Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of freedom. I plan to go to exercise class, Creative Crafts, have a couple come to look at our apartment for possible living here some day and Bible Study later.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Would we say that we live our lives freely in God? He never coerces us but invites us to a life in Him and sets us free. Why do we resist? Paul writes to the Galatians and tells it like it is and says in Gal. 2:15. “We know we are not set right with God by rule keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ.” Paul himself had tried to keep all the rules to please God but discovered self-improvement was not the way and he could never be good enough.

The Lord wants to set us free from trying to be perfect, trying to earn what He already paid the price for. When we know that in our heart, we don’t have to live on edge to impress others and especially God—We can simply go about our lives letting the Lord direct us and responding to His Holy Spirit. He wants us to trust in Him and let Him live His life through us, not struggle by our own efforts.

Paul says in Gal. 511, “Doing things for God is opposite of entering into what God does for you.” We are to live our lives in relation to Him by faith, not futilely trying to earn our way. Jesus set us free to live a free life (Gal. 5:1). Let us not be burdened down trying to earn what is ours as a gift. What matters most is faith expressed in love (Gal. 5:6) That doesn’t mean we are free to do whatever we want but we are free to live creatively and serve others in love, that is how freedom grows. If we do acts of service to earn our way, we will tire out quickly. Let us live from a heart of gratitude for what the Lord has already done for us.

 Challenge for today: Quit being a “law man” (or woman) of rule keeping so you can be a “God’s man” or (woman) of God pleasing.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy