Love Worth Finding

[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

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 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.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 1

Character—It's An Inside Job

"The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." Proverbs 20:7

This world says if we could just arrange conditions where we never have any sorrow, pain, or hurts, then we could change men. If we can change conditions we can change character. But the Bible teaches just the opposite.

The world puts the emphasis on condition—God puts the emphasis on character. Someone has well said you can't purify the water by painting the pump. And yet that's what we try to do. We think that if we can change the exterior or make conditions such that we never have any hurts, then we're going to be okay. But, Jesus put the emphasis upon character. Upon what you are, not what you have.

Is there someone in your life you admire? Someone who is a person of integrity? Praise God for His work in that person's life and give him or her a word of encouragement.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 2

Praying from the Heart—Not on Auto-Pilot

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." Matthew 6:7

It was a very long, tiring day. I had preached three sermons and dictated a stack of letters. And at the close of each letter I ended it, "In Jesus' name, Adrian Rogers."

A man came to me at the end of a service and said, "I must see you. I have a severe problem." I was bone weary but I said, "Very well, come on back and let's talk."

We talked and I listened. My heart was moved with compassion. I said, "Let me pray for you." And when I finished I said, "In Jesus' name, Adrian Rogers." And then I thought, "Oh my! Did I say that? Did he hear me say that?" How easy we slip and rattle off our prayers.

Do you find yourself using repetitive phrases in your prayer life? Today, just talk with God. Don't think too much about your words. Follow your heart.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 3

"Why Doesn't God Obliterate Evil?"

"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine." 1 Chronicles 29:11

Have you ever wondered why God doesn't obliterate the devil and eradicate all sin? If God destroyed evil, God would destroy every opportunity for choice. And if God were to destroy every opportunity for choice, then God would destroy every opportunity for love. Therefore, God would destroy the highest good. For God to destroy evil would be evil.

God doesn't destroy evil, instead God defeats evil. How? Calvary and the resurrection! God turns every hurt into a hallelujah. Every defeat into victory!

Spend some time today thinking about heaven and the glorious reunion you're going to have with Him one day.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 4

The Lesson of Prayer

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

Some time ago I was invited to preach in another state, but my schedule was such that I couldn't arrange it. When they offered to send a private plane, I could do it.

As we flew over Arkansas, the pilot asked me if I wanted to try my hand at flying the plane, and I said, "Yes!"

Of course, he was sitting right next to me. He could fly the plane without me, but I couldn't fly it without him. He had his hands on his controls all the while, and he allowed me to participate with him.

That's the way prayer is. God can do it without you, but God enables you to have fellowship with Him and teaches you a dependency upon Him through prayer.

Kneel before Him today. Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16:23-36. Glory in His presence:

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 5

Put on the Righteousness of Christ

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." Colossians 3:12

Sometimes people will ask if I'm a preacher.

How do they know I'm a preacher before I've said anything "spiritual"?

I don't want them to know that I am a preacher by the way I look. Now, I'm not ashamed that I'm a preacher, but I think a preacher ought to dress and act so that nobody will suspect he's a preacher. We ought to be transparent vessels of the Lord's anointing.

We're not posturing, posing, or somehow going through life trying to look holy or trying to act holy. We just simply are what we are by the grace of God.

What does your outer appearance say about who you are in Christ? Dress in His robes of righteousness and His countenance of glory today.

[Judy Harder]

JUNE 6

The Master Designer

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:18

How did it happen? How did the Bible get written apart from divine inspiration?

Suppose we decided to build a monument to the 50 states in Washington and use native stone from each state. We would hammer out the stones from individual quarries in each state.

Then, ship them.

Uncrate them.

Then fit the stones together.

As the stones were assembled, we discovered that there was not one stone too many. Not one stone too few. When completed, we had a magnificently symmetrical monument.

The only answer to this perfection is that there was a master architect who designed everything. In the same way, you cannot explain the unity of the Bible apart from divine inspiration.

Praise God for His Master Design of the universe — of the stars, the planets, the skies, the seas...and you!