Month: January 2012 (Page 2 of 4)

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you ever gone to a meeting and wondered who is in charge? It is a question we can ask ourselves each day…who is in charge of my life today? Is it God or have I taken over again?   I read from a devotional book today of how we need to live in the awareness that God is Boss. He is the one that orchestrates the events of our lives. Our part is turn over our wills and lives to Him and He will give us all we need for the day. He is the One the gives us a sense of purpose each day. Often our plans for the day are vastly different from how the day actually turns out. A visitor may surprise us at our door, or we may get a bad report from the Dr., or a sudden accident occurs. I remember recently when the Hospice nurse called and told me dad had died, My whole day and world changed. Yes, things can change in an instant. But one thing we know is that God is with us and can work good out everything. His ways are higher than our ways, and even His thoughts higher than our thoughts. ( Isaiah 55:9)  Let us remember who is in charge and let the Lord be Boss…what a secure place to be!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

One day my cousin suggested coming over in the afternoon and said she would get back to me. I waited and didn’t hear and e-mailed her but no answer.  A couple hours later Al was going to use the phone and realized I had a message waiting. The answer was in that message only I forgot to check the answering machine. ( It doesn’t beep) It caused me to think of times when we might think God has forgotten us and not answered our prayers. We wait and wait and may feel He has abandoned us. But that is not the case. He is always speaking to us and leaving us messages. It is we who need to put ourselves in position to receive those words from Him. It was my fault for not checking the answering machine, just as when God speaks I need to listen to all the ways he may answer me. My cousin didn’t use the mode of e-mail, she used a phone message… so we need to be receptive for whatever mode He would speak to us. A familiar verse comes to mind from Jer. 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Devotions from Judy’s heart

As we have recently entered into 2012, it is time to let go of the old and begin afresh. For most of us that means getting rid of our clutter so we have room for the new. Physically, I have begun to get rid of clutter in the house, especially my closets that are filled to overflowing. I have a perfect place to bring the things I don’t use or wear as we have a Share and Care in Hackensack. Why are we so reluctant to get rid of things? Do we think that we will need them down the line and if we give something away will we miss it? If we want to live a more simple life, it often means sorting out the clutter. In I Tim 5:6-7 it says “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”  Further down in this chapter it says we are to set our hopes on God who gives us everything.  We are to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for the future. Let us  go into 2012 by de-cluttering so there will more room for Him, and less of us!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

On Friday I went for a prayer walk and to visit my neighbor. It was very warm in the house by the wood stove so I dressed in a t-shirt and then my winter jacket. But when I got outside in the 3 degree weather, I wished I had dressed a lot warmer.  I should have dressed for the outside weather and not based what I wore on the internal temperature. I think it is that way when we go out into the world. We need to insulate ourselves, lest the world get to us. We can go to a nice worship service at church and feel so warm and cozy. But when we go out into the world we need to have on spiritual protection.  In Romans 12:2 we are given a warning, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould”.  And in I John 2:15 we are told not to give our hearts to this world or to any of the things in it. “The whole world- system, based as it is on men’s desire, their greedy ambitions, and the glamour of all that they think splendid, is not derived from the Father at all, but for the world itself. The world and all its passionate desire will one day disappear. But the man who is following God’s will is part of the permanent and cannot die.” Let us insulate ourselves but not isolate ourselves from the world. May we give ourselves fully to His kingdom and not give our hearts to the world.
(Today I wore a scarf around my mouth neck and mouth and perhaps the mouth is an area we especially need protection. How easy it is to use our mouth in saying things that are better unsaid!)

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you ever started a project and it leads to another and to another? I have an idea it is that way with our heart make -overs.  A friend wrote that they were going to redo their kitchen completely but when they tore out everything to the studs, they found that their balcony overhang needed attention and their bedroom and the hallway. It seems that way with our hearts. The Lord works in one area and we think it is taken care of and then there is another big area that needs attention. I suspect He will always be uncovering and working on an area in our lives, for the completion won’t come until Glory. But we can rejoice that our Father loves us enough not to leave us as we are but wants to transform us to be more like Him. As it says in II Cor. 3:18,  “ We are transformed in ever increasing splendor into His own image, and this is the work of the Lord who is the Spirit.” May His work in us continue until the day we see him face to face.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

 I am just back from my prayer walk and it is a windy but sunny day with everything covered over in a white blanket. I saw 3 deer prance to the right of me and 2 eagles on the lake eating fish left by the fisherman. It’s great to visually see nature at its best but there is so much going on that we can’t see. I saw many animal tracks and when I got to my cousins to check on her hot tub, it looked like a family of deer had had a party in her driveway by the tracks they left behind. I thought of how wonderful we think it is when we see such visual signs of God at work and just know it is the Lord….like maybe a vision or a specific word that is only known to us; maybe a parking place that opens up for us when are in a hurry; or maybe goose bumps or warm heat as we are being healed of something. But what about the times we can’t “feel” his presence or see His answer to our prayers?  If we look hard, often we can see his “tracks” and know He has been there before us. But even when we can’t seem to, we have His promise that He is with us and answers our every prayer. Yes, it is nice when it is obvious but He wants us to trust when we can’t see. We are never abandoned or alone.  As a child I learned the song, “No never alone, no never alone, He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone!””

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Yesterday at our Bible Study group we studied the book of Mark. What stood out to me was the story of Jesus transfiguration ( Mark 9)  on the mountaintop with  Peter, James and John  present. They must have been so filled with awe as they saw Jesus blazing whiteness and light, Moses and Elijah’s appearance, and the voice that spoke of Jesus’ belovedness. Wouldn’t you have wanted to be there too? The day before our study Al and I were in Grand Rapids to get our eyes checked. We had our eyes dilated and when we came out of the office we could hardly see. Usually they give us sunglasses but none were offered that day. Everything shown brilliantly and was so hard to just focus. I thought of Jesus transfiguration that day and then was so surprised when it was part of our lesson yesterday. Jesus brilliance reflects light from within Him and we can’t take it all in.  He comes to us in so many different ways and reveals His glory and purity and power. Sometimes we have those mountain top experiences like Peter, James and John, and we would really like to stay on the mountain and not come down. But there is much to learn in the valleys and the ordinariness of our lives. Let us praise Him in whatever way He reveals Himself to us whether it be a mountain top experience, or grace in the valley, or his presence in our every day mundane lives. He is always present with us. Always!

Devotions from Judy’s heart,
When the pastor’s who were here on retreat went for a sauna, Al had to empty out the frozen water in the pails and get fresh. So he dumped a big ice chunk in our back yard and it is still there and may be until spring. Every time I go out the door I see this block of ice and think what it takes to melt it. If I took it inside our house and put by the warm stove, it would be melted in a very short time. But out in the cold, it will take a long time. It reminded me of people who are like that island of ice and rather cold towards people and distant towards God. We may feel like leaving them alone but how will they ever change and come to know God? When we take them into our hearts and show them love, it may be the only way they will melt and be able to receive. Often it is the crustiest people that need the most love. How often God uses His children to show His love to those who might not even know their need for Him!  All people need love, even those that appear self sufficient and without need.  Let us be His welcoming presence to all we meet and not just to the warm friendly ones.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

On Sunday Al and I watched part of the Bronco came as we enjoy seeing Tim Tebow play. But since we had 3 pastors coming for retreat I had to record the last half of the game. After the pastors went to bed, Al and I were all excited to watch the finish of the game, even though we were tired. We were so disappointed as my recording cut off at the end of the game when it was tied but failed to show what happened in the over time.  We found out from the news what happened but didn’t get to see the winning pass etc. I thought of our spiritual race and how we may go “great guns” to begin with and then fail to finish the course. What a disappointment. We get tired and give up before the race is over. But Paul tells us in Heb 12:1 to throw off everything that hinders and entangles us so we can run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We are encouraged to fix our eyes on Him and keep the goal in mind that at the end we may say,”I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me o that day.”  ( II tim. 4) Let us not just go part way and give up but go, go, go to the finish line!