Category: Sister Judy (Page 13 of 276)

I often pray, “Lord, you are the potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still.” No we won’t always get our own way, and it is a good thing we don’t, for we how would we grow? He wants to shape us into the most beautiful vessels for His glory. When we are centered on self, our world is very small. Paul says in Phil. 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourself.” If we are honest, we may admit we feel light and joy-filled when we are helping others and giving of ourselves, for there is less of us and more of Him.

Let us not be like spoiled children who demand all the attention, wanting their own way, but rather ones who express gratitude and value others as highly as themselves.

I don’t know about you, but I would like to be fruitful and flourish just like a cedar tree that grows about a foot each year. If we are planted in the house of the Lord, we will be rubbing shoulders with other like-minded believers who also want to grow. We can connect and stimulate faith in one another and share together. We were never meant to go it alone but together we become knit with the Body of Christ.

Today we hear people say they don’t need to go to church and can catch a service when they want online. That is saying they don’t need fellowship and their spiritual gifts that I also read about in Romans 12 today will not get used. (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving leading, and showing mercy)

Spiritual gifts are meant for the Body of Christ and when we are not gathered with others, those gifts get neglected and unused. We might say it is robbery. But I like how the Psalmist closes Psalm 92 by saying that the those who are planted in the Lord’s house will blossom, “grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age.”

Samuel came from an Amish family and was only nine years old when he almost lost his arms and legs in a farm accident. It took 29 operations to save his life and three of his limbs, so you can imagine the medical bills that resulted in six figures. The family found a solution to this huge financial problem by opening their home to strangers each weekend. They served nourishing meals and guests were touched by their simple Amish way of life. When the meal ended, guests left them a donation and also saw the joy they experienced. Many people desired to help, and also sent encouraging letters and cards.  Half of their medical bill had been paid off in the first five years, for they gave of themselves and their home and touched the lives of others.

The Lord wants all of us to practice hospitality and let His love shine through us to others. In Romans 12:13 it says, “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” The Message translation says, “Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” We are to use all of ourselves to serve Him in whatever way we can. The more of our life we release to Him, the more joy we will experience. Let us not hold back, but give and serve freely.

We are meant to view our life in light of eternity. Maybe others who are so invested in the world seem to be getting ahead, but then what is the end of it all. Eternity without the Lord is not worth going the way of the world. In fact, the Lord may even use our trials and temptations to help us grow in faith and love and not get attached to the pleasures of the world. When we cling to Him our empty lives are filled with His love and joy and purpose.

The enemy likes to mess with our thinking and speak lies to us, so we must be on guard. Maybe right now our times with the Lord seem rather dry when we wish for warm fuzzy feelings as we spend time in the word and prayer. But our lives with the Lord are more than feelings and it is about uniting our will with His, wanting what He wants, loving what He loves and living for His glory. Just like in marriage we aren’t always left breathless with loving thoughts but we love our mates and work hard together to be in unity.  We also refrain from putting ourselves in situations that lead to temptation.

All our lives the enemy will try to tempt us in various ways, but may we resist and resolve to go God’s way with His strength to say NO! We can run to the cross and ask for Christ’s help to resist the temptations to anger, jealousy, envy, evil thoughts etc. We have the promise of His help in Psalm 49:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

“In answer to your question, one of the very first individuals that comes to mind about self-sacrifice is my oldest sister Ruth. She took on an enormous weight of responsibility when our mom was going through cancer treatments for the first time in 2001. Ruth sacrificed her childhood to care for an ill mother and 7 younger siblings.

She cooked, cleaned, and cared for us younger siblings. She was a young adult being in a parent role at the age of 16. It was a weight she should not have had to carry all by herself, but she did a great job, not perfect, but she did it to the best of her abilities. Even coming to care for our Mom when we could no longer care for her needs at home, Ruth and her husband Martin drove from Alaska to MN to help mom transition to a care facility and help clean and sell her home as required by the state to cover her facility costs.

The name Ruth means beautiful friend and that is who my sister Ruth is! She loves like Jesus and goes the extra mile. She is prayerful and her children already love the Lord by the example of Him they see in their mom.

I am doubly blessed to have a sister in the Lord who is also my biological sister. All the memories of childhood intermingled with the valleys and mountaintops of our faith in Jesus makes our bond so much dearer and stronger than most relationships I have. When I look at my sister Ruthie, I see a beautiful friend, a prayer warrior, and an example of a true follower in our Lord Jesus!! She laid aside her life to serve our mom and us younger children, and I am so grateful for her friendship in this life!”