Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

Coming Through as Pure Gold

"But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10

In order to refine gold, a goldsmith places gold over a fire until it bubbles and glows. He skims off the impurity from the top and knows that when he can see his reflection, the gold is pure.

That is what the Lord is doing when you go through trials. When He can see His likeness reproduced in your life, He'll know that you have become gold fit for His use and for His glory.

But, the fire is hot!Yes, but God controls it. No jeweler is more careful with his gold than a father with his children. He knows what He is doing. But, what about those things He is burning out of my life? You don't need them. If you needed them, your loving Father would make sure you kept them.

[Judy Harder]

January 11

Faith is Not Positive Thinking

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have so much faith, others have weak faith, and some have no faith at all? Is God unfair? No, God is no respecter of persons (see 2 Chronicles 19:7). He has given to every man a measure of faith (see Romans 12:3).

And so, what is faith? Let me first say what it is not.

Faith is not positive thinking or optimism. It is not a feeling that you can do something. It is not a hunch or looking on the sunny side of the street.

Faith is getting a word from God and acting upon it. You see, you can get a word from God and believe that word. That is belief. But when you act upon it, that is faith. Faith is belief with legs on it. Today is the day that you put your foot of faith upon the promises of God and say, "That promise is mine!"

[Judy Harder]

Reasoning Together—Being Reconciled One to Anther

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

Every rebel has a reason for his or her actions. You've probably heard a young person say, "Well, my dad drinks, so I smoke pot." Do you know what kind of reasoning that is? Brute beast reasoning, like Peter mentions in 2 Peter 2:12. This young person doesn't think he has to obey his father. And he further reasons, "Well, he's not worthy of my obedience."

Do you know the only people who can demand perfect parents? Perfect children. The only people who can demand a perfect pastor is a perfect church member. The only person who can demand a perfect politician is a perfect citizen!

There is never a license for rebellion. There are ways to reason together in a church, home, and government. A spirit of rebellion will bring a nation to its knees. Jesus gave His life to reconcile us, can you live otherwise?

[Judy Harder]

Facing the Giants

"For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Mark 11:23

Did you ever play "king of the mountain" as a child? When you were on high ground, you could shove the others down, even though they were entrenched and determined to overtake you.

In Joshua 14, we read that Caleb faced a city of giants, and yet because he had wholly followed the Lord, he had the strength of the Lord and said, "Give me this mountain" (Joshua 14:11-12).

All of us face giants every day – giants of doubt, fear, discouragement, financial ruin, sickness, broken relationships. Do you think the giants in the Promised Land took God by surprise? God knew they were there all the time – they were part of His purpose to strengthen their faith. It's time you got a bulldog grip on the Word of God and believe what He says to be true.

[Judy Harder]

January 14

Submission Must Come Before Victory

"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." Proverbs 29:23

Have you ever taught someone to drive? What was the first thing you showed him? If you're like me, even before I showed my children the ignition switch, the accelerator, or the blinker, I showed them the brakes.

Now suppose your learner said, "I don't want to know anything about the brakes. I just want to know how to make this thing go!" You would probably reply, "Forget the accelerator. Before you can go, you've got to learn to stop."

Put this in a spiritual realm. If I asked you to submit to God and you said, "I'm not interested in submission. I want the victory!" God is not going to pour out His power upon you, until He sees in you a spirit of submission.

[Judy Harder]

Living Each Day Like It's THAT Day

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." 1 Peter 4:7

Years ago, G. Campbell Morgan was a great expositor of the Word of God. He said, "I never lay my head on the pillow without thinking that perhaps before I awake the final morning may have dawned. I never begin work without thinking that He may interrupt it to begin His own."

Every night before we go to sleep, we ought to say, "Jesus may come tonight." And every day when we get our tools and go to work, this may be the last day of work that we do. We are to be looking for His return. We are also to be longing for His return.

Are you praying for Jesus to return? If you love Him, you ought to be longing for His return. I have Him in my heart, but I long to lay my eyes upon Him and walk with Him and talk with Him. "Even so, come Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).

[Judy Harder]

Love Draws the Curtain of Mercy

"Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." Proverbs 10:12

There are people in every fellowship who take joy in finding something bad about somebody else. When they hear something ugly, they take great delight in exposing it.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity. Love wishes that it never happened. Love tries to cover it up. That doesn't mean we condone sin, we just cover it. Let me illustrate.

Noah had three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Ham came and saw his father's nakedness and was quick to tell others. Shem and Japheth covered their father to help him cover his shame—not to condone what he had done, but to cover it. Wouldn't the world be a lot better place if we had that spirit?

[Judy Harder]

January 17

Resting Tomorrow or Borrowing Trouble?

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." Psalm 116:7

I heard of a woman who woke up her husband because she thought she heard a burglar downstairs. He went down with a flashlight and was shining it around. Sure enough, there was a burglar in their home. He said, "Hold it right there. I've got a gun on you."

He picked up the phone and dialed the police. "And another thing," he said, "Before you go, I want my wife to come down here and meet you. She's been looking for you for 24 years."

A lot of people are that way. They are borrowing trouble by anticipating or worrying about what may happen. What you need to do is stop looking to yesterday in guilt or anticipating tomorrow with anxiety. Simply rest in the day the Lord has given you today.

[Judy Harder]

So Teach Us How to Number Our Days. . ."

"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12

The difference between people is not that one has more time than the other. The difference is whether they use their time wisely.

You say, "Well, I'm just killing time." To kill time, is to commit suicide by degrees. You are just killing yourself because you + time = life. Now that doesn't mean you are going to be busy every moment.

There needs to be balance in your life – checking in with God first before you make plans and add things to your agenda.

Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do. Jesus came to the end of His life and do you know what He said? "I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work that Thou gavest Me to do" (John 17:4).

[Judy Harder]

January 19

Submission and Humility

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

To be "clothed" in 1 Peter 5:5 means to tie a knot or put on a servant's apron. Basically this verse tells us to tie on the apron of a slave and be humble.

Why do you think Peter used that figure of speech? I think it was because Jesus laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel, and washed their feet. But "Peter saith unto Him, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet.' Jesus answered him, 'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me,' " (John 13:.

There are two lessons here: We must be clothed in humility. You can't look down on somebody when you're washing their feet. And even though we are saved, we walk in a dirty world. We need to come to Jesus daily to cleanse us from our sins, restore and refresh us.