Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

MAY 22

God Will Always Answer

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3

I read about some children in a Sunday School class who wrote letters to a missionary to let him know they were praying for him. The teacher of the class said, "Now, children, the missionary is a very busy person, so don't expect him to write you back." One little girl's letter read, "Dear Brother Brown, We're praying for you. We don't expect an answer."

Sadly, this is how we pray! We don't really expect an answer. But God has promised He will answer us when we call upon His name. Psalm 91:15 says, "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him."

·         What are you praying for today?
·         Do you believe that God can answer?
·         Do you believe that He will answer?

Then thank Him now for answering.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 23

No Offense, No Effect

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34

A pulpit committee approached me one time and said, "We need a pastor for our church."

I said, "I know just the guy. He is a fantastic preacher and has a fiery evangelistic spirit, but he has health problems and he's kind of old." I continued, "He's also been in jail several times."

They began to shake their heads, and one said, "Well, we don't know whether he's the man we want or not."

I said, "Well, don't worry; you couldn't get him. He's already in heaven, and his name is Paul."

You don't want a guy who can rub shoulders with the people of this world and not rub any salt in their wounds. Where there is no offense, there is no effect.

Pray for the men who occupy the pulpits in our churches that they would not water down the truth of God's Word, but be strong to proclaim its power.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 24

Proving God in Finances

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." - Malachi 3:10

You can say all you want about getting right with God, but if you don't get right with God in your finances, you are not right with God. The kind of repentance that does not reach the bank account, has never reached the heart.

In Malachi 3:7, God says, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you." And the people said, "Wherein shall we return?" God's answer in verse 8 reveals that they were to return in tithes and offerings.

The point of return is the point of departure. If you're going to come back to God and if you're going to renew your fellowship, you're going to have to begin with the tithe.

It's time to put the good book to the checkbook!

How are you doing in the area of your tithes and offerings to the Lord?

[Judy Harder]

MAY 25

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" - Genesis 18:14

A little boy was trying to roll a rock as his father watched from a distance. The boy was heaving and sighing, but he couldn't turn the stone over.

His dad with a smile said, "Son, are you using all of your strength?" He said, "Yes, Daddy, I'm using all my strength." And the father said, "No, you're not, because you haven't asked me to help you. My strength is your strength."

Sometimes we wrestle with problems and say, "I don't know what to do." Our Father wants us to say, "I've run out of my strength," and run to His. He is there.

There is no problem too big for Jesus to solve.

Do you believe that? I hope so.

Is there a problem too big for you to solve? Give it to Jesus. He can handle it.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 26

The Heavens, a Testimony of Creator God

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." - Romans 1:20

Can intellectuals believe in God? Absolutely! Many intellectuals believe in God. As a matter of fact, your intellect has very little to do with your belief in God.

Out of all of the secular professional groups, do you know what professional group has the highest number of believers in God? The astronomers do. Over 90% of the world's great astronomers believe in God. Why? Because they have studied the heavens.

It's not a sign of intelligence not to believe in God. If you're intelligent, you have to say, "Somebody created all of this."

Take a walk with your family under the canopy of the night sky. Praise God for His handiwork in the heavens.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 27

Remembering Our Heroes

"And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place." - Exodus 13:3

Each year, Americans remember those brave-hearted souls who fought and gave their lives so that you and I would have the rights and privileges of living in a free country.

Remembering is important. In fact, God instructs His people on many occasions in the Old Testament to remember from whence they came and to remember His providence.

It is by the mighty hand of God that we are saved, we are protected, and we are free to live in the Land of the Brave. Never take that freedom for granted, my friend. It is a precious commodity for which the world hungers. And it is a powerful charge for you and me to protect.

Do you know of someone in your life who has served in the armed forces of this country? Make a point this week to express to them your gratitude for their service.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 28

Putting the Emphasis on the Eternal

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." - John 6:35

Sometimes people in large churches get a lot of grief from "the world" because of the great expenses of building and maintaining their church. I've heard, "Why didn't they take that money and feed the poor?"

Here's my answer, "People need Jesus." The social gospel thinks all men need is food. If I had five billion dollars and bought everybody on earth a meal, in several hours they'd all be hungry again.

There's nothing wrong with feeding the poor. We ought to do that. But the social gospel puts an emphasis on what is temporary. The true gospel puts the emphasis upon what is eternal. Folks need more than soup and soap, they need salvation.

Think about ways that you can get involved with the need to feed, clothe, and house the homeless. Then find the open door to feed them with the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 29

Secure in the Arms of Jesus

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." - Acts 16:31

A Christian is not somebody who merely believes that Christ died for his sins. The devil believes that. A Christian is somebody who has repented of his sins and invited Christ into his heart to be his Savior and Lord.

You can intellectually believe that an airplane can fly, but in order to fly you must try out its wings. In the same way, when you give your heart to Jesus Christ, He takes control of your life and begins to make you into the person He wants you to be.

Your life doesn't have to be absolutely perfect for you to go to heaven. At the moment you trust Christ as your personal Savior, you are eternally saved, eternally secure, and God begins to work on you.

Isn't it wonderful to know you are saved? Now, spread the word of that assurance to a neighbor today.

[Judy Harder]

MAY 30

Are You Looking Through the Right Eyeglasses?

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

People join churches today with wrong expectations. They think church membership guarantees blessings and no burdens. Some think that God is just a heavenly cafeteria. And if it doesn't work out as they wish, they say, "Well, it's not paying off! I thought if I gave my heart to Jesus, then He would supply everything I want. And I'd have no more worries."

People fall away because their expectations are not met. Let me tell you what real faith is. Real faith is not just receiving from God the things you want. Real faith is accepting from God the things He gives.

How are your spiritual eyeglasses? Are you looking at life with the eyes of the Lord? And trusting that He will provide, not necessarily what you want, but what you need?

[Judy Harder]

MAY 31

Jesus, the Bridge Spanning the Great Divide

"And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." - Ephesians 2:16

Up in heaven is the holy God.
Down below is the sinful man.
And sin is the dividing rod that separates.

Without God, man has an empty void in his life he knows he must fill, so man is constantly trying to reach God. But he keeps rebounding off the sin barrier.

Then God, moved in mercy by the pitiful plight of sinful man, said, "I will do something."

God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to make a way. And upon the rough-hewn timbers of a cross, Jesus gave His life so you and I could live forever and live forgiven. Jesus built a bridge between man and God. It's a bridge man could never build. And a bridge that man can never take away.

God made a way that we couldn't make . . . for me . . . and for you.

Since Jesus built a bridge of love for you to be reconciled to God, it's your turn to build a bridge of love to someone who is lost and searching.