Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

OCTOBER 27

Holy through Hardship 

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? ... hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him." Psalm 42:5 

Here's an anchor for your soul in the storms of life: "I am growing by His plan." 
What is God's plan for you? He wants to enlarge you, not indulge you. God is not so interested in making you happy and healthy as He is in making you holy. And so God will allow troubles to make you more like Christ.

Think about the times when you have grown the most. It is when your friend "Trouble" came along. I have grown the most in my own life in times of deepest despair.

Can you look at the troubles in your life not as adversaries, but as friends? Take a second look and get a godly perspective of it. See how you can become holy through hardship.

[Judy Harder]

OCTOBER 28

Graced by His Prayers

"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

Do you ever feel you are all alone when a struggle hits your life?

Tell yourself, "I am graced by His prayers."

Jesus is watching over you, and He is praying for you. The Savior. The Shepherd. The King. The Prince. He is praying for you! Do you feel encouraged? I do!

Just to know that the One who died for me "ever liveth to make intercession" for me is enough. He lives to stand in the gap for you and for me. What a mighty God we serve! What mercy we don't deserve! You are on Jesus' prayer list!

You.

He knows you. And He is praying you through the eye of the storm.

Do you have a prayer list? Go through that list today and pray for someone you haven't prayed for in awhile and trust God to answer, even today!

[Judy Harder]

OCTOBER 29

When Delays Are a Blessing

"And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you." Isaiah 30:18

Many times the Lord will deliberately delay that He may be gracious to us. When Lazarus fell sick, his family sent for Jesus. Instead of coming immediately, Jesus waited (see John 11:1-46). He held back until Lazarus was dead. And if you read John 11:15, you'll see that He said, "I'm glad," because He had something greater in mind.

God waited four thousand years to send the Lord Jesus Christ after He made that promise. But Galatians 4:4 says He came in the fullness of time. Never late, never ahead of time, never in a hurry.

Are you in a waiting game...praying days, weeks, months, even years, for something...and God hasn't answered? Be still and know that in the fullness of time your request will be answered.

[Judy Harder]

OCTOBER 30

When Your World Caves In 

"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Mark 13:26

When we come to a place where we don't understand what is happening...when everything seems to be caving in, there is Jesus. We always have the forgiveness of the cross, the victory of the empty tomb, and the hope of Christ's imminent return.

When we go to the doctor and he tells us we have a malignancy. When we hear that we are infertile as a couple and cannot bear a child. When we have to declare bankruptcy. When we are laid off work. When we read a note that our spouse has left. When a loved one dies because of a terrorist act. We have a Savior...and we have a choice to believe or not to believe!

At that time we can begin to murmur, criticize, grumble, or despair. Or we can yield to the Savior and hear Him say, "My child, no matter what is happening, this is how much I love you. Look to the cross. Look to the empty tomb. Look for Me. I'm coming again."

Get in a position of humility. If you can, drop to your knees. If you cannot, bow your head and close your eyes. Imagine the cross of Christ. Meditate upon the shame Christ experienced, the pain He endured, and the victory He secured in His death.

[Judy Harder]

 
OCTOBER 31

He Is the Great I Am
 

"And God said unto Moses, I AM that I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:14

Have you ever noticed that the title God chose to describe Himself is an incomplete sentence? Now, most people would finish that sentence, "I am... (something)."  But not our Lord. He purposefully did not complete the sentence.

"I AM." —He is.

Are you hungry? He is the Bread. Are you in the dark? He is the Light. Are you searching? He is the Truth. Are you lost? He is the Way. Are you in need? He is your Shepherd.

What are you looking to God to meet today? Trust Him right now to meet you there. 

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 1

They're Cheering for YOU!

Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 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." 
A soft-spoken woman went to a high school football game. She'd been quiet the entire game until there was a fumble on the field. The substitute quarterback, a little scrawny kid, picked up the ball and started running past the other players toward the goal.

And this little lady exploded! She jumped up and said, "Run, baby, run! Run, baby, run!" He was her son.

That's what the saints are saying, as they watch us on the playing field of life. They are cheering us on from the Heavenly grandstand to "run with patience, the race that is set before us."

Do you need a lift today? Imagine a grandstand the size of heaven cheering you on to victory!   

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 2

All Things Are Not Expedient


"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." 1 Corinthians 6:12

If you want to be a victor in the race God has for you, you must learn the discipline of laying aside some weights. Many times these weights are good things in our lives. But good things are bad things when they keep us from doing the best things.

Life would be simple if it were a choice between good and bad. But typically it's a choice between good and best.

Our verse says "all things are not expedient." When you think of the word "expedient," think of the word "expedition." You are going somewhere, and if something doesn't speed you on your way, it's excess baggage and you need to get rid of it.

Ask God, "Are there legitimate, lawful things in my life that are keeping me from running the race You've given me?" If revealed, ask for discipline to lay them aside!

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 3

Removing Debilitating Obstacles


"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."  1 Corinthians 9:24

Runners not only need to untangle themselves from weights that may slow them down, but they need to also remove things from the track that may trip them up!

As a Christian, the good things in life may slow us down, but sin will stop us dead in our tracks - it will trip us up. You had better learn to treat sin as sin would treat you! Sin will be merciless to you, and you need to be merciless to sin.

2 Timothy 2:19 says "Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

Is there any unconfessed sin in your life that is tripping you up today? Pray Psalm 139:23-24. 

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 4

Completing the Course God Has for You


"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 

2 Timothy 4:7

When Jesus came to the end of His life, He said, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4).

He stayed on the track, and so did Paul. They accomplished what God had set out for them to do.

Every man has a race that he must run. Every woman has a race set before her. God knows the course. And everything God commands of you, He will empower you to do. Whether you're nine or ninety, young or old, rich or poor, God has a plan for your life! God has a race He wants you to run!

What is the race God has set before you? Thank God for the power to finish the course. 

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 5

Running With Endurance


"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit."  John 12:24

You can tell the size of a Christian by what it takes to stop him. Hebrews 12:1 says we are to "run with patience the race that is set before us." And this word "patience" is not used in the sense that we use the word. It literally means "endurance."

Everybody knows that a runner is going to win or lose primarily by his endurance. You cannot quit. When it hurts, you cannot quit. When your lungs are on fire, you cannot quit. When your feet feel like lead, you cannot quit. When your sides ache, you cannot quit! You'll never be a spiritual athlete if you're a quitter! No pain. No gain.

Thank God for His power that enables you to run the race and gain the victor's crown!