Dear Ones,
It seems like we have entered a new season as it is only 37 degrees out today. Hard to believe family was swimming only a few days ago. Today I am doing food preparations and going to my exercise class this morning. Al is leading the Band of Brothers Soul Care group right now at church.This afternoon Al’s sister from Upper Michigan is coming for a visit and we enjoy times with her.  
Devotions from Judy’ heart
It’s exciting when God answers a need we have even before we are aware of what we lack and would be necessary for the future.  When that happens, we are so grateful and in awe of how He looks after us with the utmost care. But there are other times we pray and pray and wonder if God is really listening to us, for the answer doesn’t seem to come, at least not as quickly as we would like. I read an article from Jennifer Waddle on “Why don’t you hear God when you need Him most.” She gives several possible reasons and one is that we may not be listening. We are a very distracted culture today, especially by social media, and phones that seem almost attached to us day and night. We are left with wandering minds and interruptions even when we read the Word and pray. She suggests having a special place to go to meet in quiet with the Lord; it can be a study, a closet, a place in nature, but a place to be alone. The second reason we may feel the Lord isn’t speaking, is that He may be asking us to wait for the answer.  It was certainly that way for Job who suffered and wanted an answer long before it came. But for all of us, we are to rest and trust Him as we wait in anticipation until the time is ripe. The third reason we don’t hear God, is because the answer may already be given in the Word. There are some things that are very clear in the Bible and we don’t have to wonder about; we are not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to speak falsely etc. But for anything in question we are also told to ask Him, as it says in Matt. 21:22 (NRSV), “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” That means according to His will and timing. The last reason Jennifer gives is that God is asking us to trust Him, especially when our faith starts to waver. It helps to remember how God has been faithful in answering us in the past; or reading the lives of others who trusted God in times of testing. We can also ask for a verse to hang on to and then wait in confidence, knowing that He hears us. Let us not doubt but believe that God hears even our whispers.
Challenge for today: Carry I John 5:14 with you today. “And this is the confidence that we have towards Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy