Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. We enjoyed our time at the cabin and wonderful to wake up in the morning to the sunrise over the lake.  I had many games with family but also quiet times by the water.  It was also great to see old friends again at our former church.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
In the midst of our culture with so much evil, who do we let influence us? Hopefully we are not sucked in by all the things we read or hear on the media, but go to the Lord. He is truth, He is the One who should influence all we do, say and think.
Recently I was reading from Paul’s letter to Timothy, and he starts right out by saying he, Paul, is on special assignment for Christ and under God’s command. He was not taken in by all the teachings of counterfeit faith and warns Timothy to also guard against it, as some went around as experts but were full of hot air. There is a lot being said today that is also misleading, directly contradicting what the Bible says, and we can know it is not truth. Paul warns in I Tim 1:19, “Some have refused to let their faith guide their conscience and their faith has been destroyed like a wrecked ship.”  We may start out gradually accepting things that are only partly true but contain a little bit of error. Before long we have been sucked in by the whole lie and no longer stand for truth.
Some people are motivated by the desire for power and control, teaching things that are false, or at best half-truths. But we need to be alert, to recognize what is false and call it for what it is. That means we must know what the Word says, spending time letting it speak to us and guide us in our everyday life. We need to walk steadily and with perseverance, motivated by faith and love. May we stop looking like the world and spend time with the Lord and feed on the good things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, etc. (Phil. 4: 8-9)
Challenge for today: Walk the walk and talk the talk of one who knows Jesus, not one who lives half for Him and half for the world.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy