Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying another beautiful Day. We may not get our walk in today as we are servers for the summer picnic party for those  here at Northern Lakes. This morning I made Al’s cookies and a stir-fry veggie dish and porkchops covered with baked apple slices. Emoji Would appreciate prayers for our son Kurt who has been running a fever for a few days. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
With this scorching weather both Al and I remarked we are glad we don’t live in the desert where there are many more days like this. Desert times remind us of a place of lack and deprivation. But maybe desert times in our lives seem more challenging… like when our health goes, or loss of finances, or times of turmoil. What do we do? We have only to look to the Lord, and not ourselves or others but Him. I was reading an article by Robert Hotchkin, founder of Men on Front Lines, and he shares about desert times when we have nothing to rely on other than God. We need Him and we know we need Him in a big way; no more relying on ourselves or others. Robert gives the example of the children of Israel going through the desert for 40 years as they had the tangible presence of the Lord with them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night. He was always present. They also were fed in a supernatural way realizing as they woke up each morning there would be manna on the ground, water from a rock when thirsty and quail to eat. Their sandals and clothes never wore out, and God provided everything! Our nation is in desert times and in great need now for we have strayed from God. We have trusted in other things and manmade idols, and left God out. There is lack of reverence for God and desire for truth. How do we get back to being under God? Robert gives us some hints of what we need to do. First to repent in any area we are dependent on man or manmade systems to supply.  God is our provider and we must look to Him. He cares and will make a way for us. We can ask for His grace to trust, especially as we watch the negative news. We need to follow where He leads us and not give in to our doubts. He encourages us to look to our past wins and see how mighty God has showed Himself, like when David killed the lion and the bear or slew the giant. We also need to be other focused rather than on ourselves. Then as we worship Him and get our eyes off the enemy or ourselves, we can know in our hearts that He is faithful and He will supply all that we need, especially as we go through desert times. As John said in I John 4:9 (ESV), “No fear exists where love is.” May we walk through desert times aware of how much He loves us and is faithful.
Challenge for today: Don’t spend time rehearsing all the negative things of your desert times, but look to the Lord to meet every need and give Him praise.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy