Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Today is another great day for staying inside and I plan to bake S.F. cookies etc. and maybe make a new dish, study etc.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How do we stay connected to the Lord and continue to grow in Him? Sadly, we may see friends and family who once walked close to the Lord, but have gradually grown cold and lost their passion for Him. It doesn’t seem to happen all at once, but they get busy and prayer time gets shorter, church becomes optional, and time for fellowship is neglected. The enemy knows what works for each of us and we need to be on guard against his tactics.

It is not all about spiritual disciplines, reading a chapter a day, or denying ourselves, although these are good practices. The Lord wants us to experience joy in knowing Him and being in fellowship with others who love Him. I read recently from Dallas Willard, “Personalities united can contain more of God and sustain the force of His greater presence much better than scattered individuals.” Gathering in His name helps us go deeper into the Lord, and we don’t feel like we are alone but part of a family who stand together. The enemy wants us to believe we are the only one who follows the Lord, but we stand strong when we stand together.

I love that where we live, we can have a weekly Bible study and pray when we are together, and also pray for the needs when we are apart. Because we are all mostly retired, we find ourselves praying for the grandchildren of many who no longer follow the Lord and are going the way of the world. We need to put on all of the armor of God if we are to stand in this day for it is a spiritual battle: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. (Ephesians 6) Let us not be flippant about the dangers, but know that they are real and we need all of the armor.

Just think of all that we have to look forward to! Even though we may suffer various things in this life, it is nothing compared to all that the Lord has prepared for us to enjoy for all eternity. Let us all seek to finish strong and with excitement for eternity.

Challenge for today:  Pray and put on the whole armor of God each day, and stand strong in His power.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy