Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. This morning I made a cherry cheesecake pie, a stir fry veggie dish, and choc covered raspberries that seem to disappear rapidly.Emoji I also went to my exercise class and later we plan to go on the Paul Bunyan trail. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our faith is often tested during troublesome times, and we may wonder if we will pass the test, showing our faith to be genuine. Peter says in I Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trialls, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
We all go through these times of testing and our pastor used Moses one Sunday as an example in his sermon. He got our attention as he came down the aisle dressed as Moses in a long robe, wearing a mask of an old man with flowing gray hair and beard, carrying a long rod. He looked just like the pictures you likely saw in Sunday School of Moses carrying the 10 commandments.
Pastor shared how Moses’ parents defied human authority to do what was right before God. Hebrew baby boys were to be killed at birth and yet his parents ignored the king’s edict and hid Moses for 3 months. Baby Moses was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace but later in life, Moses also gave up his privileged life to identify with God’s people. He was willing to give up the treasures of Egypt for eternal reward. He left Egypt and by faith led the people of God out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and trusted in God’s provision for salvation. He certainly passed the test of faith as he saw the big picture, and gave up earthly pleasures.
How about us when tested? Do we resist when to obey man would be to go against God’s way? Or are we short sighted and give in to the pressures around us that go against God. We need courage when it becomes necessary to defy man’s authority to do what is right in God’s sight?
Like the song goes, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold/ I’d rather have Jesus than riches untold/ I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land. I’d rather be led by his nail pierced hand/ Than to be the king of a vast domain/ or be held in sin’s dread sway/ I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”
Let us be people of faith that when tested come forth as pure gold!
Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area of your life that you are compromising in, and stand up for what is right in God’s sight.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy