Tag: its a journey

Stay Away – Far Away

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

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. (I would be, too – 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, 2023

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

(My version – a great psalm for our current culture.)

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.

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

I am surrounded by deadly evil.  It is everywhere – visible and invisible.

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!

Evil is spreading a net over the earth, trying to catch us.  Trying to draw us in.

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.

Nothing Is Hidden

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

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.

I recently wrote a book, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.” It’s about my son’s, death and life and my journey of grief. God told me to write the book and he has been right in the middle of the whole process. Now that it’s out on Amazon, I am watching God move as he works out his plan for the book.

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.

People Pleasing

On By Judy GlasserIn AprilLeave a comment

Or should I call it making the ‘popular’ choice?

In 1 Samuel, Saul disobeyed God by keeping some of the ‘stuff’ that they took from the Amalekites after defeating them.  When Samuel pointed this out to Saul, Saul rationalized the sin by telling Samuel that they did this so they could give the best of the sheep and cattle to God.

Samuel then tells Saul,” Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?….Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15:22,23.

Well, THEN Saul admitted that the real reason he kept the plunder was because he was afraid of how his men would react if he destroyed it all like God wanted him to do.

The bottom-line in this story is Saul didn’t trust God.  He didn’t believe God had his back.  He got all wrapped up in being a hotshot king that everyone looked up to and he didn’t want to put any of this hero-worship into jeopardy.

So Saul made the ‘popular’ choice rather than the obedient one.

Do I ever do that?  Do you ever do that? Are we ever more concerned about what other people think than what God thinks?  Do we fail to take the more Godly position on issues sometimes because it may not go over well with others? 

We probably all do, sometimes without realizing it.

If my goal is to be obedient to God, I’m going to need to make what God thinks a higher priority than what people around me think.

Pleasing God trumps popularity here on earth – every time.

Whatever I Want

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Sounds good – let’s all do whatever works for us.   Then we’ll all be happy.

Or not.

“In those days Israel had no king: everyone did as they saw fit”. Judges 21:25. This is how the book of Judges ends.  It may sound good until we scan back a couple of chapters and realize what they thought was ‘fit’ to do. 

Family members were stealing from each other.  They obviously thought this was an ok thing to do.

Family members were kidnapping each other.  They thought this was ok as well.

Family members were killing each other to the point that they virtually annihilated one of the 12 tribes of Israel.  I wonder how they could possibly think this was ok but they did.  They could rationalize anything. Their moral judgement was quickly spirally into total chaos and confusion.

Because they had no compass.

Sounds familiar? Our current culture has many of these same issues. Why?

When I base what is right and wrong on what I think, I’m in trouble.  Then I’m just like these Israelites – doing what I see fit and letting my standards waiver in whatever direction the wind is blowing.

God has been very clear to you and me on moral boundaries. His Word to us is full of direction and guidance. I might not like all of it. You may not agree with all of it. But that doesn’t change his Word to us.

This picture of the Umbrella of God’s Blessing is stuck my head and reminds me that one of my main goals in life is to stay in line with God. When I obey God and follow the compass he has given me, I am placing my life under his umbrella of blessing. When I don’t obey God and just do what I want to do, I am stepping out from under his umbrella. I can’t expect God to bless my decisions and life when I’m not obeying him.

One example is tithing. If we have put our faith in God, we also want to put our money in his hands. This means being faithful with tithing. We can’t expect God to bless our finances if we don’t.

It’s my choice and I choose to stay under the umbrella – every hour of every day.

What do you choose?

Dear Father, I desire to walk in your path of truth.  Please guide me so that your moral standards are what ‘fits’ me best.

I Need To Know

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave 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?

How do you know what to do?

A good Christian friend once told me to ‘throw out a fleece’ like Gideon did when I have decisions to make. I thought about it.   In God’s word, I read that God sent an angel to tell Gideon that “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior”,  ” Am I not sending you?”, and  ” I will be with you”. Joshua 6: 12-16.  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.

When my friend suggested I throw out a fleece, it just didn’t feel right to me.  I’m pretty sure that I would be instantly convinced if an angel came and gave me a message from God.  You know the angels God sent were so big and impressive that usually the first thing they said was “Fear not”, right?  This is not a normal-sized average-looking person.  I think I’m tuned in to God well enough that I would automatically believe what this huge, supernatural creature said.

It doesn’t feel right to ask God to jump through a bunch of hoops before I obey him. It makes more sense that Gideon did this because he  lived under the Old Testament covenant – he was not ‘redeemed’. Christ had not come yet 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 to throw out any fleeces if I’m regularly listening to God’s voice and spending time with him.

In my experience, God not only speaks directly to me, he also lines up circumstances around me to confirm what the Holy Spirit and God’s Word are saying to me.  There are no ‘coincidences’ in my life – that’s God guiding me. I don’t have to ask for something more – I just need to keep my eyes and ears open.  His 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 whatever the situation is 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 distracted and clueless.

No fleeces involved.

Black and white.

No more questions.

Thank you, Abba Father.

What Do You Choose?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Time is the great leveler – we all have 24 hours in a day.  You and I choose how we’re going to spend these 24 hours.  What are we going to do?  How are we spending the majority of our time?  Using a Biblical term, I would say that you and I are ‘serving’ whatever or whomever takes up the most of each of our 24 hours.

A lot of us serve ourselves.  Looking out for #1.  Do I like it?  Does it benefit me?  Do I wanna do it?  Do I feel like doing it?  What’s in for me?  Oh, yeah.  These questions come pretty easy because we use them a lot.  We may not say them out loud but we use them in our decision-making.

Many of serve our debts.  We have to work extra hours or extra jobs to pay for all of the stuff we already have.  We’re upside down on cars and houses.  When we’re not working, we’re worrying about paying the bills.  The best line about our money I’ve ever heard is – “The secret in managing your money correctly is not in how much you make.  The secret is in how much you spend.”  Truth.

Some of us serve our hobbies –  like sports or exercising or shopping.  While we’re shopping today we’re planning about the next time we can go shopping.  Or we’re not happy unless we’re biking or walking or running or working out.  Or before the game we’re watching on TV is over, we’re flipping to the next channel for the next game and then the next game and then the next.

We all choose who or what we will serve.

Joshua makes this very clear to the Israelites as he throws down a challenge.  “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.

You and I need to make a conscious choice, not just roll through our lives spending our precious time on things or people who will never give us joy, peace and a guaranteed future.  We don’t want to get to the end of our lives with hearts full of regrets and emptiness, realizing we never made a choice – we just let the world push us to a place we never wanted to be.

I have made my choice.  I have laid down any ‘idols’ I was serving at the feet of the One, True, Living God and now it’s all about him.

What’s your choice?  There’s no better time than right now to start a new chapter in your life labelled, “My love relationship with my Father God”.  You won’t regret it.

I choose you, Abba Father.

Not One Has Failed

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

Can I say this about anything in my life – that not one has failed?

I’ve had many plans fail.  Relationships that failed.   Things people said they would do with me and for me failed.  When my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty almost 7 years ago, I had a mountain of hopes and dreams that blew up.  Epic fail.

I could go on.

So Joshua’s words jump out of the pages of my Bible when he says, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God have you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”  Joshua 23:14b.

As I look back, I can honestly say this is true for my relationship with God – not one of his promises have failed.  You might wonder how I can say that God has kept all his promises to me when my son was murdered.  I understand that God never promised me a life full of sunshine and roses.  Look at his son, Jesus.  His life here on earth was full of problems and temptations and lies and struggles.

What God promises me is he will walk with me through the pain and the grief and the loss.  He has kept this promise.  He has been my comforter and encourager – my Rock.  In many ways, God was the only thing in my world that didn’t fail me when my son was killed and my heart crumbled.   If you are interested in more of this story, I have published a book on Amazon about my journey since my son was killed, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.”

God promises that he will work all things out for my good and I know he’s been busy doing that for me – especially these last 7 years.  God promises that he is good all the time and I know that is true.  God has promised that my faith in Jesus has given me an forever home with my Father when my struggles on earth are over.  I know this is true.  My eternal relationship with God has already started and will continue when I take my last breath here on earth and walk with Jesus into heaven.

None of God’s promises have failed and I know they never will.

It’s impossible for God to fail.

Thank you, Abba Father.

What’s Your Choice?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

What would you sell your life for?

It’s a great question because sometimes we dedicate our lives to things that just aren’t worth it.  We can sell our lives to making money and spending it.  But everything we buy gets old, breaks and requires more money to fix it up or replace it. They come out with a new model and now the one we have just doesn’t look that great anymore.

Our ‘stuff’ will always disappoint us.

We can sell our lives to work and accomplishments.  We may love it but, someday, that all goes away.  We get fired, laid off or we just get old.  I retired 7 years ago which meant giving up a really nice paycheck and a lot of rewards and recognition.  But retiring also meant getting my life back.  I loved working and now I love being retired.  I’m glad I worked long and hard for over 34 years at something I loved to do.  Now I’m very happy to reclaim all of those hours in my week and enjoy doing what I want to do. One of the things I always wanted to do is write a book and I recently published a book available on Amazon, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love.”

We can sell our lives to relationships with our spouse, our children, our family and friends.  They are very important but they will also disappoint us at times.  It’s a fact.  These relationships can roller coaster up and down, depending on emotions – not something I can always count on.

Achan’s story in God’s Word is a warning to all of us. “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them” Joshua 7:21.  Achan sold his life for a robe and some gold and silver.  It looked too good to pass up.  So he took it and hid it, probably believing he would never get caught.  Not smart. He couldn’t hide from God.  After getting caught, he admitted his disobedience but that didn’t change the consequences. He lost his life for that ‘stuff’ – his entire family and all he owned literally ended up under a pile of rocks.

I hear you, God.  I’m getting it.  I don’t want to end up like that.

So I choose the path of obedience and faithfulness to God.  I know that there is no other path on earth that is going to give me the joy and peace and love that God gives me.

I choose to be ‘sold out’ to God.  And I’m 100% confident that it’s the right choice.

What is your choice?  Are you confident that it’s the right one?

I love you, Abba Father.

Do You Need a Second Chance?

On By Judy GlasserIn MarchLeave a comment

I’ve been there more than once – have you?

It’s the times where I wish I had a second chance – a redo.  When my heart is aching with regret and my head is rolling with things I shouldn’t have said or things I should have done but didn’t do, I wish I could go back.

If I had the chance to do it over, I would do it so differently!

With people, there is never a 100% redo.  The deeds are done, the words have been said.  Forgiveness is possible but wiping out the memory is not.

One of my favorite things about God is that he can redeem these situations.   He can and he does make something good come out of them.  He teaches me to grow through these times – helping me mature as he molds my character and thinking.  When I ask for wisdom, he always gives it to me which helps me avoid situations where I need redo’s.

As I read about Rahab in Joshua 2, I can visualize this huge headline on it –

God’s Power of Redemption.

Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho when she met the two spies Joshua had sent into the city to check it out before the Israelites attacked.  Rahab made the courageous decision to put her life on the line for the spies when she hid them from the men the King sent to kill them.  She lied to the king’s men telling them the spies had gone out of the city so the kings men quickly went in pursuit just as the city gates closed for the night.

Meanwhile, the spies were safely hidden on the roof of Rahab’s house.  Rahab knew the Israelites were going to attack – everyone knew it and were very afraid.   When she begged the spies to save her family, they agreed because of her courage in hiding them.  Then Rahab helped them escape out of the city and sent them on a different direction from the men who were looking for them.

Later, we will read that Rahab and her family were the only survivors of the attack on Jericho.

It’s obvious that God saved Rahab for a purpose.  He had bigger plans for her.  After God saved her, she totally changed her direction, married, had children and became part of the lineage of Christ.  A prostitute was the great, great, too many greats to count,  grandmother of Jesus, God’s son, who came to save the world.

God is extremely serious about his redemption business.

Rahab’s story was obviously shared down through the generations as a popular redemption story because she shows up in the New Testament, “was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction.”  James 2:25.

A prostitute – used as an example of a righteous woman, related to Jesus.  If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody!

God is still redeeming your life and my life today.  I don’t have to be stuck in my failures and rebellion of yesterday.  By putting my faith in what Jesus did for me on  the cross, all of that has been forgiven.  I don’t have to be weighed down by the mistakes I’m making today – those have also been forgiven.  I don’t have to be worried or afraid about the things I might mess up in the future because all of it has already been forgiven.

Today I live in grace provided by Jesus, unconditionally loved by my heavenly Father.   I am free.

I am redeemed.

Thank you, Abba.