Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

October 8

Running the Race—with a Running Partner

"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

What does it mean that Jesus is the "Author" and "Finisher" of our faith? The Greek word archegos means that He is the Captain, Leader, or Prince of our faith. The Greek for "finisher" is teleiotes, which means He is the Completer of our faith.

Jesus had His eye on the goal—He could see you saved. He paid the price so you could be saved.

Do you want to know how to run the race? Jesus is your example. Keep your eyes on Him. He is the Savior who not only shows you how to run the race, but He lives within you through the Holy Spirit and runs the race through you. Praise God—we are never alone!

[Judy Harder]

October 9

Make No Provision for "the Flesh"

"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." - Romans 13:14

One of my favorite stories is about a father who leaves his son at home one Saturday afternoon because his son isn't feeling well. He tells his son, "Don't go swimming with your buddies."

The son says, "Yes sir!"

The dad returns by way of the swimming hole and notices his son frolicking with the other boys. He stops the car, calls his son over and says, "I told you not to go swimming."

"But I didn't intend to go swimming. I just came down to watch, and I fell in," the boy said.

The dad began feeling sorry for his son until he noticed he had his bathing suit on! The son explained, "I brought that along...in case I was tempted."

Friend, don't make any provision for the flesh.

[Judy Harder]

October 10

Now, What Is Faith?

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

A nobleman's son became ill, so he sought Jesus to heal him. When he found Jesus, he asked Him to come to his home. But instead of physically going to the boy's bedside, Jesus healed him by His word. John 4:50b says, "And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."

Not a wonder, not a sign, not a vision, not angels playing tic-tac-toe on his ribs, or cold chills going up and down his spine...the man believed Jesus' Word and went on his way.

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.

Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way. Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day. Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high. Doubt questions who believes; faith answers, "I"!

Life follows faith like night follows day. There is no life without faith.

[Judy Harder]

October 11

Are You Praying the Wrong Prayer?

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:19

Many of us who are praying for our unsaved friends, family, and neighbors are directing our prayers in the wrong way. We are saying, "Oh God, help them to see." But they are blind—they cannot see! 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 explains: "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

We must first bind the blinder. We're not in a battle of flesh and blood. We are in a battle with Satan himself, and we will never rob his house until we first bind him.

[Judy Harder]

October 13

Hold Fast...and Kill that Lion!

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." - Psalm 34:4

The times that will most strengthen and enrich your life are those when you go barehanded, armed with only the Spirit of God, against the red lion of hell—and prevail. Remember Samson, who killed a lion with his bare hands, then ate honey out of its carcass (see Judges 14:6-9). Whatever is hounding and threatening your life right now, you must hold fast to the Word of God that promises deliverance and hope, power and strength, wisdom and guidance.

Look beyond the physical evidence to the spiritual promise of God. Problems are opportunities for God's power to be manifest in your life.

[Judy Harder]

October 14

Recipe for a Miracle

"I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." - Psalm 116:1-2

Here's the recipe for a miracle: Take a problem, transfer it to Christ, and it will be transformed by Christ. The ingredient most of us keep missing or taking back is when we are to transfer the problem to Christ.

Have you given your all to Jesus Christ? This is not just rhetoric. I am trying to get as serious and honest with you as I can within the sterile confines of this daily calendar.  Have you literally given everything to Jesus Christ? If not, do so today and you will begin to see God's miracle-moving power transform your life.

[Judy Harder]

October 15

A Source that Will Never Dry Up

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

Do you know what Lamentations 3:22-23 means? It means that God never runs out of compassion.

Have you ever gone to Niagara Falls and watched the water rampaging with torrential force? I've thought, "Surely the water is one day going to dry up." But it hasn't. Friend, greater than Niagara is the compassion of the Lord. His compassions fail not.

In 1923, Thomas O. Chisholm wrote one of the greatest hymns of all time and this stanza is the refrain of this truth, "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be."

God is faithful. What are you facing today? Dear friend, lean upon Him and His faithfulness. He will never, no never, leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

[Judy Harder]

October 16

Every Law Has a Song Written on the Back

"Let Thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for Thy law is my delight." - Psalm 119:77

How does God unite a law book with a song book? I'll tell you how. With liberty and harmony. God never intended His laws to be burdensome. He meant for them to be a blessing.

The piano operates according to laws. When a person masters those laws, the drudgery of learning turns to delight. Piano practice enables a person to sit at the piano in perfect liberty and let the melody dance off the ivory keys.

Every law has a song written on the back of it. And you will discover this when you obey God's laws. "Duty" will turn to delight.

[Judy Harder]

October 17

The One and Only God

"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." - Exodus 34:14

God is a jealous God. Now, that may sound like a bad attribute. But to God it is a holy attribute. You see, I have no right to be jealous of another preacher because I am not the only preacher in the world. I do not own preaching. On the other hand, there is only one God.

Exodus 20:2-3 says, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." And when asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).

When you die to self and worship God, you will begin to experience the fullness of God in a way that transforms your life.

[Judy Harder]

October 18

The Valley, the Shadow, and a Promise

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." - Psalm 145:18

Psalm 23 speaks of the "valley of the shadow of death." For every shadow, there must be light. Jesus Christ said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). A shadow may frighten you, but a shadow cannot really hurt you.

I dare say that a shadow at one time or another has spooked many of us. But thank God, death is but a shadow if you know the Lord Jesus Christ. If you keep your face toward the light, the shadow will fall behind you. You won't even see the shadow. God doesn't bring us to a valley to leave us there. He always brings us through.

God is never closer than when you are in a dark valley. That's when He is especially near. In the original language, we're told Hebrews 13:5 actually has five negatives! The Amplified Bible translates it this way: "I will never, no, not ever, never leave you nor forsake you." Memorize this short, precious verse today.