Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

MAY 24

Love Not the World

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

It stands to reason: if you love health, you're going to hate germs. If you love flowers, you'll hate weeds. If you love cleanliness, you'll hate dirt. If you love God, you will hate sin.

And so the Bible says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." What is worldliness? And why should a Christian not love this world?

Three reasons: Number one, because of the character of the world—what it is. Number two, because of the corruption of the world—what it does. Number three, because of the condemnation of the world—where it's headed.

If we're not to "love" this world, what, then are we to love? Jesus said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-39

[Judy Harder]

MAY 26

Presentation Plus Transformation Equals Revelation

"... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2

Some people say, "Oh, I'm searching to know the will of God." Listen, it's not your job to find the will of God. It's God's job to reveal His will to you. It is your job simply to present yourself to Him.

If you have been conformed to this world, you will not know the will of God; therefore, you will not do the will of God.

Most Christians need to be transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the formula for knowing the will of God. Presentation plus transformation equals revelation.

You want to know the will of God? Present yourself to God. Let Him change you. Then you won't have to find the will of God; the will of God will find you.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 27

My Eyes Were On You

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2

There once was a king captured by the Roman army. They took the king with his family to stand before the Roman general to receive the sentence of death. The king fell on his face before the general and said, "You may do with me what you will, but spare my wife and children!" The Roman general was so moved by the plea that he released them all.

Later, the king asked his wife about some of the things they had seen while in the Roman general's chamber. She said, "I didn't see anything. My eyes were only on the man who was willing to die for me."

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."  May we be able to say, "My eyes are on the One who died for me, Jesus Christ.  And I have eyes for no one but Him!"

[Judy Harder]

MAY 28

Under the Circumstances

"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." - Matthew 14:30

I ask some Christians, "How are you doing?" They say, "Well, I'm doing pretty well under the circumstances." I want to say, "How did you ever get there?"

If you look at circumstances, you're going to fall. Remember when Peter was there in the boat, and Jesus came walking on the water. Jesus said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and started to walk on water through those boisterous waves! And I can imagine Peter said, "This is wonderful!"

Then an unkind wave slapped him in the face. He looked around at those waves and said, "This is impossible," and he started to sink. He simply failed to look unto Jesus. He looked at circumstances.

Today, come what may, keep your eyes focused upon Jesus. Even the wind and the waves must bow to His command.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 29

Good and Best

"... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

There's a certain discipline that belongs to the child of God. He does not have time to participate in good things because there are too many best things.

People sometimes ask me, "Oh, have you read thus and such a book? It's so good." I say, "No, I haven't." And I think, "Where on earth did you ever get time to read that? I haven't even read the best books yet. How am I going to have time to read good books?"

I'm amazed at how many people spend so much time doing good things. But good things are bad things when they keep you from best things. Life would be simple if it were a choice between good and bad. But it's a choice between good and best.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 30

God Has a Plan for Your Life

"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

God has a plan for my life, and God has a plan for your life. Do you know God's plan for your life? I don't care whether you're nine or ninety, man or woman, rich or poor, God has a plan for your life! God has a race He wants you to run! And the Bible says you're to run the race that is set before you.

Have you ever taken time to get alone with God and make your life a sheet of blank paper, sign your name at the bottom, and say, "God, You fill it in. Whatever Your will is, I'll do it"? The will of God—nothing more, nothing less, nothing else, nothing but!

[Judy Harder]

MAY 31

Prayer Wrestling

"Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." - Romans 15:30

One of the things I'm trying to cure myself of is casual prayer, prayer that is not intense, prayer that costs little.

Do you know the Bible calls prayer "wrestling"? Paul said, "...that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."

Have you ever thought of prayer as striving, as wrestling? If you really get into intercession, you're going to find out that the devil will fight you and oppose you. Prayer is work. I'd rather preach for an hour than to pray for a half an hour, so far as the labor that it takes for genuine prayer.

Ask yourself: How much genuine agonizing do I do in prayer?

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 2

How Do You Handle A Crisis?

"And he [Herod] killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also." - Acts 12:2-3

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

What do you do in times of crisis? One thing we all must do, before we panic or sin against God, is respect the mystery of God's providence.

Throughout the pages of His Word, you're going to see the hidden hand of God...working in mysterious ways, in inexplicable ways. God is in the shadows arranging things, moving things people cannot see. That may be true in your life right now. God is working, but you cannot see Him working.

You may be in the middle of chaos right now. Nothing seems to be making sense. Everything you thought you had nailed down is coming loose, and the devil is pulling nails as fast as he can.

Just because it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. Many of us have questions. As we look at Acts chapter 12, we say, "Well, how could God let a rascal like Herod be the king anyway? Isn't God, God? If I were God, I'd turn him into a frog. And why should James be killed and Peter released? Does God have favorites? Has God lost control?"

Friend, you must grasp this important truth, or you will live your life floundering. We do not live by explanations. Life is not a problem to be solved; it is a mystery to be lived. Sometimes we must back off and simply see what I call the hidden hand of God. Just because you cannot see today the hand of God working doesn't mean God is not working.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 3

Life Is a Mystery to be Lived

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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." - Isaiah 55:8-9

Have you ever stood and watched an artist paint a picture? He starts putting his colors on canvas.  He's just splashing on the colors, mixing this one and that. You can almost hear him thinking, "A little more yellow here...."

And we say, "He's so good—how does he do that?" Then suddenly he'll dip his brush in some colors and go swoosh! across the canvas. We say, "Oh, you ruined it! You've really messed up. Let's see how you get out of this!" Then a few more strokes and suddenly it just comes together. It's a masterpiece!

We treat God the same way. As God puts His colors on the canvas, we look and say, "Lord, you're really doing well." Then all of a sudden God goes swoosh. "Lord! You've messed things up! How did You let this happen?" Have you ever felt that way? Of course you have, and I have too.

When I watch an artist at work, it doesn't make sense to me, but it makes sense to him. And just because things are not making sense to you, do not think that they don't make sense. In Acts 12 we see Herod's ungodly power, James' death, then Peter's release. Yet all of these things are working together. We call that the sovereignty of God. The providence of God.

In Acts chapter 12 in your Bible, write in the margin Romans 8:28, "And we know, we k-n-o-w, that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose."

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 4

The Fellowship of Prayer

"If any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it will be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matthew 18:19-20

God is pleased when His children pray, but God is more pleased when His children pray in fellowship. There's nothing that will bind us together as a church more than praying together. If you've ever had a prayer partner, you know that your hearts are linked together.

There are times when the church prays and God seems to come down, and it is glorious and wonderful. It's what we call "the fellowship of prayer." This prayer is the prayer we see happening in Acts 12 when the church came together to pray for Peter.

Jesus had an "inner circle"—Peter, James and John. Every believer needs that special friend or group of friends you can call on at a moment's notice—"in season, out of season"—to encourage and uplift you in prayer. And you need to be that go-to person for a fellow believer. If you have this, praise God. If not, ask Him to bring that prayer partner into your life.