Tag: loving God

No Turning Back

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

Have you experienced a time in your life when you realized there was no turning back? You were on a path that you were going to be on for the rest of your life?

Did it feel like you were driving a stake into the ground declaring your commitment to this journey – no matter what?

I have felt that way three times in my life.

Once when I got married, the second time was when I became a mom and the third was when I put God at the top of the list of priorities for my life.

The first time was marked by a wedding celebration with friends and family. The second one included baby showers, a highly anticipated trip to the hospital, and the unbelievable joy of bringing our tiny son home for the first time.

The third time happened about 35 years ago when I was floating on an air mattress in my backyard pool all by myself listening to praise songs. As I sang along to words of the praise songs, I realized there was no turning back from giving my whole life to Christ. I had been a believer all my life but had never fully committed to putting Jesus first in my life. I had never made him Lord of my life before. But now I knew that Jesus was the only answer – he was everything I was looking for. There was nothing in life that was more important. There was nowhere else for me to go.

This memory echoes in my mind as I read the conversation Jesus had with Peter when some of his disciples were turning back and leaving him. “You do not want to leave, too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69.

Good answer, Peter!

There is no turning back. Once I knew the Truth, the Truth set me free from looking any farther.

I’ve found the Light. I’ve found the Way. I’ve found the Life.

This relationship extends into eternity. There is nothing else I need.

Amen and Amen

 

He Knows

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

How often are we on ‘auto-pilot’ when it comes to our relationship with God?

Just going through the motions?

In Isaiah 29, God tells his people that their worship was meaningless because it was based on human rules but their hearts aren’t engaged.  They are saying the right words but they didn’t mean them. “The LORD says: ‘These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13.

God can tell the difference.  He knows when I are focused on him with all of my heart.  He knows my thoughts and intentions. He knows when my thinking wanders away from him – even if my Bible is laying open on my lap. He knows when I am just saying things I have been taught to say but there is no passion and love behind them.

My love for God shines bright when its authentic. When its real. When its based on a personal relationship, not just traditions that I have been taught by others.

God sees right into my heart and he knows. He knows if I’m serious about my faith.

There is no ‘faking it’ with God.

Please help me worship you and love you like you want me to, Abba Father

He Knows

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

How often are we on ‘auto-pilot’ when it comes to our relationship with God?

Just going through the motions?

In Isaiah 29, God tells his people that their worship was meaningless because it was based on human rules but their hearts aren’t engaged.  They are saying the right words but they didn’t mean them. “The LORD says: ‘These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13.

God can tell the difference.  He knows when I are focused on him with all of my heart.  He knows my thoughts and intentions. He knows when my thinking wanders away from him – even if my Bible is laying open on my lap. He knows when I am just saying things I have been taught to say but there is no passion and love behind them.

My love for God shines bright when its authentic. When its real. When its based on a personal relationship, not just traditions that I have been taught by others.

God sees right into my heart and he knows. He knows if I’m serious about my faith.

There is no ‘faking it’ with God.

He Knows

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

How often are we on ‘auto-pilot’ when it comes to our relationship with God?

Just going through the motions?

In Isaiah 29, God tells his people that their worship was meaningless because it was based on human rules but their hearts aren’t engaged.  They are saying the right words but they didn’t mean them. “The LORD says: ‘These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13.

God can tell the difference.  He knows when I are focused on him with all of my heart.  He knows my thoughts and intentions. He knows when my thinking wanders away from him – even if my Bible is laying open on my lap. He knows when I am just saying things I have been taught to say but there is no passion and love behind them.

My love for God shines bright when its authentic. When its real. When its based on a personal relationship, not just traditions that I have been taught by others.

God sees right into my heart and he knows. He knows if I’m serious about my faith.

There is no ‘faking it’ with God.

Please help me worship you and love you like you want me to, Abba Father

Psalm 1, 2021

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

I know the joy of not following the advice of unbelievers,

refusing to spend a lot of time with those who do not honor God,

and avoiding groups of people who have no respect for God.

I delight in God’s Word.  When I am focused on my relationship with God, I am like a tree planted along the riverbank, fed each day, all day by the Living Water.  Jesus grows fruit in my life as he gives me love and wisdom and strength.

This is not true of those who rebel against God.  Their lives are scattered by the wind – they will be judged and condemned by God.  Unfortunately, when nonbelievers leave this earth they will be forever separated from the One they refuse to believe in.

Each day, God watches over all of his children with love and grace, but the path of those who don’t have faith in Jesus leads to destruction.

Amen, Abba Father.

His Hand

On By Judy GlasserIn July1 Comment

“The LORD’s hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem.” Isaiah tells us.

Wow!  I want God’s hand of blessing to rest on my life!  How about you?

This is the 8th year in a row that I am reading through the entire Bible and I am excited that, once again, my bookmark is over halfway through God’s book.  I took a picture of it for you and included the view I have had from my balcony these last two weeks as God has blessed me with some relaxing and cool beach time in California.  A great escape from the 115 degree temperatures in Phoenix where I live.

On this 8th time through the Chronological Bible, God is confirming the same message I get everytime.  God wants me to focus on two things –

Loving him – which includes listening and obeying.

Loving others.

When I am consistent and dedicated to these two things, God’s hand of blessing rests on my life.

That doesn’t mean my life is perfect – as evidenced by my son being killed in the line of duty 3 years ago.  This doesn’t mean everything is easy.  It doesn’t mean I don’t pay consequences for bad choices I make.  It doesn’t mean my checking account is never empty.  It doesn’t mean I never have to say I am sorry.

What it means is that God walks beside me through all of the pain and muck this world brings my way.  It means he gives my life purpose and meaning.  It means that God gives me peace and strength when the storms of life crash into me.

It means that he is working things out for my good just like he promised.  I have a story to share with you.  You may remember one of my blogs a couple of weeks ago where I shared that I was really frustrated about something that I was trying to make happen for many months and it just wasn’t happening.  So I – finally – gave it to God and asked him to do what he wanted which included nothing if this wasn’t supposed to happen.  I kept my eyes open in case he was going to show me that I had a part in what he wanted to happen.  Every time I thought about it and started to fret, I would pray, laying it back at God’s feet.

Last week, God unfolded his plan which was – of course – perfect.  And he took care of it in 3 days.  Start to finish.  Done.  Better than I had imagined.  In his timing with the people he wanted to be involved.

This is what happens when God lays his hand of blessing on my life.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

Pursuing God

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

Have you noticed how hard it is to start a new good habit but how easy it is to start a new bad one?

We have this inherent desire to do our own thing.  Go our own way.  Do what we want to do – even when it’s not good for us.

It’s called rebellion.

It’s called sin.June 3 2016 pursuing God

In 2 Chronicles, Azariah tells King Asa, “The Lord is with you when you are with him.”

The same is true for us.  When our relationship with God is good, he is able to be close to us.  He is able to wrap his arms around us to hold us and love us.  When we are right beside him, he can give us peace.

When we are far from God, it means that we have wandered.  God doesn’t go anywhere.  By focusing on our plans and doing what we want to do, we can end up very far from God.

So how can we stop wandering?

What can we do to stop getting lost in our own desires?

What would our lives look like if we pursued God as diligently as he pursues us?

What would happen if we loved him as much as he loves us?

The reality is that it’s not possible for us to love him as much as he loves us.    His love is perfect – the perfect amount at the perfect time in a perfect way.

This all makes him a very good Father who is worth pursuing.  It’s worth every effort we can make to stay close to him.

Every day.

For as long as we remain on this earth.

Thank you, Abba Father.