God Alone

Greetings,

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was facing an invasion from three enemy armies that united against him.  He prayed, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, You alone are the God who is in heaven. You are Ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against You” (2 Chronicle 20:6)!

Jehoshaphat was wise to pray because even though he had a great army under his command, He wanted God to know that he knew they had no might nor power without Him.  But what I love most about this prayer is that he said it in front of the people of Judah.  They had gathered as a mighty congregation in the Lord’s temple and were looking to Jehoshaphat for leadership.

His prayer was a reminder that they were going to trust in our invincible God for victory.

Likewise, I want to remind all of you, and myself, that “If God is for us, who can ever be successful against us” (Romans 8:31 The Amplified Bible)?

THERE IS NO ONE AND NOTHING, NO ENEMY, NO EVIL, AND NO ADVERSARY STRONGER THAN GOD.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You that You are on our side. We are always on the winning team and rejoice today that anything and everything that tries to hurt us or harm us is defeated. It all begins with prayer, and we acknowledge You, just like Jehoshaphat did, as the Ruler of heaven and earth and our lives.  Praise You for being powerful and mighty and using Your power and might on our behalf. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

I Am Leaving You a Gift

Greetings,

A large portion of our great nation is about to experience something known as the polar vortex.  It means that extremely cold weather is headed their way with some temperatures dipping to -50 degrees.  What?  Here in Miami it’s 100 degrees warmer, literally, and it feels so chilly. I, who never wear socks or closed-toe shoes (if I can help it), am wearing red slippers with non-skid soles, I haven’t taken off my bath robe in two days, and no more iced-coffee for the time being.   Even Hershey Pie has taken to snuggling underneath his doggie blanket.  I cannot even begin to wrap my head around how my neighbors to the north are feeling!

And yet, I read a Bible verse that warmed me right up this morning: “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart…” (John 14:27).

Jesus is the one speaking in this verse, and He, the Prince of Peace, has very lovingly and generously decided to share.  He wants peace to settle over us like a comfortable, covering, blanket.  He wants to keep the chill of fear out of our lives.  He is very precise in describing the gift He has left us too.  He did not say He was leaving us money, fame, or even joy.  Could it be that He left peace because without it, noting else in life is enjoyable?

So how do we avail ourselves of this peace? It seems so elusive at times, maybe most of the time. 

Peace comes through constant, proactive fellowship with our Lord.  When we are in harmony with God, seeking Him, calling on Him, inviting Him into our lives, doing things His way, then peace becomes a natural and welcomed part of our life. 

All the peace we will ever need to live a blessed life is already available; we just have to unwrap it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we seek You now and every day because we need peace.  We need to know that You are in control. That You have a wonderful plan for our life. That You have a solution for every difficulty we face. That You have us covered.  In other words, thank You for the privilege of prayer whereby we talk things over with You and walk away comforted knowing that Your ways are ways of life and peace.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

God's Goodness

Greetings,

Did you have a good night’s rest last night? What about a good meal? Perhaps you enjoyed a good hot shower? Did you enjoy a good TV show? Did you and a friend have a good long talk? Maybe you had a good laugh because someone tripped over a rug and acted like nothing happened?  Were your kids around and in a hug-giving mood? If not, then certainly your dog was!

All the good in our lives - and we all have an abundance of good - serves a purpose: It reminds of God’s goodness. And purposely focusing on all the myriad ways God blesses us keeps our focus in the right place when we face challenges.   

My friend “A” is a great example of how the right focus and the right attitude help us.  A few years ago, her son was having some medical tests, and I was so impressed with her peace.  I flat out asked her how she could be so calm. She didn’t hesitate to say…

“Yenise, I realized that I have been alive for over 50 years, and day after day I have gotten up and enjoyed peace and provision from the hands of a loving God. Why, oh why, would I stop believing Him now? He has never failed me, and He never will."

She purposely placed all her attention on God’s sustaining goodness and grace, and it strengthened her faith. If I start to think about my life, including all the ups and downs, I too must say that “I have been alive for over 50 years…”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You that You and You alone are the source of everything good and perfect in our lives. Thank You for Your faithfulness.  We have so much to be grateful for, and Your goodness is abundant in our lives. We acknowledge You as our Provider, Comforter, Healer, Protector, Guidance, and Peace. We open our hearts wide to receive You. Bring us and every single person we love under the covering of Your goodness. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Constant and Steady

Greetings,

This past weekend was a roller coaster of emotions for me as I watched the two NFL playoff games.  One of the teams I was rooting for looked like they were about to win and then a blown call by the referee ultimately led to their loss.  I couldn’t believe it!   The other game was neck in neck toward the end and finally went into overtime; I was a nervous wreck.  But the team I was cheering on won, so then I was thrilled again.

Highs and lows are part of life, and even our walk with God has them. There are when my heart soars because I just know my petitions have been “accepted by the Lord” (Psalm 6:9), and then there are days when I feel like Job, “If only I knew where I could find God! I would go where He lives” (Job 23:3).

The good news is that no matter how we feel, God remains constant and steady in His love for us; He is not subject to wavering emotions.   “Even if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). 

Every time you pray, keep this encouraging and powerful truth in mind: “Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2)

No matter how much or how little faith you have at any given moment, no matter how connected or disconnected you feel to God, when you pray, He bends down to listen EVERY SINGLE TIME. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, what a beautiful and inspiring verse.  That You, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, would come to me and give Me Your undivided attention fills me with joy and hope.  Thank You for caring enough about me to listen.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

God's Breath

Greetings,

Next time you’re tempted to think your problems, fears, or even dreams are too big for God to handle, read this verse:

“The heavens were made by the word of the LORD and all the stars by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6).

My goodness! If God’s simple breathing can create galaxies with trillions and trillions of stars, then I am confident He has the power to save, guide, heal, protect, and provide for us. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for this verse. Your AWESOME power inspires and comforts us.  We invite you to display Your grandeur in our lives! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Shot of Adrenaline

Greetings,

I was talking with a buddy over the weekend who is facing some struggles at work.  “I wake up dreading another day of drama,” she lamented.  “I wish I didn’t need this job.” I get it, and you probably do too. We all face challenges, but it’s not practical to disengage from life, retreat to a room, cover our head with a lavender-scented pillow, snuggle under a blanket, or sit around waiting for heaven.  So how do we cope?         

The Bible provides the best answer:

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, Who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls" (Hebrews 12:23 THE MESSAGE Version)!

We keep our eyes on Him by studying how He lived, and the most important aspect of His life was prayer.  He prayed when He was alone, when He was with others, before He ate, before healing others, at His own baptism, in the morning, before walking on the water, and at the Lord’s supper.  He prayed over the little children, in the Garden before the betrayal, and He once pulled an all-nighter before choosing the 12 disciples.  While being nailed to the cross He prayed, while suffering on the cross He prayed, and in His dying breath He prayed, “Father, into Your hands I entrust my spirit.”  

In fact, He is still praying – right now – for you and for me.  “Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:34).

In other words, it’s always a good time to pray – to have a little conversation with our Lord.  This is one surefire way to “shoot adrenaline into our souls!” 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are excited to pray today.  By following Christ’s example, we are strengthening our faith, and getting a shot of adrenaline!  Help us plow through so we can win the race.  Never let us lose sight of where we are headed, which is with You. In Jesus' name,  AMEN~

Is There Evidence?

Greetings,

Everywhere you look in my house there is evidence that a baby is in my life. There are sippy cups in the fridge, toys and toys galore, Dr. Seuss books on the shelves, diapers in the drawers, baby cologne in the bathroom, organic baby food - courtesy of one super-duper great grandma - in the freezer, a high chair is attached to my kitchen counter, a stroller is in the trunk of my car at all times, Alexa has a playlist featuring Baby Shark and other toddler tunes, and tiny hangers with tiny clothes are hanging in the closet. Plus, my conversations always manage to include news of my precious angel. I’ve even completely rearranged my schedule so it doesn’t interfere with nap and feeding times, which means I usually don’t leave the house before 12.  In other words, it’s obvious I am a grandma!

I wonder, however, if it’s as equally obvious that I am a child of God.  Do I talk to Him and about Him often? Do I make time in my routine to read the Word? Do I have a Bible I treasure? Are there any crosses around my neck or hanging on my walls?  Does my radio have a pre-set station that plays worship music? Do I really try to treat others as the precious children of God they are?  Am I growing in faith, hope, patience, love, and wisdom?  Does it even matter?

Only if I want the “inner calm that comes from walking with Christ daily” (Colossians 3:16), and only if I want to be one of those people who “the longer they live, the brighter they shine” (Psalm 4:18).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we all want to shine more brightly because this means we are so filled with Your joy and goodness that it radiates to everyone around us.  The way we fill up on You is through prayer and praise.  We praise You because You offer us a life of inner calm when we walk with You. And when we walk with You, our lives will always be headed in the right direction. Thank You that You are always willing to answer our cries for help and blessings.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

He Knows Exactly How it Feels

Greetings,

A while back I got sick and tired of trying to match all of Jorge’s socks once they came out of the dryer.  At one point I had a basket of more than 100 socks that were waiting for their sole mate to arrive, and that nearly drove me nuts.  I did what any sensible person would do: I threw away all the socks, even the ones that were nicely paired, and I bought six packages of the same socks.  So, if you see Jorge thumping avocadoes at the supermarket, playing ball at the park, singing at church, or crying at a wedding, he will be wearing Dickies, Dri-tech, Moisture Control, black, cotton, crew-cut socks with reinforced toes.

If only all of life’s dilemmas could be so easily solved! 

Well, maybe we can’t throw everything out and start over.  And it’s not realistic to think we can exchange our struggles – our very lives – for a problem-free existence.  But, we do have a mighty encouragement from the Bible:

“We do not have a High Priest Who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who knows exactly how it feels to be human in every respect as we are, yet without committing any sin.  Therefore, let us approach the throne of God’s gracious favor with confidence and without fear, so we may receive mercy for our failures and find His amazing grace to help in our time of need – coming at just the right moment” (Hebrews 4:15-16 The Amplified Bible).

Jesus understands that life is hard because He knows “exactly how it feels to be human in every respect.” He also knows we have to live the one we’re living – that we can’t throw out all our troubles and order a hunky dory new existence.  This is why He invites us to “approach the throne of God’s gracious favor.” When we pray we will receive help “at just the right moment.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are the answer we are looking for.  Thank You that Your invitation to approach the throne comes with an encouragement to be confident and fearless. Why? Because You have every single thing we need to lead a blessed life. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Resolution Worth Keeping

The New Year is upon us (is it really 2019?), and the resolutions are flying fast and furiously all around me:

“I will exercise more.”

“I will try to keep my temper in check.”

“I will spend more time with my kids.”

“I will organize my closets.”

“I will go back to school.”

“I will limit myself to only one serving of French fries a week.”

All these are worthy pursuits, but I have one that beats them all. 

“My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will pull my feet out of the net” (Psalm 25:15).

This year, dear friends and family, let us look continually to the One who rescues us out of each and every situation that has us feeling trapped.

The Lord sets us free from every roadblock, whether it’s spiritual, vocational, relational, financial, emotional, educational, or physical.

The Lord untangles whatever has us bound, whether it’s fear, regret, loneliness, doubt, insecurity, frustration, or hate.

It all starts with prayer. I encourage you to print out this verse, and every single day this year start your morning by praying, “Dear Lord, I look to You for You will pull my feet out of the net of (_________________) today! Amen.”