Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hope you are enjoying it and keeping warm too. The house is full of aroma as I just took S.F. Blueberry cinnamon bread out of the oven. A week from today we leave for Kansas and then on to N.C. where hopefully it is warmer! EmojiAnn just called and is on her way to shop and to stop in to see us. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How many times have we been fooled? We may have thought we recognized a friend but too late embarrassingly realized it was not him, but only a lookalike. Or maybe we ordered something we saw online and when the object is delivered, it looks greatly inferior to what was advertised and doesn’t really deliver as promised. Or maybe we have fallen for a scam and live to regret it.
I think we all have to admit that we can be duped. I am reading in Genesis now and Eve was the first one to be deceived and failed to recognize that the voice she listened to was that of the evil one. It cost her and Adam to be ushered out of the beautiful garden of Eden, and the consequences that followed affected not only them, but all generations.
How about us? So many are living in fear today. Is it because we are being fooled by the voice of the enemy and listening to him rather than to God?  Instead of ruminating on the bad things Satan tells us of what may happen, we can live in hope and expectancy of what God can do. Our focus needs to be on the Lord. Like it says in Isaiah 40:31 (Amplified), “But those who wait for the Lord (who expect, look for and hope in Him) will gain new strength and renew their power.” Our hope is in God and we need to hang on to the promises in His Word and disprove the lies of the enemy when he tries to deceive us and rob us of our peace.
King David got in so many tight spots when the outlook didn’t look good for him. But over and over again he called out to God and in Psalm 34 he says, “God met me more than halfway, He freed me from my anxious fears…If anyone is crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.”
No matter what kind of situations we are in today, we don’t need to live with anxiety, but can call out to the Lord. It is helpful to refute the lies of the enemy with the Word and hang on to those promises that speak truth to our hearts. His eyes are on us, let us put our eyes on Him.
Challenge for today: When you feel anxious and afraid, turn to the Lord and His Word.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy