Walking Through~

Thursday greetings,

Psalm 23:4 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me…”

Is it possible to have an encouraging DEVO when the word “darkest” is part of it? Yes, dear brothers and sisters, yes!

Every one who has lived long enough has experienced a low place, a valley - a time when sadness, sorrow, confusion, frustration, hopelessness, and/or fear were the prevalent feelings. 

God acknowledges our feelings; He knows we all face rough moments.  But life-changing truth number one for the day is that God reminds us there is an out and an exit from this valley. We are walking through it; we are not standing still in it.  We are following the Good Shepherd’s lead, and He is leading us straight to peace and joy.  How does He lead? Every single time we pray and read the Bible, every time God puts an angel in our path to say a kind word, every time we allow ourselves to be a blessing in someone else’s life, we continue to make a steady pace out of that valley and into a verdant and abundant meadow.

Life-changing truth number two of the day is that because He is with us, guiding us, loving us, leading us, and protecting us, we don’t have to be afraid of what’s happening in the valley.  If only…right?  One way to get a grip on those times we are overwhelmed with fear is to remind ourselves that because God is with us EVERY SECOND OF EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY, hovering close by, we have nothing to be afraid of.  Is there any one or anything that comes even remotely close to being more powerful than God?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that because You are in our lives, we have the assurance that You will always point us in the right direction.  Thank You that we don’t have to be stuck in the valley; You lead us out.  Help us to pick up our feet and go! And thank You that when You say there’s nothing to fear it’s because You are infinitely more powerful and awesome than anyone or anything.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

The Right Direction~

Tuesday greetings~

Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

“Paths of righteousness” means He leads us in the right paths and sends us in the right direction.

All of us want to stay on track.  Dead ends and roadblocks are no fun, and they waste time.  They can also be dangerous. 

When my older sister first received her driver’s license, six of us piled into the station wagon and headed for a joy drive down to the mall.  We were enjoying ourselves when all of a sudden she hit the brakes with such force that our heads – especially my precious one – violently snapped forward then backward.  She had taken a wrong turn due to poor lighting and stopped literally within an inch of ramming through the concrete wall of an actual store in the mall.      

If any of us had been paying attention, we would have seen the obvious sign:

 

God wants us all to take the tried and true road that leads to blessings and peace, and the Bible provides all the road signs we need to get us there.  Right out of the gate we can all be 100% certain that God leading will never take us through the avenue of adultery, the boulevard of backbiting, or lane of lying.   

And even though God desires to lead us in the right paths, we must be willing to follow.  Jeremiah 6:16 says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable, eternal paths. Ask which way leads to blessings.  Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves.” 

The responsibility to live that way is on us; no one forces us.  If we are not sure, we ask.  We stay connected to God, and He will get us there. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to travel the reliable, eternal paths that lead to blessings.  Sometimes the road signs are clear, and sometimes we need clarification.  We ask You now for guidance for ourselves and our families.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Nightingale~

TGIF greetings,

Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Someone once said: “The 23^rd Psalm is the nightingale of the Psalms.  It sings the sweetest when the night is darkest.”

That is exactly what this Psalm has meant to me over the years.  

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* I originally shared this DEVO on January 31, 2012. 

Almost three years ago my precious and darling girl Rayray was t-boned by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.  The car flipped four times and landed upside down against a tree.  Rachel fractured her collarbone, and sustained injuries requiring stitches after she had to crawl through glass to get out the window on the passenger's side. 

She called her dad, as she always does, and with a shaking voice explained what happened.  In one split second I felt the life leave my body and then come back to me when the paramedic said everything was OK.  Jorge and Hormone went to the hospital because I had just had surgery a few days earlier and was still convalescing. 

I had to wait over an hour for Jorge to get to the hospital, see Rachel, and indeed confirm she was alright.  And I remember making him swear that he wasn't lying to me – Rachel really was OK.  But it wasn't until she finally came home and that I could see her with my own eyes that I could exhale with relief and joy.  The car was a total loss.  Who cares?  Someone at the accident scene stole her phone and called their family in Guatemala to the tune of $700.  Who cares?  Rachel's favorite shoes were beyond repair.  Who cares? 

None of that matters.  It didn't even matter when we found out the other driver was uninsured.  And several months later when Rachel had to go to court because the state of Florida was prosecuting him for driving without insurance and running a red light, I was incredibly proud of her when she said she was overwhelmed with compassion for him because he was old and frail.  She forgave him.  Did I mention that all four passengers also walked away, and the three in the back were not even wearing seat belts? Lord, help us! 

But what I want you all to know is that I began that day unaware of how much I would need God's restoration.  Immediately after Rachel’s call I started crying, not some quiet dignified sniffle, but an all out boogery wailing fest and begged God to take care of my baby.  As the day wore on the peace of the Lord settled on me, and by the time the day was over I truly learned that (1) God cares for all the people I care about, and (2) He does a better job than I could ever do at protecting them.  That experience changed the way I pray, made me infinitely more grateful, and I knew that my soul – my very life had been restored.

One Bible version of this verse says, "He lets me catch my breath."

I can relate.  Maybe you are out of breath and tired about something right now.  Then let's go to the One Who is in the restoration business. 

 PRAYER: If Your Word says You restore souls it's because our souls need restoring.  Let us catch our breath today and reinvigorate our lives with Your goodness.  Everything truly will be alright because we have You on our side. AMEN~ 

Peaceful Streams~

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

Verse Two: He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.

Peaceful streams…

A couple of years ago I was the beach with my mother-in-law, and she and I were frolicking about like two young girls and not paying attention to the increasingly rough waters.  Suddenly, we were in the fight of our lives.  The waves and the current threatened to overtake us and we were swallowing water, but then we remembered the advice we had always heard: Swim parallel to the shore, which we did, and we made it safely back to the land. Amen!

We gagged and coughed and then laughed AFTER we were okay, but it was not a pleasant time.  Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it?  We are tossed back and forth, everything seems out of control, we feel like we might go under never to breathe again, but then we rise out of the problem and take in the fresh, life-giving air!

And we have God to thank for letting us rise and leading us to peaceful streams.  Not rough but not standing still either - just going along at an easy breezy calm pace.  In other words, God comes alongside and takes us to a place where there is just enough movement to flush the environment of our minds, bodies, and souls of toxins, but not so much that we can barely catch our breath. 

Before God leads, however, we must be willing to follow.  Is He worth following?

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Christ is trustworthy.  He gave His life for us.  To quote another verse found in Romans 8:32, “Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else?”

He will, He will, He will!  But are willing to submit to Him? To ask for help? To seek guidance? To admit that we are nothing without Him and that He has sufficient power and love to see us through?

If we answer “yes” to all those questions, then we can confidently tell Him that we belong to Him, that we put ourselves in His care, and that we look forward to being lead to those peaceful streams.

In fact, you would think that my mother-in-law and I would have stayed on the sand, but as soon as the water calmed down, back in we went.  When you are in gently moving water, it’s refreshing and soothing.  The sound alone has put many a baby to sleep, including Jorge, and it’s a great place to be.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Take us all by the hand today and lead us to peaceful streams.  We need a break today.  We long to relax and enjoy our lives.  Thank You that You are the Good Shepherd.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Green Meadows~

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

Verse Two: He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.

This second verse is so appealing; it brings images of beauty and comfort.  (There’s a reason the Bible doesn’t say, “He lets me rest in the brown weeds; He leads me beside stagnant waters.”)

This website – http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html - provides the definitions of different colors.  The meaning of green is inspirational:

“Green symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety.  It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.  In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.”

Now we know why God uses this descriptive language; it’s the ideal scenario.  Real actual sheep lie down with full bellies without a care in the world because their shepherd watches over them.  When we believe that God is in control and that He watches over us and those we care about, then resting fully and completely without a worry in the world is possible. We lie down in safety knowing we will get up in joy, peace, hope, and harmony.

However…

Right before I wrote this DEVO I had a conversation with someone who has some worries.  The actual words were, “I am just waiting for the bomb to go off.”

I think we’ve all been there and felt that way.  Still, God wants us to rest, but sometimes it’s 

difficult to relax with so much going on.  Besides, how does God even lead us to rest?

The first step is prayer.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Over and over again the Bible says You will give us rest when we come to You. Right now we come straight to You and only You.  We shut out everything and everyone else and look to You to give us the rest in the green meadows we so desperately need.  By faith we receive it.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

New Dreams~

TGIF Greetings~

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

I originally wrote the DEVO below on January 26, 2012. 

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Sometimes it is not until we have the benefit of time that we can look back and realize that all along God was taking care of us.  No matter what struggles, difficulties, pain, brokenness, financial problems, health issues and so on and so on, we are all here today, alive and well.  Notice the verse says all that I need.  It doesn't say all that I want.  There is a lot of stuff I have wanted.  Maybe in your mind you can think of several things you want for yourself or your family.  But God knows best and gives us what we need.  Sometimes we need faith and hope more than that new car.  Or we need love and patience more than that dream job.  Do we trust God to know what to give and what to withhold?

As many of you know my lovely son played sports growing up, and when the University of Miami came calling for him to play football, we were all so sure he would have a chance to play.  It was an anticlimactic ending.  He did not play - not once!  It broke my heart.  "God, I cried, please let him play.  You have given him a gift, and I want to see him use it."

The Lord was so very silent on this request, and for many years  I did not understand.  Fast forward to 2012, and I have made peace with this.  Why?  Because if I really believe that God is my son's Shepherd, then Jorgie had everything he needs and always will.  Playing college sports was not part of the overall plan, but I choose to trust God’s decisions as they concern my son. 

What do you do when your dreams do not come true?  You ask God to give you new dreams and opportunities.  I am happy to say that Hormone has been given a wonderful and lovely person to love who loves him too, and that is something everybody needs.  And, although the football dream has long been forgotten, a new dream has surfaced.  It's actually an oldie but a goodie.  Jorgie is training to play baseball again and leaves in April for Denver, CO.    

I do not know what the future holds, but I do know Who holds it.  That is why I can say that I am confident Jorgie will have what he needs.  The Shepherd will make sure of it!

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UPDATE TIME: What struck me most about this DEVO is the very beginning – “Sometimes it is not until we have the benefit of time that we can look back and realize that all along God was taking care of us.”  It’s been two and half years since this was written.  Jorgie has been married for almost two years, and it has been the greatest blessing of his life (and mine)!  Playing sports at the pro level has still not panned out, but he has had a great time playing locally.  His wife supports him, we go to all the games, and God has been and always will be in control.  Maybe every single one of our dreams will not come true, but when we ask Him, God will give us new dreams.    

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Sometimes it is hard to admit that You know best--especially when we do not get what we ask for.  But we trust You today!  You know best, and You will never give us something or withhold something that is not ultimately for our good.  Help us to trust You with all our hearts.  Wherever there is disappointment over a lost dream or opportunities, give us new and better ones to takes their place.  And thank You because You have brought us this far, and we are all well!  AMEN!

I Shall Not Want~

Greetings dear brothers and sisters J

I love Psalm 23, and it’s a powerful reminder of Who is taking care of us.   Sometimes, just by looking at my reactions and behavior, you would think I have forgotten that God is busy in my life.

Verse 1: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

This little nine-word phrase means big and beautiful things for us, and all we have to do is look at a shepherd’s job to know what God does for us.

God leads us to rest and safety. He knows in which direction we should head, and where the best pastures are for provision. He knows where the “wolves” are, so He watches over us.  If we stray from the flock, He stretches forth His hook and gently brings us back, and when the heat is on, He finds shelter for us.

Other versions of the Bible say, “I am never in need,” “I lack nothing,” and “I don’t need a thing.”  It’s never a question about whether God is doing His thing or not, but whether we want to take Him at His word and yield to His goodness.

If any of us feel as though we are in need of something, then it’s time to pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are our Shepherd.  You put the responsibility on Yourself to care for us.  We yield to Your goodness and provision.  With You as our Shepherd, we are never in need.  Thank You that You are providing ___________ for ___________ right now.  In Jesus‘ name, AMEN~ 

God Makes Our Lives Easier

Matthew 18:19 "When two of you get together on anything..."

A couple of days ago I was on the phone with a buddy, and in the middle of our conversation we realized that God makes our lives easier; He sets us up to succeed.  For example: Those verses we looked at all last week, what if God would have said, “When 15 or more of you get together on anything, I’ll go into action…”  Can you imagine? 

I’m not saying that it’s impossible to get a group consensus, but it can be a challenge.   Even for something totally unimportant, like the World Cup Soccer frenzy in Brazil, we were at friendly odds as a family.  I don’t think there was ever a 100% consensus during the one-month tournament.  Everyone had a different favorite team, a personal favorite player, and a million reasons why their guys should win.  At one point Jorge managed to get me on his side by showing me something nice a player did for a kid in need, and that was all the convincing I needed to cheer for him from that point on.  But no matter how I hemmed and hawed, I could not get certain stubborn fans on my side. 

Thank God that in His economy, however, all it takes is one single solitary lone kindred spirit who connects with you in your time of need and because both of you pray, God shows up.

Let us never underestimate the power of praying together; some of us may be missing out on some good things because we isolate ourselves. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that there is power in group prayer.  Sometimes it is necessary to approach You with a buddy by our side, and an added dimension of joy, faith, hope, support, and love that blesses our life takes place because of it.  We love you! AMEN~

It Takes Two~

Matthew 18:19-20 “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action.  And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

I enjoy having private time with Jesus.  I pray, I chuckle, and sometimes I cry.  I pour my heart out, and I listen, and God knows I try to apply whatever lesson He is teaching me.

But there’s something to be said about praying with at least one other person.  I have prayed countless times with other people – most of the times with just one, sometimes with over 100.  And in every single instance, I have felt my faith strengthen.  If you have ever prayed with me than you know I like to say, “Thank you for joining your faith to mine.  Our faith together is stronger than my faith on its own!”

The verse above is part of the reason why.  It’s not that I am unsure of God’s presence when I pray alone.  But rather, I have no doubt that when my prayer partners and I get together because of Him, He is right there watching over us, directing us, and blessing us. 

Whenever we need the reassurance that Jesus will show up, the best thing to do is find someone who will pray with us.  Someone who is our friend, a kindred spirit who loves the Lord, who is fighting for the same thing, who is looking forward to the same victory, someone who shares in our concerns and worries and vice/versa.  God honors these types of praying relationships, and it doesn’t take much to get one started.

It humbles me when people thank me for praying with them.  I am the one who is thankful.  I am the one who has been blessed and receiving answers because someone took the time to join with me in talking to the Lord.    

Do you want and need more of Jesus in your life? Find a buddy and pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your promise of being with us when we get together in Your name.  We need You.  Bless us, help us, guide us, and protect us.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

ANYTHING!

Matthew 18:19-20 “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

Last Friday was my bday, so here’s a shout out to me and my 49 fabulous years of life!  I spent the day at the beach, and it was a beautiful day.  We played games and ate a bunch of junk food, and listened to music, and swam around in the clear water.  We marveled at the flock of ducks that swam by, and applied sunscreen frequently.

When it was all over, Jorge and I sat in the car and he asked for his cell phone.  It was gone, and the panic set in.  It was a mild panic, because after all, losing one’s cell is more of a huge inconvenience than a life-threatening matter.  Nonetheless, we offered up a quick prayer, and glory to God, the phone was in the sand right where it fell out as we were packing up earlier.  It was all by itself – surrounded by scores of beachgoers – halfway buried in the sand.  Amen! 

Unknown to me, at the exact same time the cell phone drama was taking place, a friend of mine was having a crisis with a relationship.  Furious prayers were offered up for a speedy reconciliation and mutual understanding.  God moved quickly in that situation.  By the end of the evening positive steps were taken to save a struggling relationship, and those steps are still headed in the right direction all these several days later.

Two completely different situations with something in common: GOD went into action for both of them.  In God’s eyes, both were important.

Let us all stand up right now and thank God that He places no conditions or rules or limitations on what we pray about.  He wants to hear about anything and everything. 

Anything less than that would be an insult to His power.

For us to assume that He does not want to be bothered by the trivial, is to misunderstand His perfect heart as a Father.  If you are frantic trying to find the perfect hair bow for your daughter, He wants to help.

To assume that He’s too busy dealing with wars in the Middle East to deal with your smaller problems, is to dangerously undervalue His power.  It’s not a though God has to prioritize matters, and it’s not like He only has the ability to deal with huge world crises.  He is Omnipotent – all powerful.  Let that sink in.  He can help you find a cell phone, and heal a marriage, and provide protection for those in combat all at the same time.  Let’s not focus on how He does it.  Let’s focus on Who He is, which is an awesome God Who invites us to get together on anything and pray.  Nothing is off-limits.

Be bold in your requests, and then watch Him go into action.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You care about every single detail of our lives.  You long to be invited into every situation.  It is a blessing to be able to pray about anything knowing You will go into action for us.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Prayer Gets God Moving~

Greetings in the powerful name of our Lord!

It has been almost a week since the last DEVO, but no worries, I have been praying for you.

The last verse we looked at was in Matthew 18:19-20 

“When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

A lot of us get together all the time, but rather than pray, we gossip, we complain, we cry, we yell, we commiserate, and we vent.  However, the key to our Father in heaven going into action is to PRAY about the matter.

I am pointing a finger at myself, people.  Sometimes I too get a little carried away heatedly talking about a problem.  But then God gently whispers, “Yenisita, shut up and pray.”

I love God! 

What is that thing you need to stop worrying about and complaining about and make a prayer about instead?  Find yourself a prayer partner, and invite God to go into action for you.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Your Word is clear:  Prayer gets You moving.  Help us to remember this the next time we are tempted to do everything but pray.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Thank You For Your Help...

Tuesday greetings J

This past Friday one of my favorite people in the world got into some serious trouble.

My four-year-old nephew, Danny, decided he would hide from his grandmother, my mother-in-law, who was babysitting him at the time.  When she called and he didn’t answer, she automatically went to the pool.  Part of her knew he couldn’t open the kid-proof latch on top of the door, but then part of her wanted to make sure anyway.

When she realized he wasn’t there, she started looking inside the house, all while shouting out his name.  (I can so picture him with a mischievous grin knowing he is causing a panic.)  She looked everywhere and nothing.  By this time a knock came at the door; it was two young friendly Mormons.  No time for proselytizing, however.  My mother-in-law quickly enlisted their help, and they took off down the street to check out the lake.  A couple of neighbors also showed up to help, and Danny’s mom was called.  She lives super close by, so she got there in less than a minute, stood in the middle of the family room, and yelled, “Danny, come out now!”

He appeared from behind a speaker next to the TV, a speaker that was big enough to completely hide him.  No need to call 911!  

The whole thing lasted less than five minutes, and Danny had a closed-door meeting with his mom, the details of which are still unknown.

My mother-in-law, relieved but exhausted, managed to tell the Mormons, “I will stick with my beliefs, but thank you for your help.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP…

Sometimes we need help, and that’s a good thing.

Matthew 18:19-20 “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

This doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t there when we pray alone.  It means that something significant enough happens when we pray together that it’s worth dedicating a Bible passage to it.

What do you need to make a prayer of?  Find a friend, a spouse, a relative, a neighbor, a co-worker, a child, find someone, anyone, who will get together with you, and approach God knowing He will go into action for you.  This could be the key to the breakthrough you have been waiting for.

There will be some matters which we need to pray about together – which we will need to call in for back-up and reinforcements.  Imagine if my mother-in-law had not enlisted any help?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Your promise is clear: When we go to you with a partner, You will go into action for us!  AMEN! Help us find a partner, and remind us that we need to be available to pray with others.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!