Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

August 16

Is Jesus Your Stumbling Block or Your Stepping Stone?

"We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Jesus Christ will be either a stepping stone into heaven or a stumbling stone into hell. No one can be neutral about Jesus Christ. Either you rise on Him, or you fall on Him. You cannot walk around Him. Either you're saved by Him or you're judged by Him.

You will encounter Jesus Christ. He is inevitable. He is unavoidable. He is inescapable. What you do with Jesus Christ determines what Jesus Christ will do with you. What are you doing with Jesus Christ today?

[Judy Harder]

August 18

An Offering of Continual Praise

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." - Romans 12:1

In the Old Testament, the priests would offer an animal sacrifice to God. What do believers offer today? Romans 12:1 tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

And just as the altars of old had two flesh hooks to keep the sacrifice from slipping off, we have two hooks that hold our bodies there—discipline and devotion. Are you disciplining yourself and devoting yourself as a living sacrifice to the glory of God?

In the Old Testament, the priests would burn incense as a fragrant offering to the Lord. What do we do today? Hebrews 13:15 says we continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Our incense of praise should be going up out of our body, as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). Are you giving God a continual offering of praise every moment of every day?

[Judy Harder]

August 19

His Peace and Joy in Suffering

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." - 1 Peter 2:21

Christ suffered for you.

"But I don't want to suffer for Him."

You're going to suffer anyway—whether you are saved or lost. That is life in a fallen world.

When you submit to Jesus Christ and obey the Word of God, He is going to arch a rainbow of hope over your suffering. He is going to write Romans 8:28 over what you are going through. You will know that your current trial is for your good.

Surrender and submission to God is the only way to get His grace and power over your life. Joy, peace, and worry-free days are ahead for the one who lays his life down for the glory of God. Suffering will come, but joy will follow.

[Judy Harder]

August 20

Who Are You Burning Your Candle For?

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." - Romans 8:13

We preachers are fond of saying, "Get right with God. You may die!" It is far better to say, "Get right with God. You may live!" The greatest joy in life is living for Jesus. Why waste more time? There is a life to live.

Friend, the best thing that you can say about a life lived without Christ is that it is a wasted life. Billy Sunday, a revival preacher from the 1920s, said that the deathbed repentance is "burning the candle of life for the devil, and then blowing the smoke in God's face."

If you are not saved, it's not too late for you to be saved. If you want to be saved—wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you've done, Jesus wants to save you. Repent and believe and you will be saved.

[Judy Harder]

August 21

When?

"I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." - John 9:4

Robert Moffett, a great missionary statesman, said, "We shall have all eternity in which to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before the sun sets in which to win them."

Life's setting sun is sinking low. There are only a limited number of days in which to save souls. Are you going to spend your days investing in the things of this world, or putting up treasures in heaven? When?

Are you going to start sowing seeds of salvation or are you going to plant happiness in this life alone? When?

Are you going to do something nice for your wife? When?

Are you going to write your father? When?

Make a promise to yourself right now that you will not put off until tomorrow what you should be doing today.

[Judy Harder]

August 28

Shaking Hands or Saving Lives?

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36

There was a preacher who kept a painting in his study of a shipwreck. There were sailors in lifeboats reaching out their hands to people floating on debris from the ship. A little boy looked at the painting and asked his daddy, "Are those in the lifeboats trying to save those people or are they just shaking hands?"

I wonder about us. It is all right to have friends; in fact, I encourage you to do that. But are you doing more than just socializing? Wouldn't it be a shame if all you did was shake the hands of those around you, when you could be serving and showing them the way to God through Jesus Christ?

We don't pray, live, and witness as if people are dying and going to hell or heaven every day around us. May God have mercy on us. The need of the hour is for men and women to have a servant's heart.

[Judy Harder]

August 29

Not to Decide Is to Decide

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." - Deuteronomy 30:19

Years ago I was witnessing to a young lady in Florida. I asked her if she had received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She became teary-eyed and said, "I just don't seem...no...I can't do it today." I asked her, "Don't you realize that if you don't receive Him, that you're going to deny Him?" She said, "Oh, I wouldn't deny Him for anything." I said, "But there's no middle ground." And yet she refused.

I said, "Before you go, would you shake hands with me?" And she said, "Well, certainly." And so I said, "If you'll take Christ as your Savior, take my right hand. If you'll take hell and refuse Christ, take my left hand." She refused to take either of my hands.

Every person has a choice. There is no neutral ground. You are either crowning Jesus as Lord of your life or you are not. Which is it my friend?

[Judy Harder]

August 30

What Do You Love More than Jesus?

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." - 1 John 3:16

The rich man asked Jesus, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). Then Jesus asked him if he had kept the law. He said yes. In love Jesus responded, "One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me" (Mark 10:21b). But the rich man was "sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions" (Mark 10:22).

Jesus let him go. Jesus didn't run after him. And there's another thing I want you to notice: Jesus didn't lower His standards.

Is there anything you love more than Jesus? You must willingly lay it down to be saved.

[Judy Harder]

September 1

Finding Joy in All the Right Places

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." - Psalm 34:8

A Christian should be filled with joy. But we can't take any credit for it. It is Jesus who gives us joy and satisfaction. We couldn't have found it had we been searching for it, but by finding, knowing, and growing in Christ, He has filled us with an overflowing joy.

Do you know what the devil will tell you? That holiness and happiness don't go together. He will tell you that if you make up your mind to live a holy life, then you won't have any fun. Friend, the devil is a liar.

You'll never know satisfaction and joy until you find it in the right place. You'll never enjoy the good things of life until you know Jesus. Oh, how sweet to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Is the hunger of your heart met in Christ?

[Judy Harder]

September 2

Standing on the Edge of the Red Sea

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." - Isaiah 54:10

Sometimes the grandest revelations come through confrontation. Why did God bring the Israelites to the Red Sea? That they might have a confrontation with Him and discover His greatness and deliverance.

Many times the things we think are tragedies and problems are God's way of drawing us to Himself. God shuts this door; God shuts that door...it seems that there's no way out.

But we must cling to the fact that God makes Himself known to us in the storm and He plants His footsteps in the sea.

Are you standing at the edge of your "Red Sea"? Have you stopped to consider that this could be your Father drawing you to Himself by the only way He knew He could get your attention? The God who parted the Red Sea and stilled the surface of Galilee is the One Who is your Shepherd.