Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

MARCH 31

Are You Too Uncomfortable to Have a Quiet Time?

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:18

Do you know what quiet time is? Fellowship with a holy God. The reason some folks do not have a quiet time is they feel uncomfortable. The reason they feel uncomfortable is that they don't want to look God in the face. The reason they don't want to look God in the face is because they have sin in their life.

What did Adam do after he had sinned and God came walking in the Garden? Adam fled. Before that, Adam had quiet time with God, didn't he? They had boundless, unending fellowship. But when there was sin in Adam's life, he did not want to look God in the face.

Are you reluctant to have a quiet time? Maybe it's because there is sin in your life. Ask God to shine His light into you. Then wait for His answer so you can repent.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 1
Praying in Secret
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:6
What did our Lord mean when He said, "Enter into your closet to pray"? The word "closet" simply means somewhere you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven.

As you study the life of Jesus, you'll discover that Jesus sought times to be alone. Sometimes He would go on a mountain, sometimes into the wilderness, and sometimes into a garden. It is the secret place that is the sacred place.

The mark of your prayer life is not really how well you pray in public, but in private. When you enter your closet to pray, spend some time in silence. Clear your mind. Then listen for His Words of edification, encouragement, and exhortation.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 2

Making Your Bible Come Alive

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Why is it that sometimes when we read the Bible, we leave our common sense at the door? You don't just pick up a book, open it at random, and start reading in the middle of a paragraph. The book wouldn't make any sense! In order to understand and get the full appreciation for the book, we read it sequentially and in paragraphs or units.

When you read the Bible, read for quality not quantity. Don't see how much of the Bible you can read. See how much of the Bible you can assimilate and apply! Maybe what you need to do is spend a week studying one verse.

In your Bible reading today, stop and ask yourself, "What is God telling ME?" Not "What does this say?" But "What is God saying to me?" Then seek to put that into practice today.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 3


The Wake-Up Call

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Romans 13:11

Do you know what Napoleon said about China? "There lies a sleeping giant, and let him sleep, because if he awakens, he will shake the world."

I believe the devil says that about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe the church is just that: a sleeping giant. We're asleep because we have been chloroformed by the spirit of this age.

We're bombarded on every side by all kinds of amusement. Do you know what amuse means? It's a combination of two words. Muse means to think, and the alpha prefix in front of it means "not to." We are a generation that is amusing ourselves into oblivion. And it's time to wake up!

Are you taking the Christian life seriously? If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? In amusement? Or in evangelism?

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 4
Biblical Hope, a Firm Certainty
"For Thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth." Psalm 71:5

What does the word "hope" mean in the Bible?  It doesn't mean "maybe." We may use it that way in modern English, but that's not what the word "hope" means when used in Scripture.

"Hope" means certainty, but not just any certainty. When the Bible says "hope," it means a rock-ribbed assurance with anticipation, based on the Word of God.

When I was a little boy, my dad would take us out for a ride on Sunday afternoon. We kids would be in the back seat, getting into squabbles. If things got too heated, my dad would turn around and say, "When you boys get home, I'm going to whip you." With my dad, I knew this was a rock-ribbed truth! We could anticipate it, but not with gladness!

Ourhope, however, our rock-ribbed assurance, comes with glad anticipation!

Share the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ with someone today. Maybe there's someone at the hospital who needs a word of hope. Maybe it's a member of your family!

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 5

The Reason You Are Stressed

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Matthew 6:30

Do you know the reason we're stressed? Because we think our needs are not going to be met. We say, "Oh my goodness, I'm not going to have what I need!"

Jesus tells us not to worry about what you are going to eat. And don't worry about what you are going to wear. He's saying only one thing is important – His righteousness. These things don't even take significance until your deepest needs are met. You are to find your satisfaction in Him. If you don't find your satisfaction in Him, you're going to be stressed.

Are you stressed out about something today? Turn it over to Jesus and turn your focus to Him. Let Jesus meet your needs and transform your heart today.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 6


Happiness, the By-product of Righteousness

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
Happiness is something you stumble over on your way to serving Jesus.

When you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, happiness is the by-product of righteousness. People who are trying to be happy are focusing their energy at the wrong target. If you will seek after righteousness, then you will be happy.

What you need is to drink of the Spirit.

What you need to feed on the Word of God.

The deepest need of your heart will be met only in Jesus.

Ask the Lord to fill you with His presence, to fulfill the deepest need of your heart in Him and Him alone. Now trust Him to do it.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 7
Letting Your Shepherd Set Your Pace
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm 23:2
Sometimes I hear folks tell young people, "Make all the money you can, just so you make it honestly." That's not good advice.

If you make all the money you can, you are going to be making money when you should be doing something else. You are going to be making money when you ought to be alone with God.

I'm not against making money. I'm simply saying that we need to stop and prioritize our lives. Do you know what I think God does with some of us? He makes us to lie down. We won't do it unless He makes us.

Why not stop right now and pray, "Lord Jesus, You don't have to make me lie down. I'd rather slow down. I want to be still and know that You are GOD! Show me how."

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 8
Blessed Is the Man Who Trusts in the Lord

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Psalm 34:8
The Lord Jesus Christ gives us beatitudes – attitudes that ought to be. They are not platitudes. They are attitudes that deal with Christian character.

Your reputation is what others think about you, but character is what God knows about you.

The beatitudes do not say, "Blessed are what you have," or "Blessed are what you do," but "Blessed are what you are." Most of the people in the world are doing what? They are seeking happiness. If you seek happiness you'll never find it. But if you get right with God, blessedness will find you.

Have you been finding your self-worth in what you have or what you do? Confess it before the Lord and meditate on the attitudes you ought to have in Matthew 5:3-11.

[Judy Harder]

APRIL 9

Poor in Spirit – What Does It Mean?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3
What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Jesus is talking about being a beggar. He is saying, "Blessed are the beggars." He's not talking about finances here. He's talking about a person being poor spiritually.

Before a person can enter into the kingdom of heaven, he must first admit that no matter how much he may have in the material realm or psychological realm, he is absolutely and totally spiritually bankrupt and a beggar before God.  If he doesn't see that, he will never, ever get into the kingdom of heaven.

I've often said that I am just one beggar showing another beggar where to find food. Do you see yourself as a beggar in need of the Bread of Heaven?