Dear Ones,
 May you make a difference for the Lord each day. This is our last hotel night and we are at the Drury in Iowa City enjoying a little time to retreat. Tomorrow night we hope to be home in our own bed with thankful hearts for your prayers. I am sending this out early tonight as we will leave right after breakfast in the morning.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Does our life honor the Lord or does it give a different message than what we speak with our lips? I think we have all been disillusioned when someone we highly respect behaves in a manner that is not even Christian. Perhaps we have heard a great speaker and read his book, and then discover he treats those under him badly and even having a love affair. It’s so important to live what we believe if we are to make a difference in this world to influence others for the Lord.

None of us is perfect, for sure, and we have so many examples in scripture of people that have royally blown it, but when they repented and changed their ways they were forgiven and restored. That doesn’t mean we should go out and live a life of sin because we know the Lord will forgive us, but rather that we should live like Jesus and repent when we go astray. The apostle Paul said in II Thess 1:11, “If your life honors the name of Jesus, He will honor you.” He encourages the followers of Jesus to live worthy of His calling so that He is glorified in them.

Our conversation should also be different when we know the Creator of the Universe. If He put the world in place, can’t He take care of things? As Christians we see the horrendous violence that is taking place all over the world as seen on the news, but we must not be without hope. Do we talk as if the Lord is absent or are we prompted to pray and even share what the Lord is doing. In the midst of all the chaos there is also revival happening, especially amongst young people. We just celebrated Easter and were reminded of the power that raised Jesus from the dead is also in us. In Romans 6 Paul shares how we were baptized into His death and now walk in newness of life like Jesus who was raised from the dead.

Let us live as those who have been freed from the power of the enemy and become more like Jesus each day.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to show you ways that your life is not honoring Him and pray for His power to change you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy