Dear Ones,
Hope you keep warm and have a good weekend! Today is our daughter’s birthday and she and Leif will be coming to celebrate! We are having Finnish Pasty which is a treat and sorry Joe missed out as he came by yesterday.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
A scripture that I love is one that has spoken to me on various occasions when I have not felt like I was qualified to do something is from I Cor 1:27-28. It is so comforting to me that God doesn’t choose the strong and powerful people to work through, or many of us would be overlooked; but He chooses the opposite in the eyes of the world, the weak, the nobodies, the unknowns. Like the apostle Paul said, “God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame. God chose what the world considers ordinary and what it despises—what it considers to be nothing—in order to destroy what it considers to be something.” The result is that no one can brag before the Lord, and we acknowledge that it can only be His power within us that we can accomplish anything.

I am so glad that God deliberately chooses the nobodies! That doesn’t mean we should go around with our head hung low and lacking confidence but rather it becomes clear to others that our confidence is in the Lord, not ourselves.  He deserves the praise and the glory and honor, for we know that without Him we could do nothing, Nada! We can only accomplish things because of His strength within us.

All of us have probably been amazed when we see God use an unknown very humble vessel to do something great. Maybe we are at our class reunion, and we discover that George who was so introverted and lacking in confidence is now head of a big Christian organization or well- known preacher.  Others may not be in the limelight but are like a bright star shining in the darkness around them. Let us not discount ourselves and think, who am I that God would use, for if we are His child, His power within us can do miraculous things. May our confidence be in the Lord and always, always give Him the glory.

Challenge for today: Thank the Lord that He can use you and go in His strength and confidence to do what may even surprise you.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy