Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

June 28

How to Be "Free Indeed"

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." - John 8:36

Living a pure life means surrendering to Jesus Christ. But some people don't want to surrender because they say they want to be free. What if a train said, "I don't want to run on these tracks, I want to be free"? Then off through the meadow it would go.

What if a kite said, "I want to be free. I don't want to be tied to a string"? The string breaks and down it goes. What if a tree said, "I don't want to be planted in the earth. I want to be free"? And it is jerked up from the earth and dies.

Everything that is truly free functions best when it functions as God made it. God made you to know Him and to love Him.

[Judy Harder]

June 29

Waiting Time Is Not Wasted Time

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

Do you know the story of Joshua and how the wall of Jericho fell down after the Israelites marched around it once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day? Why not just walk around Jericho one time? I think it was because God was testing their faith.

God was teaching them that waiting time is not wasted time. Isaiah 28:16b says, "He that believeth shall not make haste." God is never in a hurry, like we are. We get upset when we miss a section in a revolving door! God is also never late. He knows what He is doing.

Do you know what our problem is? We've been around Jericho six times and we're ready to quit. Say with the psalmist: "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him" (Psalm 62:5).

[Judy Harder]

June 30

The Most Meaningful Prayer Request

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." - Luke 19:10

Do you know what the average prayer request is about? Physical healing. "Pray for my aunt who is a Christian and she is about to die." "Pray for my saved uncle who is having heart surgery." How many prayer meetings have you been to where people asked for prayer for their lost neighbor who is going to hell?

More often than not we are more interested in keeping the saints out of heaven than we are in keeping the lost out of hell. It is not a tragedy to die and go to heaven. It is a tragedy to die and go to hell. Friend, it's time we elevated our prayers outside of the physical realm of life into the spiritual realm.

Take a look at your prayer list today—where are the lost who need to be saved? What are you doing to help them find their way?

[Judy Harder]

July 1

Speaking Frankly With Your Children

"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." - 2 Timothy 2:22

Purity is not in vogue these days, but let me tell you what a father told his daughter one day. She wrote him while away at college: "Dear Dad, My classmates make sex sound so natural and so inevitable. There are times when I wonder what I am waiting for."

Her father wrote her back: "You are waiting to be free from the nagging voice of conscience and from the gray shadow of guilt, free to give all of yourself, not a panicky fraction. Some deep instinct in you knows what tremendous influence your first complete union with another person will be. And that same instinct keeps telling you not to waste it."

Oh, how I wish more families were open enough to discuss this issue and to encourage young people to remain pure.

[Judy Harder]

July 2

He Not Only Keeps Us Safe, He Dwells Within

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." - 2 Timothy 1:12

It is a miracle today that I know Jesus Christ. I didn't say that it is a miracle that I know about Jesus Christ. I know Him. I can read a book about Abraham Lincoln, but I don't know him. I know Jesus Christ because I have believed Him. And how did that happen? The Holy Spirit has taken the things of Christ and has shown them to me, so that He has become real to me. Is Jesus Christ real to you?

The Holy Spirit reveals God to each of us. Without Him, we would have no understanding of a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

How wonderful it is that God has chosen to know us through His Son by the Holy Spirit. We have a constant companion. The job of the Holy Spirit is not only our teacher, but He is our protector who is protecting the interests of God in His children every day.

Thank God today for choosing not only to redeem you, but choosing to indwell you through His Holy Spirit!

[Judy Harder]

July 3

The Teaching Spirit

"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." - Isaiah 50:4

Do you have difficulty remembering things? One little lady said, "My memory is what I forget with."

Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit, who has a ministry to our subconscious. He is there not only to teach you the Truth, but also to help you recall the Truth and apply the Truth in every situation.

Over and over again, the Holy Spirit has done this in my life in the midst of preaching, witnessing, or counseling. The Lord has given us the "tongue of the learned" (Isaiah 50:4). Isn't that wonderful? You may not have a formal education, but you can still be a counselor to others in trouble. Why? Because God lives within you.

When you walk in the Spirit, He will give you the words to speak in season to someone who is weary. But He cannot remind you unless you first learn it. How we need to open our hearts to what the Blessed Advocate is doing as He tries to make Jesus real and vibrant in our lives.
 

[Judy Harder]

July 4

God Sets Guidelines for Government

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn." - Proverbs 29:2.

There's an old proverb, not a Bible proverb, but a wonderful proverb that says, "If the gold rust, what shall the iron do?" And the meaning is: if those in leadership, those at the helm, do not lead aright, what is going to happen to the rest of us?

What does the Bible say about national leadership? In Proverbs 29 it is clear that those in leadership should lead by godly principles. The Bible repeatedly warns us that our leaders should be upright—and what the consequences will be if they are not.

Proverbs 14:34 states, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." Daniel confessed to God, "And because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us." Daniel 9:16

Jesus said, "We are to render to God the things that are God's." But He also said, "We are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." Our "Caesar" is a government of, by, and for the people. The very genius of our government is that the people participate. It is none other than Jesus, therefore, who teaches us to participate in government. I hope you vote. If you do not vote, I believe you have disobeyed your Lord. It's unthinkable that God Almighty would have ordained government and then told His people to stay out of it.  Then who would that leave to influence and to lead?
 

[Judy Harder]

July 5

What Sin Really Is

"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:18

The world doesn't really know what sin is. They think sin is lying, stealing, murder, adultery, arson, rape. No, those are sins. Do you know what sin is? Sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ that will damn a soul to hell. You don't go to hell because you steal, lie, kill, or fornicate.

I hear people say, "Sure, I lie every now and again, but God isn't going to send me to hell for that. I might fry a few years in purgatory, but to die in hell for lying doesn't make sense."

When a man talks that way, he doesn't understand sin.

Sin is high treason against a holy God. Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God. Sin says to God, "I will not bow to You. I will not serve You. I will not trust You." That is sin.

The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The great sin is not to do it.

[Judy Harder]

July 6

Day After Day—a Brand New Start

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10

So many people want to know what the victorious life is, but let me first tell you what it is not. It is not a life without ever committing a sin. It is not a life without ever having any failure. It is not a life without ever having any doubt. It is not a life without ever having discouragement.

Instead, the victorious life is the life of bringing our failures to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to give us a brand new start. Day after day I tell the Lord that I need a new start, that I need to be anointed with fresh oil today, and that I need forgiveness. I thank God that He is a God of grace, a God of glory, and a God of a second chance.

You're probably more prepared to serve God after failure and restoration, than perhaps at any other time in your life. Talk with Him today about giving you a new start.

[Judy Harder]

July 7

Surrender Will Lead You to the Will of God

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself." - John 7:17

There is an overriding principle taught in Scripture that will help us know and prove the will of God. It is the principle of surrender.

Many of us are absolutely afraid to pray, "Here I am. I am taking my hands off of my rights to my life...my desire to be married, have a family, get a good job. I give it all to You." We don't come to God and say, "Lord, show me Your will, then I will make up my mind whether to do it or not." You'll never know God's will that way.

Is there anything you would not do if you knew Jesus wanted you to do it? Is there any place you would not go if you knew Jesus wanted you to go? Is there anything you would not say if you knew Jesus wanted you to say it? Is there anything you would not be if you knew Jesus wanted you to be it? Is there anything you would not give if you knew Jesus wanted you to give it?