Category: July

Blessed

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

You are an everlasting God!

We praise you!  You created the earth and everything on it.

We know you don’t get tired, dear Father.

We know that we can never understand everything about you.July 12 2015 hope in the Lord

We know that you give us strength when we are weary.

We feel your power moving inside of us when we are weak.

Sometimes, we get worn out and we stumble and then we fall.

But our faith in you, Lord, gives us the ability to look forward to tomorrow – it’s going to be good because you are already there.

You give us the power to dream big dreams because everything is possible with you.

You give us the self-discipline to obey you even when it doesn’t make sense because we know you always want the best for us.

Blessed by you, we will run this race of faith with perseverence, not getting tired, never giving up.

Blessed by you, we will take our next step of faith and then the next one and then the next, into the future you have prepared for us.

Blessed by you.

Thank you, Abba Father.

This is the Way

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

We will not weep any longer.July 9 2015 this is the way

When we cry out to God for help, he answers us.  He has given us the freedom of making our own choices which means he has to stand back and watch when we make bad ones – choices that can have long-term negative consequences for us.

Other times, God creates adverse situations in our lives in order to discipline us and teach us.

Both of these situations cause problems and challenges in our lives.

When we’re knee-deep in trouble, the smart thing to do is to call out to God.  BEFORE we get neck-deep.

He will open our eyes to the truth and to the lesson he is trying to teach us.

Isaiah tells us in Chapter 30 that we will hear a voice behind us, saying. “This is the way, walk in it.”

If we choose to obey these directions, God will shower his blessing on us.  When it seems like there is only darkness around us, God’s light will break through to heal us and make us whole.  He will direct our next step and then our next one, until we get to the place that right for us – where he wants us to be.

Please help us obey, Abba Father.

 

He Lets Us

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

On our own,  we sometimes decide to do something that we want to do but it’s not a very smart thing to do.

– and He lets us.July 8 2015 he lets us

Without consulting God, we can decide to go a direction that is going to take us to a place we don’t want to be.

–  and He lets us.

We can convince ourselves we need that expensive toy or this new car or that bigger house so we buy it even though we can’t afford it – without checking with God.

– And He lets us.

He also lets us deal with the consequences of making these poor choices.  We don’t like that part.  We might even ask God why he is letting this bad thing happen to us.  How did he let us get into this mess?  In reality, we got ourselves into this mess.

God gives us the freedom to make our own choices – knowing that we won’t always make the right ones.  He know that he could help us make the right choices –  if we would just ask.  We have the option of avoiding these nasty consequences.

We are free.

It’s our choice.

Please help us be wise with our choices, Abba Father.

God’s Math

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

God has a supernatural math when it comes to our generosity with our money and time in supporting the work of his kingdom.

His math is not like our math where 1+1=2.July 4b 2015 God's math

God’s math makes 1+1=100.  Or 1000.  Or 1,000,000 if he wants it to be.

God’s blessing + our giving = everybody wins.

When we give to God, we don’t have less.  We have more.  Don’t ask me to explain it – it’s just the truth.  I’ve experienced it many times.  We truly cannot out give God.

God’s math has been true for thousands of years.  After the Israelites started  to bring their contributions to the Temple of the Lord, they found that they had plenty to eat with plenty to spare.  God multiplied their generosity by giving them back more – a lot more.  When Hezekiah saw the large piles of leftover contributions, he built storerooms for all of it.  The Levites were put in charge of distributing the gifts in other towns.

See how God’s math works?  Their generosity just kept multiplying and spreading.

God does the same thing today.  If you don’t know that for a fact, test him.

Thank you, Abba Father.

He Gives Unity

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

“The hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind.”July 4 he gives unity 2015

Unity comes from God.

When we are all well-connected to God, we can hear his directions for us.  He gives us insight and understanding.

When we are not well-connected, our own desires often cause disunity.  When we put what we want in front of  Jesus’ desire for us to be ‘one’, we can create dissension.  We can become stubborn – the Bible often describes people like this as hard-hearted.   When we are focused on ourselves rather than submitting to God, we can become the problem, not the solution.

One way we often show disunity is by being critical of our spiritual leaders.  God calls us to encourage and support the leaders he has put in place.  He gives us the wisdom we need to do this when we are well-connected with him.

When we are feeling critical and dissatisfied with our church leadership, it indicates that we need to spend more time in prayer and meditation on God’s word.

Because God gives unity.

Thank you, Abba Father.

A Shoot

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

A shoot from the lineage of Jesse came to earth to save it and fulfill the plans of his Father.

God’s spirit rested on him, giving him wisdom,

understanding,

wise counsel,

might,

knowledge

and respect for the Lord.

His name is Jesus.

And his life reflected a perfect understanding and respect for God.

He does not judge by what is on the outside – he knows our hearts.  He does not make decisions based on what he hears – he knows the truth – God’s truth.

When he judges, he does it perfectly.

When he came to earth from heaven to live, he struck the earth with his words – exposing sin and forever changing what we know about love and compassion and submitting to God.

Jesus did the right things everyday.

His faithful obedience to God was evident in every aspect of his life.

Jesus is God’s revelation of himself so we might know him.

And want to be more like him.

Amen, let it be so, Abba Father.

 

From That Time On and Forever

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

We are living in Forever.

I love reading Isaiah as he prophesies about Jesus 700 years before Jesus was born.June 29 2015 From that time on and forever

Because all of his prophecies came true:

For unto us a child was born,

Unto us, God’s son was given.

He is called Wonderful,

Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

There is no end to the greatness of his governing of the world.

There is no end to the peace he freely offers us.

He is King!

He reigns over his kingdom today.

He established his kingdom with justice and righteousness.

From now and on into Forever.

Dear Father,  We are your light for the people who are walking in darkness today.  Please open their eyes to your light of love.  Your light of joy.  Your light of forgiveness.  Your light of redemption and restoration.  May your light shine out through us.  Please help grow our faith and our witness so that your kingdom on earth will be enlarged.  We know we are free when we accept the salvation that your son, Jesus, brought to earth.  Help us share that freedom, dear Father.  Shatter the yokes of sin that are holding our friends, family and neighbors captive.  In the redeeming name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

Who Is My Instructor?

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

“Who has been instructed by the Lord?’ asked Jeremiah in his 9th chapter.

How many of us seriously consider where our instruction is coming from?July 28 2014 Who is My Instructor

Is it coming from TV?  Do we believe everything we hear on the news or on the internet?  Do we quote these things to others like it’s verified fact?

Is our instruction coming from family or friends?  Our boss? If so, where are they receiving their instruction?

Or is it all about what I ‘think’?  Where did that instruction come from and what is it based on?

We also need to consider how Satan is constantly trying to give us directions.  He and his pack prowl around us waiting for a weak moment where they can ‘instruct’ us in how to rationalize our bad behavior.  Satan gets a big smile on his face whenever we seek instruction from any source other than God.

God tells us to use his infallible word for our instruction and to compare everything else to it in order to discern if the other thing is true or false.  As we read and study God’s word, he instructs us.

And there is always more to know – that’s the lifelong journey towards the truth that we’re on.  I think it’s great that you are all on this journey with me and that you read the thoughts and meditations God gives me.  It is my prayer that you are also reading God’s word yourself so that God can speak directly to you and instruct you.

Thank you for your amazing and living word to us, dear Father.

I’m Not Stubborn!

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

I’m not stubborn!July 28 2014 stubborn

I’m not stubborn!

These words make me smile because it brings back a memory that is now precious of my daughter when she was a  small, very determined, 5 year old.  Her older brother would tease her about being stubborn and she would yell these words loudly and repeatedly – proving his point.

But she couldn’t see that.  Her mind was closed to the idea that her behavior was anything other than acceptable.

She was just a little girl with a lot to learn.  She has since grown into a beautiful, extremely intelligent, still very determined young woman who hasn’t said these words in a long time.

Just like us – we don’t say the words.  But do we have this attitude?  Can we take down the self-protective walls that we’ve built in our minds and take an honest look at our behavior?  Is there a stubborn streak there?  I know I can be stubborn.  In the past I would have said it was because I was always right but God has already shown me the error of that thinking 🙂

Jeremiah tells us in his 7th chapter that God accuses Israel of being stubborn.  He has commanded them to obey him but they do not listen.  They ‘follow the stubborn inclination of their evil hearts.’

Ouch!

Our stubbornness leads to behavior that does not please God.

Please open our eyes to our stubbornness, dear Father, so we can let you transform it into obedience.

Our Hearts

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

Our desire is for you to circumcise our hearts, dear Father.July 26 2014 our hearts

Please help us cut away the parts that only focus on ourselves – the selfishness and immaturity.

Take away the sections that care so much about the ‘things’ of this world.  They distract us from you.

Please help us get rid of the areas that are filled with worthless guilt and regrets which weigh us down.  You forgave and forgot about those many years ago when we confessed them the first time.

Please tear away the dark parts so our light for you can shine brighter.

Cut out the judgemental part of our heart and replace it with love for others.

We pray for a new heart that is soft and wide-open to you, dear Father.  We thank you because we know this is also what you want for us, so it will happen when we faithfully stay in this journey.

One day at a time.

On our way to you, dear Father.