God is Forgetful

Greetings,

I keep a magnetized pad on my refrigerator  where I jot down the things I need to buy next time I go grocery shopping.   However, more than once I have arrived at the store only to realize I left the list behind.   And the other day Jorge and I were frantically looking for my car keys when they were literally in my hand the entire time.  That's happened to me as well with reading glasses, which were on my head as I was searching for them.  Plus, I have lost count of how many times I walk into a room to get something only to forget what I wanted to get in the first place.

When we forget, however, we are in good company!

"I am He Who blots out your transgressions and remembers your sins no more" (Isaiah 43:25).

God erases and wipes out our sins and completely forgets them, never thinks of them again.  If He, the Almighty is moving on, then so should we. 

Let's not beat ourselves up over lacks in judgment and mistakes.  Over egregious errors and wrongdoing.

Our precious Lord offers decisive forgiveness and then forgets.  No need to wallow in guilt.  Rather, let's revel in God's goodness.

When we come to Him and ask to be forgiven, He jumps into action and wipes the slates of our heart clean.  Once it's erased there's no retrieving it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We ask for forgiveness right now from our sins.  We thank You that You have already forgiven us and have forgotten what the fuss was all about.  Help us forgive and forget as well.  Remove any crushing burden of guilt. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning.  Empower us to live wisely, and send Your angels to watch over us and those we love.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

ALL IN

Greetings,

Gallup.com recently published a poll showing that only "24% of Americans believe the Bible is the literal Word of God."  Sure lots of people believe some of the Bible is true, and many others find the stories inspiring, but barely one out of four of us believes the Scriptures to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I was kind of shocked when I read this, but then I had lunch with a pal who casually said, "I absolutely believe the Bible is  God's Word, but not everything in scripture is relevant for today."

I sat there with my mouth open, not sure how to respond.  And then I asked, "Which parts do you think are still important?"

For me, it is easier to cast my entire self, my entire brain, my entire soul onto the Lord and His Word then to have to first figure out what is still important or not, true or not, relevant or not, or applicable or not.

God takes the guesswork out of it:

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16).

When we accept the Bible as the complete and infallible Word of God, when we exercise our faith to believe that all scripture is useful and beneficial, when we are determined to apply the whole truth to our lives, we begin to get a clearer understanding of everything that's messed up so God can fix it and bless us.

And in the process, this "all in" mentality  -  tuning in to ALL God's Word  -   means we will be "bursting with health  -  body and soul" (Proverbs 4:22) and "He will be a shield and protection to us" (Proverbs 30:5).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are all in today! We believe Your entire Word and look forward to the blessings that are ours when we exercise our faith.  We need health, and we need protection! In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Sharing is Caring

Greetings,

FIFTY  years ago today at 7:05 in the morning a very special boy was born: My husband, Jorge!  God's greatest gift to me in this lifetime has been this man.  He loves Jesus, and it shows in the way he treats me and our family.  I am forever grateful, and I have a special prayer for him today straight out of the pages of the Bible. However, because sharing is caring, I invite each and every one of you to take the time today to pray this over the ones you love as well.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for (Jorge), a great and beautiful blessing in my life! You direct Your love to him by day, and at night Your song is with him.  You brought him forth from his mother's womb, and (Jorge) is fearfully and wonderfully made.  I praise You for Your marvelous creation. I pray that (Jorge) may enjoy all the years of his life, and that You will lead him along straight paths. May he never stumble and, may he always remember that even into his old age, You will sustain him and carry him. (Jorge) is truly a good and perfect gift from above, and I ask that You multiply his days and add years of health and wholeness to his life.  In Jesus' name, AMEN!

         

I love you, Bibi~

Happy Father's Day

Greetings,

This past Sunday Jorge and I went to my  father-in-law's house and enjoyed an afternoon with him and several other families who gathered together  for Father's Day.  We celebrated all the "Pops," which is what Jorge calls his dad, and shared a meal, gave gifts, and recalled fond memories.  Jorge's earliest recollection of his Pops was as a choking four-year-old.   His dad gave him the Heimlich before it was even called the Heimlich, and literally saved his life! (It's a fond memory because Jorge is around to tell it).  Most importantly, we expressed gratitude for the six amazing dads who were there.

Later that night before I went to sleep I thought about my heavenly Father.  He is the best Father ever, after all, so I thanked Him and told Him, "Happy Father's Day, dear Lord."

This morning I want us all to express our love and gratitude for Him as well.

Thank You for creating the family (Genesis 2:22-24). 

Thank You for loving me no matter what (Romans 8:35).

Thank You for always helping me when I need it (Romans 10:13).

Thank You because You delight in me  (Proverbs 3:11).

Thank You because You are a secure fortress (Proverbs 14:26).

Thank You because You have compassion on me (Psalm 103:13).

Thank you because You are with me wherever I go (Joshua 1:9).

Thank You for forgiving me of my sin and giving me a clean conscience (Hebrews 10:22).  

Thank You because You provide everything I need (Philippians 4:19).

Thank You for guiding me and giving me hope (Psalm 25:5).

Thank You that You calm my fears with Your love (Zephaniah 3:17).

Thank you that when I need a break, when I need to get away from it all, when I am tired, when I am stressed, when I am weak, when I am worried, You cradle me in Your arms and comfort me (Isaiah 66:13).

Amen~

                                                           Three generations of Jorges

Let's Bless Ourselves

Greetings,

Back in 2005 a dear friend of mine gave me a book, which I just fished out of the closet to re-read. On the inside cover she wrote a beautiful dedication based on Psalm 36.  It is so powerful and totally in keeping with this past Tuesday's DEVO. "Let's bless ourselves with health, energy, and encouragement by speaking God's Word into our life."

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, How precious is Your constant, faithful, gracious love for me.  It reaches to the heavens; it extends to the skies.  I take refuge and shelter in the shadow of Your wings.  You feed me with blessings from Your own table , and I am satisfied.  I drink from Your rivers of delight, and I am refreshed. You are the fountain of life, the light by which I see.  Pour out Your unfailing kindness and mercy on me.  Never stop giving Your blessings to me because I long for Your goodness in my life. AMEN~   

P.S.

Ten truths from this prayer:

I am completely loved no matter what

I am sheltered

I am blessed

I am well-fed

I am satisfied

I am hydrated

I am refreshed

I have all the light I need to make wise decisions

I am inundated with kindness

I am overwhelmed with mercy

                Thank You, Jesus~

Two Options

Greetings,

Anyone who has ever painted understands the complexity of choosing the right color.  Home Depot offers over 10,000 varieties of white alone!  Gloss, semi-gloss, matte, eggshell, Antique White, Cottage White, Dutch White...there's even one called White Lie.   All those choices can be maddening as well as expensive.  (I have been known to purchase 10+ samples trying to find the right color).

God makes our choices more simple.  He only gives us two options:

"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit  -  you choose" (Proverbs 18:21 THE MESSAGE Version).

It does not get any more straightforward than that.  It's uncomplicated and plain.  Death or life, blessing or curse, good or bad...

Let's choose life! 

The Bible says that when we speak life-giving words they bring "health and energy to the body," and "are sweet and encouraging to the soul."

How about we start with blessings ourselves?  I could use some health, energy, and encouragement today.

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, I choose life for myself and those I love.  I choose to speak words that bless.  I choose good words  -  words that produce sweet fruit.  The greatest words ever written are in Your Bible so I speak Your Words over my life and declare that You always lead me in triumph, You chose me and lovingly planned for me to be Your child.  I am forgiven, protected, provided for, and loved.  Your peace and grace are with me, and I am strong because of Christ.  Thank You for equipping me with everything I need to live a blessed life.   And thank You that according to 3 John 1:2 You desire for my soul and my body to be healthy.  I receive it! In Jesus' name, AMEN! 

Stay Put!

Greetings,

Sometimes it's good to be stubborn.  Not like my kids, who when instructed that the only language allowed in our home would be Spanish, literally went mute for three days and Jorge and I had to rescind the rule.  But when it comes to faith, being stubborn, hardheaded, and inflexible is good!

"Be steadfast and immovable. Do not let anyone or anything move you off the foundation of your faith...The hard work you do for the Lord is never without purpose" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Not seeing answers to prayers?

Feel like giving up?

Discouraged?

Not sure if calling on the name of the Lord makes a difference?

The verse above was written in the Bible to encourage us to stand our ground.  Prayer always has a purpose, and is always accomplishing something powerful. Working hard to love ourselves and others is never pointless.  Lives are changed for the better and hearts turn toward God when we dig in our heels and decide to stand firm on the foundation of our faith, which is why God wants us to stay put!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for this reminder.  Every time we pray we are doing something purposeful.  We are inviting Your power, Your wisdom, and Your goodness into our lives and the lives of those we love.  We all desperately need You and are grateful that we receive blessings when we stand firm on faith.  With Your help nothing or no one will move us.  We are staying put with Christ! AMEN!

Sonshine~

Greetings,

Today is a rainy day in South Florida.  It's a bit dreary outside, and the sun is nowhere to be found.  But we can provide Sonshine for our souls regardless by praying straight out of the Psalms today.

Psalm 118~

Dear Lord,

I give thanks to You today because You are good and Your love endures forever. I cry out to You because sometimes things are happening in my life that cause me to worry.  Thank You that You will answer me and set me free from anguish.  

You are on my side, and I will not fear.  You are my Helper,   and You are for me.  Mere mortal man has no power over me or power to help me.  I trust in You and take refuge in You.  YOU ARE MY SAFE PLACE.

Sometimes I feel surrounded by trouble, like so many things are going wrong.  But in Your name that trouble is cut off of my life.  That trouble is extinguished by Your mighty living waters!  You are my Strength and my Song. You are my Salvation.

There is rejoicing and joyful shouting in my house.  I  shout for joy and I praise Your name.  BECAUSE I ABIDE WITH YOU AND SEEK SHELTER WITH YOU, NONE IN MY FAMILY SHALL DIE BUT WE WILL ALL LIVE AND DECLARE YOUR GOODNESS!

I give thanks to You because You have answered me. This day, with all the clouds and rain, is the day You have made.  I rejoice in it and am glad.

Send showers of blessings. Thank You for Your guiding light that illuminates my life with grace, freedom , and joy.

YOU ARE MY GOD, and I PRAISE YOU! You are good​,​ and Your mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Follow the Leader

Greetings,

Yesterday Jorge and I took off in two cars to take one to get repaired.  I had no clue where we were headed, so Jorge's instructions were full of common sense and clarity: FOLLOW ME.

Everything was fine until Jorge stalled behind a slow-moving dump truck, and I dashed into another lane passing him.  "Okay," I thought  to myself, "He'll catch up, and we'll get back on track."  Except that I passed the exit, and Jorge had to speed up to catch me so we could take another route.  

Making matters  worse, we were incommunicado.  My phone was on vibe, and K-Love was blaring a happy tune.  I missed several calls from him, and in retrospect, that was a dingaling thing to have done.

When I finally connected with Jorge he was in disbelief and slightly annoyed.  "Really? You don't even know where we are going!!!!"

I kind of cracked up at myself, but it got me thinking too.

We stop following God when we take matters into our hands and either fail to pray, ignore the Bible, or both.

Our Lord is the only one Who knows where we should be going, and He has committed Himself to guiding those who ask for it.  He wants us to avoid dead ends, rocky roads, and detours.

In fact, below is one of the most powerful and comforting passages in all of scripture:

"Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth,  removing obstacles that block your way" (The Amplified Bible).

In other words, what we know or think we know pales exponentially in comparison with what God knows, which is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!

When we pray it is the most powerful way of saying we need His help.  It's declaring that we don't dare approach life's problems without Him.  It's a commitment to putting our extremely limited, puny perspective on the back burner because we realize only He has all the answers.  When we open up the pages of the Holy Word and fill our souls with its truth, we are allowing our insight to dwindle and our faith in a good God to grow  -  faith that follows His lead.

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, We never want to stop following You.  We desperately desire straight and smooth paths.  None of us wants to stumble over any obstacles because we could get hurt.  We rely on You today to get us where we need to go. In Jesus' name, AMEN!