Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 6

Merciful God

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

Did you know Methuselah lived to be 969 years old? And God had a very good reason for letting him live to be that old. The reason Methuselah lived so long was not that he had good genes but that God had great mercy. Why?

The name "Methuselah" means "When he is gone, it will come." The "it" refers to The Flood. And according to the Word of God, The Flood came exactly the day that Methuselah died. God kept letting him live and live because God didn't want anybody to perish in that flood. God kept giving one more opportunity and one more chance. He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Reflect upon your life—are there times you can name when God intervened with mercy when He might have sent judgment instead? Perhaps there were times when He spared you from something, and later you look back on that time and say, "God was so merciful." Remember His mercy today and thank Him specifically for how He has covered your life with His garment of mercy.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 7

You're on Jesus' Prayer List

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." - Hebrews 7:25

You want a blessed thought? You're on Jesus' prayer list. There's nothing more comforting to me than for someone to tell me they pray for me. I once met a man who said, "Adrian, I prayed for you this morning. I pray for you every day." That moved me greatly. There are six billion people on this earth. Some people have never been prayed for one time. If you're on anybody's prayer list, you're blessed.

But I can tell you, you're on Jesus' prayer list. The Lord Jesus knows you by name, and He calls you by name. Did you come to God by Jesus? Then you're on His prayer list. The finished work of Jesus is Calvary. The unfinished work of Jesus is His prayer ministry.

Thank Him today for the truth that "He ever lives to make intercession" for you.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 8

The Word of God...Settled in Heaven

"For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven." - Psalm 119:89

Isn't that a beautiful verse? You know, the Bible is not the book of the year; it is the book of the ages. It is settled in heaven and on Earth. We can depend upon the Word of God. It is not up for a vote. But it does have its enemies.

There is the liberal who will try to water it down, the atheist who will deny it, and the cultist who will twist it. But I believe the greatest enemy of the Bible today is the Christian who does not love it, memorize it, practice it, and obey it. If we would do that, we would be witnessing and winning those who disbelieve.

It is absolutely imperative that you be certain about the Bible. You'll never get much of anything else settled, until you get that settled.  Your salvation depends upon it because the Bible says you are born again by the Word of God.  Your sanctification depends upon it.  Jesus said, "Sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy Word is truth."  Your usefulness depends on it.  God has given you the Word that you might be a workman needing not to be ashamed.  Your assurance depends upon it.  "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you might know that you have eternal life."

If you want to be an exclamation point rather than a question mark, then you need to be certain that the Bible is the Word of God.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 9

Faithful in the Small Things

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." - Luke 16:10

Have you ever thought that the vast ocean is really made up of single drops of water, built from tiny molecules, which are made of microscopic atoms? Even in our lives, it is the small things that really do make the difference. All big things are made of little things. Big things are made of little choices, little acts, little words, and little thoughts. This is so important for us to realize, because every day we impact others by the little things we say or do. But if we are faithful in the little things, it follows that we will be faithful in that which is much. In other words, if we get the little things right, the big issues will take care of themselves.

"Little drops of water, little grains of sand..." goes the children's rhyme. Be on guard for those little things that may slip in unnoticed but undermine God's greater purpose in your life.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 11

What Should It Profit a Man?

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" - Mark 8:36

Some years ago I went to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii. Centuries ago when Vesuvius erupted, volcanic ash fell on everything and preserved the city just as it was. In fact, in the ruins there is a very interesting skeleton of a man. Evidently, when the volcano started to erupt and the ash began to fall, this man went back to his home for his bag of gold. The gold spilled on the floor and he reached out for it, just as the fumes overcame him. Now, he is embalmed for all time, grasping that gold. How foolish! What profit was his gold? Friend, the wisest thing that anybody can do is give his heart to Jesus Christ. That's the only way to save your soul!

What are you grasping for today? Position? Power? Possessions? Prestige?  Whatever it is, if you desire it more than you desire knowing Him, it will turn to ash in your hand. Or the Lord may have to gently pry it loose from your hand. Instead, say with Paul, "...that I may know Him!"

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 12

Getting Rid of the Darkness

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." - John 8:12

If you wanted to get rid of darkness in a room, how would you do it? Would you curse the darkness? Take a broomstick and try to beat the darkness out? Grab a shovel and shovel it out? Or a vacuum cleaner and suck it out? How are you going to get the darkness out of a room?

There's no way except one: turn on the light. Just turn on the light. The darkness cannot stand the light. When Jesus comes, darkness is going to go. It has to go! And when it goes, everything that loves it will go with it. What a day it will be when Jesus comes and all the wicked, vile, filthy things in the spiritual world flee His light!

When we're faithful, when we live as a Christian ought to, everywhere we go, we're making manifest the deeds of darkness simply as we let our light shine.

Don't have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness! We're to walk in the light; there is to be godly fruit, godly fellowship, and godly faithfulness as we "walk in the light as He is in the light."

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 13

The Refiner

"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." - Malachi 3:3

Do you know that God is not as interested in making you happy as He is in making you holy? His goal is to purge and purify you. The moment you were saved, God began His work to make you pure and holy. He wants to burn out the dross and impurities in your life and present you as pure gold. You see, He is not as interested in your automobile as you are. He is not as interested in your job as you are. He is not as interested in your health as you are. But he cares for you so much that He wants to make you pure. And God will touch all of these things, if necessary, to make you holy.

How much do you want to be made pure and holy before the Lord? Not "holier than thou" in attitude—which is a turn-off—but pure in heart before Him. If that is your desire, ask Him to begin to burn out the dross. There may be something in your life right now you recognize as "dross." If so—start a "closet-clean-out" in your heart today. He will help you bag it and take it to the curb!

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 14

The Fruit of the Spirit

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." - John 15:4

Galatians 5 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Now, have you ever seen a fruit factory? No. You might have seen a shirt factory, but you will not see a fruit factory. You will only find an orchard. You see, there is no fruit without life. Later in Galatians 5:25 the Bible says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit." He is our lifeline. You cannot manufacture fruit.

Friend, you're not going to grow and produce the fruit of the Spirit unless you are walking in the Spirit—until you abide in the Spirit. And then, you won't produce fruit, you will bear it. Jesus told us to abide in Him, and then we'll be fruitful.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 15

Running from God

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." - Psalm 51:10-12

The most miserable man on Earth is not an unsaved man but a saved man out of fellowship with God. That is absolutely true. If a person is truly a child of God and is out of fellowship with Him, I can tell you he's carrying a big burden. Now, if he's not saved, he's not carrying any burden at all. But if he is truly saved and out of fellowship with God, that's a different story completely.

When David got out of fellowship with God, he said to the Lord, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." He didn't say, "Lord, restore unto me Thy salvation," but "restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." He was miserable running from God.

Are you running from God? Or perhaps you know someone who is. Pray that they will be restored. Today's passage is a good one to pray for them, inserting their name into the verse, asking God to restore and renew.

[Judy Harder]

FEBRUARY 16

Guarded by His Power—Jesus Sees You

"And when evening was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them toiling in rowing ... and ... He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea ..." - Mark 6:47

Jesus' disciples were way out in the sea, and Jesus was on the shore. But He saw them toiling and rowing. He never took His eyes off them.

Are you in the midst of a storm? Did you know He sees you right now? You say, "He doesn't know where I am. He doesn't know this difficulty. Why is He so far away? Why am I in the storm and He is on the shore?" Friend, He is there, and He's praying for you. He's up there on the mountain looking down. He sees right through the dark. You can't see Him, but He sees you. You can say, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

My advice for you in the midst of your storm is to see Jesus, the great I AM, and see Him walking on the water. And that thing that looks like it's going to be over your head is already under His feet. You're seated in the heavenlies with Him. And you can't drown with your head above water. He is the great I AM. You can put it down: you are guarded by His power.