Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas weekend. We are going to depart for home after two wonderful days with family. Lots and lots of games and sharing and eating and fun and laughter. We were especially thankful for time with Ethan and Taylor and saw their new beautiful baby daughter.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How secure are we? Are we able to rest in God’s love and acceptance or are we insecure, depending on affirming words and actions of others towards us? Jesus wants us to find our security in Him and His love. If we look for acceptance from the world, we will end up fearful, lonely and insecure. We can be sure, there will always be people that reject us, misread us, and hurt us, even though that may be the result of their own insecurities and negative experiences.

Jesus knew what it was like to be rejected, but His security and acceptance was found in the Father only. I was reading in John recently that after Jesus cleansed the temple, many people entrusted their lives to Him, but others rejected Him. It says in John 2:25, “But Jesus didn’t entrust His life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn’t need any help in seeing right through them.“ Jesus was hated by many without any cause though He lived a perfect life.

We are to believe what God says to us about who we are, not what others say about us. He looks beyond the outside and knows what is in our hearts. Do we accept that He says we are His beloved child, or do we continue to go by what the world around us says? The Lord is for us and wants to love and care for us. Like the song says, “Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you! Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. Lonely and sad from friends apart, God will take care of you! He will give peace to your aching heart, God will take care of you!”

Challenge for today: No matter what people may say about you, receive your acceptance from the Lord and let Him care for you!
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy