Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 22

Nothing Less Than God's Optimum for Your Life

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jeremiah 29:11

Do you love Christ? Do you long to please Him with all your heart? Then remember this: God's delays are not God's denials.

Many a Christian feels he is out in the wilderness — that all he is doing is being led about in circles. Maybe God is grooming you. He is not ready to thrust you into heavy responsibilities as yet. He has you in a holding pattern for His holy purpose. Life is a journey that does not end. God is preparing something wonderful for you. He doesn't want you to settle for less than His optimum for your life and your work.

Commit Jeremiah 29:11-13 to memory this week, then share this truth with a friend!

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 23

Where Is Your Treasure?

". . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Matthew 6:21

There are many people who think  they are wealthy who are not. We've seen the television series "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," and many times it should be called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Foolish."

When is a rich man poor? When he tries to find satisfaction in his money. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said, "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver" (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A man of modest income said to a man who was very rich, "I have more than you have." The rich man said, "How is that so?" He anwered, "Because I have all I want, and you don't."

When you set your goal to be wealthy, then money becomes your master rather than your servant. What is your goal with your finances?

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 24

Complete Confidence in the Lord

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

There must be complete confidence in the Lord to take care of us because this complete confidence will lead to constant compliance. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we are to trust with all our heart (not just part of it), and we're to acknowledge Him in all our ways (not just some of our ways).

God won't take part of it. You can't say, "Lord, I want Your will in my social life, but I don't want Your will in my business life."  Or, "I want Your will in my church life, but I don't want Your will in my relationships." You just can't do that. If He's worth part of it He's worth all of it.

What are you holding onto today? Give it all to Jesus. Instant obedience will bring incredible blessing.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 25

The Ultimate Act of Forgiveness

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." - 1 Peter 3:18

Suppose someone were to punch you in the nose? And suppose in an act of compassion you were to say to that person who punched you, "I forgive you." And suppose they responded, "There's no need for you to forgive me. I've already forgiven myself." You'd feel a little cheated. Only the one who was punched can forgive the hitter.

Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God, and only God can forgive sin. There's enough Gospel dynamite in 1 Peter 3:18 to blow the sin, the hatred, the sorrow, and the sickness out of anybody's life, but that dynamite must be ignited by the spark of faith.

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Maybe someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness? Go do it now. Tomorrow may never come.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 26

God's Provision in the Midst of Suffering

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." - Revelation 3:20

Over and over again, people will ask me this question, "If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?" There's never an easy answer to that question when someone is grieving or suffering, but God has taught me that the universe has a disease. And God cannot remove the pain until the last vestige of sin is gone. The worst thing that could happen to human beings would be for us to live in a world cursed by sin, and yet the world seem to be a paradise. We would never come to God.

God has showered this world with immeasurable mercies. Focus today, not on the suffering, but on the provision of God's grace.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 27

Christianity, More Than a Creed or Code

"...and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21

Are Christians fools for believing in Jesus? Are we serving a false God? If you go to the tomb of Confucius, you'll find it's occupied. If you go to the tomb of Buddha, you'll find it's occupied. If you go to the tomb of Jesus, you'll find it empty. He is a risen Savior.  Now that's very important, because you can take Confucius out of Confucianism and still have Confucianism, and you can take Buddha out of Buddhism and still have Buddhism. But you cannot take Jesus Christ out of Christianity and still have Christianity because Christianity is not a code. It's not a creed. It's not a cause. It is Christ Himself.

You have a hope that the world needs to hear about. Who can you share that hope with today?

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 28

Being Spirit-Filled

"...Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" - Acts 9:6

So many Christians want to be Spirit-filled, but have they ever asked why God should fill them with His Spirit?

I want you to imagine a man pushing a car into a service station. It has no battery in it. The car has four flat tires, a hole in the gas tank, and half the wires are disconnected. The attendant comes out, looks at this rattle trap, and says, "May I help you?"

The man says, "Yeah, fill 'er up."

What do you think that attendant would say? "What for?" would be appropriate.

I think God sometimes says, "What for?" to us. Instead, we need to just sign the contract at the bottom and say, "Lord, You fill it in."

Bow before the Lord, open your hands, and say, "Lord, It's all You. I am nothing but a vessel for You to use. Use me as You will."

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 29

Authority in a Generation Gone Astray

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." - Romans 13:1

Our generation doesn't like the word authority. We don't like to be under anybody. We stick out our chests and talk about being free-born Americans.

If you're a baby boomer, you're of a generation of anti-authority figures. In your lifetime you've gone through the hula hoop, the Barbie doll, pop psychology, Dr. Spock, Donahue, and the Beatles. It was all anti-authority! Fathers were Archie Bunker. Preachers were Flip Wilson. The anthem was, "Do your thing. If it feels good, do it." Many of us dare not realize the vestiges of rebellion that still lurk down in our hearts.

Give some serious thought to the question: Who is on the throne of my life today?

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 30

One Way to Salvation

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6

Materialism says, "Buy your way out." The politician says, "Legislate." The army says, "Fight." Industry says, "Work." The philosopher says, "Think." But Jesus says, "There's no way out but through Me."

Jesus will save you by His grace, and He'll save you all by Himself or you won't be saved at all.

When you are saved by the grace of God, you are saved instantly, and you are saved eternally. Your goodness is not enough to save you, and your badness is not enough to keep you away. Jesus loves you so much that He died to save you.

Have you taken Jesus at His Word and followed His way of salvation? Maybe you have a friend who needs this truth today. Share it; don't suppress it.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 1

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8

A man named Solomon Peas died. His tombstone in London reads:

"Beneath these clouds and beneath these trees
Lies the body of Solomon Peas.
But this ain't Peas - it's just the pod.
Peas shelled out and went to God."

I like that. That's what your body is. It's just a pod. What happens to a child of God who has trusted Christ as his personal Savior? When he closes his eyes in this life, he opens them in the next. Jesus did not say, "After two or three thousand years, you'll be with Me in paradise." Jesus said, "Today, truly, you'll be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Are you confident that, if you died today, you'd be with Jesus in paradise? If not, then confess your sins and believe upon His name to save you. Now, go and tell someone!