Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

JULY 8

What God Would Rather Do

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it." - Jeremiah 18:7-8

In this passage, God is not just talking about the nation Israel. He's talking about nations in general. God says, "When I get ready to judge a nation, if that nation will repent, then I will turn from the judgment that I had determined to send upon that nation."

Let me tell you something about the great heart of our God: God is a God of righteousness, judgment, and justice, but God had rather show mercy than send judgment.

America is ripe for judgment. God says, "When I get ready to judge a nation, if that nation will repent, then I will turn from the judgment that I had determined to send upon that nation." We are in the eleventh hour, the clock is about to strike midnight, and we need to pray, "Oh God, hold back Your hand of judgment upon America."

"If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

A church steeple is something that is supposed to point us to God. Have you ever noticed that the closer the steeple gets to the top, the smaller it gets? The closer we get to God, the more we realize how insignificant and sinful we are. This is not a time for finger-pointing in America. This is a time for repentance of personal sin. I'm talking about the people in the pew. The Bible says the time has come that judgment begin at the house of God.

[Judy Harder]

July 9

The Guilt Removed

"To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him." - Daniel 9:9

Isn't it wonderful that to God belong mercies and forgiveness? You see, just as Daniel prayed, the basis of our prayer is the greatness and the mercy of God. The basis of Daniel's prayer was the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

It is impossible to see the greatness of God and the mercies of God and not pray with confidence.

We need to pray, "God, cleanse us, restore us, revive us, renew us, refresh us. We need revival in America.  Remove our guilt."

[Judy Harder]

July 10

For His Glory

"Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of Thy servant, and his supplications, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Thy name: for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God: for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name." - Daniel 9:17-19

Daniel is saying, "O God, please forgive us.  Remove the guilt."  He's also praying for the restoration of glory.  Notice "for the Lord's sake."

Do you know what so many of us are praying for?  For America's sake.  That won't get it done. Or for our denomination's sake, our church's sake, or even our family's sake.  But Daniel is praying for not only the removal of guilt but the restoration of glory (v. 18).    When we get concerned for the glory of God, then we're going to see our prayers answered. So many times we're just simply trying to get out of difficulty. Do you pray for the glory of God?

Do you know what most of us want?  We want revival so we can return to our own ways, once God gets us out of the difficulty we're in. Do you have a burning, yearning in your heart for the glory of God?  Do you want to see God's glory spread over this land?  I want to see God do something again that cannot be explained by the pundits on television and the news anchors.

When we get concerned for the glory of God, then we're going to see our prayers answered.

[Judy Harder]

July 11

I Don't Understand, But I'll Obey

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22

I read an interesting story about Stephen Grellet, a pioneer evangelist to the lumbermen in the Rocky Mountains. He felt the Spirit of God leading him to a particular lumber camp to preach. When he got there, the place was absolutely deserted. He said, "Lord, I don't understand, but I'm going to be obedient." So he opened his Bible without a soul in sight and preached a full-length message. Then he pled for people to come to Christ. He said, "Lord, I don't know what that was all about but Lord, I was obedient." Years later, a man walked up to him in England and said, "I was the foreman at a lumber camp. I had come back to the camp to get an ax, and I heard you preaching. I stood behind a pile of lumber and listened. As you preached, my heart was strangely warmed, and I repented of my sin and gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I later witnessed to four other men. Now, all five of us are missionaries preaching around the world."

How important it is that we obey completely in small things! Naaman was asked to dip seven times in the river Jordan. At first, he angrily refused. But in 2 Kings 5:13 his servants asked him, "... if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?"

Do you know why many of us are not obeying God more than we are? Because we're not hearing what God is saying. We're not spending time listening to God. That's the importance of a quiet time, that's the importance of getting somewhere alone with God in a nook with this book and reading and listening.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 14

That's what Brought Me to Christ

"And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also." - Luke 6:29

Someone asked an army officer, "Why are you a Christian?" He said, "One day we went out on a march. We slugged through the mud all day long. Our boots were dirty, and our clothes were heavy. When we came into the barracks, we were cross and irritable."

"There was a young man who had already come in, cleaned up, and was kneeling down by his bed saying his prayers. I became so irritated I took one of my muddy boots and hit him in the head with it." He said, "The young man paused for a moment and then continued praying. But when I awoke the next morning, my boots were beautifully polished and set by my bed by that young man. That's what brought me to Christ."

You know, it is when God's people suffer as Christians that this world begins to look at us. Now we may not want it.  We may not ask for it. Certainly I'm not asking for it.  But if it comes, let us suffer as Christians, as the Bible says.  Oh dear friend, from the human viewpoint it is misery. From the Satanic viewpoint it is mystery. But from the divine viewpoint it is ministry.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 15

Worthy to Die, Living for Jesus

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried..." - Revelation 2:10

Polycarp was the pastor of the early church in Smyrna. He was asked to renounce his faith in Christ and offer a pinch of incense to Caesar. He refused and said, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and in nothing hath He wronged me; and how, then, can I blaspheme my King, Who saved me?" When they heard that, they clamored to burn him at the stake. They brought their wood and heaped it around his feet. And then Polycarp prayed, ""I count it a blessedness to be thought worthy of a place among the martyrs of Jesus Christ." And when that fire was kindled around his feet, he was heard singing and praising the Son of God.

Most of us will not die at the stake, be carried to the wall and shot, or be imprisoned for the Lord Jesus Christ. We may not have a chance to die that way, but can we not die to this vile world? Can we not die to our plans and our ambitions? And can we not say that Jesus Christ is Lord?

[Judy Harder]

JULY 16

Not Fearful but Faithful

"...and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." - Revelation 2:10

If others in past centuries—and some even today— have reddened the mouths of lions, languished in prisons, and been scorched in the flames, can we not go out today, back to the school, back to the office, and live for Jesus Christ? God help us that we shall. In this evil hour, we'll have revival when there are men and women, Christians with burning hearts, brimming eyes, and bursting lips, who fear nothing but sin and who love nothing but Jesus Christ.

Who among us will be faithful unto death? We're not to be fearful; we're to be faithful.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 17

Those Who Hold Fast Will One Day Rule

"But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father." - Revelation 2:25-27

In these days there will be more temptation to get away from the Word of God, the blood atonement, and salvation by grace through faith. Churches will be under attack by seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. Here in Jesus' message to Thyatira He says, "You hold fast till I come." 

Even though it seems to be tough, remember this, dear friend—the saints are going to have their day. Look in verse 26. One of these days Jesus is going to come and rule this world, and we are going to rule with Him. 

If we suffer with Him, we'll also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). We are even going to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). It may not be long before Jesus comes and His millennial reign begins here on this earth. The Bible clearly says that it's going to be a powerful reign (v. 27).

Don't give up, don't let down. Hold fast, stick to it, stay with the Word of God. Hold fast that old truth. Hold fast to this old Book and don't let go.

[Judy Harder]

July 18

The Father's Wealth

"And I will give him the morning star." - Revelation 2:28

I remember reading a story about a wealthy Roman who had a lavish estate, and he had a servant named Marcellus. When the wealthy Roman died, he wrote his will and left everything to his slave. The wealthy Roman also had a son, and for some reason he had had a disagreement with him, so in his will he said, "I have left my entire estate to my slave Marcellus. To my son, I leave him only one thing. He can choose any one thing from my estate he wants, but that's all." The son said, "Very well, I choose Marcellus."

Here at the end of Revelation 2, our Lord gives another sweet promise to those who overcome (v. 28):  "And I will give him," that is, the overcomer, "the morning star." Jesus is that morning star.  What He's saying is, "You'll receive the greatest reward of all, you'll receive Me, the morning star."  Do you know what the morning star is? It's the star that appears just after the darkest hour of the night. 

It's getting very dark. Praise God, it's getting gloriously dark, and before long that morning star is going to appear. Jesus is the morning star. If you choose Jesus, with Jesus comes all the Father's wealth.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 21

Paying an Extra Price

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish my course" - Acts 20:24

Do you pay a price—some extra time in the morning—to get into the Word of God? Do you pay the price of being ridiculed because you keep your Bible on your desk in the office or bow your head and thank God for His gracious goodness to you when He gives you a meal? Are you willing to be different? Will you finish your course?

When you're running this race, you're going to find out that you're running right against the grain. Don't get the idea that there's the broad road and the narrow road, and the narrow road runs alongside the broad road, and over there a bunch of people are going this way, and over here you're going in the same direction.

No, there's the broad way, and here you are, right in the middle of it, going the other way. Against the grain. What we believe

starts at a different source
follows a different course
ends at a different conclusion
...and there is a price to pay.

Frankly, today we don't like that idea of a "price to pay." We say, "Well, I'm saved by grace, and so I'm just going to float on into heaven on flowery beds of ease." No. A disciple is one who follows his master, obeys his master, and there is a price to pay.