Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

The Pure Heart

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word." Psalm 119:9

A child delights in what he has.
A youth delights in what he does.
An adult delights in what he is.

The more mature you are, the more you will desire to be something—not just to have something or to do something, but to be something.

What do you desire to be today? Someone who is known for the way they dress? The deals they close? The house they live in? Or do you want others to know that you have a pure heart—a heart that is utterly devoted and surrendered to God.

Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." They will know the unknowable, they will do the impossible, and they will see the invisible. I want to have a heart like that. What about you?

[Judy Harder]

February 13

Fellowship With Jesus When Our Heart Is Clean

"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Psalm 24:4-50

James Nicholson wrote a song which expresses the desire of my heart:
"Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Nothing beats closer to my heart than the yearning to be pure before my Lord. I know that sweet fellowship with Jesus that comes when my heart is clean. And nothing, no nothing, surpasses that in this world.

Are you failing in your Christian life because you are not pure? If you are, you're not alone. It seems as though a sewer pipe of filth and debauchery has broken and poured out into our world. Someone has well said, "Not since Manhattan Island was sold for 24 dollars has so much dirt been sold so cheaply as it is here in America."

Take the words of that song and make them your prayer to the Lord right now.

Then close with Psalm 51:10-13: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee."

[Judy Harder]

February 14

You Can Have A Clean Heart and Renewed Mind

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to Thee; but his heart is not with Thee." Proverbs 23:7

A teacher asked a little boy to finish this proverb: "Cleanliness is next to..." And he said, "Cleanliness is next to impossible." Well, friend that little boy wasn't that far wrong, was he?

It's amazing what people do to try and purify themselves – fast, pray, kneel, walk, self-flagellate, hibernate, isolate. But sadly, they discover that human efforts aren't the pathway to purity because they keep doing what Zig Ziglar calls "stinkin' thinkin'." Before we can hope to have a life of purity, we must have a clean thought life.

God works from the inside out. He knows that you cannot purify the water by painting the pump.

When was the last time you memorized a verse of Scripture? It's easier to stay away from "stinkin' thinkin'" when your mind is focused on the Word of God. This is a good time to memorize yesterday's passage, Psalm 51:10-13: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee." Start working on memorizing this passage today.

[Judy Harder]

February 15

Here's My Heart—O Take and Seal It

"With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments." Psalm 119:10

In 1758 Robert Robinson wrote a hymn that echoes in my heart from time to time:

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."

Do you ever wander from God? Then you know how it feels and how hard it is to return. If you feel far from God today, I implore you with all that I am to return to Him with all your heart.

Make Psalm 86:11-13 your prayer today, "Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Thy name for evermore. For great is Thy mercy toward me: and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell."

[Judy Harder]

February 16

Take This Challenge

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Psalm 119:11

The home is a nice place for the Bible. The hand is a good place, as well. But I tell you, the heart and the head are the best places to store the Bible.

Do you ever ask yourself, "Why do I always cave in when temptation comes? Why can't I be an overcomer? Where is my breakthrough?"

Well, let me ask you this question: How much time are you spending reading, meditating, and studying the Word of God?

Take this challenge this week. For each hour you spend watching television, spend that time in the Bible. For every hour you work out at the gym, spend that time in the Bible. Then write me and tell me what a difference this has made in your life.

[Judy Harder]

February 17

What You Really Believe, You Will Act Upon

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Fifteen college professors who taught human motivation were asked to write a concise statement on human motivation. After hours of study, they said: "What the mind attends to, it considers. What the mind does not attend to, it dismisses. What the mind attends to continually, it believes. What the mind believes, it eventually does."

How much of the Bible have you read? More importantly, how much are you applying to your life?

Many read the Bible like a math book rather than a love story. They get the words, but they don't get the music.

It is not enough to simply read the Word. You must ask God to teach you. Psalm 119:18 says, "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." Go to Him today and ask for that.

[Judy Harder]

February 19

What God Wants Most
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

If you asked a Christian brother or sister why God made us, they would probably say that we were made to serve God. But don't you believe it. If God wanted servants, He could do a lot better than mere mortals.

When the scribes asked Jesus what was the first commandment, He said, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:29-30).

The first commandment is not to do something for God, but to love God. He made you and me in the likeness of His image, that He might have fellowship with us and that we would praise Him.

Meditate throughout the day on this wonderful thought: God isn't asking for your performance. He wants your love.

[Judy Harder]

February 20

Holding Back—Nothing!

"She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying." Mark 14:8

Mary loved Jesus so much that she gave all she had. She didn't just pour out a little perfume to anoint Him, she gave it all (see Mark 14:3-9). She couldn't put that perfume back in the bottle. She had broken it! Maybe it was her inheritance or hope chest. She didn't hold back any for a rainy day or her retirement.

Most of us would have said, "Lord, I would like to give You a little of this perfume. It cost me a year in wages, so I can't give it all to You. But I want You to have some of it to show You how much I love You."

Does this speak to your heart as much as it does mine? Confess, "Lord, I'm not willing to break the alabaster box. Forgive me. Enable me to give my all. Here I am. Take all of me."

[Judy Harder]

February 21

A Desire for Holiness

"Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23

God expects us to be holy. But when most people talk about holiness, they get a little nervous. They're interested in heaven and the hereafter but not holiness in the here and now. They're interested in health, happiness, even helpfulness, but not holiness.

I had the privilege years ago to spend a day in prayer with Dr. Billy Graham and some other men. As we were sitting around a table sharing, Billy Graham said something I shall never forget. He said, "Gentlemen, I long to be holy. I want to be a holy man. Pray for me, that I will be holy."

Can you say, "More than anything in this world, I long to be holy"? If you can't, then spend some time today asking God to turn your heart to His and give you the desire to live a holy life.

[Judy Harder]

What Will Remain?

"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:15

A thousand years from now, some of the things that you think are so important are not going to be so important—your meticulously groomed lawn, who won the Super Bowl, your date for the Senior Prom, the make and model of your car.

Now, there's nothing wrong with these things, but I want to ask you: What is there about your life that is going to remain when the mountains have crumbled? When the stars have fallen from their sockets?

Wood, hay, and stubble are going up in flames! But "if any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward" (1 Corinthians 3:14). Things are going to look much different in the light of eternity.

In your day today, ask yourself what are you doing, what are you building upon, that will remain?