How Was Your Day?

Good morning:)

How was your day yesterday? 

Mine was adventurous, to say the least!

At around 2PM after I finished grocery shopping, I got into Matilda and was stopped behind a car that proceeded to back up right into Matilda's front right bumper.  She honked and I yelped to no avail, and there was no place to go, so both Matilda and I took it like a champ.  I automatically opened my door to speak with the other driver, but he took off instead.  I immediately followed just long enough to take a license plate number.  I wasn't about to chase someone capable of a dent and run.

"Jesus," I whispered, "thank You that no one was hurt."

I called the cops--on their non-emergency number--and within five minutes they were there.  Amen!

I go home with a fresh police report tucked in my purse and start cooking a brisket.  Rayray and her hubby stopped by for dinner, and the evening was quite pleasant. 

At around 11:00 I took a shower, and I noticed the water would sporadically turn cold.  I dismissed it and finished up.  When I was fully dressed, I noticed the lamp by my bed was flickering.  I tell Jorge it's not normal and that I am going to investigate. 

As soon as I get to the door that leads from the house into the garage, I see a fire underneath the door.  And it wasn't a cute fire like the kind you sit around and sing Kumbaya around; it was raging as if it were coming from the mouth of a dragon!

"FIRE!"  I yelled.  Over and over and over again I yelled that frightening word.

Jorge orders me out of the house, but not before I grab my purse, my spy novel, and a robe.

We go outside and rolling billows of black smoke are coming from underneath the garage door.  I turn on the hose right next to the garage and with the remote from his car Jorge opens the door and starts battling the blaze.   I then go back in the house and open the door from the other side and with the hose from the backyard also start fighting the flames. 

This all took less than two minutes, and that's how long it took the fine firefighters of Miami-Dade County to arrive.  Three engines, a police car, and an ambulance--all for us.  I was humbled and grateful.  What an amazing nation we live in, people!

Of course, I called my children to share what was happening because that's what mothers do--they worry their kids for no good reason and cause them to leave their own peaceful rest in the middle of the night.  Truth be told all four of my children showed up, and just having them there made me feel better.  Rayray couldn't believe I actually "rescued" my library book, but that's because she doesn't realize how much the library charges if you damage their book.

Jorge and I finally settled down a few hours later, but not before my precious daughter-in-law sent me this verse via text: Psalm 34:19 "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time."

How often does the Lord come to the rescue? Some times? Most of the time? Occasionally? NO!!!! Each and every time!

I feel full to overflowing with joy at how God rescued me last night, and I will share about this over the next few DEVOs.  But for now, think about where you need God to come to the rescue and let Him know you are expecting Him to show up.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You come to the rescue; we need You to show up day after day after day!  Bless Your holy, rescuing name, in Christ we pray, Amen~

 

 

 

Leo~

2 Chronicles 14:11 "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, 'O LORD, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde.'"

We recently learned about Asa and how a bigger, greater, stronger army was headed in his direction. Asa knew he was outmatched and outnumbered before he even lifted a finger to fight. And he was wise because the first thing he did was call on the Lord by simply saying, "Help!"

He didn't try to fight them off first then retreat and pray. He knew he was up against a force mightier then he, and he did not hesitate to acknowledge he needed God's help.

How might this biblical story translate into today?

Well, I have a colleague whom I will call Leo. He was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, and of course, he is freaking out. But because we live in a great and free nation and because I am a little pushy--just a little--I asked Leo if we could pray for him; we meaning all my other co-workers and me. I am proud to say that EVERYONE showed up when I invited them, and we all gathered last Monday in the conference room and made a prayer circle around Leo, which means we all crowded around him and put our hands on him. In keeping with biblical guidelines, we all agreed we were seeking a miracle of healing and supernatural guidance for this "vast horde" Leo was facing. Leo had never been the center of attention in a manner such as this, but through grateful tears he thanked us for our prayers. It was truly a holy moment.

As soon as God was invited, He showed up. One of Leo's bosses who has connections at a local hospital, set up an appointment with a specialist for February 18. It was cancelled for February 6th. That's right. They moved it up. And just yesterday, they cancelled again and said they would see him THIS MORNING! Leo loves this new doctor, and not less than five minutes ago Leo called and said, "My faith is stronger, and I am at peace." Wowie Zowie!

Excuse me while I do an extra-long version of my happy dance!

I will provide updates on Leo, but think about the "vast horde" you are facing. The giant. The insurmountable odds. It can be physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, educational...It doesn't matter what it is, our first line of defense is to get God involved.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help! We need You every second of every day. Guide us in the right direction, and thank You that You care about every single details of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen~

God Works Overtime~

Happy Monday J

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. This past Friday I was headed back home on the Sawgrass Expressway when in the middle of my 70 mile an hour trip, my car started to die out—literally—right there on the road. “Jesus, take the wheel!” suddenly took on a whole new meaning.

Jorge and I, along with his parents had just left a party together, and Jorge suggested that he drive his parents’ car because it was late and suffice to say, his mom and I were in my car, and he was in the car in front with Chini—my father-in-law.

So here I am cruising along, and my mother-in-law and I are laughing our heads off at some nonsense or the other when I notice that my car has ceased to accelerate. “Say what?”

I think to myself, “Please, Matilda, not now.” My car’s name is Matilda, and she is usually very trustworthy.

Next, every single warning light that could turn on started flickering, and I automatically start honking the horn so Jorge could help. But the horn would not work. So I start blinking the lights, but they were gone as well.

Jorge, God bless his soul, noticed from the rear view mirror that the lights were slowly dimming, and he knew right away there was trouble. Thank God we were all able to make it safely to the side of the road just one exit away from home, and I am so glad that I didn’t engage in my usual “I am going to beat you home because you are a Sucker race.”

But it was what my mother-in-law said right there on the side of the road with cars whizzing by as Jorge pushed Matilda to safety that inspired today’s DEVO: “I have God working overtime to take care of this family!”

Amen and glory! I can totally relate to that statement! God can never take a break from watching over me or my kids because we’d be in big trouble if He did. The awesome news for us today is that He never does.

Psalm 121:3 “He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber.”

You sleep, I sleep, we all sleep, but God does not sleep. That is so comforting to me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You are wide awake watching over us. We invite You to hover right on top of us, our spouses, our children, and over all those we love so that none of us stumbles—ever. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

There is Healing in Words~

TGIF Greetings J

Proverbs 12:18 “Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise.”

Today is National Compliment Day!  And the whole point of it is to be positive and encouraging by saying something nice.  And please, no vague flattering allowed.  Be specific, be honest, and pick a good moment to unleash your positivity on the world!

It has been suggested to start your compliment with these words, “What I like about you…”

Allow me to go first, “What I like about you all is that you are all wise and will therefore bring healing through your words to whomever you meet but especially to your own family.”  Happy Dance Time!

I am applying this to myself, people!  Just recently I was speaking with a buddy about how the older we get the more critical we tend to become, and truthfully, sometimes I have to squelch the urge to control everything.  The other day Rayray had us over for dinner and right away I felt the familiar urge to “explain” how putting plastic wrap on the onions might be a good idea to keep the aroma from infecting everything else in the fridge.  But glory to Jesus, I squelched myself just in time.  I suddenly had a flashback to my childhood and how I hated hanging out with a certain geriatric because the praise was always in short supply.  It got to a point that I kind of avoided visiting because I did not want to hear the complaining, criticism, and negativity.  Don’t you know it would devastate me if anyone ever said they didn’t want to hang with me because I’m a grump? 

Besides, I am certain none of us ever wants to responsible for cutting or maiming anyone.  Ouch!

Therefore, go forth and use your words wisely today and every day.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, It is amazing that we can bring healing by the words we say.  Make us sensitive to those around us who are in need of an encouraging, kind word, and then give us the courage to say it.  We desire to be instruments of healing in this hurting world.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~   

Just in Time~

Thursday Greetings :)

Hebrews 4:16

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Can you think of a time when more than anything else you needed God's grace to help you?

There was not a person, place, or thing that could help you; you needed God himself to show up and make a difference.

What must we do to receive His help--especially in a time of urgent need?

We must go to the throne, and we must be bold about it. Isn't it great that God is not into formalities. No need to approach with a, "Hello, How art Thou? I seek permission to enter into Your presence." Sometimes it has to be more of a, "Help me, JESUS!"

Imagine if only the President of the United States could solve our problems. Heaven forbid! We would all still be waiting. I am pretty sure none of us could even get an appointment in the first place. And yes, the President may be the Commander in Chief, but Our Lord is the Host of the Angel Armies. I LOVE THAT! He will put everything and anything at our disposal when we need it.

King Asa knew this, " Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one but You to help in the battle between the powerful and the weak. So help us, O Lord God. For we trust in You." 1 Chronicles 14:11

Asa was facing an army that was trying to destroy his nation, and he was outnumbered two to one, plus the other side had better weapons. But Asa was wise; He knew He needed the kind of help only God can give.

What situation are you facing where you feel outnumbered, where you feel powerless and weak, that your weapons are puny compared to what you are up against?

Boldly go to the Lord today and you will get what you need at the moment you need it most.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You understand that there will be moments when we face emergencies and need to call on You in a hurry. And thank You that You have promised to respond with exactly what we need at the precise moment we need it. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Has Longings~

Good morning J

Today we switch gears and go back to a topic I promised we would discuss: Being bold before God.

Hebrews 4:16

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

That verse reminds me of a cartoon drawing I once saw. It was entirely in black and white and a clearly terrified man is before the huge, imposing throne of God shaking in his shoes and freaking out. God is sitting there—this enormous faceless presence pointing a finger the size of the Washington Monument. Not very welcoming at all, and totally contrary to the verse above.

I don’t know too many folks who would go boldly into an unwelcoming place. They may go because they are courageous, but then that implies there is something to be afraid about, or at the very least that caution is in order.

No courage needed to pray. No caution necessary. And please, no hesitation. Plus, no meekness, no hanging down your head down low, and no stuttering!

Can we all agree that in order for our walk with Christ to be vibrant we must take a leap of faith and believe His Word? And in order to believe It and Him, we have to know what It says. Every thing—and I do mean every thing—in my life is filtered through the Word. It’s comforting and effective. As such, no matter how hard others may try to paint a picture of a mean, indifferent God Who is detached and uncaring, I know different. And even in the moments when I might doubt, the Word reminds me that I am to be bold when approaching God because He welcomes me with open arms.

When my finite brain tries to picture an infinite God I think about my nephew, Danny. He is three years old and a tornado. Whenever he sees me, he runs to me, calling me Auntie, and hugs me and slobbers all over me, and I love it. Not that many folks get excited to see me anymore. Yet our gracious God feels this way about every single one of us.

Isaiah 30:18 “The Lord longs to be gracious to you…”

This means He wants to show us kindness, compassion and mercy. Do you need one or all three? The only precursor to receiving this is that we have to GO TO the throne. It all begins with prayer. And our posture should be one of boldness, which means “without hesitation.” When we don’t hesitate, when we are excited to pray, to approach God, it’s because we finally start to understand that He is thrilled to see us. He is gracious—not mean, vengeful, or dangerous. HE IS GRACIOUS. Full of grace, full of love, full of compassion, full of wisdom—full of whatever we need for our lives right now.

How might accepting this truth change the way we approach our Lord?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We boldly come to you right now knowing that You long to be kind and compassionate to us right now. We need it, so fill us up right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen~

You Reap What You Sow~

Greetings and Peace be unto you~

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:9-10 (NLT).                                                                                                                      

Here’s a shout out to a fabulous gal who made a home cooked meal for a little group of us this weekend. The food rivaled anything you could have ordered at the finest restaurant, and the fact that it was prepared with love made it even more delicious. It warmed the cockles of my heart, and I thank God for her.

And it’s not like she doesn’t have anything else better to do.  A few years ago her son was in an accident that nearly took his life, and she has lovingly and steadfastly been there by his side nurturing him back to health ever since and to this day!

What I appreciate about her the most is the smile that lives plastered across her face.  I sometimes think she was born without the “frown” muscles.  Would anyone blame her if she hadn’t taken the time to prepare the meal?   

And therein lies a lesson for us all: Even when you have a million more pressing things to do, honor someone else anyway.  Cook for them, take a moment to pray for a need, rejoice with their good news even when you are still waiting for yours.

Why? Because we reap what we sow.  Actions have consequences, and good things will come from the good you do.  It’s God’s promise.      

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that when we honor someone else, You will honor us.  Help us to love with genuine affection so that we reap beautiful harvests in our own lives. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

What God Says Goes!

Chello~

Hebrews 4:12 "God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything...Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what."

Tuesday's DEVO ended with this prayer: "Dear Lord, What You say goes--You and no one else or nothing else has the final word in our life."

That truth is applicable to every single thing in our life. It takes precedence over what bullies say, what doctors say, what our significant others say, what our friends say, even what those with good intentions say. Let this revolutionize the way we approach life. Using the blessing from Tuesday's DEVO, how might we apply this in every day life?

When someone says, "You will never amount to anything." You say, "God has blessed me to be the head and not the tail!"

When someone says, "You will never get out of debt." You say, "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, and send rain on my land in season and bless all the work of my hands."

When someone says, "That professor who has it in for you is powerful and you will never get that unfair grade changed." You say, "The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against me will be defeated before me."

When someone says, "You will never have children."

You can do what my friend "L" did. She had been married for a few years and still wasn't getting pregnant. And after checking out both her and her husband, doctors could not find a reason and said to her, "Some women just will never get pregnant, and we do not know why."

Those were devastating words to hear, but thank God she came to her senses and remembered that there are promises in the Word of God that were meant for her.

Consider her prayer:

"Dear Lord, You promised that the fruit of my womb would be blessed. So far I have no fruit for You to bless, but I am asking You to put a baby in there and then bring the blessing You promised--right now!"

That's a bold prayer if I ever heard one. (Does God honor bold requests? We'll dive into that topic tomorrow).

And for the record, she boldly prayed it more than once. Month after month, in fact, and year after year, for three long years, until she did indeed get pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby. Glory hallelujah!

What God says goes!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for teaching us that Your Word is sharp like a surgeon's scalpel that cuts through all the nonsense and negativity and bring blessings. We receive them all, in Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Means What He Says~

Greetings :)

The topic of blessings is still weighing heavily in many of our minds. I shared how both my kids were called names when they were growing up. But it was my son, in particular, who went through a really rough period in eighth grade. Now that he is a full grown 26-year-old man, I can share this story.

One of his teachers, God bless her soul, made the mistake of calling him "Gorgeous Jorge," and this started an almost year-long tirade against him where some of the other boys would call him all sorts of names--disgusting, foul, cruel, and crude names.

On and on this taunting went. At first, Hormone didn't say anything, but one day my spidey sense started tingling, and I knew something was up.

I felt like there was a war going on. Me trying to reaffirm him so he wouldn't be traumatized; and the bullies doing their daily best to take him to a breaking point.

I was determined that my son would not--I REPEAT--would not succumb to the bullying. He would not be labeled, or have his sexuality questioned, or feel inferior.

So I pulled out the big guns. Fighting fire with fire is the human inclination. But God has a better way. A higher way. A sure-fire way to bring victory.

Hebrews 4:12 "God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything...Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what."

In other words, taunts and name-calling hurt those who they're aimed at. Sometimes all it takes is one insult, and we carry the sting for the rest of our life. We develop a thick skin and let no one in. But if mere human words have such a profound effect, how much more does God's Word affect us? God's Word is powerful. Nothing can get in it's way, and no one can get away from it. Not an eighth grader who is being teased and not an eighth grader who teases.

Check out this amazing portion of scripture: Deuteronomy 28:1-12

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land He is giving you. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail.

I am going to stop this DEVO right now and ask you all to print out the passage from Deuteronomy. Bless your family with the Word of the Lord today. If you aren't as pushy as me and can't physically put your hand on them, by all means go to their pillow and pray over them there. Go into your closet and pray for them there.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, What You say goes--You and no one else or nothing else has the final word in our life. Strengthen us today to bless those we love, and thank You that Your word will go straight to their heart and help them. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Bless the Bullies~

May the Force, which is Jesus, be with you!

One of the reasons I love the DEVOs is because of all the stuff I learn. When I give a shout out to God to inspire me, He sometimes bangs me on the head with a powerful passage that really opens my eyes to areas where I need improvement.

For example: These past few days we have seen the importance of blessing ourselves and others, and how crucial it is to ask God to label our kids with His unending myriad of magnificent names so that all the junk thrown their way won't stick.

I think of a time when one of my children felt a little self-conscious about the size of her ears. Ooops! I guess you all know I am talking about Rayray Urgell.

It didn't help that some elementary school punkaroos called her names.

And then there was the time that a girl made fun of Jorgie way back when he had buck teeth. (See proof below) They were so bucked, in fact, that rabbit mothers regularly knocked on our door asking for us to return their son to them.

Nevertheless, Hormone responded with a worse insult--something I can not include here--and caused a ruckus that resulted in my having to meet with the school and the upset parent. Never mind that Hormone had taken a powerful hit to his self-esteem.

In both these situations it was a powerful thing to pray over my children. It was also very reassuring to them that God saw them as absolutely perfect and so precious that He lay claim to them by putting His name right on them. That they were made in His image and no one else's.

Which brings me to the whole topic of blessing someone. It's easy to bless those we love--to take the time to encourage and affirm them when they question their worth. But God has such high standards. He expects us to, "Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them." Romans 12:14

Really?

Yes...

And here is where God hit me between the eyes of my own self-righteousness--something I have been guilty of for a long time. He whispered this to my heart, and I trust you will accept into your own as well.

"Yenisita, when someone mistreats you, when they make fun of you, when they criticize you, when they are abrasive, when they are selfish, when they misunderstand you and make no attempt to get you, when they are downright cruel, blessing them instead of cursing them puts My powerful name on them, and that is the first start toward a changed life--a life where they themselves will turn into blessers of others and not cursers!"

People, don't you see? In the end, it is better to lay aside your anger--no matter how justified--and bless your enemies because with God's name on them their meanness will eventually turn to niceness. Their abuse will turn to gentleness. Their biting ridicule will turn into words of life.

I so wish I had thought to tell my kids that those verbal bullies needed blessing and not retaliation. What a powerful teaching moment it would have been. But moving forward we all know that blessing folks--even the persecutors--leads to a better life for them and for us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Give us the strength to bless those who mistreat us knowing that as we do You are changing their lives and ours for the better! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

 

 

Hassle Free

Greetings, Earthlings!

Rayray received a really thoughtful gift for her wedding from my daughter-in-law, Lis. It’s a New Bride Name Change Kit. It contains everything you need to fill out to go from “Miss to Mrs. without the hassle.”

It did not take long for our precious child, whom we lovingly raised for 23 years, to announce that she would completely eliminate the “Fernandez” from her name. She acts as if our name is infected with pustules of the plague. Her dad had hopes she would hyphenate. NOT!

But I am not upset about it; on the contrary. I am glad she has so completely embraced her role as a new wife. Plus, I think it’s beyond-words great that she complains about having to Swiffer every day, and that the“laundry is incessant.”

Besides, her new name, Rachel Janelle Urgell, has a nice alliterative sound to it. How could she have even survived without an“L” in all three of her names for so long?

The bigger question is how any of us could ever survive without God’s name on us?

We can’t and many of us don’t.

If you are in a funk, if your spouse is in a funk, if you’re child is in a funk—make it a priority to bless that person every single day. Blessing them invites God into their lives and opens them up to receive all that God offers.

The byline on the Bride Name Change Kit is, “From Miss to Mrs. Without the Hassle.” Makes it sound simple because it kind of really is. Taking a moment to bless someone so they can go from grumpy to happy, from fearful to peaceful, from tired to rested, from negative to hopeful, from sick to healthy, from broke to prosperous, from misunderstanding to understanding, from broken to whole, from danger to protection…is also hassle free. Amen!

A little side note: Sometimes it concerns us that those we love aren’t taking the time to seek God for themselves—that they have their spiritual life on the back burner. The great thing about this passage of scripture is that this blessing was spoken over the people; they did not bless themselves. Yet the Lord put His name on them anyway. That is power of prayer. We can bless others who aren’t willing to bless themselves.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bless us today. Take us from whatever state we are in to a better one right now. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

What's in a Name?

TGIF Greetings~

Have you ever been labeled?  When I was a senior in high school the entire 34-member class of 1983 took a two-week field trip to visit Christian colleges and hang out at a camp called The Wilds.

It was great fun, and imagine my surprise when they were handing out awards, and I received a plaque, which was signed by all my classmates, that said, “Mouth of the South.”

I still have that plaster of paris monstrosity somewhere in my garage, and I am fond of it.

As labels go, that one was right on the money. 

However, sometimes labels aren’t very nice, and we are all guilty of putting nasty labels on others, even our own kids and certainly people we don’t like.  If I had a quarter for every time I have called someone an “idiot…”

Lord, forgive me.

But yesterday’s DEVO was all about putting the most positive label in the history of labels on others:

Numbers 6:22 “When you bless the people this way, you will place My name on the people of Israel.”

What, exactly, is God’s name?

Below is a partial list of the names of God.

ADVOCATE  ALMIGHTY   ALL IN ALL    BREAD OF LIFE   BREATH OF LIFE   BRIGHT MORNING STAR    COMFORTER    CONSUMING FIRE CORNERSTONE    COUNSELOR    CREATOR    CROWN OF BEAUTY   DELIVERER   ETERNAL LIFE    EXCELLENT    FAITHFUL & TRUE   FORTRESS FRIEND    GOOD SHEPHERD    GUIDE    HOPE    JUST ONE    KING OF KINGS    LIFE    LIGHT OF THE WORLD    LIVING WATER    LOVE LOVINGKINDNESS    MIGHTY ONE    PHYSICIAN   PRINCE OF PEACE   REWARDER   SHADE   SHIELD   STRENGTH   STRONG TOWER   TRUTH   WALL OF FIRE

The importance of blessing others is becoming clearer and clearer.  When I tell Hormone, “God bless you!” I am actually putting Hope, Guidance, Eternal Life, Comfort, Healing, Peace, Strength, Truth, Excellence and more—so much more—right onto his life.  Glory!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Your Majestic and Powerful name represents depths of blessings we are all eager to receive.  Bless us now, in Christ’s holy name, Amen! 

Singled Out for Blessing~

Numbers 6:24-26 "God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the face and make you prosper."

 
These verses above, while filled with a lovely and beautiful sentiment, won't really mean much if they are never fulfilled.

 
Jump down to Numbers 6:27 "By blessing the people in this way, they will place My name on the People of Israel—I will confirm it by blessing them.”

 

God is telling you and me today that when we bless others with His words, we are putting His name on them--we are singling them out for some special treatment.  And when we do that God will confirm the truth of these words by following through with ACTION.

 

He will protect us, smile on us, which will warm our hearts and give us peace, and He will provide for us.

 

Bam! Bam! Bam! We are all marked for blessing because of the New Year’s Day DEVO.

 

I meant every word I said when I sent out that DEVO, but it was so much more than kind words.  It was an invitation to the Almighty God of Heaven and Creator of the Universe to swoop down and single each of us out for an amazing and ongoing Divine relationship.  He wants us to know that we belong to Him and that He will take care of us in every conceivable way.

 

Raise your hands toward the heavens right now and shout, "Hallelujah!"

 

God's name is on you! And while you're shouting, bless those you love today. Putting God's name on them is an awesome thing!

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for this powerful passage of scripture.  You have given us the ability to put Your name on ourselves and those we love.  We choose You! We want You on us, in us, around us, and beside us all the time.  We receive Your blessings and pray for Your name to be on our families as well.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

 

A Blessing For All~

One of my favorite blessings in the Bible is found in the Old Testament.  As we wake up this morning to a New Year filled with promise, I bless each of you with these words found in Numbers 6:24-26

"God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the face and make you prosper."

In His name,

Yenise~