Dear Ones,
Hope we wake to a day of sunshine after the rain yesterday. Al will be preaching next door this morning and I have my Exercise class and Crafts and later Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
As things get worse in our culture, we will all have to decide where we stand. Will we just go along with those things that violate what scripture says or will we take a stand for what is right before God? At first, we may be tempted to compromise in little ways, but before long we will realize we have strayed far from what God says. It is a slippery slope, and we need to be careful not to water down what the Word says, for it will lead us to a place of compromise of our faith.

Jeremiah spoke to the people what God gave him and didn’t compromise the truth. Most often they didn’t listen and heed the message and suffered for it. Even though the people had been freed long ago from bondage in Egypt, they got tired of living by faith and didn’t acknowledge God’s ways. As a result, they were taken to Egypt where there were set rules and worship of idols. Jeremiah detested the place, but his city had been taken over by the Babylonians, just as he said would happen, and he was put in chains and on his way to Babylon. It was a 700-mile journey in the heat but only a few miles out of the city, the Babylonian captain stopped and spoke a word to Jeremiah from King Nebuchadnezzar. He gave Jeremiah a choice of going there to Babylon or staying behind in his own country with a few of the weak and poor people left behind. He either had to stay in the place where he was made fun of, put in a cistern to die, and ridiculed or go to a foreign country where God is not honored. His chains were cut off and he had to decide between the hard life of staying behind or going to Babylon in protective custody of the king, Life in Babylon would be easier by far and he would be protected and have a pension and not have to even work. The choice was his. He chose to live by faith and stayed in Jerusalem with the poor, believing God would one day restore his remnant people into a holy nation. He rejected the easy life in a place where God was not recognized, to live a hard life where faith was built in God.

I believe in the days to come we are going to have to make decisions if we stand: for God and His kingdom or for our culture that rejects God. Just like Jeremiah, if we choose the Lord, it won’t be easy and we may be made fun of and suffer and be persecuted as He said we would. But do we want to live by faith in God, or do we want to bow to the evil of our culture. Let us choose wisely and He will give us the courage and strength to stand.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage to stand firm in Him and not compromise.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy