Dear Ones,
May you wake to a new awareness of the Lord’s presence working through you. Hope you had a wonderful Memorial extended weekend.
Today we are having company, and I made a very rich earthquake cake yesterday to serve. Emoji
As you read the devotional today, my question for you is: Was there a time when you saw someone close to you be changed so much that they seemed to be a new person and you knew it was the Lord’s work?!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How beautiful it is to see someone’s life being transformed by the Lord, and becoming new, almost unrecognizable! I had such an experience on Sunday as we went to our former church where we were members for several years before moving here to Baxter. For over 10 years I have prayed daily for the husband of a friend there who was not walking with the Lord and refused all invitations to attend church. He had health issues and many people prayed for him; the Lord not only has been healing him of his physical problems but spiritually healing him. I had heard that he had begun going to church and was hoping to see him and was wonderfully surprised to see how he had changed. When he walked through the church door, he was warm and welcoming, and we hugged and laughed. His whole countenance had changed, and he was now a man of peace, and joy was so evident in his life. It was so incredible and at the close of the service he stood up and told how the Lord had been with him through some recent medical problems and healed him and gave glory to the Lord. My heart just leaped for joy as I saw the miracle of his changed life.

It reminded me of II Cor. 518, “Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come!” That was so true of the changed life I saw before me. He was not just reformed but he was made new. When any one of us comes to the Lord in faith, we are made fresh and new, and we no longer live for ourselves but live to please the Lord. It doesn’t matter what we have done in the past for it is forgiven and we are set free. When our heart is changed, it also shows up in our countenance, the way we live our life, and also in our works. It is not to bring glory to ourselves but glory to the Lord, out of His love for us.

Paul also said in Col 2:6-7, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Every day each of us should be growing and being built up in our faith and seeking to please the Lord. When we first come to know Himl it is only the beginning of a lifelong process of living our whole lives for Him.

Challenge for today: Continually open your heart to the Holy Spirit that you may be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy