Not One Has Failed

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Can I say this about anything in my life – that not one has failed?

I’ve had many plans fail.  Relationships that failed.   Things people said they would do with me and for me failed.  When my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty almost 7 years ago, I had a mountain of hopes and dreams that blew up.  Epic fail.

I could go on.

So Joshua’s words jump out of the pages of my Bible when he says, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God have you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”  Joshua 23:14b.

As I look back, I can honestly say this is true for my relationship with God – not one of his promises have failed.  You might wonder how I can say that God has kept all his promises to me when my son was murdered.  I understand that God never promised me a life full of sunshine and roses.  Look at his son, Jesus.  His life here on earth was full of problems and temptations and lies and struggles.

What God promises me is he will walk with me through the pain and the grief and the loss.  He has kept this promise.  He has been my comforter and encourager – my Rock.  In many ways, God was the only thing in my world that didn’t fail me when my son was killed and my heart crumbled.   If you are interested in more of this story, I have published a book on Amazon about my journey since my son was killed, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.”

God promises that he will work all things out for my good and I know he’s been busy doing that for me – especially these last 7 years.  God promises that he is good all the time and I know that is true.  God has promised that my faith in Jesus has given me an forever home with my Father when my struggles on earth are over.  I know this is true.  My eternal relationship with God has already started and will continue when I take my last breath here on earth and walk with Jesus into heaven.

None of God’s promises have failed and I know they never will.

It’s impossible for God to fail.

Thank you, Abba Father.

What’s Your Choice?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

What would you sell your life for?

It’s a great question because sometimes we dedicate our lives to things that just aren’t worth it.  We can sell our lives to making money and spending it.  But everything we buy gets old, breaks and requires more money to fix it up or replace it. They come out with a new model and now the one we have just doesn’t look that great anymore.

Our ‘stuff’ will always disappoint us.

We can sell our lives to work and accomplishments.  We may love it but, someday, that all goes away.  We get fired, laid off or we just get old.  I retired 7 years ago which meant giving up a really nice paycheck and a lot of rewards and recognition.  But retiring also meant getting my life back.  I loved working and now I love being retired.  I’m glad I worked long and hard for over 34 years at something I loved to do.  Now I’m very happy to reclaim all of those hours in my week and enjoy doing what I want to do. One of the things I always wanted to do is write a book and I recently published a book available on Amazon, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.”

We can sell our lives to relationships with our spouse, our children, our family and friends.  They are very important but they will also disappoint us at times.  It’s a fact.  These relationships can roller coaster up and down, depending on emotions – not something I can always count on.

Achan’s story in God’s Word is a warning to all of us. “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them” Joshua 7:21.  Achan sold his life for a robe and some gold and silver.  It looked too good to pass up.  So he took it and hid it, probably believing he would never get caught.  Not smart. He couldn’t hide from God.  After getting caught, he admitted his disobedience but that didn’t change the consequences. He lost his life for that ‘stuff’ – his entire family and all he owned literally ended up under a pile of rocks.

I hear you, God.  I’m getting it.  I don’t want to end up like that.

So I choose the path of obedience and faithfulness to God.  I know that there is no other path on earth that is going to give me the joy and peace and love that God gives me.

I choose to be ‘sold out’ to God.  And I’m 100% confident that it’s the right choice.

What is your choice?  Are you confident that it’s the right one?

I love you, Abba Father.

Do You Need a Second Chance?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

I’ve been there more than once – have you?

It’s the times where I wish I had a second chance – a redo.  When my heart is aching with regret and my head is rolling with things I shouldn’t have said or things I should have done but didn’t do, I wish I could go back.

If I had the chance to do it over, I would do it so differently!

With people, there is never a 100% redo.  The deeds are done, the words have been said.  Forgiveness is possible but wiping out the memory is not.

One of my favorite things about God is that he can redeem these situations.   He can and he does make something good come out of them.  He teaches me to grow through these times – helping me mature as he molds my character and thinking.  When I ask for wisdom, he always gives it to me which helps me avoid situations where I need redo’s.

As I read about Rahab in Joshua 2, I can visualize this huge headline on it –

God’s Power of Redemption.

Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho when she met the two spies Joshua had sent into the city to check it out before the Israelites attacked.  Rahab made the courageous decision to put her life on the line for the spies when she hid them from the men the King sent to kill them.  She lied to the king’s men telling them the spies had gone out of the city so the kings men quickly went in pursuit just as the city gates closed for the night.

Meanwhile, the spies were safely hidden on the roof of Rahab’s house.  Rahab knew the Israelites were going to attack – everyone knew it and were very afraid.   When she begged the spies to save her family, they agreed because of her courage in hiding them.  Then Rahab helped them escape out of the city and sent them on a different direction from the men who were looking for them.

Later, we will read that Rahab and her family were the only survivors of the attack on Jericho.

It’s obvious that God saved Rahab for a purpose.  He had bigger plans for her.  After God saved her, she totally changed her direction, married, had children and became part of the lineage of Christ.  A prostitute was the great, great, too many greats to count,  grandmother of Jesus, God’s son, who came to save the world.

God is extremely serious about his redemption business.

Rahab’s story was obviously shared down through the generations as a popular redemption story because she shows up in the New Testament, “was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction.”  James 2:25.

A prostitute – used as an example of a righteous woman, related to Jesus.  If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody!

God is still redeeming your life and my life today.  I don’t have to be stuck in my failures and rebellion of yesterday.  By putting my faith in what Jesus did for me on  the cross, all of that has been forgiven.  I don’t have to be weighed down by the mistakes I’m making today – those have also been forgiven.  I don’t have to be worried or afraid about the things I might mess up in the future because all of it has already been forgiven.

Today I live in grace provided by Jesus, unconditionally loved by my heavenly Father.   I am free.

I am redeemed.

Thank you, Abba.

Taking The First Step

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

I’ll step up.  I’ll make the first move in faith.

I often ask God to direct my steps.  My prayers regularly include requests for him to open my eyes to the opportunities he gives me to do what he wants me to do.

Because I’ll do it – I just want to know that its his direction and his timing.

And God responds.  Right before my eyes, he will give me an opportunity to do something he wants done or say something he wants said.  Every time one of these opportunities presents itself, I have to take the first step of faith forward, not knowing where my next step is and never knowing how this is all going to work out.

I just have to take that first step and obey.

So the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land is significant to me.  God told the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD to go first.  God told them he would make a way for them but, first, they had to step into the Jordan which was running at flood stage.

The overflowing water of the Jordan river was roaring down its path…..

and God told them to step in.

An act of faith.  An act of obedience.

“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.  Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water  from upstream stopped flowing.  It piled up in a heap a great distance away…” Joshua 3:15.  The priests had to take the first step of faith and then they saw God respond.  They watched as God opened up a path for them to the Promised Land.

It’s important for you and I to understand how this process works.  Too often we want to see God move in our lives but we haven’t stepped out in faith.  We want the blessing first and then we’ll move but that’s not how it works.  We want God to invite us to do great things but we haven’t stepped up to the plate on the things we already know God wants us to do.

For example, Jesus told us clearly, “Love God and love others.”  These are the two main things I need to be about – I already know that.  No question about it.  I don’t need to ask God if he wants me to do this – he’s already told me to do it.  I find that when I’m focused on doing these things God has already told me to do, I see God part the waters for me.  He blesses my steps – one at a time.

But the first step of obedience is mine.

Where is God asking you to take that first step of obedience?  Go ahead – step into the water and watch it part in front of you.  It will be worth it.

I believe, Abba Father, so I’m stepping in.

Are You Up For A Challenge?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

What does courage look like in my life?  What does it look like for you?

What do I need courage for?  What is God asking me to do that’s scary and out of my comfort zone?

I know God is challenging both you and me – it’s his nature.  As our Good Father, he wants us to grow and develop a strong, courageous character.  So he provides opportunities for us to be stretched.

Where does he want to stretch you?  If you can’t think of any place he is trying to help you grow, I recommend spending several hours with him as you read and meditate and listen to him speak to you through his Word.  You will come away from that time challenged by something – I guarantee it.

God presented Joshua with a huge challenge by giving him leadership of the Israelite nation after Moses was ‘gathered to his people’.  The Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promised Land and they were facing the daunting task of conquering the land.

There seemed to be a lot of valid reasons for Joshua to be fearful and worried – except God was in control.  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you where ever you go.”  Joshua 1:9.

Nothing is impossible for God – there was no reason to be afraid.

Have you ever had a situation that was big and challenging like this where you knew you didn’t need to be afraid because it was all in God’s hands? 

I have experienced this several times. A year ago God told me to write a book about my journey of grief and faith after my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer was killed in the line of duty on May 18, 2016. A book! I write two blogs – this one and a different one about my son and my experiences since his death. But I have never written a book. It’s a big project, lots of challenges. I was not worried – God told me to do it and I knew, if I did my part, he would make the rest happen.

And He did.

I recently published it on Amazon – “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love”. Check it out and let me know what you think!

While I was writing the book, I experienced another situation where I needed courage and faith. Last June, my husband passed out at a pickle ball tournament and was rushed to the hospital where they called a ‘code’ on him in the emergency room.  Every available medical staff member came running.  They saved his life that day and he had emergency by-pass surgery two days later.  After 6 months of more procedures and tests, he is finally feeling well again.

As I made my way to the emergency room that day after my husband called me to tell me where he was, God kept speaking into my mind that He was in control, that He loved my husband, and that he everything was going to work out according to His plan. So I was not worried, I was not anxious when I walked into that emergency room and saw my husband hooked up to a bunch of machines.

God was in charge – there was no reason to be afraid.  My being worried or scared of what was happening would not have made the situation better- it would have made it worse.  After the doctor told me what happened and how serious the situation was, I still didn’t feel afraid. God has already decided when our last days are here on earth.  If this had been my husband’s last day, nothing the doctors could have done for him would have changed that.  God is in total control.

It was a truly amazing experience to watch – once again- the reality of God’s infinite power play out right before my  eyes.

So I have recent knowledge of how Joshua must have felt when God told him that he had to lead the way in conquering the Promised Land and God would give him victory.  Joshua was going to have to wake up every day and courageously show up to do his part, but God was going to be with him, making it all happen.

Where is God challenging you?  If he’s asking you to do something, he will be right there beside you helping you accomplish it.

Be strong and courageous.  Experience the power of God in your life today.

My People

On By Judy GlasserIn March4 Comments

He died.

She passed away.

He was killed.

Before Moses died, God told him, “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession.  There on the mountain you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.” Deut. 32: 48-49.

I like that.  It makes great sense when someone is a believer.  Moses was not going to die. After taking his last breath on earth, the next moment he would be in heaven – with his people. His Father was in heaven.  And his Savior was in heaven.

This makes me ask the question – where are my people?

God has blessed me by giving me a family with a very long lineage of Christ-followers.   Many generations of my people are in heaven.  My son who was a Phoenix Police Officer killed in the line of duty is already in heaven. I recently published a book on Amazon, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.” which tells the story of his death and my painful yet hopeful journey since then.

The people I identify with here on earth are also Christ-followers.  These are my people.  They will be with me when I am gathered to my Father – when I am gathered to my people. 

I’m thinking about starting to use this phrase with believers instead of ‘died’ or ‘passed away’.  Some people wouldn’t get it but that’s ok – some people don’t get a lot of things.

How about you?  Are your people in heaven?  Is your Savior in Heaven?  If so, then he has prepared a place for you.

Will you be with me when all believers are gathered to our Father in Heaven?

I hope and pray that you will.

On the day you have already determined, I will be there, Abba Father.

Blessings of Obedience

On By Judy GlasserIn March2 Comments

Our world can be so disappointing – people lying to get ahead, just telling you and I what they think we want to hear.  Often, never actually intending to do what they say they will do. They don’t even remember they said it!

Or other people intending to do what they said but never doing it. Too busy, no money, couldn’t figure it out, yada-yada-yada.

Frustrating.

God is just the opposite.

He always does what he says he is going to do.  He always keeps his promises.  He doesn’t always do things the way that we think He should but – then again –

He is God and we are not –

He is perfect and we are not –

we are limited by our 3 pound brains while His is infinite, all-knowing and eternal.

I just need to accept that His ways are better than mine – in every situation.  I need to stand firm each day on the fact that God loves me and wants the best for me.

God clearly tells what I’m supposed to be doing and how he will respond in Leviticus 26:3 – 13, ” If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will….. “

Okay, my part is to keep His commands and obey Him.  In response, God says

He will bless my labor, what I do.

That sounds great!

I will have food to eat and a safe place to live.

Thank you, Father.

He will give me peace – I will lie down at night without fear.

Exactly what I need.

He will remove danger and my enemies from my life.  I will have victory over  the evil that surrounds me.

Yes, Father!

God will look on me with favor and keep all of his promises.

You are always faithful, Father.

I will prosper.  He will be my God and I will be his daughter.

Please help me prosper, Father, in the things that money can’t buy- like peace, joy and love.

I believe this and will do what He asks, moving forward with my eyes focused on Him.  Then I will receive these many blessings of obedience.

Amen.  May it be so, Abba Father.

Different, But Equal

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

I love it.

God is not limited by cultural rules.  He created justice, he is just and he acts justly.

Whenever we see God’s actions and directions not lining up with current culture, we need to take note of it.  We know that God is right and our culture is wrong in every one of these instances.  Sometimes it takes our culture thousands of years to catch up to what is right.

The historical account of Zelophehad’s daughters in Numbers 27 is one of my favorite examples of this.  I’ll just call them Z’s daughters.

At that time in history, women were considered to be the property of men and most men had more than 1 wife.  When Z died without having any sons, Z’s five daughters asked to inherit his property.

What!?

That just wasn’t done.

Women didn’t inherit property.  They WERE property.

When Moses took this case to God, God said, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right.  You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.”  Numbers 27:7.  He stipulated that they had to marry within their tribal clad so that the land stayed with in the family.  If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense since the land was physically divided by clans.  This kept everything organized as God had designed.

I bet there were many long and heated discussions by the male leaders of the families as they gathered around the campfire at night!  This story is only 4 paragraphs in the Bible but I’ll bet the arguments against doing this could fill up several scrolls if they had all been written down.

I’m sure the same concern came up that was discussed with King Xerxes later in the book of Esther.  If these women received this request now, they are just going to ask for more and more.  A dangerous trend was starting!  But we read that they made the right decision and obeyed.

It took thousands of years but – yes, women inherit and own property now.  As recently as the 1950’s women were generally considered not capable of inheriting and running large properties and businesses.  But way back in ancient times, God knew he had created women equal to men.  Different, but equal.  He set a spiritual leadership hierarchy in place within marriages that has everything to do with order and process and nothing to do with intelligence and aptitude.

And our culture has finally caught up to God’s truth in this area ….. in most cases.

Please help us live by your truth, Abba Father.

Open Our Hearts and Our Hands

On By Judy GlasserIn FebruaryLeave a comment

Stuff

Boxes of stuff.

Rooms of stuff.

Garages, sheds and basements full of stuff.

Stuff we’re not using but someone else would use it – if they had it.  Stuff that hasn’t fit us for many years but we still can’t give it away.  Stuff that’s broken and we’ve never found the time to fix it but we still keep it because we can’t part with our stuff.

God never meant for us to keep all of our stuff for ourselves.

God told the Israelites that their 50th year in the Promised Land was supposed to be a Year of Jubilee.  “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all inhabitants.  It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.”  Leviticus 25:10. During this year, all of the poor people who had sold themselves as slaves were supposed to be freed and all property which had been sold was given back to the original owner.  It was intended to be a year filled with redemption and freedom.

Does it surprise you that my research shows that there is no evidence that the Year of Jubilee was ever observed as God intended?

I’m not surprised.  Many of us like to hold our belongings and our stuff very close. A lot of us don’t want to give stuff away – if it has to go, we sell it.  We worked hard for these things.  We earned them.  Some of this stuff might be ‘worth something someday’.

Well, a lot of our stuff could be worth something to someone else who has less than us today if we could just loosen our grip on it and give it away.  Some of our stuff is broken and worthless and shouldn’t even be given away.  The bottom line –  we need to be able to let go of it.

The Israelites couldn’t do it, either, so they lost the chance to see God work in a supernatural way in their lives through celebrating the Year of Jubilee.  They didn’t experience the joy and freedom of having open hands when it came to their ‘stuff’.

God wanted the Year of Jubilee to be a holy year for the Israelites where they would see his provision for them as they gave the property back to the original owners and set the slaves free.

But there’s no evidence that it ever happened like it was supposed to.

I have been a semi-minimalist all of my life.  I don’t like clutter and I have developed a goal of trying to give away as much stuff as I buy so that things don’t accumulate.  But I’ll never forget being personally challenged by my ‘stuff’ many years ago when my husband and I decided to sell the house we lived in for over 14 years and go into Apartment Life ministry.  This meant we were moving to an apartment from the 4 bedroom, two-story house with a pool where our two children grew up.  We knew God was calling us into this ministry so it had to happen.

I remember walking through my big house packed with awesome memories and full of stuff crying with my hands open, asking God to help me hold all these things loosely.  We sold and gave away whole rooms full of ‘stuff’ and moved into the apartment where the small amount of things we had left fit very nicely.  What a great lesson about how much I had that I didn’t need!  Since then, my hands hold onto people and God tightly but I hold onto ‘things’ very loosely,

It’s a great way to live.  It’s awesome to see God obviously working in my life as I have more time and energy to spend loving him because my ‘stuff’ takes up less space in my life.

If your stuff owns you to any degree, take the challenge – start holding on to God tightly and holding on to your ‘stuff’ loosely today.

Please help us have ‘open hands’ for everything that is not about loving you and loving others, Abba Father.

Re-shaping My Heart

On By Judy GlasserIn February4 Comments

Reading.

Studying.

Listening.

Memorizing.

God has been seriously re-shaping my heart since I became a committed believer about 30 years ago.  When I was young, I had a close relationship with Jesus but it got lost in a season of rebellion and confusion about the truth in my young adulthood.  Six years of that messy time taught me how empty my life was without God.  I discovered that all the ‘fun’ and partying and working extra hard for ‘stuff’ was meaningless and a dead end.

So I re-committed my whole heart to God and I’ve been on this journey toward the truth ever since.

God tells us in Deuteronomy, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.” Deut. 10:16.   Looking back, I see evidence that God is working on my heart, cutting away the parts that need to change –

  • He cut out the rebellious part of my heart.  Now, no matter what happens, my heart submits to God’s will.  He knows best.
  • God cut out the stubborn part.  I translate “stiff-necked” as being stubborn and God has softened my heart towards everything that is about him and comes from him.
  • God cut out any parts of my heart that were unbelieving.  I don’t have to understand it all to believe.  If God says it, it’s true.  God has taught my eyes to look beyond what is in front of me.
  • God has been working on the parts of my heart where I want to be in control. I’ve gotten so much better at trusting God – no matter what’s going on around me. I know who is in total control and it’s not me. Whenever I feel myself leaning into ‘control mode’ again, I know I need to step back and trust God as he orchestrates everything for my good.
  • My heart was shattered into a million broken, mangled pieces when my son, David Glasser, a Phoenix Police Officer was killed in the line of duty.  I can feel God molding a new heart inside of me out of the debris.  This heart is stronger with a much clearer focus on my forever home.  I just published a book on Amazon, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love” if you are interested in hearing more about that story.

Circumcising my heart sounds painful but it has actually set me free from the lies and worries and fears that the world around us tries to impose on us.

And the transformation continues…..

Thank you, Abba Father.