Devotions from Judy’s heart

In Eph. 6:8 we are told to “Keep alert with all perseverance.”  I have seen perseverance up front as my cousin and her hubby continue to work on their outdoor brick oven.  Just last Sunday when we came from church they were outside in the cold rain laying more brick for many hours. I marveled at their tenacity. If they give up they lose everything. So in order to keep on they must keep their eyes on the goal of a finished oven ready to bake delicious bread. They are intently focused and it makes each row of brick laid a point of victory. We need to be so focused on the Lord and His kingdom, that nothing deters us either. Yes, many times it is difficult like the cold rain but we have so much to look forward to in the future. Sometimes we may even ask the Lord for a whiff of the bread to keep us going. Often He sends us encouragement through others. I sensed gratitude from my cousin when I just came and helped mix cement, and was the Go-Pher for them, while they continued to lay brick. Let us persist and know that what is ahead is well worth the perseverance.   It says in Heb. 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

 Devotions from Judy’s heart

One day last week I walked to a friend’s house and just before I turned into her road, Molly, her dog, began, barking. She was outside and saw me coming. Her master tried to restrain her but to no avail. She wanted to greet me and she persisted until he let her go into my waiting arms. She licked me and then frolicked around my legs so I could hardly walk. What a greeting. I wonder sometimes if we are abandoned to the Lord or have we lost our zeal for Him. In Revelation 2, the church in Ephesus had endured patiently but the sad thing was that they had lost their first love. We also can  be busy serving the Lord but lose our zeal for Him. Do you remember that breathless, ecstatic feeling you had when you found the person of your dreams?  No sacrifice was too great for that Love. How much we need to persist and abandon ourselves daily to the Lord, so that nothing can keep us from Him.  Let us not be held back by anything of this world but let ourselves go into the fullness of His love.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Yesterday afternoon I was a “go-pher” again and helped my cousin and hubby work on their outdoor brick oven until dusk. We are all realizing this is going to be a lesson in patience as it is taking much longer than we anticipated. Perseverance is the name of the game!  One thing I am learning is the importance of doing it exactly right.  When you lay brick if you are off on one layer, the next layer above will be off too. The leveler is being used constantly with the laying of each brick. It is also that way in our lives when the foundational things are being laid. If something is off, we my see life from a perspective that is “crooked”.. Often we need to go back to those places and let the Lord heal us and put our “brick “ in properly. When things are in the right placement, life will take on a new and right perspective. Let us allow Him to go to those places and do the necessary changes so that His glory will show forth in our lives.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Yesterday there was a large group of us at church making Lefse to sell. Russ was in charge and we were all given assignments so that the operation would run smoothly. Each person was important to the whole for if one part of the system was slow or nonfunctioning, the rest would suffer….much like an assembly line. In times past I have done everything from peeling potatoes, ricing them, mixing, rolling, and yesterday I got to fry them on the griddle. I had not done that before and didn’t want to blow it. But I found it wasn’t hard but enjoyable. In the Body of Christ we are given assignments from our Head and it isn’t always the same. But if we get stuck and refuse to do the next thing He assigns we miss out. The Lord sees the whole picture and places us exactly where needed and in His exact timing. The Apostle Paul said he only boasted in regard to the area of influence GOD assigned to him. ( II Cor. 10:13).  Let us remember, God is in charge and we take our assignments from Him.  Then our lives will be exciting for we will experience the new things He has planned for us and know we are important to the whole!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Last night before I went to bed I received precious e-mails from each of our granddaughters who are 7 and 9 years old. My heart was warmed as I read about their day and Paige questioned some things she didn’t understand etc. Lily wasn’t able to write as much but the important phrase was, “Grandma  I love you so much!”. What joy it brought to my heart and I smiled as I read their words. I thought of how the Lord loves when we connect with Him and tell him about our day before we go to sleep. It is good to reflect each night on how we have seen Him in the day’s happenings. Where we have also failed and need forgiveness etc. Maybe asking for help for the next day in some areas etc.  I read today from Ps. 149:4 and 5, “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.”  I am always astounded that the Lord should take pleasure in me and want to hear all about my day, my life etc. But as I get joy from hearing from my grandkids, I’m sure He does even more. I want to share Paige’s last line in her e-mail… “Besure to read this to grandpa as it might give him something to preach about.”  It made grandpa smile too!

I am using Devotions from Kurt. He wrote this to us a short time ago and I wanted to share his words with you.

“I took some sermon notes yesterday and I thought I would share them.  
The sermon was about creating margin in your life in order to create space in our lives for God.  In order to give more, we have to create margin.   As margin decreases, stress increases.  As margin decreases, focus narrows. Success is fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives.  Margin doesn’t happen by accident. We need to have a plan.  He asked the question “what good things will I give up to make room for the best thing?  This may mean we learn to say no.
One point he made that I think we can all appreciate is if the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.  We need to transform from Human Doings to Human Beings.
We need to move from “I will use the resources of my life the way I like” to “all the resources of my life belong to God. He has called me to manage them.”
From “I can do anything” to “I was created with limits.”
“Are you  tired and worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.  Get away with me and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me– watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you will learn to live freely and lightly”  Matthew 11: 28-30 (The Message)

May we flow in the unforced rhythms of grace!!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Today I   read from Luke 18 when Jesus says for us to “always to pray and not lose heart”.  Sometimes we pray but in the back of our mind we think the situation is impossible. But we don’t have to understand how God will answer our prayers but only to commit it all into His hands. I have been joining someone in prayer for a situation that has been ongoing and seemingly to get continually worse. But just the other night as we prayed together, I asked the Lord to send someone into her loved one’s life to be His instrument and bring healing.  Well, last night my friend called and she was so excited, as after all this time, God had indeed done that.  She kept saying it is a miracle!  Further on in Luke 18:27 Jesus says, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  That is so true and we must not lose heart in the meantime. Let us give Him all our impossible situations for we have a miracle working God!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I read this scripture from Isaiah 64:1 today, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down!”. I think that all of us have felt at times that there was a ceiling on our prayers and that our prayers didn’t seem to go beyond. Yesterday we talked to Ann’s family on Skype and they could see us plainly and hear us clearly but their voices were very garbled to us. We tried so hard to get what they were saying but most of it was like someone talking with a mouthful of marbles. I wonder sometimes if it isn’t like that with us and the Lord. He sees us very clearly and hears every cry of our heart. But we don’t always hear him clearly.  We need a good connection. Just after we talked to Ann’s, a friend was on Skype with me and I could hear her very well. I felt like I was in her house sitting across from her and talking together. . Isn’t that what we wish for our relationship with the Lord?  To see Him and to know His voice more clearly?  May He ask Him to break through all our defenses and all our barriers so that we can enjoy sweet communion with Him.