Heartlight/Leaves of Light

[Judy Harder]

September 24

Hebrews 10:35-36
Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Thoughts on today's verse

Boy there are some tough times in life! They're inescapable. That's when our confidence in the Lord's salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing "it is well with my soul" at the end of a peel-the-paint worship service, but it is quite another to be able to sing it when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps or you've lost a child to death. That's when the commitment to be who we want to be overrides the weakness of what we feel. Faith can't take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell or we'll never find our way out. So don't throw it away. Be like Job or Jeremiah who both argued and complained to God. Just don't quit.

Prayer:

Holy and Almighty God, today is a good day. But I am profoundly aware that some of those I love are wrestling with throwing away their confidence in your love, mercy, grace, peace, and deliverance. Please use me, but even more I pray that you use your Holy Spirit to renew their hearts. I pray that you intervene directly to change the course of events and give them relief. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

September 25

1 John 2:1
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

Thoughts on today's verse

God hates sin. Don't you? I know I do. But isn't it amazing how we'll fall back into the same old traps again and again. This is where John, the tender Shepherd that he was, hits the nail on the head. The goal is to not commit even one sin. But, knowing our struggle against the flesh, John also gives assurance to those of us trying to live faithful and pure lives that when we do sin, the sacrifice for our sins, God's Son, is also our defense attorney.

Prayer:

God, no one and nothing is like you. I did not have to provide a sacrifice for my sins, which broke your heart. You provided that sacrifice. Please use me today as I try to give myself, my life, and my future back to you as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

September 26

Hebrews 10:30-31 
We know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Thoughts on today's verse

God hates injustice, unfairness, brutality and abuse. In a world where the greedy, the murderous, the thieves, the rapists, the muggers... get away with their shameless and despicable behavior, God is the ultimate assurance that justice will be done and the wicked will not triumph. While those who love and expect Jesus' return do so with anticipation and joy, those who are evil and vile will find out what a dreadful thing it is to fall into God's hands.

Prayer:
Holy and Righteous God, my Heavenly Father, I am both uncomfortable and comforted to know that you will bring justice on those who have violently abused the innocent, weak, helpless, underprivileged, and infirm. Give me the courage to stand between the evil of my world and those on whom it preys. By the grace and victory of Jesus I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

September 27

Matthew 6:33
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Thoughts on today's verse

Seek -- pursue relentlessly -- God's Lordship over your life and the righteousness it demands in your daily life. What you pursue is all temporary; only God and his Kingdom remain. In the process, you will find that the God who gives you his Kingdom and righteousness also will bless you with the things that you need in this life

Prayer:

Holy Lord, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul's desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive pursuits, have left me empty and enslaved. I find hope and help only in you. Please be near to love, correct, discipline, lead, and mold me to your glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

September 29

John 3:20-21
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

Thoughts on today's verse

Truth is seen in what it does and whom it seeks.

Prayer:

Father of every heavenly light, I ask you to correct me gently as I place myself, my imperfections, failures and sins in your presence. Forgive and cleanse me by the blood of Jesus so that I might be spotless, holy, and blameless in your sights. O Lord, I don't want just to be forgiven, I want to be useful to you and your church. Please help me find my way to usefulness. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

September 30

Philippians 1:9-10
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.

Thoughts on today's verse

I don't know about you, but my most difficult decisions are not about choosing between good and bad. I usually know what is good and what is bad, especially when bad involves evil. My toughest choices are when I have to choose between good, better, and best. My love for God usually overcomes my weakness and I choose good over bad. But unless I've placed myself before God's word and surrendered my heart to him in prayer, I have a very tough time choosing between good and best. Yet I'm convinced that much of what God would love to do through us today does not happen because we've settled for good when he longs to lead us to best!

Prayer:

Gracious and Almighty God, teach me your ways and give me your heart as I strive to love you, know your will, and have insight into your ways. Help me to know the best things to do today and to use my time in the best way in my work, my family, among my friends, and especially before those who do not know Christ as their Savior. Through him I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

October 1

Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Thoughts on today's verse

For most who can read this Internet message, the sentiments of this verse seem foreign. But among those who closely study persecution, believers in Christ are enduring perhaps the greatest amount of persecution in the history of Christianity. For those of us who live in cozy places where belief is tolerated and Christians are just considered "unhip" or a bit out of touch, we need to be thankful that our lives make enough of a distinction from our culture to be noticed, even if it's a bit unfavorably. But at the same time, we need to pray for other believers throughout the world who are undergoing the wrath of hell for the faith.

Prayer:

Great Deliverer, we have many who call on your name with faith in Jesus who face persecution and hardship every day. I pray that they will not lose heart and give up their confidence. I pray that you will bring deliverance from this time of persecution. I pray that their sufferings will be the source of powerful witness so others will come to see the great value of Jesus and our allegiance to him. This I pray in his precious and holy name. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

October 2

Proverbs 29:25 
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Thoughts on today's verse

Fear is such a paralyzing emotion. It robs us vitality, decision-making ability, and strength. Courage helps us step out of fear's paralysis and turn its nervous edge into power. But this kind of courage comes to us fully only when we know that all that Satan and his allies can really have of us is our bodies. He cannot take our mind, our attitude, our faith, and most of all, he cannot take our relationship with God, given to us through Jesus.

Prayer:

O Savior, my Great Redeemer, thank you for triumphing over all that I fear through Jesus. You have not only given me a hero I trust, but a hope by which I can live victoriously. Through my Conquering King I thank you. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

October 3

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Thoughts on today's verse

The great truth about Jesus' empty tomb is not that he is risen, but that he is living! His victory over death wasn't short-lived, it was ultimate. He now lives to make intercession for us until he can return and bring us to his home. Our life is hidden with him so that no one and nothing can take it from us. When he appears, we will get to share in his never-ending glory. How can we not praise God for such grace?

Prayer:

Almighty God, I praise you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible and glorious grace that has brought eternal victory out of mortal anguish. Thank you for paying the price to make it so. You are marvelous beyond my words and worthy of more praise than all your children's voices together can tell. My Hope will live forever because he is risen and reigning as Lord. To you be all honor, glory, and majesty forever, and ever, Amen!

[Judy Harder]

October 4

Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Thoughts on today's verse

Don't you have your hands full with today? Don't you find yourself distracted from the urgent and important things of today by worrying about the problems of tomorrow and fantasizing about all the possibilities down the road? Isn't it a waste of time to be anxious about those things you have no influence over? So why...?

Prayer:

God, give me the strength to seize the moment and live the life today that will please you and bless others. Help my heart feel the urgency of today and act with boldness, kindness, and salvation instead of worrying so much about what may happen. Give me the immediacy of the moment I see in your son's ministry. Through whom I pray. Amen.'