Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of freely giving of yourself. This morning, I plan to make Christmas cookies and egg dishes and go to my Exercise class, and this afternoon is Craft time. Tonight is Bible study, and we are into the book of Hebrews.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God’s ways are so opposite of the world’s ways and the difference is becoming even more apparent in our day. The world’s way is to push ahead to the front, but God’s way is to be humble and to put others before ourselves. The world says to hang on to what we have rather than give freely to others; they also encourage us to hold on to grudges rather than to forgive our enemies. Over and over again we see the vast difference of those who know the Lord and open their hearts to others and those who hold on to everything and ignore the needs of others. We have been given many scriptures to help us to know what God wants of us, and we need to pay attention if we desire to live His way. Rather than push forward to be first, we are called to be servants, and every day is better when we get our minds off self and on others.
I remember a day when I was blessed when I was asked by someone whose health does not enable her to shop, to find a gift for a pregnant aide who often cares for her. I prayed before I went shopping that I could find something on sale for her and when I found 2 tops I wondered if I should buy both. Deciding yes, my eyes then caught sight of a sale sign for pants and there were only 2 and both in my size; they had been $40 and now only $9, and they fit perfectly. Even as I found joy in buying for the aide, I felt like the Lord was smiling and blessing me in return. I thanked the Lord and couldn’t wait to get home and tell Al! Of course, the Lord doesn’t always reward us physically, but He does in many ways that surprise us.

May we practice putting others before ourselves and we will experience incredible joy. Let us ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the needs of those around us. Some may have physical needs that we can meet, and others may have emotional or spiritual needs. If the Lord lays it on our hearts, let us respond and do as Jesus said in Acts 20:35, ”It is more blessed to give than to receive!”

Challenge for today: Look at those around you and ask the Lord how you may meet a need they have.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy