Month: June 2013

Our High Places

On By Judy GlasserIn June1 Comment

What are our high places?

June 20 2013As we’re reading through Kings and 2 Kings, we read about good Kings who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Some of them demolished idol worship everywhere within their kingdom and others destroyed most of it but left the high places.  And the people would continue to worship idols in the high places.

Do we have high places in our lives where we continue to worship our idols?  Pieces of our lives which we want to keep under our control and refuse to give over to God?

Some areas I  had a big and long struggle with but eventually gave over to God are:

My children.  It was a very big relief to finally understand that God loves my children more than me and my worrying over them did no good for anyone.  God is with them always – loving them and taking care of them.

My career.  It was also a big relief when I really understood that my career came from God.  I am where I am because that’s where he wants me to be.  When he wants me to be somewhere else, he’ll guide me there.  Meanwhile, all of my achievements and successes and promotions and pay increases come from him.

Our finances.  I never felt that we had enough money to tithe – until we started tithing.  Since we’ve started tithing, we always have enough money for our needs.  And whenever God decides that we need some extra, he sends us an unexpected check or makes some more hours of work available for my husband. 

God amazed me last year when I felt that he was telling me to plan a trip to Israel but I didn’t have the money.  So I asked him to show me how I was supposed to pay for it.  And he orchestrated an award for me at work which I didn’t even know I was nominated for.  The total of the award was the price of the trip including – of course –  a tithe of the amount.  He couldn’t make it more obvious, could he?

I have learned that, when I was trying to control these things, I was actually keeping them from coming under the blessing of my Father God.  Since I have recognized his Lordship in all of these areas of my life, he has consistently me in each of them – every day in every way.

Thank you, dear God!

More Than Enough

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

Dear Father,

You are more than enough for us.June 18 2 2013

Our desire is to be faithful to you today and every day.  We want to be anchored to you so that we don’t drift away.

Please help us understand your wisdom and directions.  Reveal the truth to us.  Make the lies and traps that surround us clear to us so we can avoid their snares.

Your’s is the only voice we want to follow – please make us deaf to all others.

Your prophet Hosea tells us that our spirit of prostitution leads us astray – we give so much of ourselves away to things in our world which have no eternal value –  cars, houses, sports, food, shopping for material things, television and computers. 

Why do we so easily sacrifice our relationship with you, dear God? 

We’re disappointed when our children follow our lead and get drawn into the mess of our culture.  They are simply following our example.  They see all of the ‘gods’ in our lives so they develop their own.

You are the only true God.

You deserve our devotion and our love.

Please continue to draw us closer, dear Father.

Are We Listening?

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

How it really happened.  That’s what I love about reading the Bible chronologically.

It’s such a different experience to read through the Old Testament and hear the words of the various prophets speaking directly to the kings in context.

The kings of Israel and Judah had prophets coming at them all of the time speaking the words of God.  Sometimes the prophets were screaming the words of God. 

Hosea married a prostitute who was repeatedly and blatantly unfaithful to him.  Why?  To illustrate God’s perspective as he watched the Israelites prostitute themselves with other gods over and over.

The prophets did anything they could to get the kings’ attention.

But the kings didn’t listen.

They refused to change their behavior.  They didn’t repent and turn back to God.

We now have the huge advantage of having the Spirit of God living inside of us.  God doesn’t need to send prophets anymore – he speaks directly to us.

But there’s still the same question – are we listening?

One Nation Under God

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Dear Father,  We pray for our nation today.American_Flag_USA_Patriotic_Clipart_591x362-1

We were founded on your principles but we have strayed so very far.

We need your help.  We want to return to you with all of our hearts.

We want to repent.

Your light used to shine brightly out of our country for the rest of the world to see. Now it is a meer glimmer……….almost gone.  Please help us to turn back.

Rend our hearts, dear Father.  Please open our hearts wide open to you.  Bring about a rededication of our nation to what is most important to you.

We  thank you for your compassion and graciousness.  You are slow to anger and abounding in love.

You promise us, dear Father, that you will pour out your spirit on all of your people….

when we turn back to you.

You promise that everyone who calls on your name will be saved.

You promise that there will be deliverance!

We claim your promises, dear God.

Please help us return to you, dear Father, before the darkness consumes us.

Open My Eyes……….

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

so I may see God’s heavenly army

which is fighting for me,June 10 2013

protecting me,

surrounding me.

Elisha could see it.

When he looked at the hills surrounding him, they were filled with horses and chariots of fire.

But the servant couldn’t see it until God opened up his eyes.

Please open up our eyes, Lord!

We don’t have to be afraid.

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

Everyday.

Jesus has promised us that he is with us until the day he returns.

And he has more than conquered the world.

Thank you, dear Jesus.

When Am I Really Going to Get It?

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The battle is not mine, it is God’s.

Thousands of years ago, Jahaziel stood in front of all of the people of Judah and told them, ” You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you.

It’s just as true today as it was back in the time of 2 Chronicles.June 6 2013

I just need to take up my position, stand firm and watch God fight my battles.

My correct position is to put myself where he wants me.  He leads, I follow.

I stand firm by staying focused on the purpose he as given me and keeping my daily relationship with him strong.

And then he delivers me.

He’s done it before, he will do it again.

And again.

And again.

So why do I sometimes have doubts that haunt me in the darkest part of the night?  Why do I start focusing on my plans and purposes only to become frustrated and confused?

Why do I draw up battle plans and go full steam ahead just to be defeated once again?

I have the Lord of all of the Armies on my side ready to fight my battles for me.

When am I really, really going to get that?

Thank you, dear Father.  I face all of my tomorrows knowing that you are with me and you are for me. 

I Don’t Want to Miss It!

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

The whisper of God.

It’s not in the great and powerful wind as it tears apart the mountains and shatters the rocks.

It’s not in the earthquake or in the fire.

The spirit of God moves in our hearts and our minds…….a whisper.

Which we will miss if we don’t turn off the distractions and focus on him.

I believe God is trying to guide me and communicate with me all day.  I just don’t always listen well.  Sometimes I’m just not listening at all.

So many things in my life clamor for my attention and they all have much louder voices!

There’s no time to stop to listen for whispers, is there?

No, there’s no time to listen for whispers…..

unless we make the time.  Unless we put ourselves in places where he can more easily speak to us.

june 5 2013Like studying his Word.

Like worshipping with our brothers and sisters.

Like serving in his name.

Like setting aside time for a good conversation with him.

Because, when our little light flickers out and it’s all done, we’ll want to be able to easily recognize the voice that whispers to us here…….

As it guides us home.

Clothed in Scarlet

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

“When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for all of them are clothed in scarlet.”May 25 2013

I have read this verse in Proverbs 31 many times but I never ‘got it’ until now.  I love that about God’s word – no matter how many times I read it all the way through, I’m always motivated to do it again.  Because there’s more.  There’s something new God wants to reveal to me.  It’s his living word and he’s still talking 🙂

And I realize that snowing in biblical  times was probably a huge deal, something they weren’t prepared for.  It would create a lot of issues and problems.  A mother could be very worried about her family and what was happening to them during this time.

I realize that they were clothed in scarlet but they weren’t wearing red clothes.  She knew her family was covered by sacrificial blood which was the blood of animals back in those days and is now the blood of Christ. 

So when all of the problems and issues came, she didn’t need to worry.  Her family was safe in the arms of God,

Love it! 

And, as a parent, I regularly need to remind myself to ‘ live’ this.  I am blessed to know that my husband and grown children all have a personal relationship with Christ.  Even my little 2 1/2 year-old grandson knows that God loves him.

They are in his hands.

They are clothed in scarlet. 

And when the snow – or troubles – come,  I won’t have to worry.

Maybe I’ll ask everyone to wear something red for our next family picture 🙂

Thank you, dear Father.

The Secret….

On By Judy GlasserIn June2 Comments

of being content.

The secret of being satisfied.

“Whoever loves money will never have enough.” Eccl. 5

May 29 2013Studying God’s perspective on money changed my life.  My beliefs and views about finances were so skewed by everything the world had taught me that I needed to go through a financial Bible study several times before it started to sink in.

God owns everything – it’s all his.  He gives it to us to take care of and use and he only asks for a small portion back.

He doesn’t need our money.  He could rain gold out of the sky if he wanted to.  We just need to be able to put him ahead of money in our priorities.  Then we can joyfully give to support his ministries here on earth.

How much we make is not the issue – how much we spend is.

When I really understood that God owned it all, it became easier to tithe.  It wasn’t mine to start with – God gave it to me, I didn’t earn it like I thought I did.  It all comes from God, he deserves it all – he only asks for a little back.  As soon as we started managing our finances according to God’s word, he helped us get totally out of debt and, years later, he is still making sure we have everything we need.  I have lots of stories of situations where God provided just what we needed right when we needed it.

And that’s a key – I know that, right now, I have what God wants me to have.  If I’m ever going to learn to be content, I need to learn to be content with what I have right now. 

I love this saying – Happiness is wanting what you already have.

God has so richly blessed me with all of things I have already.  And he has given me so many more things that money just can’t buy.

Thank you, dear Father.