Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 21

Your Sweetheart for Life

"For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh." Matthew 19:5

Today's message is for the men...If you don't love your wife now more than you loved her when you got married, you probably love her a lot less.

Sir, I want you to learn to flirt—but not with any other woman. Just the girl you married! Keep that flirtation going through all of your life. Never call the waitress "sweetheart."  She's not your sweetheart. You have only one sweetheart. Never call someone else "dear." She's not your dear. There is one who needs to know beyond a shadow of any doubt that she is your sweetheart, she is your darling, and she is number one. Develop that love and keep it growing.

When was the last time you brought your wife flowers or her favorite perfume? Stop right now and think of how you're going to show your wife that she's the only sweetheart in your life!

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 22
The Recipe for Misery
"...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Unhappiness comes from mirrors. Happiness comes from windows.

If you want to be miserable, then think about yourself first...what you want, what people are saying about you, what you ought to have done for you, how down you feel, how good you feel. Just focus on yourself.

Feeling good yet? If you are, then something is wrong. Selfishness and happiness just don't go hand in hand. If you are thinking it is better to receive than to give, you'll never be happy. You'll never experience the blessing of giving that Jesus taught.

Hold out your hand and make a fist for at least one minute. Now, relax. Which feels better? Now imagine if your spirit is tight and how that will quench His work in your life.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 23

Playing on the Offense

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Do you know what's wrong with many of us? We're trying to get out of trouble rather than get into righteousness.

We're so focused on the defensive side of Christianity that we forget about the offensive, positive approach.

Wouldn't you like to get up and stay up? Wouldn't you like to experience the abundant life our Lord talks about? Jesus came to give us the eternal life. He came to give us the abundant life. We need to do like the old song says, "Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative."

Why don't you determine today that you are going to get right with God and stay right with God? That you're going to take steps to lead a life of obedience.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 24

The Incomparable Word of God

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

The Bible is the incontestable, incorruptible, indestructible, and indispensable Word of God. No one can argue with it. Nothing can corrupt it. Nothing can destroy it. Nothing can replace it as the source and wellspring of life.

The late Dr. Robert G. Lee, a great preacher of the last generation, said this about the Bible:

"All of its enemies have not torn one hole in its holy vesture, or stolen one flower from its wonderful garden, nor diluted one drop of honey from its abundant hive, nor broken one string of its thousand-stringed harp, nor drowned one sweet word in infidel ink."

Tell God how much your life has changed because of His Word. Meet together with a group of friends or your family and discuss the ways God has ministered to you through His Word.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 25

Love, Not Nails, Held Him to the Cross

"I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." John 10:11

Did you know that there has only been one person who ever chose to die? Only one.

Oh, you say, suicide pilots choose to die. Other people choose to die. People who die by their own hand choose to die. People who give themselves for others choose to die.

No one has ever chosen to die but Jesus, because He was the only one who didn't have to die. Some people may just choose to die a little sooner, but nobody has chosen to die except One.

It wasn't nails that held Him to the tree. It was the silver cords of love and the golden bonds of redemption that held Jesus Christ to that cross.

The fact that no one has ever chosen to die but Jesus may be a new concept to you. If so, it is probably new as well to someone else. Share it with someone today!

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 26

Free from Your Critics!

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

God loves you so much that Jesus Christ hung in agony and blood for you.

You are precious to God. You are the object of God's love. The blood of Jesus Christ was poured out on Calvary for you. Friend, if you know all that, then you can stand up against any criticism. It won't bother you what others say about you. The cross sets you free. He who died for you now lives in you. He gave Himself for you that He might give Himself to you. When Jesus Christ died for you, He didn't just take away your sins, He took away your self. You are crucified. So who can harm a dead man?

Have you felt the sting of criticism this week? Remove the stinger and bathe the wound with the balm of Jesus' love. Give your critic to the Lord. Then ask God to teach you from what happened.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 27

Jesus Saves the Best for Last

"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." 1 Corinthians 12:31

Satan always gives the best first and the worst last. For example, Proverbs chapter 20 verse 17 says, "The bread of deceit is sweet, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."  With Satan, it always starts sweet, but it does not end that way.

Satan is a counterfeiter and a deceiver, and he is guilty of false advertising. He doesn't show the drunkard in the gutter covered with flies. He doesn't show the addict shaking uncontrollably from another night of detox. He doesn't show the ruined lives from sexually transmitted diseases. He always gives the best first and the worst last. Jesus gives the best last.

Do you have a teenager in your home? Then call a homeless shelter or prison to see if you can bring your teen for a tour.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 28

Heaven Is Not a State of Mind

"I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

Do you believe that there is a home in heaven waiting for you? There is! Because Jesus cannot lie. He is Truth incarnate. He always told the truth. He said, "if it were not so, I would have told you."

Jesus would not let the hope of heaven go on beating in your heart if it were simply a lie, a superstition, or a fond delusion. Heaven is not merely a state of mind. It is not a condition. It is a place so real that Jesus is there in a literal, resurrected body. There is a body in this place called heaven. It is His resurrected body. Heaven is a place on God's map.

Do you have a dream home? If you've never thought about what would be your perfect home, think about your heavenly home. Nothing could be more perfect!

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 29

Safe by Keeping the Law?

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Suppose you're driving down the road and a police officer stops you for running a red light. And you say to the officer, "I ran a red light, but you have no right to give me a ticket because I stopped at all the other streets and I have obeyed the speed limit."

He responds, "Don't tell me about all the things that you've done good. You've broken the law."

If you think you're going to be saved by keeping the law, then you must keep all of it, because God demands perfection. No amount of obedience can make up for one act of disobedience. If you keep the whole law and yet offend in one point you are guilty of it all.

Read Romans 7:1 to 8:4. Can you relate to Paul's quandary about keeping the law and the war within his members concerning its requirement of absolute obedience?

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 30

Meet Him in the Morning

"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3

Christianity is a love relationship. You cannot love someone that you do not know. And you cannot know someone that you don't spend quality time with.

To know Jesus is to love Him.

To love Him is to trust Him.

To trust Him is to obey Him.

To obey Him is to be blessed.

It begins with a quality, daily communication with the Lord. Why is it best to spend time with the Lord in the morning? Because you are getting ready to go on a road trip through life. You don't take the trip and then read the map, do you?

How are you starting your mornings? With a cup of coffee and the paper? Or with the pure milk of the Word and the light of His presence?