Category: April

Do It!

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

It bothered David that he was now living in a palace while the ark of the covenant of the Lord was in a tent.April 9 2015 Do it.

When David told Nathan the prophet what he was worried about, Nathan told David that he should do something about it.  It was on David’s mind and Nathan reminded David that God was with him.

If this conversation happened today, it might sound something like this:

David: Nathan, I can’t stop thinking about the ark of the Lord sitting over there in that tent while I sit in this big palace.  It’s really bugging me.

Nathan:  Why do you think that’s bugging you, David?  You know how God is always talking to you.  Do you think this is God telling you to fix this situation?  If so, you better do something about it.

As we read God’s word today, Nathan is saying the same thing to us.  God is always trying to talk to us.  His Spirit lives within all of us who believe.  When we are being ‘bugged’ by thoughts, we need to meditate on God’s word to us.  We need to figure out what God is telling us to do and then do it!

The more we listen, the louder God’s voice becomes.

Thank you, Abba Father.

The Power

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit living within you?

What does this power feel like?

We read in 2 Samuel that David and his army took over Jerusalem.  Because God was with David, David became more and more powerful.  David was obedient and, as a result of that obedience, God was able to fulfill his plan for David and establish him as king.

Isn’t that what we want?  Not to be king  :).  But don’t we want God to be able to use us for his purposes?  We want God’s dreams for us to come true.ddddddddddddddddDSC_0315

I had the opportunity to visit the City of David in Jerusalem last year. (pictures)   It’s very hard to try to describe what it felt like to stand within the ruins of David’s palace, looking down over the rooftops of Jerusalem.

Knowing that my God was David’s God.

The Alpha and Omega.

The Beginning and the End.ddddddddddDSC_0326

God was with David in Jerusalem.  God’s power was in David, helping him to obediently fulfilled his purpose on earth.  When David was done, our Father God brought him home.

God was also with me in Jerusalem.  The power of his Holy Spirit lives within me, helping me to fulfill my purpose.  I’m still here because I’m not done yet.  When my time is up, he will bring me home to be with him.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Our Next Step

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

We can spend a lot of time thinking about and worrying about our next step.

The next step for our career.April 6 2015 our next step

The next step for our marriage.

The next step for our children.

The next step as we grow older.

Our next steps can often seem like they are in a fog – unclear, hard to see.

I’m one of those people who like challenges.  I like trying new things.  So thinking about my next steps excites me, motivates me.  But that doesn’t make them any clearer.

David shows us in 2 Samuel what to do at times like these.  David inquired of the Lord.  He asked God if the next step he was planning to take – going to a town in Judah- was the right one.  And God said, “Go.”

Then David asked for more details – which town was he supposed to go to?  And God said, “Hebron.”

So David went.

At this point, David could be 100% sure he was where God wanted him to be.  With that assurance came the knowledge that God would be protecting him and blessing him in Hebron.

We can have this assurance as well – that we’re right where God wants us, covered by his love and protection.  We just need to ask.  God will answer.

James 1 teaches us to believe that God will answer.  We need to have no doubts about this.   God promises that he will give us generous amounts of wisdom in every situation…..if we ask him and believe.

The answers may not be what we want to hear.  David might not have wanted to go to Hebron.  But he went.  He obeyed.  A wise choice.

David believed that God would guide his steps.  And God did.

God promised he will do the same for us.  One of my favorite verses about this is Proverbs 3: 5&6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

We claim that promise, dear Father.  Thank you.

He is Faithful

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Do you have days where it feels like there are problems and challenges coming at you from all sides?

I do.March 31 2015 he is faithful

Issues come up at work.

Difficulties arise in my personal life.

These are also the times where I get a tooth ache or a cold.

Or I get a flat tire on my car.

And the washing machine stops working.

And the dog starts having a weird cough.

I know you’ve been there, too.

One of the blessings of being adopted by God as his child is knowing that we can reach out to God in the middle of all of this mess and he will give us peace.

He will give us strength.

We know from etchingJames 1 onto our minds that, when we persevere under trials by asking God for wisdom, he will always give us in a generous amount and we grow and mature.  We become complete.

God is always faithful.  David knew this.  We read in 1 Samuel that God had rescued David from the paw of a lion and the paw of a bear so David was confident that God would give him victory over Goliath.

What are the Goliaths that we’re facing today?

Dear Father, we ask for the bold confidence David had as we face our own Goliaths.  We know you are faithful.  You have always taken care of us in the past.  You will always love and care for us in the future.  Please help us live each day with that confidence – with that attitude – knowing you are helping us fight our lions, our bears and our Goliaths.  We love you, dear Father.  In the awesome name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Hannah’s Prayer 2015

On By Judy GlasserIn April1 Comment

I rejoice and lift my hands to the Lord.

My God has given me freedom from other things that would battle for my soul.

There is no one like God, our Rock.March 26 2015 Hannah's prayer 2015

People who are full of pride and arrogance should watch out!  Because God knows.  He is the judge.

Our God walks beside us to give us strength when we stumble.

Our God provides for us when we are hungy.

Our God knows our deepest yearnings and gives us just what we need.

The Lord controls life and death,

poverty and wealth.

He decides who will be exalted and who needs to be humbled.

Our Lord brings honor to those who are poor and needy.

Our God is the creator of everything.

He takes care of those who are faithful.  He will make sure the wicked pay the final price for their choices in a dark, silent place.

Our strength comes from God.

Anyone who opposes the Lord will be judged.

God alone knows and controls the future….

our future is in his hands.

Thank you, Abba Father!

1Chronicles 29. 2014

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Picture this with me –

King David  is standing in the middle of a huge mountain of bronze, silver, iron and gold with large piles of precious stones on top.  These are his offerings and the offerings of his people as they prepare for Solomon to build a temple for God.  David rejoices as he lifts up his hands high to heaven and says –

We give you all praise to you, God of Israel!April 19 2014

Now and forever we will praise you!

Only you are great and powerful!  Your majesty and splendor are glorious!

Absolutely everything is yours.

You are our king.

All wealth and honor come from you.

You are in total control of all things.

All strength and power come from you.

We give you thanks and praise your glorious name!

We have given generously in order to build a temple for you, but it all originally came from you.  Everything comes from you – we’re just giving some of it back.

Thank you, dear God, for giving us this picture in our minds of a godly king who understood where his strength and power and wealth and honor came from.  May we follow his example.

No Luck Involved

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

I recently talked with a man in his 40″s who said he believed that most of what life throws at us is luck.  Some people are lucky so good things come their way.  Others aren’t lucky so bad things happen to them.April 16 2014

How interesting!  Because I believe the total opposite.  I don’t believe in luck.  I think that our decisions directly determine what happens to us.  Sometimes we don’t think ahead when making decisions and we don’t like where we end up, but it’s not luck.

As a Christian, I also believe that God works everything out for good for those who love him.  But not without consequences for bad decisions we’ve made.  He walks with us as we go through the bad consequences and he helps us grow wisdom through these negative experiences.   If we let God guide us through the pain, disappointment and regrets, we come out more mature and with a greater faith at the other end.

In 2 Samuel, King David had made some bad choices so he and his people were going to pay the consequences.  No luck involved.

Blaming the results of our bad choices on luck is a very dangerous road to take.  When we don’t hold ourselves personally accountable for our decisions,  we won’t be motivated to change and improve.  I see lots of ‘bad luck’ ahead for anyone who chooses the treacherous path of not taking responsibility for where our decisions have taken us.  If we want a different outcome, we need to make different choices.

No luck involved.

Please give us wisdom, dear Father.

Psalm 3, 2014

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Nothing is going right for me, God!April 14 2014

Everybody and everything is against me.

They believe that you’re not going to help me this time, Lord.

But I know you are always with me.  Because of you I have hope.  When I look to you and call out to you, you always answer.

I can sleep at night because you are there to take care of me.

I wake up every morning knowing that you are there to give me strength for the day.

I will not be afraid of anything that comes at me.

Save me once again, O God!

Take out my enemies.

You give me freedom.  May your blessing be upon all of us.

This psalm is especially sad because David’s enemy at this time was his own son, Absalom.   Absalom’s rebellion brought an enormous amount of pain to David and to David’s family.

Dear Father, Please remove any rebellious spirits within us so that our lives can bring glory to you.

The Tomb is Empty!

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Hallelujah!

My journey down the Via Dolorosa seeing each Station of the Cross where another horrible thing happened to Jesus culminated in a emotional visit to the garden tomb.ftdDSC_0549

Experts can’t verify that this is the exact tomb where Jesus laid for 3 days.  But it’s in the right place and it has the same  unusual layout that Jesus’ tomb had. 

It’s in a peaceful and beautiful garden – an oasis in the middle of noisy, crowded, tension-filled Jerusalem.  Did I mention that we heard machine-gun fire for several minutes while having lunch in Jerusalem that day?

It didn’t matter to me if this was the exact tomb……Jesus’ body isn’t thereftdDSC_0558 anyway.  He is risen!  And he lives inside of me and all who believe in him!  So it was even more glorious to realize that Jesus was there that day with me.  He was helping me understand what he did for me just a little bit more.  I experienced the depths of his love at a new level. 

And I was overwhelmed with gratitude for those in my life who had introduced me to Christ – specifically for my mother who lived a sold-out-to-Jesus life all the way up to her death.  What a great role-model!  What a great legacy!

So I celebrate my risen Savior today with new enthusiasm and new understanding.

Thank you, Jesus!ftdDSC_0564

The Via Dolorosa

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

The Way of Suffering.

The path Jesus took throftdDSC_0523ugh Jerusalem that day.  The day he died on the cross – for you….for me.

His agony was more real to me as I walked down that crowded and narrow street just a few weeks ago.

The whips and the beatings caused his body to bleed. 

The hatred and anger etched upon the faces of the people he passed by must have hurt even more.  These were the people he loved enough to die for.   And they spit on him as the blood flowing down over his head mixed with the tears dripping down his face.

Meanwhile, Satan and his team cheered loudly, encouraging the crowds on as they hit Jesus and let the rage of their sinful hearts loose upon the sinless Son of God.ftdDSC_0527

It’s a narrow street.  It was filled with people and merchants on the day I walked down it just like it had been the day Jesus dragged his cross down it.  There wouldn’t have been much room.  I’m sure Jesus felt the pressure of humanity weighing down him just as much as the weight of the cross.

It was very personal.

And very ugly.

Isaiah’s prophecy from 700 years before Jesus was born rang through my head as I made my way down the Via Dolorosa:

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.  Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised.  And we esteemed him not.fdtDSC_0502

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, and we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. 

But he was pierced by our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities.

The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.

We all like sheep have gone astray – each of us to his own way.

And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Thank you, dear Jesus.