Dear Ones,
Hope you have a blessed day. Yesterday I didn’t go to my exercise class because of the snow but got to hear Al preach next door and meet friends who used to live in Northern Lakes. Today I plan to be busy in the kitchen and we have Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When I think of Advent, my thoughts go to the importance of making room for the Lord. Our lives get so cluttered with many things… good things, busy things, and some not-so-important things. We have a small apartment now and we don’t have space for all the Christmas decorations that used to adorn Canaan’s Rest, so we have simplified with just a wee tree and several nativity scenes, angels, snowmen, etc. and it is enough. I want to clear out more things down in our storage unit as I need to give away some of the many decorations that have wonderful memories because we have no room for them now.
Much more importantly is making room in our hearts to worship Jesus and celebrate His coming as our King and Savior. When we have our eyes on ourselves, our wants, our time, our treasures, we miss Him and the joy He would desire to give us. The world celebrates in superficial ways, trying to fill the void, but we who have received Him celebrate His coming, crucifixion, resurrection and one day His return. So how do we prepare and make room for Him?

We can start by opening our hearts up to change from the inside out. That means confessing our sins and being willing to let the Lord have His way, not insisting on our own way. I am finding it rather exciting as I share with the Lord a need I think I have, then ask for Him to provide in His way. I am amazed at how He fills those requests in ways I never imagined, and I smile and say, “I know that it is You, Lord!” In a sense we are preparing the way of the Lord every time we repent, every time we die to our own ego and ask for His will to top ours. Likely we prepare the way when we tell others about Him and choose to help meet their needs.

Let us bow before the Lord every day and say, “Your will, not mine!”

Challenge for today: Make room for the Lord to speak to you, listening with an open heart and a willingness to change.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy