Category: June

Surrounding Us

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

We are surrounded by them.  When we are afraid and need help, we just need to ask God to open our eyes.June 10 they are surrounding us

When God opened Elisha’s servant’s eyes, he saw that the hills around them were filled with the Army of God.

God promises the same to us.  He is always with us and his army is ready to go to battle for us.  Sometimes they are already in the midst of a battle for us and we just don’t know it.

Other times we know it.  When our lives are really messed up with conflict everywhere we turn, we can stand firm.  We know God and his army are fighting for us.

Sometimes things happen that are clearly an attack of Satan.  A couple of years ago in my office several very weird things started happening and mean, name-calling emails started flying around from ‘anonymous’ sources.  In the midst of it, Satan showed me very clearly that he was behind it all.  This was his plan.  He thought he was taking charge.

Somehow, the fact that Satan was so blatant about it made it easier for me to remember that the battle was God’s, not mine.  And God worked it all out for my good – just like he has promised.

God and his army stand ready to defend us – we just need to open our eyes.

 

Jonah’s Prayer 2014

On By Judy GlasserIn June1 Comment

When it all hit the fan, I decided to call out to you, God….

and you answered me.June 16 2014 Jonah's prayer

My choices took me to a deep, dark place in my life,

far from you.

But you still heard me when I prayed.

I tried to run from you – a very bad decision.  And now you’re letting me pay the consequences as waves of darkness and regret wash over me.

I feel like you are very far away, dear God.

Even so, I am going to look for you, watch for you, call out to you.

I keep sinking….

down,

into the cold,

deep,

sadness.   This is where my choices have taken me.

But I know you are here, Lord God.

And you will lift me back up into your arms.

When I was lost, I remembered you and I turned back to you, God.

I’m not like those other people who idolize money, success or fame.

I praise you with a joyful heart, my God!

I am here to do your will.  I will do what you have asked me to do.

Warnings Ignored

On By Judy GlasserIn June1 Comment

Hear this!June 12 Warnings Ignored

Wake up!

Mourn!

Despair!

Grieve!

Wail!

Sound the alarm!

The prophet Joel was trying to wake up the clueless people of Judah.  They had wandered back into worshipping all of the false gods that surrounded them.  They took their eyes off of the One True God and he was not going to let them ignore him very much longer.

So Joel spoke warning after warning to the people of Judah.  He pled for them rededicate their hearts to the Lord.  God promised his compassion and grace if they would return to him.  He promised to pour out his spirit upon them if they would call upon his name.

There were some sparks of rededication but they really didn’t change.  They continued down the path towards God’s punishment.

Do we receive any warnings?

What if our finances become all messed up and we’re sinking into debt.  Is that God letting us know that we need to get our finances right with Him so that he can bless us?

What if our relationships are getting all messed up and  it’s just getting worse and worse.  Is that God telling us we need to get our relationship straight with him so he can help us change and grow in our wisdom of how to deal with others?

Maybe this isn’t the right thing to do.

I don’t think I should be saying this.

What am I doing?

How did I get here?  This isn’t where I want to be.

These are some of the warnings God sends into our minds today.  He doesn’t have to speak through prophets anymore because he lives in the hearts of those who believe in him.  And he speaks these warnings into our minds…..

so we can listen…..

and respond…..

and turn back to him….

and he can pour out his love, compassion, strength and wisdom upon us.

Come, dear God.

Our Eyes Are On You

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

” We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”June 6 2014 our eyes are on you.

These are the words of King Jehoshaphat as he stood before the assembly of Judah praying to God about the vast army that was coming to attack them.

The next day, they went out, faced their attackers and God won the battle for them.

God promises us the same victory in our battles today…when we let him fight them for us.

Our battles today have names like sickness, debt, bad relationships, loneliness and addictions.

But the strategy still works – we need to keep our eyes on God.

When we focus on God and love him, he will guide us and work it all out for us.  He has promised.  Our part is to stand firm in our faith, listen and then do our part.

The battle is not our’s.  It’s God’s.

Thank you, dear Father.

He Whispers

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

God often whispers to us.  And we don’t hear him because we fail to quiet our minds and quiet our hearts and quiet our lives so we can hear.June 5 2014

We wonder why he’s not answering our prayers.  We wonder why we feel like we’re confused – with no direction.  We feel a little lost.  Sometimes we feel a lot lost.

All of this time, God is whispering his guidance and his love into our ears.

If we are listening.

If we are still and can open up our ears with faith and trust that God is speaking.

Because he is.

Thank you, dear God.

 

Not An Option

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

King Jehoshaphat of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  He removed all evidence of false gods from the land.  He got rid of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes and he removed the high places and Asherah poles which were used to worship false gods.June 4 2014

Jehoshaphat sought the God of his father and followed God’s commands.  As a result, God made him very prosperous.

King Jehoshaphat didn’t stop there.  He sent officials and priests out to teach the people the commands of God.  It was not enough that the king was a good leader and that he followed God himself.  He understood that God’s word was for all of the people.  They all needed to know God and follow him.

Because of Jehoshaphat’s faithfulness, he became very wealthy and powerful.  God gave his kingdom a time of peace.

I have talked to some parents who have told we that they don’t want to force their beliefs upon their children.   They want their children to choose for themselves what to believe.

This is a very dangerous idea.  What they are really doing is handing Satan and his team an empty mind to play with and influence.  And they are not following the directions God gave to us over and over in his word to teach our children.

I was talking with a woman in church many years ago who was sad because her 10 year-old son wouldn’t come to church with her.  I told her that not going to church was not an option for my children.  I’m the parent, right?  So I decide what a 10 year-old does or does not do.  It’s different when they become adults – it becomes their decision.  And they make their decisions based on the truth that they were taught when they were kids.

Teaching our children and our grandchildren about God is not an option for those of us who believe.

 

 

 

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

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

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.