The Almighty Creator

Romans 1:20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature...”

Greetings in the name of our mighty Lord,

When I originally published this DEVO a little over two years ago, there were only two dogs in the family:Tucker and Trooper.  Since then, Hormone and Lis have added Mili Moon to their crew.  Rachel and Emilio, in addition to currently expecting a baby girl, have added THREE more canines to their growing family, and of course, Hershey Pie, my precious pooch, is now like another child to me.  Jorge and I are completely smitten.

All this madness, all these animals, the promise of a new baby now and more in the future, all of this makes me grateful for God's amazing creation!  The vastness of it, the attention to detail, the unparalleled beauty of it, and it strengthens my faith.

When we pray, we are enlisting the help of the Almighty Creator of it all!  I wonder if we can fully grasp the magnitude and magnificence of our Lord?  The One Who made the sunset and the sunrise is the One Whom answers us.  The One Who filled the beaches with endless grains of sand and the forests with canopies of trees, is the One Whom cradles us in the palm of His hands. The One Who provided so many precious animals for us to enjoy is the same One Whom leans in close when we call His name.  The One Who places babies in wombs is the One Whom spreads His wings of protection over us.

    

If you find yourself having doubts, go outside and stare at the heavens.  Remind yourself that God’s eternal power and divine nature are reflected in His creation.  The Word says we can “clearly” see God’s qualities.  And among the innumerable qualities He has is that when we worship Him for what He has done and pray for Him to display His power in our lives, He does!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Whenever we feel like our faith is failing, remind us to just step outside and look up and absorb Your handiwork.  Surely You, Who placed trillions of stars in the sky, are powerful enough to help us.  We believe it! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

                    

I AM IN EVERYTHING

"There is one God, Father of all, Who is over everything, through everything, and in everything" (God's Word Translation).

Dear Readers,

This past Saturday I attended the memorial service of my sweet friend who died of cancer at 56 years of age.  My heart went out to her family, especially her dear elderly dad who found the courage to speak about his "sweet little girl..."

A few times he expressed his unwavering faith in Christ, and that's when my Lord whispered to my heart.

"Yenisita, you have been sad and disappointed that I called TLV home.  You have questioned why I would allow her to suffer so much.  You are relieved that she is in perfect joy at last, but wondering why I didn't heal her on earth  -  why I decided to do it in glory.  That's OK. I can handle your fears and doubts, and as you pray and worship Me, your faith will strengthen.  But please open your eyes; I am here. I AM IN EVERYTHING."

Amen, precious brother and sisters in Christ, God is indeed in everything, especially in the most difficult moments of life.

I clearly saw Him in the moving tribute TLV's husband wrote for her. I clearly saw Him in her lovely daughter's eulogy that highlighted how much TLC loved people and loved the Lord. I clearly saw Him in the congregation who openly cried and shared stories of how TLV inspired them to keep the faith no matter what.  It's safe to say that one of her most important legacies is that she demonstrated an unwavering love and trust for God; those of us who were blessed to know her have no excuse. We must do the same.

I also clearly saw Him when person after person ( I counted more than 10) approached the family to share about the life-changing books TLV was always giving away and showing them the dedications she had hand written inside the book covers.   I even clearly saw Him afterward when a close group of TLV's prayer partners provided a reception so the family would not have to deal with those details. 

May the Lord open our eyes to His constant presence.

Let us pray today the verse that TLV chose as her life verse: Romans 8:38-39

Dear Lord, we are convinced beyond any doubt that nothing can ever separate us from Your unlimited love.  Neither death nor life...neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow.  Not even the powers of hell can separate us from Your love.  Sometimes it feels as though hell is unleashed around us, but no power anywhere in this universe will ever be able to separate us from Your LOVE.  Strengthen our faith in You; You are our blessed Hope. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Gloryland~

Dear DEVO readers,

On August 18, 2017 my dear sweet friend, TLV, sent me a text that her battle with cancer was effectively  over.  No more treatment, no more struggling, no more fighting.  Finally, after more than 20 years of surgeries, hair loss, remission then recurrence, remission then recurrence... it looked as though God was saying, "Enough! It's time to come home!" And yesterday, September 20, 2017, TLV went to Heaven.

In my mind, earth could have used her presence more so than glory. 

She was incredibly kind, sweet, selfless, and uncomplaining.  I first met her more than 25 years ago when our sons played Little League Baseball together, and I recall telling my husband that she was impossibly nice - that no one could be that loving all the time.  I WAS WRONG! In fact, over the years TLV's life has been a source of constant conversation in our household. 

"Can you believe she would take the time to write me a card for my birthday while she is in the hospital?"

"How is it possible that she found time to send me a beautiful book of prayers while she is preparing for yet another surgery?"

"Look at this encouraging email TLV sent. Isn't she in the middle of chemo right now?

Thoughtful gesture after thoughtful gesture is what defined her life, and I imagine that living before the throne of God in constant prayer has something to do with that.  She was the very definition of what a PRAYER WARRIOR is, and I owe a great deal to her.  She, more than anyone else on this planet, is responsible for teaching me the importance of prayer, and this is why I focus so much on this topic when I write these DEVOs. 

TLV gave me my first-ever copy of The Power of a Praying Parent over 16 years ago, and it changed my life! The impact has been so profound that those of you who know me know I regularly give copies of this book away myself knowing it will bring so many blessings to families. 

In closing, I want to share the last text she sent me:

"I appreciate your prayers and love and friendship, and I just wanted to let you know that Jesus is always on the throne, and I have total peace.  The Lord's timing is always perfect, and I am ready. I want to go to Gloryland."

What a beautiful testimony! Notice how she doesn't claim to have any answers, nor does she ask, "Why?"  She simply expresses an unshakeable trust in the Lord.  Amen~

Let us pray today the inscription she wrote in one of the books she gave me.

A Vital Union

Greetings!

I praise the Lord for bringing my family and me safely through Hurricane Irma. We were without electricity for six days, but hey, that's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Our house is still standing, and my husband's business is too! AMEN!

Immediately after the storm we started cleaning up outside. It seems like every tree in Miami was either blown away or knocked down, mine included. And I was surprised by something I noticed: Within a couple of hours, downed limbs that were once a vibrant green were a dull and dying brown. It didn't take too long for complete death to set in.

This observation really brought a Bible verse to life in a

"I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit; apart from Me –

that is cut off from vital union with Me – you can do nothing"(John 15:5).

We must stay connected to Christ to bear fruit. In the Bible fruit refers to life-giving attributes like joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness etc…

And a vital union with Jesus is the key to having these in our lives.

The way we remain in Christ is through prayer. When those first winds from Hurricane Irma barreled through my neighborhood it sounded like a freight train, and I was sure every last shutter was flying off the windows. I found such peace in asking the Lord to protect me and those who were riding out the storm with me in my home. I was also greatly comforted in asking the Lord to spread His protectiover my daughter, my son-in-law, and the precious baby they are expecting.

"Surround us with your Angels, Lord!" I fervently cried.

Nothing like a Hurricane to really hammer home the point of just how vital our union with Christ is!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for seeing us safely through the storm. We choose to stay close to You, tethered to You,  depending on You, looking to You to keep us in peace. We desire to be full of life. None of us wants to wither away in despair. You are our source of Life and Light! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Under His Care

Psalm 31:21 Do your best, prepare...then trust God to bring victory" (The Message Version).

Greetings,

Hurricane Irma is out in the Atlantic Ocean headed our way with sustained winds of 185 mph. We are being told it is the most destructive hurricane in history, and I, who have lived in South Florida for 35 years, have never seen such a scramble to prepare.  Thank God my father-in-law, Chini, texted us Monday that we should get a head start before the maddening lines.  So we did, and my car is now safely tucked inside the garage with a full tank of gas, I have enough bottled water for two weeks sitting in my dining room, Hormone showed up the day before yesterday with 50 cans of soup and spaghettios,  the yard has been cleared, I have batteries galore, a crank radio, and the shutters are up on my windows; everything on my to-do list is checked off.  

The last thing I did was snap a few pictures of my property in case I need before &  after shots for the insurance. And I want you all to take a closer look at the picture that appears below.

For years and years that cross has hung between those two windows, and it's a constant reminder that my property belongs to Jesus.  This house and everything in it and all the people and pets who have graced us with their presence are under His care.  My faith is in Him, and I am trusting Him for protection and comfort. 

Let us do the most important thing any of us can do to be ready: PRAY!

Dear Lord,  The words of Psalm 91 are powerful and fresh on our minds from Tuesday's DEVO. You are our Shield from this storm. We are trusting You for divine protection from Irma. We ask that You send her out to sea away from people and property.  Let it fizzle down to nothing. You are all powerful, and we ask You to do this. Thank you that we will stand untouched because You have ordered Your angels to protect us. Let us be clear, Lord: YOU ARE WELCOME in our lives. We invite You to come and stay by our side. We want You and need You.  Spread Your wings over us and allow us to dwell is safety. In Jesus' mighty name, AMEN!

Here We Go Again!

Greetings,

Here we go again! Almost a year ago  -  October 4, 2016  -  I, along with thousands of South Floridians, started preparing for Hurricane Matthew.  This time around it's Hurricane Irma. She is churning away in the Atlantic as a Category 5, which means her speeds are topping out at 175 mph. That's insane! Her exact path is still unknown, but as a precaution, we must be ready. 

So, as soon as I send this DEVO I am headed out the door to purchase more water and fill my car up with gas.  Then I will pick up Hershey's toys, which are scattered all around the yard, take down my hanging fern, and dust off the storm shutters. Not exactly a great way to spend a Tuesday. 

But the most important thing I will do in all my preparations is pray  -  specifically, Psalm 91 (The Message Version).

"Dear God, You are my refuge, my haven, my sanctuary, and my shield.  I trust in You, and I am safe.  You rescue me and protect me from deadly hazards [like HURRICANES]. Your huge outstretched arms guard me and my family, and under them, we are perfectly safe because Your arms fend off all harm.  I fear nothing, and no harm will even graze me or those I love. I will stand untouched because You are my hiding place. Harm can not get through the door. Thank You that You have ordered Your angels to protect me and my family wherever we go.  Their job is to keep us from falling, and we will walk unharmed.  Thank You that You give me and those I love the best of care.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

The words of the Bible are so comforting, and God knew that Psalm 91 is exactly what we all needed to hear today.  May you pray this prayer and be strengthened in your souls!