Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this beautiful sunny day. I have been busy in the kitchen this morning and Al was at Men’s group. This afternoon we have Bible Study here and later today I hope to go spend my Kohl’s dollars! Emoji
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
   When we know the Lord, we are not always to be YES people but rather those who seek to do the will of God in each circumstance. Sometimes we need to say No because God has not purposed for us to do something, even though it has merit. If the enemy can’t get us one way, he will try to get us so busy that we weaken in our resolve to serve the Lord.  
   Our faithfulness is to be to the Lord and not men’s will, and the Lord wants to guide us and lead us each day of our lives and has promised to do so. It says in Psalm 32:8 (ESV), “I will instruct you and teach you in the way the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” It is important to stay close to the Lord and listen to His voice so we can hear His directions for our lives and not fall prey to the wishes of others, even in the church. Maybe I should say especially in the church. We can get overly involved in saying yes to so many good things that we neglect our time with the Lord and our family.
  I was reading today how we often say yes, because we want to avoid conflict and we want to be seen as a caring-giver. We might think that people will only love us and want to be around us if we keep giving to them. We question if they will stick around us if we say no and don’t do all that they want. We come across as not having any needs ourselves, but what happens is that we then get drained, and burn out. We can’t and shouldn’t say yes to everything. Parents who only say yes to all of their kids wants are training them to be selfish and entitled. Instead, when they are told no, they find that they can’t demand everything they want but must give and take. That is part of life. If we are all giving and not receiving the balance scale will tip over and we will be left feeling drained.
  The better way is to ask the Lord to direct us by His Holy Spirit to instruct and teach us the way we should go. Sometimes it is giving to those around us, and sometimes it is in saying, “No, I don’t believe that is how the Lord is directing me right now.” Let us be Yes people only in relation to the Lord…His will above our will!
Challenge for today: The next time you are asked to do something, pause and pray before giving an answer.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy