Heartlight/Leaves of Light

[Judy Harder]

January 29


Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Thoughts on today's verse

Last? Nobody likes to be last. We have a hard enough time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus reverses the rank. The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking the status and notoriety. The most important person is like Jesus himself: willing to give up rank and status and importance to serve. For Jesus, last means first in service and first in the eyes of God.
Prayer:

Magnificent God my Savior, you have made the world wonderful for me and have given your Son to redeem me. How can I ever thank you or repay you for your grace and kindness. Today help me see those you want me to serve with grace and kindness as I try to be more like you. This I pray in the name of the one who washed his disciples' feet. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

January 30


Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Thoughts on today's verse

"You mean I have to put up with that!?" There are those folks in life about whom the saying is true: "They are the grit out of which we are to fashion our pearl." But our great example in this challenge is Jesus. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12 disciples. Remember how transformational his patience and gentleness with them was. Can we dare to less?
Prayer:

Give me strength and patience, O God, that I may be as loving, gentle, and patient with others as you have been with me. Through Jesus my Lord and hero I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

January 31


Psalm 86:5
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.

Thoughts on today's verse

Forgiveness is such a sweet blessing. But God does more than forgive! He cleanses and forgets. His love is not metered out or carefully rationed. He pours it out upon us if we genuinely seek him as our God and Father.
Prayer:

O Precious Father, I call to you wanting you to know how important your love and forgiveness are in my life. Thank you for sending Jesus to show your love and pay the debt of my sin. Help me to live today as your child: may others see my joy and my passion, to you glory. Through my Savior I pray. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

February 1


Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Thoughts on today's verse

So many times Satan seduces us into a flat, 2 dimensional Christianity - going to church and doing good deeds. But God calls us to a three dimensional faith. He wants us to love him with all of our being in all of our actions and with all of our might.
Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I honor you as God Almighty. I appreciate you for all your kindness and blessings lavished upon me. I love you because you first loved me in Jesus. My heart's desire today is to demonstrate my love for you in all I do, and love and say. Through Jesus. Amen.

 

[Judy Harder]

February 2


1 Corinthians 2:9
As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Thoughts on today's verse

Many of the things we anticipate and dream about are much less glorious in real life than they were in our imaginations. There is one event, however, that is better than we can imagine and beyond our wildest dreams. When Jesus returns to take us home to be with our Father, it will be far better than we can ask, imagine, dream or think. Maranatha - Come Lord Jesus!
Prayer:

Abba Father, thank you for knowing me before time began. Thank you for crafting me in my mother's womb. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins. And thank you in advance for the day Jesus comes to take me home to be with you forever. Through my Conquering Savior I pray. Amen.'

[Judy Harder]

February 3


Psalm 59:16
I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Thoughts on today's verse

So many things in our lives can be stolen away by natural disasters, aging, and death. Satan could be appropriately called "The Thief of Always." But God is immovable and unstealable! We can invest ourselves in him and know our spirits are secure in his care. He is a fortress and a refuge.
Prayer:

O Great Rock of my salvation, thank you for being unchangeable and faithful. Thank you for being the source of security and future in a day of chaos and change. Thank you for being God. You are my God and in you I place my life, my hopes, and my future. May you be glorified in me today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.'

[Judy Harder]

February 4


Psalm 18:1-2
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Thoughts on today's verse

We sing it and we say it in our public prayers: "Father, God, we love you." But notice very carefully the beginning phrase of our verse. "I love you, O Lord..." Even in public, community worship, we are taught the importance of a personal expression of love to God. When is the last time you told the Creator of the universe, "I love you!"
Prayer:

Father in heaven, I love you. I love you because you are more than worthy of my love. I love you because you have first loved me. I love you because you sent your son to be my big brother and pay the price for my adoption into your family. I love you because of your faithfulness. I love you because you have permitted me in your grace to love you. In the name of Jesus I thank you. Amen.'

[Judy Harder]

February 5


Psalm 33:4-5
The word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Thoughts on today's verse

God is faithful. We can trust his promises to be kept and his purposes to be good. How do we know? The sunrise each morning is a reminder that the Father of heaven and earth is at work keeping his universe in working order. If it is true in nature, it is true in the spiritual realm as well. Greet each sunrise as a reminder of God's faithfulness.
Prayer:

O Magnificent and Majestic Creator, I greet today as your gift and a reminder of your faithfulness. Each day the sun rises I anticipate the day you honor your promise to send your Son back to bring us home to you. Give me a keen sense today of your faithful presence. I pray this through him in whom all your promises find their fulfillment. Amen.'

[Judy Harder]

February 6


Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.

Thoughts on today's verse

Isn't it funny that when we set off to find happiness or joy or significance or meaning, we seldom find it. Instead, when we offer to serve others and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and His work, it is then that we find what we most need.
Prayer:

O Giver of every good and perfect gift, I ask today that You give me a chance to serve you and others in a way which shows your kingdom and its glory. If in the process You choose to meet the needs in my own heart, then I thank You. This I pray through your servant Jesus. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

February 7


Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Thoughts on today's verse

Hate -- what a bold and powerful word. We must not hate people. We must hate evil. It's a tough combination to pull off, but absolutely vital. Evil is here because of the Evil One -- the champion of hate, lies, and death. So when evil rears its ugly head, let's be courageous and oppose Satan and his work. In the process, let's pray for those trapped in its tentacles, even if they consider us enemies.
Prayer:

Almighty God, make my heart pained by the evil in my world. Give me a holy revulsion to things opposed to your will and character. Yet Father, just as You redeemed me by grace, and rescued me while a captive to sin, give me courage to care about those who are in the Evil One's embrace. Through my Savior I pray. Amen.