February 9, 2023

Dear Ones,

Hope you will have a gorgeous day. Yesterday seemed almost like spring! Today I am going to clean and pack and this afternoon we have Bible Study and errands to run. Then tomorrow we leave very early for Kansas to celebrate the Super Bowl this weekend with Kurt’s family. We usually stop on the way at Barnes and Noble also. Appreciate prayers for good health and travel safety etc. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart

  God speaks in so many ways and we probably think of scripture first. But no matter if He would use other ways like circumstances, a word given by a stranger, a sign in nature etc., it will never contradict what the Bible says. We can be assured of that.! We have several Bible Studies throughout our week, but although we may gain new knowledge, the important thing is to know our God of the Word and to love and grow deeper in Him. 

   We might go along thinking we are doing fine in our Christian life but as we meditate on the Word, we see more the condition of our hearts. There are areas of our heart that need to change and we get convicted as we come into the light of His Word. We are even told in Lam. 3:40 (God’s Word), “Let us look closely at our ways and examine them and then turn to the Lord.” It is something that we daily need to do, to see if our lives are in line with scripture and to reorder them under God.

   It helps to hear the Lord when we still ourselves and spend some time in quiet and attentiveness to listen.  Then we need to agree with the Holy Spirit when He shows us what needs to change in our lives. We find peace when we let go of the things that are binding us and holding us back. When we surrender all, we come into a place of peace and experience God’s love in deeper ways. Whatever we give up makes more room for Him and draws us closer and He opens our ears to hear Him.

  The Lord also encourages us to give Him all our fears and anxious thoughts. The bottom line is that when we fear losing what we love, then what we desire has become more important than Him. Wanting something is not sinful, but when we want it so much that it trumps our love for the Lord it becomes sin. Let us trust Him for He knows what is best for us and it will happen in His perfect timing, always lining up with scripture.

  Challenge for today: Read scripture with an open heart and listen to what the Lord has to say to you.