Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 4

True Meekness Is Strength Under Discipline

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

Meekness is one of the most confused adjectives in all of the Beatitudes because most people confuse meekness with weakness. Jesus said He was "meek and lowly" (see Matthew 11:29), but He wasn't weak.

The word "meek" means "strength that is brought under control."

When horse trainers "break" horses, they describe what they do as "meeked." They don't cripple the horses or take away their strength. They train them to use their strength in control.

In the same way, God doesn't come into your life to cripple you. Why would He follow with "for they shall inherit the earth"? God did not make this world for the devil's crowd. He made the world for you.

Ask your heavenly Father today to break the strongholds in your life, break your strong will, and replace it with His strength under discipline. He will do it, if you give Him permission. This is the heart of true meekness.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 5

"Happy" Without Christ?

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

Jesus tells us that when we seek after righteousness, we will be filled. Sounds like we'll be happy, don't you think? But happiness is not something we find by hungering for it, it is something we receive by serving the Lord.

God doesn't want us to be happy without Christ. God allows us to experience unhappiness in our lives in the same way we experience pain when we step on a nail. The pain tells us something is wrong.

Now, for us to seek happiness without seeking righteousness would be like breaking our arm and then not taking a pain killer and getting it set. Blessing comes when we find the Deliverer. When you hunger for Him, you will have Him. How much of God do you want today?

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 6

Are You Merciful?

"Blessed arethe merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7

Those who have received mercy are those who show mercy. And only those who show mercy will be those who continue to receive mercy. Showing others mercy isn't just sentiment or softness. It is sympathy that serves. Jesus doesn't merely save us from something, He saves us for something. He wants to express His life through us as we serve others.

I thank God for our beautiful churches, but I believe the thing that is going to touch the lives of our communities are not our buildings but our merciful acts of kindness.

One by one, we can make a change as we go out and show the love of Christ to our neighbors. People do not care how much we know, until they know how much we care. Isis

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 7

What Does It Mean to Be "Pure in Heart"?

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

This beatitude narrows our focus into one rich goal—to be pure in heart. Now, "pure in heart" doesn't just mean you don't look at pornography or think vile thoughts. That will be a result of being pure in heart. But to be pure in heart really means to have an undiluted heart. That is, there is no substance in your heart that is adulterated. You have a singleness of mind. You are undivided in your devotion. . .all of the issues of your life are brought down into one burning focus—to be pure in heart before God.

Is Jesus Christ the burning focus of your life? Then the promise is that you will see God. "Now, wait a minute," you say. "No one has seen God." You're right. You will see God not with your physical eyes, but with your spiritual eyes. He will become all the more clear!

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 8

Are You a True "Peace Corps" Member?

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." - Matthew 5:9

Several decades ago, you were really somebody if you joined the Peace Corps. But all this time later, how much peace has been established between brothers and sisters around the world as a result?

Do you know how to bring peace to earth and goodwill to all men? Introduce men, women, boys, and girls to Jesus Christ. That is the only way.

Churches are filled every Sunday, yet where do people go during the week? Are they sharing God's salvation story with the lost? It's not your faithful attendance to church that is going to bring peace to earth but your faithful sharing of the Gospel.

Jesus said His mission was not to be a diplomat, not to be a peacemaker, but to bring death to hatred, strife, and sin through His reconciling blood. There is no other way to a holy God, but through the cross. Are you living like a child of God and telling others about Jesus?

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 9

Blessed When Persecuted?

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10

Before you can really understand what Matthew 5:10 means, you have to understand and be living the rest of the Beatitudes.

If you are living a life that is poor in spirit, that mourns over your sin, that lives meekly through His strength, that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, that is merciful, pure in heart, and making peace...then you will be exceedingly glad for the persecution that comes your way.

You see, the world is going in the opposite direction and they are trying to push you into their mold. Yet you are a twice-born man among once-born people, and you are going to go against the tide.

It costs to serve Jesus Christ—every day and every step. But you are blessed! When was the last time you took some flack for Jesus? Great is your reward in heaven.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 10

"The Devil After the Dove" Principle

"Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:27

Have you ever gotten into an argument with a family member on the way to church? Don't look so pious! Every preacher knows that the devil will try to attack God's children right before church, after church—on the way home in the car! There is a spiritual principle here that we need to learn. It is what I call "the devil after the dove" principle.

Just as when Jesus was baptized and a dove descended, then right after He was led into the wilderness and tempted, so it will be with you.  When God does something great or when you get the approval of God about something, you can expect the attack of the enemy.

Leonard Ravenhill said, "When God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil is going to open the doors of hell to blast us." Have you had a wonderful spiritual experience recently? Then you better not start coasting. If the devil tempted Jesus, be sure he will tempt you as well.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 11

Tempted? Jesus Has Already Been There

"For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15

When some people read that Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," some eyebrows raise. You may not say anything out loud, but you think, "Was He really tempted in every way? Has He ever been tempted to run a red light? Or smoke pot? Or have immoral sex?" We don't know, and yet the Bible is very clear that He was tempted in all points.

There are only three temptations, and Jesus was tempted in all three. 1 John 2:16 lists them: the lust of the flesh (temptation for us to do something—our passions), the lust of the eyes (temptation for us to have something—our possessions), and the pride of life (the temptation for us to be something—our pride). If you doubt it, then read about the temptation He faced in Luke 4:1-13.

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 12

Our Way of Escape

"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Psalm 63:1

The devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread. I have been to Palestine and seen stones that looked amazingly like little loaves of bread. I can just see the devil looking on the ground, knowing that Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, and saying, "Well, look here. Just turn this into bread!"

Now, there's nothing wrong with eating bread. In fact, Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. Yet Jesus had been led into the wilderness to fast and pray and seek the face of God. The devil was trying to put the bread above the will of God, saying "Pamper your flesh." But what he was really saying was, "Commit spiritual suicide." Jesus refused.

Jesus overcame the flesh, and you can, too. He overcame by the Word of God. Take this verse and make every effort to commit it to your memory this week:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."

 

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 13

When Tempted, You Have a Choice

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." 1 John 5:18

Do you know why the devil couldn't get to Jesus in the midst of a 40-day fast when He was starving? He was already satisfied. You see, Jesus didn't have an itch that the devil could scratch.

Temptation really comes down to this: A temptation is an inducement by the devil to satisfy a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way. That's all there is to it. Take a God-given desire and satisfy it in a God-forbidden way. The devil says, "Hey you've got a need, and I can satisfy it."

When tempted, you are given a choice. Do you get that need satisfied by the devil, or by the Lord? You see, the devil is a pervert. He has no raw material. All he can do is take what God has created and pervert it.

Do you want to overcome temptation? Find out the legitimate way to satisfy that desire, and then you will not need the illegitimate way.