Tag: God’s Word

I don’t Want to Miss It

On By Judy GlasserIn May1 Comment

There used to be days when I sat down to just ‘read’ the Bible.  Check it off the list.  Feeling good about myself.

Not any longer.

Now I hear God’s voice in my head as I try to discern what he’s telling me in every sentence.  Well, not in every sentence – some of the lists of names and assignments get a quick read – but I’ve learned there is gold in a few of those things as well.

I’m not reading the Bible, God is reading it to me.

And I don’t want to miss a thing.  So I study it.  I ask God to open my eyes and my heart so I can understand.  I ponder it ( that’s a great old word, isn’t it?)

This morning I was reading in 1 Chronicles (one of the books I used to skim through) the historical account of David purchasing the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  Sounded pretty insignificant at first.  David chose this spot to build an altar to God asking him to stop the plague that had started because of David’s sin.

Wait a minute!

A little research shows that this was the same spot where Abraham obeyed God by building an altar to sacrifice Isaac.  David may not have known that but the Spirit of God who was living within David knew that.

This was the place where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son.  This was the spot where David built his altar to stop the plague brought on by sin.

And – later – David picked this spot to build the Temple of the Lord.  The Temple was built on ground that was made holy by David’s sacrifices on the altar.  The Temple was a place where people came to worship and meet with God.

All of this points to the coming Messiah, God’s son, who would be sacrificed to stop the plague of death brought on by the sins of the world so that all people – including you and I – can meet with God on a personal level.

This was no ordinary threshing floor.

I’m glad I didn’t miss that!

Thank you, Abba Father.

Psalm 63, 2019

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

O God, you are my God.  I am searching for you with all my heart.

My soul needs you.  My whole being longs to be close to you in this empty, weary and very confused world.  I treasure the precious time I get to spend with you.

I have personally witnessed your power and glory.  I praise you for your love which makes this life worth living.

I will lift my hands and heart up to you in praise for as long as I live.  Only you can fill the emptiness inside of me and make me sing for joy.

In the darkest part of the night, I remember how much you have loved me in the past and how much you have promised to love me in the future.  My heart sings for joy as I cling to your promises and feel your arms around me, holding me safe and securely to your side.

The Evil One and his team are all around me, Father, trying to ruin me.  But I know you are fighting my battles, God, and you have already won the war.

I rejoice in you, God.  All who know the Truth know you.  Liars will be silenced.

Thank you, Abba Father.

What Does He Want?

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

What does God want from me?

After being confronted by the prophet Nathan for having Bathsheba’s husband killed so he could marry her, King David pours out his feelings of sorrow and repentance to God in Psalm 51.

If David was sharing his feelings with God in the language of today, they would probably sound something like this –

God, I know your first desire is not that I go to church, although that pleases you.

God, I know your first desire is not that I read your Word, although that pleases you.

God, I know your first desire is not that I’m busy serving you in all kinds of ministries, although that pleases you.

My God, I know what you really desire is my repentant and submitted heart.  Your first desire is to have a close relationship with me each day.  You want to love me and guide me and strengthen me and bless me each day.  When I focus on giving my life to you and submitting my will to your purposes, then all of these other activities please you because they draw me closer to you.

I give you my life and submit my will to you, Abba Father.

Psalm 57, 2019

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Hear my prayers, Father, and show me your compassion.  I will hide myself in your shadow until my fears and worries go away.

I ask that you fulfill your purposes for my life.  I know the angels of heaven are fighting my battles and they will give me victory.

Your love and faithfulness never leave me, Father.

I am surrounded by the evil one who is trying to take pieces of me and devour me.

But I still praise you, God.  May your glorious light shine over all the earth.

My enemy sets traps for me – especially when I am weary and distressed.  The evil one digs deep pits in my path but then he falls into them himself.

I am confident in you, oh God.  My heart sings your praises.  I awake every morning with a song of praise to you.  Thank you for your love and faithfulness which has no end.

I praise you, Father.  May your glorious light shine over all the earth.

They Couldn’t See It

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

How often am I blind to what’s really going on?

How many situations am I in where I just can’t see the truth?  When do the loud distractions of the world around me keep me focused on the wrong things?  The unimportant things?

These same things seem important…until I stop being concerned about them.  Then they are forgotten – because they aren’t the main things.

The main thing is God.  He’s in charge, he’s in control.  He has a purpose and a plan.  He is working it all out for my good – and for your good.

These thoughts roll through my head as I read about the Israelites begging Samuel to be their king.  Samuel responded with a list of negative things a king usually did like taking their vineyards, making them give him a tenth of the harvest and turning their sons and daughters into his servants.  The Israelites wouldn’t listen – they wanted a king.

Samuel then reminded them that they had a king and his name was God.  Again, they didn’t listen.  They couldn’t see that they already had a heavenly King who didn’t need their vineyards  or their sons and daughters.  Their King just wanted their love and faithfulness.

But they were blind to the truth.

Please open my eyes, Abba Father, to your truth.  You are my King and you love me with a perfect love.  Take away my desire for anything that does not honor you.  Let the distractions of this earth fade away as I fix my eyes on you.  I love you.

Show Me a Sign

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Make it black and white.  Can I hear a voice?  I need to know.

There are so many decisions to make and I want to make the right choices.  What should I do?

I’ve had good Christians tell me to ‘throw out a fleece’ like Gideon did.  God sent an angel to tell Gideon that “The LORD is with you” and ” I am sending you”, ” I will be with you”.  But Gideon still wanted a sign to prove that it really was the LORD speaking to him.  So God proceeded to ‘pass’ Gideon’s tests.

I would hope that I would be instantly convinced if an angel came and told me a message from God.  How about you?  When my friend suggested I throw out a fleece, it just didn’t feel right to me.  Gideon lived under the Old Testament covenant – he was not ‘redeemed’ and he didn’t have God’s Spirit living inside of him.  But I do.

The Holy Spirit speaks to me and guides me into truth – if I’m listening.  God’s Word is alive and the Holy Spirit uses it to help me make decisions.  I have God’s Spirit inside of me every moment of every day – why do I need a sign?  I have found that I don’t need fleeces if I’m tuned into God’s voice and spending time with him.

God will also line up circumstances to confirm what the Holy Spirit and God’s Word is saying to me.  I don’t have to ask for something more – I just need to keep my eyes open.

The answer is there.  Every once in a while, I hit a deadline on making a decision and I haven’t discerned God’s answer yet.  I have found that when I totally submit the situation to God – meaning I don’t care what the answer is, I just need to know what he wants me to do – he helps me organize my thoughts and I realize he’s been trying to guide me in the right direction, trying to show me the way.  I’ve just been clueless.

No fleeces involved.

Black and white.

No more questions.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

Count On It

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

I can be very disappointed.

When someone I counted on drops the ball, forgets a promise or doesn’t come through for me when its important, it’s hard to take.

And it’s hard to trust that person again.

It’s difficult not be become cynical the next time that person says they will do something.

But God always keeps his promises – it’s a characteristic of his that I count on every day of my life.

God is trustworthy – he always has been and he always will be.  Joshua tells us, “Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

Everything.

The Bible is filled with promises God has made to his children and he will keep them all.

You and I can count on it.

Thank you, Abba Father.

I Am With You

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

I never have to feel alone.

You never have to feel alone.

When we are Christ-followers, God is with us – all of the time.

Amazing!

My gratitude to Jesus swells up in my heart as I read God’s words to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31.  While Moses was commissioning Joshua to be the new leader of Israel, he told Joshua over and over again that “the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you”,

“He will be with you”,

“He will neither fail you or abandon you.”

Do you need encouragement today?  I know I do.  This has been a very sad and tough time.  My son, David Glasser, was a Phoenix Police Officer who was murdered in the line of duty on May 18, 2016.  Last week another Phoenix Police officer was killed in the line of duty…..and it all comes back.  The shock, the pain, the grief, the hole left by my son’s death – it’s all highlighted again as we bury another police officer.  There are times when I don’t feel strong enough to face the future and figure out how to move forward.

I know God is speaking to me – and to you – today to encourage us just like he encouraged Joshua.

God is with me.

He will personally go ahead of me into the difficult hills and valleys of the journey I am on.

And he will never fail me or abandon me.

Wow – I needed that reminder!

Thank you, Abba Father.

This is the Key

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Some people spend their whole lives searching for the key to life.  And many of them never find it.

It’s extremely sad that a growing number of people are choosing suicide as an alternative to living an empty and hopeless life.

And yet the key to having a full and meaningful life is readily available.

It’s soooo awesome that Moses said it thousands of years ago and it’s still the answer today.

“Oh, that you would choose life…  You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him and committing yourself firmly to him.  This is the key to your life.”

This is the key to my life.  I know that.  I have tried filling my life with other stuff as I moved through different phases of my life.  I know the lack of contentment that comes from chasing after material belongings like cars and houses.

I know how it feels to being consumed by meaningless rounds of parties and partying friends, trying to fill the void.

I also know the ache that comes from putting my career first before everything else in my life.  When I achieved success and recognition at work, my reaction was, “Is this all there is?  Why do I feel so empty when my career is going so well?”

All of these worthless, meaningless, empty feelings went away when I committed to put God first in my life.  My experience matches up 100% with the advice Moses gives us – God is the key.

I’m so glad I found the key.

I hope you have, too.

I choose you, Abba Father.

I’ll Never Know

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

I’ll never know all of the things God has done for me.

I’ll never know all of the ways he has protected me and guided me.

I don’t see it all and I don’t always recognize what he is doing.  Much of what he does is subtle – a whisper here and there in my ear…

I try to stay aware of his movements but the cacophony of the world around me so easily drowns God out.

While preparing the Israelites to enter the Promised Land without him, Moses said, “For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out and your feet didn’t blister or swell.”

Looking back on their last forty years, the Israelites could see how faithful God had been.  Forty years and their clothes didn’t wear out?  What an obvious act of God – and very practical.  As they continued to move across the desert, replacing clothes would have been difficult.  So God took care of their clothes as well as their feet.  A massive crowd of people walked through the dry, hot desert for 40 years and didn’t have problems with their feet?  Only God could do that.

As I read this, I am comforted to know that God is taking care of issues like this in my life as well.   Every once in while, God gives me a glimpse of a potential problem that he has taken care of in my life and it reminds me of how much more he blesses me and watches over me each day.

When I look back, the distractions of today drop away and I can clearly see God’s faithfulness in my life from before I was born.  I can come up with a very long list of  little problems and huge issues that God has handled – caring for me and loving me through it all.

And he hasn’t stopped.

Thank you, Abba Father.