Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

March 8

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

There are some people who think that you can lose your salvation once you have it. I have one truth that will dispel that idea.

Whether or not you can lose your salvation depends upon how you got it. If you were saved by your good works, then you could lose your salvation by your bad works.

But God's Word is very clear on this point. Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

How is someone saved? By grace. And if it is by grace, then you're kept by grace. Salvation is not rooted in the merit of man, but in the mercy of God.

Praise God for the regenerating work of His Holy Spirit, for the atoning blood of His Son, and for His calling upon your life.

[Judy Harder]

March 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]

March 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]

March 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]

March 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]

March 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]

March 14

Praise the Lord!

"Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever." Revelation 7:12

I heard about a man who got a little excited in church. He kept shouting, "Praise the Lord!" One day some of "the brethren" called on him while he was plowing his fields.

When they were finished talking, he hung his head and said, "I know it's the truth. I have disturbed the services. But you know, I sit there and think of what the Lord has done for me . . . how He died in agony and blood for me upon the cross . . . how He's forgiven all of my sins . . . how He's filled me with the Spirit and . . . here, hold this mule while I shout!"

If being a Christian and going to heaven doesn't excite you, you have calluses on your soul. It's exciting to know the Lord Jesus Christ!

When was the last time you raised your hands and shouted "Praise the Lord!" Maybe right now is a good time to do just that!

[Judy Harder]

March 15

The Truth Shall Make You Free

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Have you ever been to a circus and seen an elephant chained to a stake in the ground? Why doesn't he break free? Because as a young elephant he was tied to a tree. And try as he might, he couldn't break free. Now the thought that he cannot break free is ingrained.

How true that is of you and me who have ingrained thought patterns in our lives. We say, "I am chained to this habit and I can't break free." Or we say, "I'm not good enough." All kinds of lies keep us in bondage, but real truth is what God says, not what we think.

Are there any strongholds in your life that keep you chained to the past? Write down these verses and memorize them.

2 Corinthians 10:4

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"

Galatians 5:1

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Now break free from the lies of the past as you tell yourself the truth!

[Judy Harder]

March 16

The Whole World in His Hands

"And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." Colossians 1:17

We sing about the Lord having the whole world in His hands. But do you know what is more remarkable than that? He has the whole universe in His hands.

He's the One who spoke it into existence. He's the One who keeps it going. He's the One who is going to fold it up like a garment and tuck it away in a drawer somewhere. He regulates it; He rules it and He runs it.

When you pick up the newspaper and read something alarming, you don't need to panic. Instead, remember Who has it under His control. He who flung the stars in space has the whole universe in His hands! 

Take the hand of a child today and look at the stars twinkling in the night sky or a flower beginning to bloom. Then share about the awesome Creator and Sustainer of all.

[Judy Harder]

March 17

Is It Clean Enough?

"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:31-32

A man was in the back bedroom of his home getting dressed while his wife was in the living room talking to a friend. He called out to his wife, "Darling, is this shirt clean enough for me to wear?"

Without hesitation she said, "No."

He said, "How did you know it wasn't clean enough to wear? You didn't even come back to look at it."

She answered, "If you had to ask, it wasn't clean enough!"

When it comes to the question of whether you should do something or not, if it's doubtful, it's dirty. Unfortunately, most of us don't give God the benefit of the doubt. We just go ahead and do it.

Are you in doubt about something today? If you have even the smallest doubt in your heart that it might be sin or lead to sin, be strong and choose to say "No." He will be your peace.