Overflow~

Greetings!

Christmas has come and gone this year, but there is still one present I want to give you:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

I love that God wants us to have not just enough joy, peace or hope.  But rather, He wants us to OVERFLOW.  He desires for us to have a flood, a Niagara Falls deluge, and an over-the-top, exaggeration and surplus of joy, peace, and hope.

Now all you have to say is, “I RECEIVE IT!”

Until next year…

He Came For Me!

“For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord”

(Luke 2:11).



Greetings, 

Christmas is a few days away, and I am excited because even though it's about Jesus, it's also about me.

Who was Christ born for?  Was it for them, for those, for others, for him, or for her?  NOPE! He was born for me!  I love inserting my name in verses like these, and I invite you to do the same.

"For today in the city of David, there has been born for Yenise a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord."

Amen and glory.  Jesus came for me - and you!

He didn’t have to, but He did because He knew that we couldn't live without Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for coming for me.  You knew how much I would need You, and You did not hesitate to leave Your glorious Heaven to come and save me.  Happy Birthday! 

Make Room!

Luke 2:7 "And she gave birth to her firstborn son, Jesus; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

Greeitngs, 

Christmas is one week away, and if you're like me, you are already in the hustle and bustle of all the preparations.  There are gifts to wrap, cards to be sent, Christmas carols to be practiced, last-minute decorations to be put up, and food to order.  I get so busy that sometimes I have to remind myself to make room for Jesus.  How ironic given that He is the reason for the season!

In the verse above the innkeeper missed out on having the Savior of mankind being born at his establishment because there was no room.  Maybe he could have made an exception. Maybe he just didn’t realize the magnitude of the situation.  Maybe he didn’t care.  Regardless, there was no room and no room was made; Jesus was born somewhere else.

We all know better.  When we open our hearts and homes to Him, He shows up and the blessings flow.  

It all starts with prayer.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for answering prayer! Every time we gather here to pray, we are making room for Christ. We invite Him into every area of our lives and ask that He fill us up with the blessings of hope, faith, provision, peace, joy, and health. In His holy name we pray, AMEN!

Shut the Door Behind You!

Greetings,

Something special happened at my house for the first time in over 10 years: Jorge helped me decorate the Christmas tree!  At some point when the kids were in high school/college, they stopped helping me hang treasured ornaments, and Jorge just kind of dropped out with them.  To be fair, I never really asked for help because (a) I love putting on merry music and sifting through all the trimmings and (b) I cherish cherishing the memories and tend to linger a bit over each and every decoration.  

Nevertheless, something overcame Jorge this year – I suspect he wants to make our granddaughter’s first official Christmas as memorable as it can be – and he helped me from start to finish.    I was happy to have his help, and it was fun looking at ourselves as elves and at a reindeer frame with a picture of our kids before they were married. I was also impressed that Jorge made a grouping of red robins that looks so pretty as well as a festive woodland animal cluster near the top of the tree.

Then Jorge pulled out my favorite glass jewel of all time – a coral colored octopus that has graced my tree for several years.   And I kid you not, at the exact same time that he was saying, “I better be careful with this delicate…” HE DROPPED IT and shattered it into a million unglueable fragments. The only part that survived was the head. 

I laughed and said, “Oh well, it is what it is!”  Yes, I really did have the loveliest of reactions, and I surprised myself a bit.  I was so kind and gracious about it, and I didn’t even have to ask God for help.  I didn’t have to call on Jesus to restrain me.  I was actually nice of my own free will and felt nice in the process.

I am the first to admit that going regularly into my prayer closet has made all the difference.  More than anyone else on this planet, my kids knew what buttons to push, and I was determined to stay even-tempered.  This was not possible without some supernatural help, so I was motivated to get on my knees.  I held onto this verse for dear life:

“When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).

It’s time for us to go away, shut the door, and start praying; the rewards are worth it!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we need to be kinder, more patient, more peaceful, and more joyous – especially toward those we love. Help us, Father.  Fill us with Your goodness so we can be good. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

     

A Gift From the Heart

Greetings,

Joni Tada, one of my faith heroes, was in an accident over 40 years ago left her paralyzed from the shoulders down.  God opened a door for her to minister to disabled people, and she has reached out to MILLIONS.  Therefore, when she speaks on the topics of suffering, contentment, faith, fear - you name it - it is credible and always stirs my soul.  

She writes:

"Every Christmas I think about what it was like to be on my feet during the holidays.  There were parties and plays, decorating, hitting the malls.  Then came my accident.  That Christmas I spent it at a rehab center.  Adding to the hurt I was already feeling was that I couldn't buy gifts for anyone.  The way I saw it, God was asking too much of me. The use of my body was taken away at Christmas time, but also the joy of giving.  On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I felt like a martyr.

"But Christmas morning my heart softened...as I focused on Christmas's meaning, I realized the best gift I could give was myself.  My mom didn't want a new dress; she wanted to see me smile.  My dad didn't need a new bridle for his horse; he needed to see me laugh.  My sister didn't need another sweater; she needed to see my grab hold of hope."

Joni's very powerful point is that there are some gifts that don’t cost one cent, yet they are extremely valuable because they are "gifts from the heart."

Maybe you've been grumpy lately and everyone in your family knows it.  Maybe you've been self-absorbed, and your spouse feels it.  Maybe you're dealing with a big problem and haven't smiled a lot lately.  Joni is not saying we don't have good reasons to feel these ways sometimes, but she is saying that everyone can benefit from a gift from the heart - especially those closest to you.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I already know who could benefit the most from a gift from my heart. I already know who would love to see me enjoy life, grab hold of hope, and smile.  Give me the strength to follow through.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Momma Didn't Raise No Fool!

Greetings,

Several years ago our pet cat, Shadow, who is now deceased and resting peacefully beneath our níspero tree, upchucked on the living room carpet.  It fell to Jorge to clean it up because, as you all know, I have a weak constitution.

I was in the kitchen when I suddenly heard Jorge gagging.  Every time he would scoop up a little of the "vittles," he would almost spew his own.

Of course, I reacted the only way any other reasonable person would have: I ran to him with alcohol-drenched cotton balls and thanked him profusely for being so brave.  After all, the cat's little present was a mix of hair, boogers, and slime.

NOT!

I made fun of Jorge instead and was heartily ungrateful and boisterous.  Do you think it was wise to pick on him while he was in the process of doing me a huge favor? 

It was not, but then there are so many foolish things we are capable of...

Proverbs 1:7 "Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning."

The number one foolish thing anyone can do is thumb their nose at God and all that He offers.   

What does He offer?  A quick review of Psalm 103 says He forgives all our sins, heals our diseases, saves our life, crowns us with love and mercy, wraps us in goodness, and renews our youth, and that's just three verses worth. Read that entire Psalm, and then thank God that your momma didn't raise no fool! 

Every time we pray, whether at the end of this DEVO, at church, in our car, with a friend, or by ourselves, every time, we are acknowledging that we need God in our lives; this makes us all very wise indeed!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We recognize our great need for You.  We purposely choose to start each and every day with You.  Thank You for all the amazing things You do for us.  We receive forgiveness, healing, salvation, love, mercy, and renewal today for ourselves and our families.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

                                    

A Baby Changes Everything~

Greetings,

The Christmas season is upon us, and I love it.  I enjoy crowds, I don’t mind long lines (it gives me a chance to people watch), and the decorations put me in such a great mood!  Speaking of decorations, my tree is already up, and it’s fun to discover new ornaments that I bought last year at 90% off that I had totally forgotten.  And then there are all the ornaments I have collected for over 30 years.  One, in particular, is so sweet.  It’s a little clay creation featuring Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus.  The inscription is simple: “A Baby Changes Everything.”

Oh yes, it does!  Ask my grandbaby’s parents.  No more sleeping whenever.  No more getting ready without one thousand and one interruptions.  And let’s not get started on the never-ending cycle of feeding, diaper changes, and trying to keep baby entertained, and the money they spend to accomplish all the aforementioned.  The weight of the responsibility can be overwhelming. And yet, EVERYTHING changes for the better. 

The depth of love and patience one discovers when a child is born is miraculous.   The joy at the smallest of accomplishments (i.e. rolling over, crawling, babbling…) is incalculable.  And never have I seen more happiness than when mom, dad, and baby are together and making each other laugh.  Most importantly is that this new mommy and daddy are learning to cover every aspect of my granddaughter's life in prayer. Even so, there’s only one baby Whose birth has had the most profound effect on human history – Who changed everything for everyone: JESUS!

Only He is the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, King of kings, Teacher, and The Truth. Only He is the Bread of Life, Light of the World, and our Savior. 

Because of His birth, we have peace, guidance, health, hope, light, faith, love, and joy. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for sending us Your Son.  His birth has changed our lives for the good, and it’s the Gift that keeps on giving.   Every day we need all the blessings Christ offers us.  In His sacred name, we pray, AMEN. 

Comfort Others~

Greetings,

I have a buddy who went through a rough patch recently, and the journey to health and wholeness for her and her family has been hard. It has also been one of experiencing the blessings and direction of God.

Both she and I have lost track of how many times desperate prayers were offered to God for help. But as a result of storming heaven’s gates, a seasoned and trusting faith emerged. And a few days ago, this young woman did something completely extraordinary: She put her hands on someone else having difficulty and prayed for them.

I take that back.  She put her hands on someone else and BOLDLY prayed for healing and peace.

Put yourself in her place.  What would your friend or family member say if suddenly you jumped up, declared you had faith in the living God, and put your hands on their shoulders and asked God for a miracle?

It took guts on her part.  But then again, if she herself has been comforted through her struggles, it only makes sense that she would want others to be comforted.  

Wait, where have I heard that before? 

“Praise be to the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Let’s be bold and generous with our comforting of others.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for reminding us that You expect us to share the goodness we receive from You.  Make us sensitive to others in need and help us be bold.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

The Good Life

“Follow only God, your God, hold Him in deep reverence, keep His commandments, listen obediently to what He says, serve Him—hold on to Him for dear life” (Deuteronomy 13:4 The MESSAGE Version)!

Greetings,

My precious grandbaby is crawling up a storm, and she enjoys traveling all around the house.  This has forced me to keep my floors squeaky clean, but it is worth it.  The greatest thing about her new-found freedom is that she follows me where ever I go.  If I am in the kitchen, she’s right behind me.  If I am folding towels, she’s jiggles and wiggles to the linen closet.  If I am making the bed, voilà, there she is.  I take her desire to be near me as the highest compliment, and somehow I think she knows, even in her limited baby understanding, that I love her, want what’s best for her, will make sure she has everything she needs, and of course, will drop everything I am doing to tickle her and play peek-a-boo.

God tells us to follow only Him and hold onto Him for dear life because He also loves us, wants what is best for us, will make sure we have everything we need, and will always tune in to our prayers.  The Bible says it best: “God is your life - your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment, and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:20 The Amplified Bible).

Praise Him!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we follow You today.  Help us to revere you and keep Your commandments. Help us to hear what You are saying to us.  We hold onto  You today because we want the good the life. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Thanksgiving Psalm

A Thanksgiving Psalm~

I give You thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.  I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness; Your promises are backed by all the honor of Your name. As soon as I pray, You answer me; You encourage me by giving me strength. You reach out Your hand and save me. You will work out Your plans for my life—for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. (Psalm 138)

    

Happy Thanksgiving and God bless you~

Magnify The Lord With Me~

Greetings,

Last Thursday was my anniversary, and we celebrated by staying in, for a change.  And right when Jorge and I had settled in to digest the carb-laden pasta feast from our favorite Italian restaurant, our dog, Hershey, started going bonkers.  He was outside, and his barking was more animated than usual.  More than when he spots a squirrel running along the electricity lines.  More than when pigeons pick at the ants in between the pavers.  And more than when a cat dares enter his territory.

I begrudgingly got up to see what was going on. That’s when I saw a blob on the rug outside on the terrace.  Initially, I wasn’t sure what it was.  But as I got closer and closer, it came more and more into focus.  IT WAS AN OPOSSUM!!!

It was either playing dead or actually dead; I couldn’t tell at first.    I immediately started screaming my head off, like the house was on fire, and Jorge sprang into action and managed to get Hershey inside where he cleaned his mouth with baby wipes.  It was a maddening scene. 

I finally composed myself.  Perhaps Jorge saying, “Compose yourself, woman,” was what brought me back to my senses.  I grabbed my phone, took a picture, and suggested we turn off the lights to see if it would leave before risking touching it and getting rabies.  And not even five minutes later when I turned the lights back on, it was gone.  Thank the Lord!

Getting close and drawing near helps bring focus to what might be otherwise blurry or obscured.  This is a good thing.  Because once you know what or Who you’re dealing with, you can make wise decisions. In the case of Hershey, now that I know he is a vicious rodent attacker, I will be extra cautious before I ever open the door when he barks.  But as for the Lord, I know that as I take steps to magnify Him, to enlarge Him, to draw close to Him, to worship Him for His goodness, power, and willingness to intervene in my life, everything else, my fear and my worries will dwindle. As He gets bigger and bigger, my problems will get smaller and smaller. 

“Magnify the Lord with me! Let’s praise His name together! I sought the Lord’s help, He and answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:3-4).

Let’s magnify.

Dear Lord, we draw close to You and praise Your name.  Thank You that when we seek Your help, when we approach You, when we focus on You and Your greatness, You answer us and take away our fears.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Open Our Eyes!

The DEVO below was originally sent one year ago.  It's still relevant! Still important! And this year, Jorge opened his eyes! AMEN!

Greetings,

Last night Jorge and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary; I cannot believe how quickly the years have flown by!  As always, I take a few pictures, and I asked Jorge to really make an effort and open his eyes wide before snapping a couple shots because I read somewhere it makes you photogenic. I WAS WRONG.  No matter how much he tried, his eyes were either completely closed or just plain weird looking.  I couldn't stop laughing, and we both gave up.  But it got me to thinking: Having opened eyes is actually a big deal.

"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions" (Psalm 119:18).

There are so many necessary, helpful, life-blessing truths in God's Word, but sometimes we can't see them.  Sometimes we can't understand why forgiving someone is the better option.  Why being a peacemaker is a wiser choice. Why praying changes our circumstances.  Why patience will ultimately lower our stress. Why choosing our friends wisely will avoid us a lot of trouble, and on and on and on and on and on...

The good news is that God opens our eyes when we ask Him.  That takes the pressure off of us trying to do it on our own. We don't want to be hit or miss in this important area of our lives; there's too much at stake.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Open our eyes!  We need to see You clearly. We need to know Your truths and Your principles.  The gospel is a powerful and right guide for living. We don't want to miss it. We don't want our kids to miss it either; open their eyes as well!  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

                              2017                                                           2018

GROW UP!

1 Peter 2:1-3 So get rid of every kind of evil, every kind of deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander.  Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation.  Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:1-3)!

Greetings, 

This passage is all about making a clean sweep of your life, and it’s a powerful one-two punch.  Reading the Bible goes hand-in-hand with getting rid of bad behavior. Doing both will bring growth. 

Is growth really that important?  Think about where you were in your faith journey this time last year.  Is your faith stronger now?  Does your hope run deeper?  Do you have more peace? Do you love better? Do you find it easier to trust the Lord? 

The answer to all those questions above is hopefully a hearty yes.  Growth brings blessings.  Growth helps us avoid stupid decisions and helps us make wise ones.  Growth helps us stay calm in the storm because we know that if He brought us out before, He will bring us out again.  

Who among us wants to work at the same job without ever getting a raise or promotion? And not one of us who has kids wants them to stay stuck at the age they are now.  We want them to grow.  Can you imagine if my 10-month old granddaughter never learned to walk or clap her hands? How sad would my day be if we never played peek-a-boo?  Or what if she all those precious baby shark teeth never appeared? And what about if she were never potty-trained? 

There's nothing cute about being stunted in one's growth, and actually, every new milestone brings joy!

The same can be said about growing in our salvation.  As we purge the bad, read the Word and pray through this life, we are blessed with joy, peace, faith, hope, love, and health! 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You that as we pray, right at this moment, we are growing.   Every moment spent in prayer builds our muscles and strengthens us for life.  YOU ARE GOOD! In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

YOU ARE MY SAFE PLACE

Greetings,

The number eight is front and center today because it's 11/8/2018. So I went looking for a Psalm with number eight in it and came across Psalm 118.  Today's DEVO is a prayer based on this powerful and uplifting Psalm.  Given the news this morning out of California, it's perfect for our troubled souls.

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 that cause me worry.  Thank You that You 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.  Mortal man has no power over me.  I trust in You and take refuge in You.  YOU ARE MY SAFE PLACE.

Sometimes there is trouble all around, and so many things are going wrong.  But in Your mighty 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 is the day You have made.  I rejoice in it and am glad.

Send showers and 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.

Command!

Greetings,

Today’s DEVO is based on Psalm 44:4, “You are my King, O God, Command victories and deliverance for Israel” (Amplified Bible).

As I read this verse last night, I thought, “God is my King, and He is my God too!  He is the One Who has the power to command, decree, declare, and give me victory.”

If the psalmist can be so bold as to ask God to issue the order for a divine favorable intervention, then so will I.

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are our awesome and powerful Lord.  We ask You in Jesus’ name to command a victory for us today.  We need a win for our souls. Send peace, wisdom, and hope. We need triumph in our health. Send wholeness and healing. We need success in our relationships. Send mutual love and understanding. For some of us, we need You to cause a divine encounter between us and a godly person so we are no longer lonely. Make it happen! We also need our finances to thrive. Send prosperity, bless our jobs, and open doors of opportunity for us.  Lord, wherever we have a need, we are trusting You to command a victory for us! Thank You! We love the Bible. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Prosperity, Success, and Accomplishments~

Greetings,

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it" (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Wherever God sends His Word, prosperity, success, and accomplishments follow. 

I'm on board for receiving all three.  If only I could somehow send out His Word and initiate the healing, help, love, comfort, joy, peace, faith, hope, provision, and protection that is the prosperous result of coming into contact with God's word.

WOW! Wait a second! When I pray,  that's exactly what I'm doing. When I get a hold of a scripture and apply it directly over my situation, I am promised that something good will come from it.

Recently I had a conversation with a buddy who is worried about the choices her young teen is making.  We looked up a couple of verses to pray:

"Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is ripe and you’re ready" (Song of Solomon 8:4).

So we prayed: "Lord, we pray for ______ and ask that love is not stirred up until the right time. Keep ______from doing anything that brings the wrong kind of excitement."

It felt so good to pray a verse that was specific to that worry.

Whatever's on your mind today, I promise you there's a verse for that! In fact, check out this website. 

https://www.openbible.info/topics/ 

Type in your concern and Bible verses specific to your situation will pop up. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word. We know the things You want to accomplish are only and always what's best for us. We need and desire the production of good fruit.  Guide us to the right verses to pray.  We look forward to prosperity, success, and accomplishments in our lives and the lives of those we love. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Raise the Roof!

Greetings,

Today's DEVO is a prayer of worship with verses taken from Psalms 16, 147 and 150 (The Message Version). May the Lord bless our souls!

"We shout praises to You, our God, and we raise the roof for the Rock Who saved us.  We invite You to take our hand so that our feet and the feet of those we love will always be on the right path.

"We enter Your presence singing praises because You are the best. Your hands sculpted the earth, and with those same powerful hands, You take care of us.  You are our God! Hallelujah!

"Praising You is the right thing to do.  You rebuild our lives when we need it.  You put us on our feet again. You heal our broken hearts and bandage our wounds.  You are great, with limitless strength, and we depend on Your strength.

"Thank You that when we praise You, we get Your attention. You make our city secure, and You bless our children. You put the best bread on our tables. You launch Your promises earthward - how swift and sure they come!"

Amen! Amen! Amen!

What Can Jesus do For You Today?

Greetings,

Bartimaeus was a blind and lowly beggar sitting by the roadside when his ears perked up and he heard Jesus walking by.  Seizing the moment, fully aware of Christ's reputation as a Miracle worker,  having heard that our Lord had fed the thousands and healed the sick, he shouted, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”

Well, having mercy is one of our Lord's specialties; hearing a cry for help moves His heart.  So Jesus stopped and paid attention. “What do you want Me to do for you” (Mark 10:51)?

Bartimaeus didn’t hesitate. “Lord, I want to see.”

The answer came quickly. “Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:52).

This short passage teaches us that it's okay to shout out for mercy.  Jesus always hears and will stop and pay attention to us just like He did for Bartimaeus.  It's also okay to tell Jesus what we want Him to do.  He literally invites us to share our deepest longings with Him.  Bartimaeus certainly didn't hold back, and he received exactly what he wanted.  Jesus will always answer with what is best for us! 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I take You at Your Word; this is what I want You to do for me today: ___________________.  By faith, I receive the answer You have for me because You know best. In Your name I pray, Amen!

Write Your Own Passage!

Greetings,

The Bible is filled with fascinating passages like this one:

“Jael, the wife of Heber, the Kenite, most blessed of women is she, favored above all women who dwell in tents! Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk in a dish fit for lords. And then she took a tent peg in her left hand and a worker’s hammer in her right, and she struck Sisera.  She broke and battered his head; she pierced his temple, and he dropped dead” (Judges 5:24-27). 

Sisera was the captain of a mighty enemy army, and he was greatly feared in Israel.  But in the verses above we learn that he was overthrown by a gal. That’s right.  After a brutal battle where Sisera saw his defeat coming, he abandoned his troops and landed in Jael’s tent. She recognized the enemy, and she was willing to fight.  Jael was a mighty woman who brought victory! 

If I could write my own passage it would say this:

“Yenise, wife of Jorge, the New Jerseyan, most blessed of women is she, favored above all women who live in Westchester.  The enemy came close to her dwelling, and she met him head-on.  He tempted her and her family, and she prayed for them not to fall for it.  Then she chose prayer as a way of life for every single obstacle and trouble that headed their way, and she struck that enemy down.  She broke every single plan he had for destruction in the mighty name of Jesus, and victory was hers and her family’s!”

Now go write your own passage!

Last-minute Shingles

Greetings, 

On the last DEVO I shared, we gained a new perspective about fleas, that the infestation God allowed among women in a concentration camp kept them safe from cruel guards who would have otherwise taken horrific advantage of them.  The fleas were a gift from God.  Can we say the same about other things that happen to us that we may not fully understand?  

Today I want to share something about my sister, Aldys, who has graciously given me permission to do so. 

For the past several weeks she has been dealing with some severe pain in her side and after visiting several different specialists, her OB/GYN finally narrowed it down to a cyst that is growing on her ovary.  The pain has been unbearable at times, and she was scheduled for surgery last Friday, October 12, 2018.  She was actually looking forward to it because even though it meant hormone replacement therapy (she had her other ovary removed a few years ago) and a few weeks recovering, she was eager to be pain-free.

But two days before the operation she noticed a little rash on her backside.  She immediately went to the emergency room, and that’s where they diagnosed shingles.  They started her on anti-viral medication right then and there, and then she called me, struggling to hold onto hope.  Having shingles meant no surgery.  All those pre-op tests useless.  All the preparation a waste.  Worst of all, she would have to endure the pain until surgery could be rescheduled.

When she called me with the news, she was on the verge of tears, and I struggled to stay positive.  I did not understand the timing or the purpose.  But hey, I am a child of the living God and I got my act together and did what God has called each of us to do: pray, be an encouragement, put trust in the One Who is trustworthy.

I reminded her that we have been praying about this for a while already.  Every word, concern, and fear has been heard by Jesus.  That He is in control and has good reasons for allowing this.  When I first started my upbeat chat, I kind of believed everything I said, but by the time I was finished, I fully embraced everything we spoke about as TRUTH and that NOTHING would take our eyes and faith and hope off Christ.

Well, dear brothers and sisters, the shingles is what was causing the pain in the first place!  The cyst is now a non-issue.  Had that rash not appeared, she would have been operated in vain!  She would have started hormone therapy for no good reason!  She would have missed work for nothing!

Those last-minute shingles kept her from unnecessary surgery. Amen, amen amen!

“You parents - if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good and advantageous gifts to those who ask Him" (Matthew 7:9-11)!

Those last-minute shingles were an “advantageous gift” indeed.

The key in the verse above is to ask. When we ask, He gives. When we pray, He responds.  If you are experiencing some “shingles” of your own, even if you have been praying for a long time, trust the Lord that something good is in the works.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we ask for Your forgiveness for all the times we have complained about receiving “shingles” when all along it was exactly what we needed to be blessed and bless others. Help us to trust Your goodness over what our eyes see and what our puny little human minds think. Change our perspective today.  When we ask You, You give only the best gifts. We are grateful. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.