Category: Whispers (Page 166 of 171)

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a glorious day and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. As soon as Al gets through his men’s Soul Care group, we are heading for the lake. But on the way I hope to see my friend at Birchwood for a few minutes and also get my hair done. Then on to enjoy the array of colors of the changing leaves and see family.   

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Success is finding God’s will and following His plan for our lives. Success is not becoming rich and powerful and having a comfortable life but in choosing God’s higher plan for our lives. It may look much different than how the world would view. I was reading Larry Crabb’s book, Waiting for Heaven, and he gives the example of Moses who had power, pleasure, and prosperity for the first 40 years of his life, as the grandson of Pharoah. Others thought he had a mighty bright future but as it says in Heb. 11:24-26, (The Message), “By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff.”  Moses made the choice to choose God’s call on his life over comfort, and waited for a greater reward. He had to persevere through some very tough times, 40 years herding sheep and raising a family, and then 40 more years leading a multitude of Israelites who complained all the way to the Promise Land. That was quite different than the life he would have had in Pharoah’s court, but he is an example of one who could wait to satisfy his own comforts for the reward in heaven. Do we settle for second best and try to get what we want right now, going our own way? Or are we open to what God has for us and willing to do what is on His agenda? Too often we want things now with no waiting! We make demands on God and others to meet our needs and look out for our own interests, thinking it will make us happy. But God has a bigger purpose for us and desires that we come to know Him and share in that same deep love that He has for His Son. When we try to find satisfaction any other way, we will be disappointed. Let us choose to go God’s way even as we wait, for what is ahead for us will be worth it all. Like the song goes, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus…so bravely run the race, til we see Christ.”

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to give you a thirst to know Him better and to be willing to follow His plan for your life. 

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend! Enjoy these Fall days before the weather gets cold. This morning I was busy in the kitchen and fixed porkchops smothered in apples and onions, roasted Brussel sprouts, and roasted sweet potato roasted coins etc. I brought some choc covered raspberries downstairs and always get a hearty welcome!   Tomorrow Kurt is coming through on his way to the cabin.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

It is time to be alert and wake up as a church and prepare for what is ahead. Only the Lord knows what that is, but we are warned not to be asleep. Recently on Facebook, they had several wives who did a little trick on their husbands and all got the same response. Each of them played the music that announces that NFL Monday Night Football is coming on which is sweet music to most men. One husband was dozing on the couch and when his wife started playing the music he immediately woke up and went into the family room thinking the game was starting. Another man was upstairs and as soon as he heard the familiar music came bounding down the stairs and ran into the TV room, only to find the game was not on yet. If he would have looked at the time, he would have known.  I laughed out loud when I saw his reaction and he knew his wife pulled a fast one on him. But if we think of it in a spiritual light, it is very sobering for the enemy has been duping us and lulling us to sleep. It says in Matt.13: 25 (God’s Word). “But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away.” Of course, the enemy tells us we have plenty of time to get ready for what is ahead or even to know the Lord, and the church has been believing the lie as well. Just like the husbands who were snoozing, the church has been coasting along and not using the time wisely. The Apostle Paul warns us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and says in I Thess. 5:6, “Therefore, we must not fall asleep like other people, but we must stay awake and be sober.” Taylor who you have prayed for in the past, and her mom are becoming involved in planting a new church in the Omaha area to reach the lost. When we talked to Taylor over Labor Day weekend, she was so excited for what God was doing. On their first in person service Sunday, over 300 showed up and they are excited and focused to reach out into the community to bring others to the Lord. Let us not be asleep and think we have all the time in the world. Instead let us use each opportunity the Lord puts before us every day to share Him with others.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to use you to point others to Him.

Dear  Ones,

Hope you are having a good day. Only 36 this morning but sunny and warming up now. I got an egg dish made and shopped at Aldi’s and have an eye appointment this afternoon and Women’s group tonight. In between I am reading a book that you may get some of my gleanings in the future. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

What are we to be learning during this time of isolation and how do we respond? I was reading on Words of Life an article by Susie Larson about “A Future and a Hope.” She said how easy it is when we are in adverse circumstances to respond by shrinking back and hunkering down. But our self-preservation often leaves faith out. Her example was Jeremiah’s word he gave to God’s people who were in exile in Babylon. He sent a letter to them and told them to build houses and dwell in them, plant gardens and eat the fruit of them, marry and have children, and not to be diminished. He said in Jer. 29:11 (Amplified), “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for your welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” In the future, in due time, God would rescue them and restore them so they were not just to give up.  Perhaps that applies to us in some ways now as we are to be people of faith and to rise above our present circumstances. No, we can’t do so many of the things we did in the past because of rules and distancing but we can grow in our faith. In fact, as our old way of life falls apart, we discover what is truly important and what sustains us. Some of the things we thought were so imperative we find we must let go of. We may actually have more time to seek the Lord as there are so many things canceled and less events to attend. Every day we are given an opportunity to discover the new things the Lord has waiting for us, a chance to grow deeper, a time to thrive and rise above our circumstances. We can learn to trust God in bigger ways and envision the new that He has planned for our future. No, let us not hide as we wait for the virus to disappear, but to use this time to be strengthened in our faith and to grow closer to Him.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord how He would have you spend this time of isolation and view it as a gift to grow in your faith.

 

Devotions from Judy’s heart 

God can speak to us in the most unexpected times, through the most unexpected people, in the most unexpected ways. I marvel at the people in scripture that God used to accomplish great things and yet read later how they blew it. Somehow that is reassuring to all of us, that even when we fail, God can restore us, and use us for His kingdom in mighty ways. None of us are perfect; we all disappoint God, others, and ourselves with behavior that is not reflective of those who know the Lord. We often have to admit we fail and are so imperfect in loving others as we may yell at our kids, show impatience to those around us, gossip, wish the worst on our enemies etc.  Our pastor has been preaching about King David recently and though David killed the giant with a smooth stone, led armies to great victories, he also committed adultery and had innocent people killed; but yet He was called a man after God’s own heart. So amazing!! That in itself is a living parable of God’s grace to us after we have failed miserably and need forgiveness; yes, He can still use us as His instrument of blessing to others. I love being in groups where people can be vulnerable and admit their struggles. God uses even their confessions to bring a message to our hearts of His forgiveness and grace. I have been blessed over the years as God has given me a friend or a caring group in most every one of our churches that I could be real with and share my own struggles and need for prayer. Perhaps we get surprised at those whom God uses to speak a word to us that hits the intended target. At times He may use even a child but the message is clear. Let us respond and as it says in James 1:19 (Amplified), “Understand (this), my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear (ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.” No matter how He speaks to us or through whom He may use, let us listen to His voice and go His way.

Challenge for today: Be open to those around you whom God is using to speak a message to you.

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Not so good for the Vikings though. I got our favorite bars made and took our our Fall decorations. Soon we are going to the dentist in Remer for our check ups and cleaning. One day we will have to find a dentist here in Baxter. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart

Lately Al and I have known many friends and acquaintances that have died; some were older but some were young and suddenly taken. As a result, it has caused us to take more time to be reflective and talk about heaven as we walk on the trail each afternoon. Al happened to get a book recently by Larry Crabb, “Waiting for Heaven”, and I have read only a few chapters but it has caused me to rethink some things. Perhaps we keep heaven at a distance and think only of the here and now and miss the larger story. When we do that, we attempt to find our satisfaction in what the world offers and become self-centered, often addicted to so many things like food, drugs, sex etc. Our real satisfaction is to be found in God and He never promised us that life would be bed of roses in this world with comfortable circumstances.  In fact, he said we would have trials and testing and that they could make us stronger and more like Him in the process. Crabb says there is too much casual Christianity today and instead of living in humility and being other centered, people seek pleasure and get addicted to things that they think will make them happy. We must wait for heaven to provide complete satisfaction and not get self- absorbed in the meantime. Our hope is in Him and we wait for what is ahead rather than taking things into our own hands.  If we are honest, we may have to admit that we want pleasant experiences now and relief from anything that is difficult. Crabb writes of Complacent Christians that want a comfortable life now and live in self-protection with a desire for self-enhancement. Casual Christians want to avoid pain and find themselves often giving in to pleasures of the world. But Committed Christians choose to wait in hope without demanding satisfaction from the world now but expecting everything that is awaiting them one day in heaven. Peter says in I Peter 1:13 (Amplified), “So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.”

Challenge for today: Be willing to wait in hope for what God has promised for later.

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! We had a morning rain and everything looks so fresh. I wrote letters this morning and went for some groceries and to get some prizes to wrap. Last night I got news that another friend died but thankfully she was with family and peacefully went home to the Lord. None of the deaths these past weeks have been from COVID and PTL our pastor’s son tested negative for it too.   

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Sometimes we just know when something is a God thing and that He has orchestrated every detail, leaving us with a sense of awe. That’s how I felt when I read an article by Jim Nelson who was the driver of a van on a mission to pick up Bibles one day for International Christian Literature Distributors. ICLD is a wonderful organization that sends Bibles and Bible-related materials all over the world to give to those who do not have access. While he was driving to pick up some Bibles, he wondered if it would be just a bag or two, but he was in for a big surprise.  When he arrived at the business that was donating the Bibles, he parked and was directed upstairs to the second floor. He was astounded when he saw the huge stacks of Bibles and wondered how he was going to manage to get them all downstairs and into the van; especially since he had undergone triple-bypass surgery. When he went back to start the van to move it closer to the building, it wouldn’t start. Of all places he was presently in the parking lot of an Automotive Repair shop!  How fortunate he was and they got right to work on taking out his old starter and putting in another. But while they were doing that, a Bobcat showed up and the owner was a Gideon who helped collect all those used Bibles and replaced them with new ones in hotels and hospitals etc. He was the boss and had a great solution to getting those Bibles to the van. He removed the second story window and raised the Bobcat to the window. Some of his men came and helped load it upstairs while others unloaded the Bibles downstairs into Jim’s van. There were over 30 boxes of Bibles which meant almost 1,000 Bibles could be sent to pastors and churches overseas who had requested them. When the last box of Bibles was loaded, you can guess how far along the mechanic was; he just finished putting in the starter!  Jim was soon on his way back to ICLD with praise in his heart and a wonderful story to tell. God arranged it all and His timing perfect. How many times does God do miraculous things before our eyes? He is a God of the impossible and there is nothing too hard for Him. Jesus said in Luke 18:27 (NRSV),” What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”

Challenge for today: Be alert to God’s hand and timing in your life and give thanks.