spiritual heart right and your spiritual eyes will see. Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses "endured as seeing Him who is invisible." You get your heart right and you'll see the invisible God...
...in circumstances
...in nature
...in the face of your spouse, your child, your grandchild.

You'll see Him in the Scriptures. God will become a bright, living reality to you.

Put on the eyes of faith today and find God creating and sustaining life. Maybe there is a tree ablaze with the red and gold of fall. Do you see the hand of God?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 16

Surprising Qualities of a Peacemaker

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." - Matthew 5:9

I remember reading about a preacher boy who was in a class in a liberal college and the professor said, "Christians ought never to have any enemies. We ought never to be controversial." Then he said, "What we need to do is to follow the example of Jesus."

The boy lifted his hand and asked, "If Jesus Christ was so beautifully tactful and diplomatic, how did He manage to get Himself crucified?"

Peace is not appeasement. It is a right relationship with God that leads to a right relationship with self and guides us into right relationships with others. Literally, peace is a fruit of righteousness. It is the righteousness of God ruling and reigning in your heart.

Read Hebrews 12:14. Are there conflicts which you can resolve by becoming a peacemaker? If so, confidently place your hand in His and bring peace.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 17

Trusting His Love to Provide

"And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee." - Psalm 9:10

After World War II, a group of humanitarians placed orphan boys in tent cities to care for them. But the boys would wake up in the night from nightmares. A psychiatrist surmised that their fear was because they had such an uncertain future.

He decided to feed the boys a big meal each night, then give them each a piece of bread. He instructed them to hold the bread in their hands so it could be their breakfast. Somehow just holding in their hand a piece of bread helped them to sleep all night.

When you go to bed tonight, I want you to have bread, not in your hand, but in your heart. He is the Bread of Heaven and His name is Jesus!

Take a walk with the Lord today. Tell Him your fears. Confidently place them before the Lord. Trust in His love to provide.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 18

Standing for Peace and Righteousness

"Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means." - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

One of the strangest verses that ever fell from the lips of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is this: "Think not that I have come to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." That's incredible, because the Bible calls Him "the Prince of Peace." What is He talking about, then?

He is saying, "I came with a sword to put a line of demarcation between truth and error, between light and dark, between sin and righteousness."

When God's standard of righteousness is set, there will always be division. Without righteousness there can be no peace. Peace can never come where sin remains. God will never make a peace treaty with sin, never!

Some people think when others act righteously that they are acting religiously, and sometimes not very peacefully. How can you stand in the gap for peace AND righteousness?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 19

True Friendship

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." - Proverbs 27:17

True friends will put an edge on your life. They will make you a sharper person. Not all my friends do that for me, but my best friends do.

Have you ever had a friend who loved you so much that he would even hurt you in order to help you? Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." What truer words of love can be spoken than from the heart of a friend who is going to spend an eternity with you? Even if those words hurt, they are words that will heal.

Do you have a friend who sharpens you as iron? Then forward this email to your friend as a word of thanks.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 20

Jesus Only

". . . all things were created by Him, and for Him." - Colossians 1:16

Do you want to know the meaning of everything? It is Jesus only. You may think that is an overstatement. We live in a great big universe, billions of light years in expanse, and the Bible tells us that "all things were created by Him, and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). There is nothing made that was not made by the Lord Jesus. The answer to creation is Jesus only.

People say that the world needs saving, but what the world really needs is redemption.

So where is redemption going to come from? It's not from a creed, code, or cause but from Jesus only. The entire universe, the plans of God, and the sweep of all the ages, comes down to two words—Jesus only.

When was the last time you shared your faith? Maybe today you can begin a conversation with someone about the expanse of the universe. Who knows where that spark of truth will lead?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 21

Holy through Hardship

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? ... hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him." - Psalm 42:5

Here's an anchor for your soul in the storms of life: "I am growing by His plan."

What is God's plan for you? He wants to enlarge you, not indulge you. God is not so interested in making you happy and healthy as He is in making you holy. And so God will allow troubles to make you more like Christ.

Think about the times when you have grown the most. It is when your friend "Trouble" came along. I have grown the most in my own life in times of deepest despair.

Can you look at the troubles in your life not as adversaries, but as friends? Take a second look and get a godly perspective of it. See how you can become holy through hardship.