Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this day. Al went to men’s group this morning and I went downstairs for donuts, made stir fry and went to Aldi’s. This afternoon we have Bible study here and then Ann is coming over as she is in Brainerd today. We had a little rain and hope it helps clear some of the smoke.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How good are we are listening to the Lord and following through with obeying His voice? The way of peace is to listen and to do His will and not our own. The Psalmist said in Psalm 85:8 “I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.” 
Each day we make a decision whether we will follow God’s way or our own. It is not always easy to surrender our will and go with His plan but it has peaceful dividends! Sometimes we may not be actually sure what His will is and we struggle. We can’t always trust our feelings but need to base the answer on the Word. What God asks of us will not violate what He has already told us in the Bible.  When we don’t have a clear answer, we need to wait and pray and watch for signs from Him. Sometimes He uses circumstances in our lives and it’s like He opens a door before us or shuts the door. It may be good to ask advice from others we respect and also list the pros and cons. But ultimately it is His will that we seek and it doesn’t always make practical sense. When Al would receive a call from a new church, we tried to put ourselves in neutral and prayed and waited and listened. Sometimes it was yes and sometimes the answer was no but we experienced peace in doing His will.
 I smiled this morning as I read about Saul and how surprised he must have been when his life took a radical turn; he was told to go find his father’s lost donkeys. He never expected to have an extreme change take place in his life. He met the prophet/priest Samuel who told him that his donkeys were found but had some life changing words for him; he would prophesy with a group of prophets and also become king. Samuel then anointed him with oil as God changed Saul’s personal plan for his life and he was to become Israel’s first king.  Samuel said to him in I Sam 10:7 (The Message), “When these confirming signs are accomplished, you’ll know that you’re ready: Whatever job you’re given to do, do it. God is with you!”. That is also good words for us for when we are in God’s will we have peace and the closeness of His presence with us.
Challenge for today: Step out in faith for whatever the Lord has for your life. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy