Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

August 5

Defining Your Personal Value

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Do you try to be the best or do you simply try to do your best? The perfectionist has to be the best. He has to be #1. He can't accept himself.

The grace of God exalts a man without inflating him, and it humbles a man without debasing him. The person who strives for excellence says, "I am what I am by the grace of God."

Do you value yourself by what you do or by what you are? You have a choice. You can either choose to see yourself as God sees you, or you can choose to see yourself as the world sees you. Whose opinion will you listen to today?

Is there someone in your life whose opinion matters deeply to you? Instead of defining who you are by their opinions, measure yourself by God's standard in His Word.

[Judy Harder]

August 6

Just As I Am

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Ephesians 1:6

Do you have a "know-so" salvation? What I mean is, do you know that you are saved and have the assurance that if you died tonight, you'd spend eternity with the Lord in heaven?

Many folks don't have that assurance, and in some cases it is not a spiritual problem. It is a psychological problem. They cannot accept the fact that God has accepted them.

Charlotte Elliott penned these words to a timeless hymn of assurance:

"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!"

You are accepted just as you are. It is all grace.

Find the hymn "Just As I Am" and sing it to the Lord. Make it your song throughout the day when Satan tries to make you doubt God's love and eternal gift of salvation.

[Judy Harder]

August 7

The Misunderstood Principle of Submission   


"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3

Submission is a term that has been grievously distorted because there are men who have used the word as a weapon to club their wives rather than as a hammer to build their homes.

When God tells a wife to submit to her husband, He also tells the husband to love his wife "even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:22-25).

When God tells children to obey their parents, He also instructs the fathers to "provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

When God tells you to submit to Him, it is for your good (James 4:7). Jesus is the head of the church, and He leads by love. The same should be true in the home.

Discuss the principle of submission with your family and friends this week. Contrast what the world would say it means to submit with what God desires for us.

[Judy Harder]

August 8

Ministers of Deception

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." 2 Timothy 4:3

Did you know Satan has put his ministers all across America? On Sunday, people will come down and sit in a service and the man in the pulpit may look like a minister, but he will be transformed by Satan into a minister of deception. Isn't that frightening? The Apostle Paul says, "and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan is the master of deception. You need to understand that Satan is not against religion. His chief platform is religion.

Next Sunday when you sit in church, put on your ears of discernment. Test the words of your pastor that they agree with the Word of God.

[Judy Harder]

August 9

Who You Are in Christ   


"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

The key to living a victorious Christian life is to discover who you are in Christ. Many Christians have never discovered this. They remind me of the man who had an identity problem and an energy crisis at the same time. He didn't know who he was and he was too tired to find out.

God doesn't work from the outside in. He works from the inside out. God doesn't modify our behavior in order to change us. He changes us in order to modify our behavior.

You're never going to purify the water by painting the pump. That's legalism, and that's a dead end to discovering who you are in Christ.

Take God's Word and find the phrase "in Christ." As you find phrases that apply to your life, write those down. Begin with phrases such as "no condemnation" now that you are "in Christ."

[Judy Harder]

August 10

A Legacy of Love

"His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed." Psalm 112:2

A woman came to her pastor and said, "When should I start the religious training of my child? When will he be old enough? Is it too early to start at six years of age?" The pastor said, "No, that's too late." She said, "Well how about six months?" He said, "That's too late." She said, "Then when should I start?" He said, "With his grandparents."

We can live for our grandchildren; we can live for our great-grandchildren. The greatest gift you can give your children is to teach them to worship the Lord, to love the Lord, and to serve the Lord at any age.

If you are a grandparent, share what God has taught you about His grace and faithfulness in your life. And share what God has taught you about worshipping Him and serving others.

[Judy Harder]

August 11

What Is Your Top Priority?

"And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation." Psalm 35:9

Do your children believe that the most important thing to you is God? We must celebrate God in front of our children.

Let me tell you what my children think and what they know.

They know that their Daddy's imperfect. They know that I love God. I wouldn't be ashamed for you to ask them that. You can ask any one of them, "What's the most important thing to your Dad and Mom?" They would say, "The most important thing to our parents is their relationship with God."

Are you a parent? Then ask your children what they think the most important thing is to you. If they say anything other than your relationship with the Lord, make some changes in your life to reflect your top priority.

[Judy Harder]

August 12

To Tell the Truth

"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another." Ephesians 4:25

When I was in college, I pastored a little church 130 miles away. One night as I was driving back home, I realized one of my headlights was out. I was hoping I wouldn't get stopped when a highway patrolman pulled me over.

He said, "Son, did you know one of your headlights is out?" I replied, "One of my headlights is out?" He said, "Son, you'd better get that fixed." I said, "Yes, sir."

When I got back in the car, the Holy Spirit said, "Adrian, you lied." I said, "No, I didn't lie. I told the truth." He said, "You lied."

If there is any area in your heart that is not based on truth, you've made the devil a home.

I want you to play a game of catch today, but this will only involve one person - you! When temptation urges you to lie, catch yourself and tell the truth.

[Judy Harder]

August 13

Be Angry and Sin Not

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Ephesians 4:26

God's Word tells us to be "slow to wrath" (Proverbs 14:29, James 1:19). There's nothing that will do more damage to your relationships than unwanted, unwarranted anger. If you are given to anger, let me tell you a couple of things the Bible says, and it won't be flattering.

First, the Bible says you are foolish. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, "For anger resteth in the bosom of fools."

Second, you have a weak character. Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Uncontrolled anger is like throwing a rock into a wasp's nest.

Do you have a short fuse? If so, confess it to the Lord. Don't let Satan get a stronghold in your life. If you get angry today, ask yourself, "What need is not being met?" Give that need to the Lord.

[Judy Harder]

August 14

Seeing the Cross from a New Viewpoint

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

A boy was having difficulty living the Christian life. He went to his pastor, who told him to go see a painting. The caretaker at the gallery took him to a large room where the painting adorned an entire wall. The young man was repulsed at what he saw. It was a painting of Christ on the cross but the perspective from which the artist painted it was off balance. It looked grotesque.

The caretaker said, "Son, you need to get closer." The young man came closer. "Son, you need to get lower." The young man got lower. "No, closer and lower." Before the young man knew what was happening, he was kneeling at the foot of the cross and when he looked up, he understood the entire painting.

Until you are willing to take your place at the foot of the cross, the Christian life will never make sense to you either.

Spend some time meditating on what Jesus experienced as He suffered the anguish, accusations, scourging, mocking, and actual crucifixion to make atonement for your sin.