Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

The Fire of Affliction

JULY 17

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

God wants to build spiritual steel and rock-solid faith into you. And the way He will do this is through the fire of affliction. Why? To test you. The faith that can't be tested, can't be trusted.

The times I have grown the most were not when everything was going fine. The times when we go through sorrow, pressure, and trouble are the growing pains of our lives with Christ. Isn't that true?  Someone wrote these lines,

"I walked a mile with pleasure, she chatted all the way.
But left me none the wiser, for all she had to say.
I walked a mile with sorrow and not a word said she.
But oh the things I learned from her, when sorrow walked with me."

Are you in the fire of affliction? Trust that He will see you through and make you stronger when the test is over.

[Judy Harder]

Doubting Our Salvation

JULY 18

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

A woman told the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody, "I've been saved twenty-five years, and I've never had one single doubt."

He responded, "Madam, I doubt you've been saved."

That would be like a couple saying they've been married 50 years and never had an argument. I'd say, "I doubt you've been married."

We all have doubts. You see, doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body. It is a signal that something is wrong. And just as you seek to find a remedy for your pain, you should seek to find a remedy for your doubts. Jesus is your remedy. Get into His Word and know the assurance of your salvation. It's not you, it's Jesus that makes it possible.

Are you doubting your salvation? Then run to Jesus. Soak yourself in these truths from God's Word:

Romans 10:13,
Ephesians 2:1-10
Titus 3:5.
We also invite you to read "You Can Be Sure" at lwf.org.

[Judy Harder]

19

Grumbling or Grateful?

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

One day a preacher was riding on a train. He saw a well-dressed man and magnificently dressed woman with expensive jewelry. The woman was complaining about everything – the train ride, the weather, the news, the food, the service.

The preacher decided to engage this couple in a conversation. He asked the man what kind of business he was in and the man told him. Then he asked, "And what does your wife do?"

The man replied, "Oh, she's in the manufacturing business. She manufactures her own unhappiness."

You know, there are a lot of people like that today. They manufacture their own misery because they fail to be grateful. Only Christ can turn our lives around and stir up a grateful heart within us.

Go through the alphabet and thank the Lord for something beginning with each letter and choose to be grateful.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 20

A Chain of Ten Links

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10

So many people have the idea that God is going to grade on the curve. We say to ourselves, "We're bad, but we're not as bad as so-and-so."

But God doesn't grade on a curve. He grades on an absolute standard of holiness. Can anybody say that they've kept all of God's Ten Commandments? Of course not. But let's suppose you had only broken one. What would happen? Well, let me illustrate. If a man was dangling over a fire by a chain of ten links and nine of those links were made of forged steel and one was made of crepe paper, what would happen?

Use this illustration with someone today as a testimony of God's mercy in sending His Son for the salvation of all mankind.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 21

Strong Faith Glorifies God

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." Psalm 18:2

Do you know the greatest thing you could do to give God glory? It's not to give a million dollars. It's not to give your body to be burned. It's not to go overseas as a missionary.

The greatest thing you could do to glorify God is to believe God. Faith says, "God, You are trustworthy." Don't just sing about your belief in a great God or pray about your belief in a great God or even read about your belief in a great God. You must believe Him. A strong faith glorifies God!

Meditate on the names of God today: Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Bright and Morning Star, Dayspring, The Good Shepherd, Messiah, Alpha and Omega. We also invite you to read more about the Names of God at http://www.lwf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dis_NamesOfGod

[Judy Harder]

JULY 22

Mountains Need Moving

"Jesus answered and said...if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:21

When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, "That's the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it."

Americais in a crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations—it's time to wake up. Time is passing—it's time to look up. Jesus is coming—it's time to sober up. Satan is working—it's time to pray up. Mountains need moving.

Ask the Lord to heal our land, forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 23

Jesus Paid It All

"But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved). Ephesians 2:5

Suppose your best friend offered to buy you a new car. You tell him that you can't accept it outright and offer to help pay for the car. Then you say, "Here's a quarter. Thank you!"

Now you're driving around, and somebody compliments you on your new car. You say, "Thanks! My friend and I bought this car."

Wouldn't that be ridiculous? Well, that's what we're doing with God when we add our two bits-worth of self-effort to His grace. If you do that, you take the glory from Almighty God. When you get to heaven, all you're going to be able to say is, "Jesus paid it all."

Spend some time reading Ephesians 2 today and praise God for His divine plan of salvation.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 24

The Enduring Word of the Lord

"The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: But the word of the Lord endures forever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

Many centuries ago there was a Roman emperor named Diocletian who was known for his hatred of Christianity. He hated the Bible so much that he took a Bible and burned it. Then on top of that burned Bible he erected a monument.

Chiseled on that monument were these words:

"Extincto nomini christianorum" — "The name of Christian is extinct."

Over the years many like Diocletian have sought to eradicate the Bible and Christianity, but for naught. The Bible is the incorruptible Word of God, and the foul breath of time and the gnawing tooth of decay cannot destroy the Word of God!

Purchase a Bible this week for the sole purpose of giving it away. Then ask God to find that special someone for you to give it to.

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 25

The Penetrating Power of the Word of God

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." Hebrews 4:12

I have found that when you don't apologize for the Bible but accept and teach the Bible, it goes through the devil's lies like a white-hot cannonball through a crate of eggs.

There is power in the Word of God, and Satan does not want you to understand the authority of the Word of God. He doesn't want you to get the power that will divert his fiery attacks away from your heart — his prime target. When the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word become your authority, then Satan and all of his demonic forces will flee, and you are going to have authority for your life.

How is the Word of God penetrating your heart? Are you even allowing it to do so? Take a few minutes and ask God to begin a mighty work in you through the power of His Word.

[Judy Harder]

JULY 26

Charting Our Course by His Word

"But whoso keepeth His word, in Him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." 1 John 2:5

The word "keepeth" in 1 John is a derivative of a word that sailors used years ago to refer to their practice of steering their course by "keeping" the stars.

This did not mean, of course, that a sailor would not be blown off course or that he might not over-steer. It didn't mean that he might not nod at the wheel or somehow be distracted, or fail to keep a perfect chart. But the goal, the aim, the desire, and the controlling principle in his life were those stars. He knew that in them he could find direction to his destination.

In the same way, John says God's commandments are to be the standard by which you and I chart our courses in life.

What is determining your steps today? God's Word? Or your word?