Be a Hur~

"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset...the Amalekite army was defeated" (Exodus 17:11-13).

Greetings,

I initially published this DEVO back in November, but since then, it has taken on a whole new significance.  And again, it’s not so much about the way God gave the Israelites the victory.  What really blesses me, more than ever, is that when Moses grew weary, two faithful buddies came to his rescue and held him up!

If I were to rephrase this verse to fit me right now, it would read, "Once upon a time there was a soon-to-be grandma named Yenise who really believed in the power of prayer. So, she called on all her family and friends to pray for her daughter, Rachel, who was scheduled for a C-section this past Friday.  Yenise had so many concerns for her daughter and grandbaby.  And yes, she was praying her heart out, but as the moment grew closer, she fought the urge to freak out.  Then something amazing happened. Text after text and phone call after phone call came in encouraging Yenise that folks were praying, which is great because at the moment the C-section started, all Yenise could barely whisper was, “Help, Lord.” And then a supernatural peace enveloped her, and all was well with her soul.  Yenise could FEEL the support and prayers of others in a profound way! Yenise knew her hands were being held, and she remained steady – steady when the first picture came in showing the proud papa cutting the chord, and steady enough to have the high-honor of being the first one in the extended family to see the baby after it was born and take a million pictures and videos! And now, because she received so much love and support from these precious, modern-day “Aarons” and “Hurs,” she remains forever committed to holding up the hands of others as long as she lives! AMEN!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us lift others in their time of need. The Bible makes it clear that we will all share in the victory together! In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Not Afraid to Fight!

Thursday greetings!

Today I am excited because we get to explore the story of a powerful woman in the Bible.  Examples of brave, determined, female leaders always provide just the right dose of inspiration, and it shows us that we can do whatever we need to do with Jesus helping us. 

In Judges chapter four we learn of Deborah.  She was the judge of the entire nation of Israel.  She was not a judge in the sense of trying cases, but rather, that is what rulers who were in charge over the needs of the people were called, and any Israelite seeking help would go to her.  In chapter four we read that they had been suffering horribly under an evil army commander named Sisera and had cried out to God for help.  The Lord, in turn, guided Deborah as she prepared to act.

Judges 4:7-8 “She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.  I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

This is one tough gal! God directed her to call upon a man named Barak to raise an army.  I find it impressive that she was so resolute.  Imagine me giving orders to recruit 10,000 men to go fight.  Actually, I like giving orders, and so maybe I would find it easy to point fingers and bark out commands.  But what’s more incredible is that Sisera was a leader of a vast army himself with “nine hundred chariots fitted with iron,” as part of his arsenal.  And yet Deborah herself was willing to get in the fight.  “I will lead Sisera…and give him into your hands.”  Ever had someone tell you, “Do as I say and not as I do?” Deborah is the complete opposite of that.  She put her money were her mouth is, and her actions provide the powerful truth of the day:   

GODLY WOMEN ARE COURAGEOUS AND NOT AFRAID TO GET IN THE FIGHT!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for reminding us—especially us women—that we have the ability and responsibility to get in the fight for those enemies that come against us and our families.  Show us what we need to do to safeguard our families.  Keep us alert to anything or anyone who would try to do them harm.  Our first line of defense is to pray.  So we pray right now for Your blessings, guidance, wisdom, and protection over ourselves and those we love.  In Jesus’ mighty name, AMEN~  

Just in Time~

Thursday Greetings :)

Hebrews 4:16

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Can you think of a time when more than anything else you needed God's grace to help you?

There was not a person, place, or thing that could help you; you needed God himself to show up and make a difference.

What must we do to receive His help--especially in a time of urgent need?

We must go to the throne, and we must be bold about it. Isn't it great that God is not into formalities. No need to approach with a, "Hello, How art Thou? I seek permission to enter into Your presence." Sometimes it has to be more of a, "Help me, JESUS!"

Imagine if only the President of the United States could solve our problems. Heaven forbid! We would all still be waiting. I am pretty sure none of us could even get an appointment in the first place. And yes, the President may be the Commander in Chief, but Our Lord is the Host of the Angel Armies. I LOVE THAT! He will put everything and anything at our disposal when we need it.

King Asa knew this, " Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one but You to help in the battle between the powerful and the weak. So help us, O Lord God. For we trust in You." 1 Chronicles 14:11

Asa was facing an army that was trying to destroy his nation, and he was outnumbered two to one, plus the other side had better weapons. But Asa was wise; He knew He needed the kind of help only God can give.

What situation are you facing where you feel outnumbered, where you feel powerless and weak, that your weapons are puny compared to what you are up against?

Boldly go to the Lord today and you will get what you need at the moment you need it most.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You understand that there will be moments when we face emergencies and need to call on You in a hurry. And thank You that You have promised to respond with exactly what we need at the precise moment we need it. In Jesus' name, AMEN~