May 19, 2021

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying this day! This morning I made cookies and got some exercise before my Fitbit class as I cleaned Al’s study while he had men’s group. This afternoon I am going downstairs for the craft time before our walk on the trail. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We can’t fix ourselves and need to lay our lives down before the Lord so He can do a deep work in us. His way leads to the cross where we humbly surrender ourselves and find real peace. The process is not always quick or without pain and He uses many ways to get us to the point where we die to ourselves. God knows where to probe and cut and sometimes we resist when He takes away a desire or strips us of a relationship, or we go through a painful circumstance. But He is only cutting away the rubbish of our selfishness and pride so we can come to the place of real wholeness and peace. It’s important not to resist how He wants to bring all this about for He knows the best way for each of us. I am going through a physical process now that seems very much like this spiritual process. When I went to the dermatologist, she put me on Fluorouracil which is used to treat precancerous lesions and skin cancers. I have had many skin cancers on my body from my youthful days in the sun, and this ointment she ordered for me is to use on my face. It says that it kills atypical, rapidly growing cells while allowing healthy skin to survive. That sounds good but I am in the middle of a 4 week process of using this ointment that causes my skin to get inflamed/scabbed/and blistered at first. And if that wasn’t enough, I have to use it on my lips as well and each day they seem to be getting bigger. I am sensitive to light during this time and have to wear a large hat to shade my face when I walk.  When I have the ointment on, others ar not to touch my skin until it is washed off. At the end of 4 weeks, if I can last, my skin may be pink for some time but should be healthy skin.  Spiritually it is much like God’s transformation process in us as He cuts way those things that hinders our closeness to Him. We have to surrender ourselves to let Him do the work and during that time it can be messy and painful. We might say, “That’s enough” but then we won’t get rid of those spiritual cancers that will cause serious problems. It is an individual process as each one should keep their hands off of what God is doing. Others may have different troublesome spots from ours and the Lord will deal with them. It is mostly done out of the bright light of others as it is a hidden work. But after the process of cutting away that which is hindering our life with the Lord, we may say as Peter in I Peter 4:10 (ESV), “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ. Will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Challenge for today: Submit to God’s knife and let Him do a deep work in you.