Category: April

So Easy

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

It can be so easy to make quick judgements about other people’s actions.  Their unfairness is so crystal-clear.   Their lack of judgement is so evident.

Why is it so much harder to look at our own behavior using the same standards?  We are very quick to excuse ourselves and rationalize away our own actions.  There is a veil of self-centeredness that covers our eyes when we look at our own choices.

Sometimes we all need a very good friend to help open our eyes to what we are doing.

That’s what Nathan did for David in 2 Samuel 12.  He tells David a story about a very rich man who took advantage ofApril 10 2014 a very poor man.  When David heard the story, he burned in anger and said the rich man should die for his actions.   And then Nathan turns to David and says’ You are the man.’

Wow!  Call it like it is Nathan!

Nathan goes on to correlate his story with David’s recent action with Bathsheba and Uriah.  This helped open David’s eyes to what he had done and David acknowledge his sins before God.  David was so good at turning right back to God when he strayed.

He asked for God’s mercy for his sins in Psalm 51 and here is how some of that psalm might have sounded if David had written it in 2014:April 10 2 2014

I really need your mercy this time, God.

I know you love me.  Your great compassion makes all of my sins disappear.  Wash me, dear God.  Clean me once again.

I know I have sinned against you – I can’t get it off of my mind.

I am guilty – go ahead and judge me.

I have always been sinful yet you desire faithfulness.

Cleanse me and wash me, dear God.  I’m ashamed of my sins.

Create in me a heart that honors you, dear God.

May your spirit continue to grow within me.

Never turn away from me.  You have saved me – may I find joy again.

Help me be a willing and faithful servant, dear God.

Amen.

Psalm 18, 2014

On By Judy GlasserIn April2 Comments

Everything God does is perfect.April 7 a 2014

All of his words are correct.

You are a refuge for all who believe in You.  There is no other God.

You are the only real Rock that is available to us.

It is You who gives me strength and keeps me safe.  You help through my days.

Anything that I’ve achieved has been done through your power in my life. 

You give me wisdom in conflict – the right words at the right time.April 7 2 2014

Your hand is my shield and You provide everything I need.

You have given me a purpose and You have made my life worth living.

You direct my path and give me the endurance I need.

Thank you, dear God!

 

The City of David

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Jerusalem.

David built up the city and became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him.

On my recent trip to Jerusalem, we looked at an excavation site which experts believe to be remains of the City of David.  We stood where David lived as King.  It’s on the side of a hill looking down  on a beautiful section of Jerusalem.jerusalem from the city of david  We looked down upon the rooftops below us  just like David would have done when he saw Bathsheba.

The stories of David reverberated in my head as I looked out over David’s beloved Jerusalem.

First Chronicles tells us that the Lord Almighty was with David and he became more and more powerful.  Today, regular people like us don’t become more and more powerful by amassing armies and plunder.

We become more and more powerful as our witness to the power of God in our lives grows – when our faith becomes a rock which never waivers and cannot be moved.  Our power grows because God is with us all day, in every situation and we can feel him supernaturally moving through us.

And we grow more like Jesus who has all of the power.

Thank you, dear God!

Psalm 34, 2014

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

I will talk about the greatness of the Lord all of the time.

I won’t stop praising him!

I am awed by God!

Let those who don’t know him hear this and be glad.

Let us praise God together!April 2 2014

God always answers when I call.

My fears and my shame disappear in his presence.

God saves us all whenever there is trouble.

If you want to live a good, long life, be very careful about what you say.

Do good and seek peace.

 

A Drama King

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

March 23 2014A man of extremes.  That’s what I think of as I read the story of Samson.

Killing lions with his bare hands, betting big on riddles no one can answer without using deceit, killing to settle his bet, dramatically burning other’s crops in revenge only to have his family burned to death…..the center of attention over and over and over again.

Yet God used him.  God’s spirit came upon him several times and God used him against the enemy of the day – the Philistines. 

This is a great example of how can and does use anyone who makes themself available to him.

Dear God, we praise your name today.  Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty!  We ask that you will help us to always be available to you.  We are here to complete your purpose – the things you have prepared in advance for us to do.  We pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Available for All

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Not accepted.  Not included.  Born in the wrong place.

March 22 2014All of these describe Ruth, the widowed daughter in law of Naomi.  She was a Moabite.  The Israelites hated the Moabites.  She was a Gentile.  She was a young widow – a relatively worthless person in the community.

And she chose to go back to Bethlehem with Naomi.  She chose to become part of Naomi’s people.  She chose to love and serve Naomi’s God.

As we read on in the story, we see how God blesses her through these choices by giving her a new husband, a new family and a new son.

A Moabite, a Gentile, becomes part of the lineage of King David.  Which becomes the lineage of the Savior of the World, Jesus.

Jesus told us that there is just one way to heaven, one way to the Father, and its through him.  There is only one way but it is available to everyone.  Everyone is accepted.  Everyone is included.  And we were all born in the right place – here on earth.

Because God so loved the world that he sent his only son to die for us so that anyone and everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

He loves us all so very much!

Thank you, dear Father!

Really?

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

God promises to use Gideon to save Israel and Gideon still has to test God by throwing out a fleece – not once but twice?March 19 2014

Why?  God always keeps his promises.  Did Gideon just not have enough faith to take God at his word?  He had to see God jump through some extra hoops before he would obey?

Yes, God responded BOTH times but I’ll bet he wasn’t smiling.  This an another example of just how much patience God has with us.

I believe in asking God for guidance when the next step isn’t clear.  I believe in asking him to give me the opportunity if I’m supposed to speak to someone about something God has revealed to me.

But, when he has clearly told me what he was going to do, he’s  looking for obedience, not tests.  There doesn’t need to be any fleece throwing in those situations.

The more we know about God, the easier it is to hear him.  As we grow closer we get to God,  his whispers are enough to get our attenion.  I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me because that is where we’re going – closer to the source of all Truth, closer to God.

Draw us nearer, dear Father.

We’ll Never Know……

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

how often God protects us.

But I caught a glimpse of God’s protection recently as I was driving to work after my regular 6 am Bible study group April 19 2013meeting every Thursday morning.  We had been discussing the topic of how often God protects us but we never know it.

As I drove down Thunderbird road, I saw a car just like mine – same color, same model, looked like the same year.  We just bought this car and I’m still really enjoying how different it looks from my last car.  So I kept peeking over to the next lane to see how it looked.

I was stopped by a red light and the other car zipped through on the yellow so I didn’t see it anymore.  As soon as the light turned green, I realized that the traffic was suddenly going a lot slower.  Great!!  That’s all I needed.  I still had a long drive to work.

We were inching our way up to the freeway when I saw what the hold up was.  The car that looked just like mine had been rear-ended in the middle of the road and it looked like more than just a little fender bender.

That could have easily have been me.  And maybe it would have been if God had not protected me.

I’m not saying that God protects me from all car accidents – I’ve had a few.  I believe that God protects me from some bad things while permitting other bad things to happen.  There is a comfort in that for me.  When bad things happen, I know that God has let them happen for a purpose.  He wants to use this situation for my good and for his glory. 

Just like David says in Psalms 5, I find refuge in my Father God and rejoice.

All of It

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

David stands surrounded by huge piles of gold and silver and bronze that have been donated to build the temple for God.  He lifts his hands to God, saying:

“Yours, Lord is the kingdom, you are exalted as head over all.April 19 2 Sam

Wealth and honor come from you;

you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.”

This is one of my favorite visuals in the Bible.  Every time I read it, David reminds me of something that is extremely important.  I need to remember it, believe it and act like it every day of my life.

It’s all God’s.

Everything. 

He gives me things to take care of for him but it’s still all his.

Really believing this and acting like it has been a gradual process in my life.  The toughest but most precious change was when I realized my children weren’t mine – they were his.  He gave them to me to love and nurture but they were always his.  Really believing this is actually a relief – especially now that they are grown and have their own lives.  God is always with them – loving and protecting them.  They are his. 

I’m just grateful that he let me be their mom.

Thank you, dear Father!

His Hair Became a Snare

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

David’s son, Absolom, had beautiful hair.  We read in 2 Samual that it was heavy and long and gorgeous.  He cut it once a year and weighed it.

April 14 2113I wonder how often Absolom stopped to look in the mirror to admire his hair?  (Did they have mirrors back then?  Maybe shiny pieces of metal that reflected back their image?)

If he made this big deal about his yearly hair cutting, I would image that he was extremely proud of his hair, don’t you?

I’m sure it was a constant source of compliments for him.

And then we read in 2 Samuel 18 that Absolom was riding his donkey under a tree in the midst of battle when his hair got caught in the tree.  He was pulled from his donkey and was left handing in midair while his donkey just kept on going.

Only really thick hair would be able to do that, right?

While Absolom was hanging there,  Joab plunged his sword into his heart and killed him.

If Absolom had thin hair or even regular hair, this wouldn’t have happened to him.

The thing he was so very proud of became a snare that caused his death.

So the question to us today is – what is the thing in our life that we are most proud of?

Do we need an attitude adjustment  before we find ourselves in a snare?

Are we already caught in a snare?

Dear Father, we are so blessed to have you in our lives lavishing us with your mercy and your love.  We confess our pridefullness.  We need you.  Please help us only be proud of you and what you have done for us.