Breath 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 100 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 Breath of Life and beyond into our lives.  Thank You for all You do.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Confronting Matters Head On~

Tuesday greetings, dearest brothers and sisters, may our Lord mightily bless us today according to His unparalleled generosity!

Judges 4:21 “But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to Sisera while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.”

  

Friday’s prayer was a blessing to us all, but one particular part raised a bunch of eyebrows: “If necessary, You will help me hammer a tent peg in the temple of my enemy.” That line is straight out of the Bible; “She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.”

Sisera was a cruel army commander who had been oppressing the Israelites, and he had it coming.  Nevertheless, I am not suggesting physical violence, but there is a broader application here.  When we are praying about a matter, let us be relentless in our petitioning, supplication, intercession, crying out, pleas, beseeching, entreaties, and requests until the matter is settled.  Sometimes, to see a prayer through, requires bravery, strength, guts, determination, and the willingness to confront matters head-on (no pun intended).

And each part of this story is a mighty blessing to me because women were at the helm.  We will explore this in the next few DEVOs, but for today, let us rejoice.  We can pray about any struggles we have until they die.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I praise Your mighty name.  Help me to deliver a death blow to this particular problem ________________.  Help me put a tent peg straight through its temple so that it never rears its ugly head ever again against me or those I love.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~