Month: August 2022 (Page 1 of 4)
Dear Ones
Hope you wake to a lovely day. Today I plan to go downstairs with choc covered raspberries as I have been out of town the last 2 Tuesdays so they will be doubly appreicated today. its so wonderful to feel well again and Al is going to stay in the apt one more day so he is sure not to pass anything on to others. Thank you so much for your prayers for us and cards etc!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God is always desiring to teach us through the everyday happenings in our life, for we have so many lessons to learn. Some are learned the hard way and some relatively easy, depending on our receptivity.
Recently both Al and I have been sick as we were hit probably by a virus of some sort. I went from feeling just fine when I went to a luncheon at Ann’s, and by evening feeling extremely tired. I started running a fever which lasted for a few days and my energy was suddenly zapped. I spent most of my time in bed and along the way asked the Lord what He had to teach me through this and I will share a few things with you.
The most immediate revelation was the need to show empathy towards those with chronic conditions who rarely know what it is like to feel good. Because of their discomfort and pain, everything tests their energy level. I know the first couple days I was sick, I thought of only what I really had to do, like to cook heathy meals, and anything else would be extra. I managed the meals between my many naps but not much else. In our spiritual lives, we are to remember what is most important in our lives and give our energy to those things; we are not meant to sacrifice what is best for that which is good. Our priorities need to be straight!
I was made aware of how wise it is to have extra on hand for those unexpected times of need. I had chicken soup in the freezer for just such a time as sickness and it tasted wonderful and nourishing to us. We are also to prepare spiritually by storing up God’s word in our hearts. There are times we need to call out a verse to settle our fears, or calm our hearts, or give assurance to someone else; and it is right there because we have put it to memory.
Another thing is to realize we can’t do it all. There are times that Lord just wants us to rest and get refreshed and that is what we need to do. After a few days of being mostly in bed I stripped our bed and washed everything and after putting it all back together, I just laid down and went to sleep and it felt heavenly for I was out of steam! God knows, even in those times we are not aware, that we need rest!
We can’t ignore hard things and refuse to deal with them, just like the garbage that was piling up in our apartment. Since we were isolating ourselves, we were waiting for a time when others weren’t around to go to the dumpster. In our lives if we keep letting things go, they will pile up on us, and one day we will feel overwhelmed. God knows when the time is right to deal with things and it works best to be on His time schedule.
A big lesson for me to learn is just to receive and not put up a fuss about it. Before Al got sick, for two days in a row he insisted on giving me the Raindrop treatment of massaging oils into my feet and back. It felt so healing. These past days we both have been receiving cards and flowers and gifts and even Birthday cake outside our door. God is saying, “I see you and I have sent others to let you know I care!”
May each of us learn from the experiences God takes us through for truly He has them individually made for us.
Challenge for today: Be open and ask God to teach you in the circumstances you are now in.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
As a follower of Jesus, I have often prayed, “Your kingdom to come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I wonder how long a holy and righteous God will tolerate our indifference to him. Have we rejected the light that has been given us? The voices of “antichrist” seem more vocal and dominant. The display of “the rainbow flag” calls into question the creation story, while discrimination against those who live under the Lordship of Christ leads to believers being “canceled” by zealous opponents of biblical truth.
I ask, “How long will God keep silent?” Are we beginning to see his judgment in the unraveling of our culture? I don’t know. But along with the prophet Habakkuk, I ask, “How long, Lord, must I call for help but you do not listen?” I wonder how prevalent this cry is among God’s people today? Are we too blind and deaf to not see God’s hand of judgment in current affairs? I wonder!
Isaiah asked the people of God, “Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don’t yell and make a scene do you think I don’t exist.” God accuses them of looking to “no-gods” for help. “I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.” (Is. 57:11-12 – MSG).
While it may seem that God is disinterested, there will come a time when He will break forth. Isaiah uses the vivid image of childbirth, in describing God breaking through: “I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor. I will cry and groan and pant … I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them” (Is 42:14-15 NLT).
I find this image compelling, when I consider the distress and confusion believers have as they see the influence of the gospel diminishing, as the pollsters tell us Americans are becoming less religious, and as we follow the “no-gods” of the current day. Even though God seems to be indifferent, the time will come when He suddenly break into history in a profound way.
What is the advice Isaiah gives? We are to wait. This is expressed in three different ways.
- “I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him” (Is. 8:17). While the predominant sentiment might be indifference to God, we trust in his sovereignty over history and wait.
- “Yes, Lord walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts” (Is. 26:8). While God seems silent, we deeply long for God, waiting for him, because our hearts are set on Him and find their delight in him.
- “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (Is. 64:4).
We wait, knowing that God will act in his good time. “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'” (Rev. 21:5). He calls us to patience.

Devotions from Judy’s heart
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