Love Worth Finding

[Judy Harder]

October 28

Come This Morning to the Cleansing Basin

"Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." - Psalm 51:2

Before a priest could enter the Holy of Holies, he had to stop by the basin and wash his hands and feet. He had already been washed from head to toe, but there is no floor in the tabernacle, only dirt. This final preparation before he entered God's presence was to symbolize the washing away of the defilement of this world.

As you and I come into contact with the world, we are going to become defiled. We don't need a bath all over. We are already saved. But each day we must ask God to search our hearts and cleanse us from our sins.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if each of us came into the presence of God as seriously as the Old Testament priests? We should. Have you been to the cleansing basin this morning?

[Judy Harder]

October 29

Are You Sitting on the Lukewarm Fence?

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." - Philippians 1:20

May God help us today in the midst of our lukewarm apathy toward the things that matter most to Him! If it's worth anything, it's worth everything. May God forgive those who will not go the second mile.

Now, in some things moderation is good, like eating, rest, recreation, exercise, and finances. But when it comes to spiritual warfare, moderation is a sin. When it comes to believing the Bible, moderation is a sin. When it comes to loving the Lord, moderation is a sin!

Suppose a wife asked her husband, "Honey, do you love me?" And he said, "Well, moderately." She'd fix his wagon, don't you think?

Friend, if the world considers you a "moderate" when it comes to your Christianity, you are riding the fence of lukewarmness.

[Judy Harder]

October 30

God May Use Distress to Expand Your Influence

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." - 1 Chronicles 4:10

The story of Jabez is one of a man who wanted his influence to be enlarged. God can stretch you, as well.

If you ask that God enlarge your influence, be aware of this: For the Psalmist, Psalm 4:1 says that God enlarged him when he was "in distress." You can expect that God may use distressing circumstances to do that in you. And the pain will be worth it all.

When God enlarges you, He does so to fill you with more of Himself. Don't be satisfied with God's filling a small place if God wants to fill a larger place.

Are you ready to say, "God I want more. I want You to enlarge my coasts. I don't want just a blessing. I want a blessing indeed"? We need to pray big prayers to a big God.

[Judy Harder]

October 31

Giving the Devil Plenty to Mourn About

"Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." - Colossians 2:12

People often ask me, "Why do Baptists immerse people—put them fully under the water—when a new convert to Christ is baptized?"  Because that's what God's Word teaches. When you go under the water, that is a picture of your death and burial. When you come up out of the water, that is a picture of your resurrection. "Buried with Him." "Risen with Him."

If I died and you took me to the cemetery and sprinkled a few granules of dirt on my head, have you truly buried me? No. The very word "baptism" means to immerse.

Your baptism is a funeral service: Dead to the old life. Raised to newness of life. And the devil doesn't like that. The baptismal is a liquid tomb, and the mourner who comes to that funeral is the devil. Let's be sure he has plenty to mourn about.

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 1

Is It Too Late for National Revival?

"If My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

I am believing God for a national revival. You know, sometimes we think that it's just too late and we need to hunker down. That's what the devil wants us to do.

It's always too soon to quit. God has sent revival in the darkest days before, and there's not one shred of Scripture that says we cannot have revival in dark days.

It is not too late for America. And I don't want you to say, "My country, right or wrong." No, I want you to get right. One by one, let's get right with God and then we can say it, sing it, pray it and mean it, "God bless America." But there's something more important than America, and it's the kingdom of God. I'm not interested in making America a better place to go to hell from. People need to be saved.

The best thing you could do would be to lead another person to Jesus Christ. Then you will not just have a better citizen—you'll have a new creation and a citizen of God's kingdom! If someone asked you today how to be saved, are you prepared to lead them to Jesus Christ?

[Judy Harder]

November 2

Strengthened by Your Foes

"Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not." - Numbers 14:9

Joshua and Caleb faced formidable foes in the Promised Land, and yet what was their response to their enemies? "They are bread for us." (Numbers 14:9).

What is bread? It is the staff of life. What happens when you eat bread? You are strengthened by it and you grow by it.

Paul also faced formidable foes. He wrote, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9).

Why isn't the door to victory easy? Because if it were easy, then you would become weak in your effort to work out your faith in God. God places obstacles in your path to give you strength. "Wheaties" is not the breakfast of champions— giants are. God wants you to feed upon your difficulties and depend upon Him to make you a conqueror.

What does it take to strengthen your body? What does it take to build your intellect? What does it take to grow love in relationships? Work. Read Philippians 2:12-13 and apply it to your life today.

[Judy Harder]

NOVEMBER 3

Renouncing the Rebel Inside

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:20

Is there stirring in your heart a spirit of rebellion today? Maybe you don't even recognize it. But if you do, let me plead with you to do something about it right now.

Ask God to cleanse you from your desire to rebel.
Ask Him to root out the rebel in you. He is not going to remove it until you renounce it. It is your choice.
Ask Him to forgive you for the foolish and careless words you have spoken.
Ask Him to take out that spirit of rebellion against authorities.
Ask Him to teach you how to lovingly respect people when they are in the wrong.

Either you crown Jesus as Lord, or you crucify Him. Are you with Jesus today or are you against Him?

Is there someone who has wronged you and you seek revenge? Do you have a need to have your rights exalted above others? Read and apply the truth of Philippians 2:3-11.
 

[Judy Harder]

November 4

Excuses or Obedience?

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." - Romans 6:22

In First Samuel 15, we read the story of how Saul failed to destroy the animals that God said were to be utterly put to death. Samuel confronted Saul about this and Saul told a lie: that he was going to sacrifice them, but he just hadn't done it yet.

And Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Samuel 15:22-23a). To rebel against the Lord "is as the sin of witchcraft" because it puts you in the realm of the devil.

When God gives a clear command from His Word, we are not to parade it past the judgment bar of our human wisdom. We are to obey whether we understand it or agree with it. It is either God's Word or it is not.

[Judy Harder]

November 5

The Troubling Problem of Dropout Citizens

"Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;" - Leviticus 26:8

When it comes to the political scene and government, there are some people who have dropped out all together. They have the idea that if you get involved in government, somehow that's the "social gospel." They see the political scene as being dirty and worldly. And some have been intimidated by the great debate between church and state. And so people have just hunkered down, trying to hold on till Jesus comes.

We can't drop out. Edward Everett Hale, author of the story "The Man Without a Country" once wrote:

"I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

I am only one in a small voice.  But a lot of small voices together can do something. Believe that and act upon it. Jesus said, "Occupy till I come."

[Judy Harder]

November 6

The Bad Citizenship of Good People

"Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin." - James 4:17

In our spiritual life, our home life, and our church life, we have duties to perform and commitments to keep. The same is true in our national life. Some people say, "I don't see the perfect candidate, so I'm not voting." If we don't speak – who's left to speak? Jesus said we're to "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's." Our Caesar is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Our government requires our vote.

If a person chooses not to participate when and where the battle is enjoined, then in my estimation, that's disobedience to the Lord.  One vote can make a difference.