UNCONTAINABLE

“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Greetings,

I love books, and I love reading!  Once when I visited the Library of Congress, I self-imposed a moment of silence.  I was awestruck.  It is the world’s largest library, after all, with over 120 MILLION items.  That is mind-boggling!

What’s even more mind-boggling is this verse, which testifies to the AWESOMENESS of our Lord.  Notice how it says, “Jesus DID many other things.”  Jesus is a man of action.  He didn’t think about doing stuff, he didn’t sit around planning to do stuff - HE DID STUFF.

I am certain if “the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (this includes the Library of Congress) about everything Jesus did, that this means He has already done every single thing we are need of. In other words, He’s been there and done that, He's heard that prayer and answered it, and He will do it again.

I wonder how many requests He's had for a healing touch on a marriage, for a place to live, for a new job, for a rebellious child, for a sick family member, for money to pay bills, for peace from a tormenting situation, for hope that everything will be okay, for someone to share life with, for the ability to have a baby, for self-control...The list is literally endless, and so is Jesus' ability, power, and desire to help us. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You that You are awesome!  It is beyond our comprehension that Jesus did so many wonderful things, but we are overjoyed to know He is active in our lives today.  We are eager for our miracle to be listed among the works of Jesus.  Help us in this area ________________________ today.  In Christ’s name, AMEN~ 

Wait For God's Reply~

"Each morning You listen to my prayer, as I bring my requests to 

You and wait for Your reply" (Psalm 5:8).

Greetings,

I read Psalm five today and paused on verse three for a few moments.  The beauty and simplicity of the statement really touched me.  It dawned on me my morning routine needs to change.  I'm still going to let the dog out, drink one cup of iced coffee, eat a protein bar, catch up on the latest news, read the Bible, and pray.  But I am going to add "wait for God's reply" to the queue.  

After all, when I pray it's because I believe God cares, God hears, and God answers.  And when I "wait," it's my way of letting Him know that I have hope, faith, and confidence that an answer is coming my way.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we bring our requests to You today. Thank You for listening to our voices. We need You and Your power.  We wait eagerly for your reply. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Bread of Life and Beyond

Greetings,

All through scriptures, God provides excellent instructions on how to do something right.  He teaches us how to pray, how to treat our neighbor, how to raise our children, how to handle our finances, how to make wise decisions when it comes to dating and marriage…  And one of my favorite lessons is about how to properly bless someone.

“The Lord spoke, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you a tranquil heart and life’” (Numbers 6:24-26).

It certainly is a beautiful passage, and I have used it often when writing a card for someone’s birthday or wedding day. But until this very day as I sat to share this DEVO, I never realized what the very next verse, 27, says: “Put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Let’s think about this.  When my son was born, Jorge, my husband, was ecstatic about naming him Jorge too.  And I have been told that my son wants to name his future son Jorge also.  All that is fine and dandy, and I understand the sense of pride and joy about having a namesake. But is there any power in the name of Jorge? What about forgiveness in the name of Jorge? Does Jorge console the weary heart? Does Jorge supply all my needs? When we get right down to it, Jorge means “farmer.”  Very one-note, a little cute, I suppose, but kinda ho-hum. Even if I were to say that Jorge means “horticulturist,” it might sound more impressive, but it’s still a FAR cry from the all-encompassing, glorious name of God, which has over 300 meanings in the Bible.

When you and I put the name of God on someone, He becomes their Bread of Life, Healer, Living Water, Provider, Peace, Presence, Comforter…He blesses in profound and powerful ways.  Our part is simple. We open our mouths to pray and put His name on those we love. He shows up with incalculable goodness.  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we put Your name on ourselves and our families today.  It brings us so much joy to know we are welcoming Wisdom, Protection, Guidance, the very Bread of Life and beyond into our lives.  Thank You for all You do.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Wise Habit~

Greetings,

Back in 2005, a dear friend of mine gave me a book, which I recently 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 our wise habit of praying the Psalms over our lives. Let's bless ourselves today!

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~   

Fathers Carry...

Greetings,


Father’s Day is right around the corner, and in honor of the fabulous dads in our lives, let’s look at what the Bible says about their responsibilities:



Dads carry their children. (Deuteronomy 1:31)

Dads discipline and delight in their children. (Proverbs 3:12)

Dads are compassionate toward their children. (Psalm 103:13)

Dads teach their children about the Bible. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Dads encourage their children. (1 Thessalonians 2:11)

Dads give good gifts to their children. (Matthew 7:10)

Dad’s protect their children.  (Proverbs 18:10)

The lifetime burden Fathers carry as they fulfill their God-given duties gets heavy at times; let’s carry them, delight in them, and encourage them today by giving them the good gift of praying for them.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are so thankful for the dads in our lives.  Rather than focus on an area where they might fall short, we magnify our gratitude to You for all they do right! Bless them today with strength, wisdom, peace, and joy for the journey.  We need them, and we all need You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Dumb Decisions...

“The Lord is mindful of me…” (Psalm 115:12).


Greetings,

Sunday afternoon I was getting down from Jorge’s truck, and I slipped and fell and landed on my posterior.  Oh, and I was holding my granddaughter.  But, thank the Lord, I actually said to myself right before I opened the car door, “Yenise, the floor is slippery so be careful and position the baby facing you…” And then down I went; it was lightning fast.  The baby started screaming, but only because she was scared. Jorge quickly came around to the other side to see what the commotion was all about, and in spite of myself, I chuckled at the look of horror on his face when he saw us splayed on the floor.   But, other than a slightly sore lower back, everything’s fine. AMEN!

Looking back, it could have been much worse, and I should have been wiser.  Why didn’t I call Jorge over to take the baby before I got down?  Duh!

The important thing to remember is that sometimes, even when we know there is a possibility of danger, even when we reason with ourselves to be careful, we may make a dumb decision.  God will still take care of us.  God will still be with us. God will still watch over our children. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for always taking care of us.  We are Your children, and sometimes children do dumb things.  Only You know how many times we have been protected in the midst of trouble, and we are grateful that You are mindful of us even we aren’t mindful of our ourselves. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.  

Jesus Does What is Best

“Jesus was also invited to the wedding…the wine ran out…Jesus turned the water into wine…” (John 2:1-9).

Greetings,

I have read and re-read the verse above over the last several days because it demonstrates a great truth: Jesus does what is needed!

He could have made milk or He could have made lemonade.  But the request was for wine, so that’s what He provided.

And when an adulteress was surrounded by stone-wielding accusers Jesus said, “I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:10)

He could have easily pointed out her sin. He could have just as easily told her she was making stupid decisions.  But He gave her what she needed most: Forgiveness.

How about all the testimonies of people whom Jesus healed?

The blind received sight.

The deaf received hearing.

The lame walked again.

And let’s not forget that the depressed received joy and hope.

The fearful were inundated with peace.

The financially strapped received provision.

The hungry received food.

Jesus always gave and provided what was needed most.

Can you imagine if a hungry person were given a sermon on how Jesus provides but then given no food?

There’s an awesome story in the Bible about how the disciples were freaking out because they were caught in a storm in the middle of a lake.  The boat was taking on water, and “they were in real danger of drowning” (Luke 8:23).  Thank God that Jesus was in the boat, and when the disciples rushed to wake Him up, He immediately got to His feet and told the wind to “Quiet down” (Luke 8:24)! And it did.

Jesus always does what is best.  Always provides what is most pressing.  He has His priorities in order and ours as well.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, strengthen our faith to believe that when we call upon the name of Jesus, He will always answer with what is best. Thank you! Amen!