Tag: Bible

Psalm 3, 2020

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

LORD, there are so many issues, problems and stresses rising up against me!  Others are watching saying, “Where is her God now?”

But you, LORD, shield me from the hopelessness of the unbelievers who do not trust you. When I cry out to you, you lift my head up high and answer me.

As I open my eyes each morning, I recognize that my life comes from you.  I do not fear all the known and unknown dangers that surround me.

Save me, Father, from the worry and anxiety which try to overwhelm me.

You are our deliverer!  Bless us, your children.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Powerful

On By Judy GlasserIn April2 Comments

There are two forces at work on this earth – good and evil.

Every story, every book and every movie has the underlying theme of good versus evil.

God is the force of good on this earth.

Satan is the force for evil.  Yes, Satan is very real.  Unfortunately, he is very good at influencing us and others to do things that are wrong, mean and evil.

Spoiler alert – Satan’s power is limited  He wins some battles here on earth but he has already lost the war.

God’s power is limitless, eternal and he has already won the final war.

Satan uses his power on earth well – confusing us, distracting us, helping us rationalize the bad things we do and even making wrong things look like right things.  He is the Father of Lies.  He’s sneaky – he gets people who have given into his lies to tell others that ‘it’s all okay.  I’m doing this, you should, too.”

Satan has power in this world and we should not take that power lightly.  This is why God told King Saul to get rid of all the mediums and witches among his people.  Mediums and witches and all of those types of people have power –

but it’s not from God.  There is no such thing as a good witch.

Satan is the source of their power.  They willingly open their minds to Satan and he gladly uses them for his purposes.

The story of Saul going to the witch in the book of Samuel in the Bible makes me sad.  Saul knew better.  Unfortunately, he did not have a strong enough character to keep his behavior in line with what he knew to be true.

Saul asked the witch to ‘bring up’ Samuel after Samuel had died.  First she protested but then she did it, ‘crying at the top of her voice’ when Samuel actually appeared.  She was so surprised when Samuel showed up because she probably knew where her powers came from and she never expected a man of God to respond to her summons.

God obviously took this opportunity to override Satan’s powers with his own to give Saul a chance to talk with Samuel one more time.

But Samuel was mad that Saul had called out to him. (who would want to leave heaven?)  Samuel reminded Saul that God was fulfilling Samuel’s earlier prophecies about the end of Saul’s reign as king.  It was all happening.

Not long after this episode, Saul was killed.  This is such a pitiful end to the first King of Israel’s reign.  He had reached out to a servant of Satan in order to get what he wanted.

Yes – witches, warlocks, mediums, seances and even Ouji boards can be used by Satan as his hands and feet here on earth.

That’s why God has made it very clear to us to avoid getting close to any of it.

Please help us keep focused on you, Abba Father.

Psalm 57, 2020

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

(My version – a great psalm for our pandemic situation)

Have mercy on me, God.

Keep me safe.

Every day I come to you and you give me strength and peace.  Please wrap your loving arms around me and hold me close until this pandemic has passed.

I count on you each day, Father, to save me from the growing danger pressing in on me.  You are always loving and faithful.

I am surrounded by invisible, deadly germs.  They are everywhere……waiting.

I praise you, Father, for being in control of everything in heaven and on earth.  Please help all of us to understand how awesome you are – we need it now, more than ever!

This virus is spreading a net over the earth, trying to catch us.  Trying to make us sick.

My heart continues to beat for you, Father.  I will sing your praise for the rest of my life.  As the sun rises this morning, I am reminded once again of your faithfulness.

I will tell everyone about your power and mercy, God!  For great is your love, reaching around the world and beyond.  You always keep your promises.

I praise you, Father, for being in control of everything in heaven and on earth.  Please help all of us to understand how awesome you are – we need it now, more than ever!

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

No Hiding

On By Judy GlasserIn April2 Comments

No faking it.

You and I see the outside of people – what they look like, what they wear, where they live and how they act.

God has an entirely different perspective of us – he looks on the inside.  He knows my intentions, my motivations and desires.  He knows what I’m thinking – I don’t have to say anything.

When Samuel was picking who would be king after Saul, God said to him, “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  Knowing this is true challenges me as well as gives me confidence.  I’m glad God sees below my surface – he understands my true feelings.  He knows me better than any human being ever could.

But the fact that God knows my thoughts also challenges me.  Like many of us who have been on this road of faith for a long time, I have gotten better at not saying things I shouldn’t say.  But have I trained my mind to not think them?  Have I let God renew my mind so it doesn’t go where it shouldn’t go?  The honest answer is – sometimes.  There are areas of my life where it is difficult to control my thinking.  There are other situations where I find it pretty easy to leave it all with God.

With the Coronavirus, for example, I am not having a difficult time of ‘letting go and letting God’.   I am so obviously NOT in control of this pandemic that I am finding that I can easily turn any concerns or fears I have about this craziness over to God.  Meanwhile, I’ll do my part, confident that God is in control of everything.

My husband and I have been in the process of selling a home, moving to another state and buying a home this last month in the middle of the pandemic.  For some reason, God decided this was the right time for us to do all this.  Experience tells me that I’ll probably understand this much better in a couple years when I look in the rearview mirror.

For right now, it’s comforting to know that when God looks at my heart today, he can see that I’m trusting him with all of it.  I know that he loves me with a perfect love and is working it all out for my good.

God has promised and he always keeps his promises.

Thank you, Abba Father.

My Story

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

It’s a story of redemption.  I can see God orchestrating his love and grace in every step.

It’s clear to me that the story of Ruth is the story of everyone who has put their faith in Jesus.  Without him in our lives,  you and I would both exist in a famine, without purpose, without hope, stuck in our guilt and shame.

But in Jesus we have found our kinsmen redeemer!  Hallelujah!

Jesus paid the price of our sins for us so we could become a part of his forever family.  Now we live under God’s umbrella of grace and blessing.

“Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsmen redeemer.”

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

 

He Always Responds

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

The next step I’m suppose to take is often not clear.  There are a lot of blind curves on this road I’m on – I can’t see what lies ahead.  I’m usually pretty sure about the final goal but the specific actions God wants me to take to get there are smothered in a fog of options, questions, and unknowns.

When I’m in one of these ‘unclear’ spots on my road, I ask for a confirmation from God that I’m on the right path – or not.  And he always either gives me a confirmation or opens up my eyes to a change in direction.

So I know how Gideon is feeling in Judges when he is putting out fleeces, asking God to confirm that he is doing the right thing.

For me, I have decided not to ask God to do a specific ‘sign’ for me.  It feels too much like asking God to do a trick.

I’ve developed my own process of asking God to give me clear guidance sometime today and I will be watching.  When I do this, I try to stay extra aware of anything that could be encouragement from God telling me to “keep going’ or something that opens up my eyes, helping me understand a different direction I should be taking.  I believe my process works because it acknowledges that I know God is always trying to guide me and show me the way.  Asking for a response today also helps me maintain a special awareness of God moving in my life in the next 24 hours.

And he always responds.

And then I smile.   Of course he does.

Thank you for your faithfulness, Abba Father.

 

Compromise

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Compromise is often a good thing.  You and I have to be good at compromising in our relationships so that we don’t always need to have things go our way.  A big skill in having a good marriage is knowing when to compromise and when to stand your ground.

I don’t have to read much of the Old Testament to know that the Israelites were not wise about when to compromise.  As they intermingled with the pagan people living around them, we regularly see them compromise on things like their values and their commitment to God.  Those are exactly the areas that should have no compromise.

God told them repeatedly to totally demolish the people who were living  in the Promised Land as they took over their inheritance …..but they didn’t.  God knew the Israelites would be attracted to the pagan gods and the pagan way of life which would lead them away from him – the One True God.

The Israelites compromised and, of course, it happened.  They intermarried with the pagans and started worshipping worthless idols.  Their values got lost in the evil and empty pagan culture they lived in.  They foolishly forfeited the faithful heritage handed down to them from Abraham and Moses.  They traded all that in for man-made wooden idols.

They compromised.

And they lost.

As I read this, God is reminding me not to compromise when it comes to my faith and what I believe.  God’s Word is my compass.  The values and idols of our current culture should have no influence on my commitment to my relationship with God.

Everything can and will change around me, but God stays constant, true and faithful.

No compromise.

Thank you, Abba Father.

I’m Stepping In

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Stepping up.

Making the first move.

I often ask God to direct my steps.  My prayers regularly include requests for him to show me an opportunity to do what he wants me to do.

Because I’ll do it – I just want to know that its his direction and his timing.

And God responds.  Right before my eyes, he will give me an opportunity to do something he wants done or say something he wants said.

Every time one of these opportunities presents itself, I have to take the first step of faith forward, not knowing what the next step is and never knowing how this is all going to work out.

I just have to take that first step and obey.

So the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land is significant to me.  God told the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD to go first.  God told them he would make a way for them but, first, they had to step into the Jordan which was running at flood stage.

The overflowing water of the Jordan river was roaring down its path…..

and they had to step in.

An act of faith.  An act of obedience.

As soon as the priest’s feet touched the water’s edge, the water stopped flowing.  They had to commit and then they saw God respond.  In the middle of a rushing river, God opened up a path for them to the Promised Land.

It’s important for you and I to understand how this process works.  Too often we want to see God move in our lives but we haven’t stepped out in faith.  We want God to invite us to do great things but we haven’t stepped up to the plate on the things we already know God wants us to do.

For example, Jesus told us clearly, “Love God and love others.”  These are the two main things I need to be about – I already know that.  No question about it.  I find that when I’m focused on doing these things I already know I need to be doing, I see God part the waters for me.  He blesses my last step and reveals my next step.

But the first step of obedience is mine.

Where is God asking you to take that first step of obedience?  Go ahead – step into the water and watch it part in front of you.  It will be worth it.

I believe, Abba Father, so I’m stepping in.

The Cost of Disobedience

On By Judy GlasserIn March1 Comment

It’s hard not to draw some kind of parallel between what’s happening with the Coronavirus and what we read in Deuteronomy 28.

It’s difficult to read in the Bible about the curses of disobedience – plagues, ruin, captivity and disease.  Then there is the most horrible curse where they were eating their children so they wouldn’t starve.  Unbelievable!

We think that this couldn’t happen today except – it is.  We continue to hear of current situations where parents are cruel and unfeeling – and their children suffer and die.  Babies are legally killed every day.   Nastiness, violence and slavery are not things of the past.  It’s happening today in the communities where we live.

And now we have the Coronavirus.  Is it a modern-day plague?  God often used plagues in the Old Testament as a form of punishment for disobedience and he also used them to get the attention of his people when they had wandered too far away from him.

Have we wandered too far away?

God knows that each step we take away from him leaves Satan more room to move.  As our distance from God grows, so does evil.   Satan whispers in our ears the same lie he told the Israelites, “You’ll be okay, go ahead and do whatever you want to do.”

The truth that God tells us is we are not okay when we rebel and disregard God.

Have you seen the movie, “The Shack”?   Awesome movie – just make sure you have a bunch of tissues handy when you watch it.  It was really interesting to see that God was portrayed as female at the beginning of the movie and later he was a male because he said the main character of the movie needed a father at that time.  One conversation the main character  had with God is now seared into my brain.  The main character asked God why she  punished people.  And she said, ” I don’t need to punish anyone.  The consequences of your sins are punishment enough.”

As believers, we live under the New Covenant of grace so I don’t believe God punishes us for our sins any longer.  But as our perfect Father, he lets us pay the consequences of our sins and the sins of others while he walks with us through those experiences, teaching us and guiding us.

We punish ourselves when we disobey and wander away from God.  The consequences of our bad choices are often painful and long lasting.

Do you and I think we can do whatever we want and still be okay?

It’s a lie.

Please fill our minds with your truth, Abba Father.

Choose to Obey

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

God asks you and I, “Do you want to be blessed?”  He tells us how in Leviticus 29.

If you are careful to obey my commands, I will shower my blessings upon you.

You will be fruitful and prosperous.

I will keep you safe.

I will bless you with peace.  You will sleep well – not fearful of anything.

I will remove all threat to your safety from your life.  Your enemies will fail.

Don’t worry about being outnumbered by the evil ones – I am on your side.  I will look upon you as my favorite child – providing for you and always being faithful.

My blessings will overflow in your life – one on top of another.

I will walk with you and live with you.  I will be your God and you will be my child.

I am the Lord your God who sent my only son to die for you so you might believe and live with me forever.

I gave you freedom so you can choose to stand faultless before me.  You can choose to walk closely beside me everyday.  You can choose to love me and listen to me.

You can choose to obey.

Thank you, Abba Father.