Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of sunshine even though it is raining outside. I just finished doing some food prep as Ann is coming for lunch when I get home from my exercise class. We also have Bible Study tonight. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
It is so important to tend our souls each day and that means dealing with our sin. Every day it is a battle to die to self which is not reforming of our sinful patterns, but rather a death of those things that hinder our relationship to the Lord. The more we die to sin, the more we come alive to God through faith.                                                                                                                                                                                                             When we come to know the Lord, we are justified, which means we are made right with God and He looks on us as if we have never sinned. But then comes the sanctification process which is an ongoing process as we grow to be more like the Lord. That is a life long process and He gives us rules to live by that will help guide us, and show us when we go astray. The rules are not bad; they are really a guide and like a mirror to help us see where we go off on our own. In some ways it is like a protecting wall against doing evil and perverse things.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             As children we probably thought teachers that had few rules were the best ones, but when the room was full of chaos and was hard to hear and study, we may have wished for a stricter teacher. We are in a culture now that seems to think that rules don’t apply, or at least only to certain people and we see what results. It is no longer safe on the streets, and innocent people are suffering. We need laws because we have a sinful nature.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Each one of us is accountable to the Lord. It is against Him that we sin and do evil. He gives us rules to help us know how to live and show us when we go astray. But He also gives us Gospel to motivate and empower us to follow Him. We need both. When we throw off restraints and choose to live any way we choose, we can end up like the prodigal son… far from home and wondering if his father would hire him even as a servant. God is a loving Father but we are not to live according to our flesh nature that does not submit to God’s laws, but rather live according to the Spirit which is llfe and peace. (Romans 8:6-8)   May we choose not to neglect our souls but choose to deal with our sin and grow in grace.
Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas you have compromised and to walk instead by the Spirit.  
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy