Don't Cry~

Tuesday greetings,

Luke 7:11 “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him.  As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.  When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’”

Before Christ traveled to Nain, He was in the city of Capernum where He had been hard at work teaching large crowds from Judea, Jerusalem, and coastal regions.  These same crowds could not get enough of Him and were constantly trying to touch Him because of the power that was flowing through Him (That's a DEVO topic for another day!).  Christ, and rightly so, was the center of attention everywhere He went. Nevertheless, in the midst of the daily hustle and bustle of His extraordinarily busy life, Christ’s heart goes out to a grieving widow whose only son had died; He puts all of His considerable attention on one broken heart. Sigh~

I do my fair share of asking, pleading, crying, petitioning, and sometimes even begging. I wonder how many others are also out there at any given time praying. Are there millions or even billions of requests being offered up right this second as I write this DEVO?  My guess would be yes, but this verse reminds us that God sees each and every one of His children on a personal and intimate level.  It does not matter who else is trying to reach out to Him, He sees us.  He is aware of our needs, our pain, our struggles, and today He says to you and me, “Don’t cry.”

How might knowing this change our perspective or attitude?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are never too busy to see us.  You are intimately aware of our hurts, needs, wants, and fears.  Thank You that You, the Almighty and Glorious Lord, are right there when we need You the most.  In Christ’s name, AMEN~  

He Heart Went Out to Her~

This DEVO was initially published in September 2013. Blessings~

Luke 7:11-14 “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him.  As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.  When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’”

Recently my three nephews, ages one, three, and nine and my niece, age 11, spent the night.  Rayray was still living at home, her fiancé was hovering nearby, Hormone and my lovely daughter-in-law dropped by for a visit, my brother was also present as he was temporarily living with me, and Jorge, of course, the magnificent patriarch of our little family, was there too, and well, it was a little chaotic. 

My phone may or may not have rung; I’m not sure.  I can’t recall what, if anything was on the TV.   Somehow diapers were changed, and I am pretty sure I fed the kids at least once.  Poor things!  At one point we were playing with a large rubber spider, and I meant to hurl it at Jorge, but my aim stinks, and I hit the baby square in the head.  He didn’t even cry. (Do not tell his parents).  I was surrounded by 10 people, hardly a large crowd, but I could barely keep up. 

But notice how a large crowd was with Christ, and yet He “saw her.”

None of us should ever feel that Jesus has more important things to do than to address our needs.  You are the most important thing to Him, and even though it is a mystery, He focuses on each and every one of us as though we were the only ones in the crowd. 

I like to be seen every now and again.  I like to know that I matter.  That someone has noticed me.  That someone is thinking about me.  That I am significant.  That I am special. 

Our spouses, family, and friends provide a lot of the affirmation we need, but sometimes it’s not enough.  A large crowd was with the widow as well.  No doubt they were grieving with her and trying to comfort her.  But she needed more.  She needed Jesus Himself to see her pain and reach out to her, and He did. His heart always makes a beeline for those who are suffering.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You are never too busy to notice us.  Thank You that nothing distracts You from helping us and reaching out to us.  We are grateful for the love and support of family and friends, but it is a joy and relief to know that You see us and that Your heart goes out to us.  We receive it! In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Heart Conditions~

Luke 8:8 “Others were planted on good ground. When they came up, they produced a hundred times as much as was planted."

Greetings,

Yeah! Good ground! That’s what we have been waiting to hear about.  No more hard, dry, gravelly, or thorn-filled soil to talk about.  And for those of us who yearn for a 100-fold return, it is important that we retain God’s beautiful Word in our hearts no matter what.

Jesus explains: “The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the Word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring.”

I am pleased to report that I have personally met many of you DEVO readers, and that you are the persevering, patient, enduring kind of folks who bear fruit. 

You pray until you receive the answer, you keep God’s promises close until you witness the miracles in your lives, you keep on believing the truth no matter how dark the days are.  God’s seed has made its way into your good and honest hearts and nothing – not pecking birds, a dry, arid surface, or a thorn within a million miles – is going to take it away. 

No disease, rebellious kid, ding dong spouse, financial struggle, disappointments, feelings of worthlessness, depression, loneliness, doubt, (fill in the blank), are going to scoop in and leave you fruitless.  And when you enjoy seasons of worry-free living and multiple blessings, you won’t forget Who made it possible!

In this passage Jesus teaches that there are four heart conditions – three of which produce nothing good or nothing at all, and one which produces an abundance of goodness and fruit.  I choose that one, and the way to make sure the soil is prime to receive it all is by staying connected with Christ!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we choose You.  Even now as we pray You are nourishing and strengthening our hearts to receive and then keep Your Word in our hearts.  We all desire to produce a hundred times more than what was planted.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~ 

At All Times~

I am really good at not taking care of my plants.  I have shared before how I have a brown thumb – the antithesis of having a green one.  That’s one of the reasons I have succulents now; they barely require maintenance.  Yesterday, as I was putt-puttering around doing chores, I decided to water some older plants on my terrace, and it was sad to see how dry some of them were.  It took forever for the water to penetrate that tough upper crust of dried up soil, and that’s when my mind came back to Tuesday’s DEVO – especially the part about how some seeds land on hard ground and before they have a chance to blossom are devoured. 

All day I thought about certain seasons in my life where I stayed close to Jesus during struggles and heartache, and then I thought about one particular season where I know God desired to come in and soothe my weary soul, but I wouldn’t let Him.  It’s not so much that I flat out told Him to stay away, but more like me attending church because I was used to it, listening to the great sermons, clapping enthusiastically during the music, and then heading out the door as if nothing happened.  Hardy and nourishing seeds were thrown my way, but I was so discouraged, so sick and tired of being sick and tired, so weary in my faith, so sure that God wouldn’t answer my prayers because certain things had gone on for so long, that I just closed up.  The entrance to my heart was dry and crusty.

I regret all the spiritual nourishment I wasted, and so does my soul.  But I have learned to stop looking back and to continue looking forward to all the joy that awaits. 

Today’s DEVO is a simple reminder to keep your heart open to the Lord.  He desires to help us by providing us with comfort and guidance from scripture.  But it is up to us if we will allow it to take root.  Psalm 62:8 tells us how to do it: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." The key is to trust AT ALL TIMES - even during those times that do not make sense. If we do that, if we pour out our hearts to Him, then our hearts remain open to receive from Him. GLORY!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for being our refuge.  Help us to pour out our hearts to You always so that there is always a fresh flow of blessings in and out.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~   

The Fine Book of Luke~

Greetings beautiful and blessed creatures of God,

Let us treasure these words in the fine book of Luke; they were written for each of us.

Luke 7:11-14

11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Points to consider:

1.     Even though Jesus is in high demand, He sees us.

2.     His heart goes out to us.

3.     There comes a time when Jesus wants us to stop crying, and He will perform a miracle, if necessary, to turn that frown upside down.

4.     When Jesus speaks amazing things happen.

5.     Jesus is all about restoring areas in our life that were previously devoid of life.

So many thoughts are whirling about in what Jorge says is my larger-than-average sized head!  And they are all good.

Next time we will start breaking it all down.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that Your Word assures us that You never overlook us, are never in too much of a hurry to stop and comfort us, or unable to provide what we need.  We bless Your name, AMEN~

A Gift From the Heart~

A rainy, post-Christmas day greeting to all:)

I trust you all had a lovely day yesterday.  Today's DEVO might have come in handy, but I couldn't find the time to write it.  Then it occurred to me that Christmas time isn't the only time to give gifts.

Joni Tada, one of my faith heroes, wrote something earlier this week that once again struck a chord and a nerve and my conscience. 

For those of you unfamiliar with her, over 40 years ago she was in an accident as a teenager that 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 so profoundly credible that it 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 at a rehab center.  Adding to the hurt I was already feeling was that I couldn't but 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 point, and it's a great one, is that there are some gifts we can't buy, but 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 and smile.  Give me the strength to follow through.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

You've Touched My Heart~

Good morning :)

 

Yesterday a few of you wrote back to express how you wished you would have known that a man who protects a woman's reputation is a good thing!

 

Even though it sounds like common sense, the truth is that sometimes our girls do not know what exactly to look for in a man, and sometimes our boys have all the best intentions but they were never properly taught or modeled the right behavior.

 

That's where we come in.

 

For those of us who have kids, we can teach them, and for those of us who are looking to date and marry, we can be on the lookout for these beautiful qualities.

 

I myself was very blessed after reading the story of Mary and Joseph because I realized that God chose an excellent man to be Christ's earthly father. We all want the same thing for our children and for ourselves.

 

But there is one book in the Bible that has always been the source of most of the relationship advice I have given my kids--the book of Ruth.

 

Ruth 2:8-13

She said, “Oh sir, such grace, such kindness—I don’t deserve it. You’ve touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don’t even belong here!”

 

The backstory is that Ruth is a widowed foreigner traveling with her mother-in-law back to Israel. She and her mother-in-law are practically destitute. And then she meets a man named Boaz.

 

Principal number one: The words a young man speaks must be filled with grace and his actions must be kind. He must touch a girl's heart--NOT ANYTHING ELSE! Other versons of the Bible say that you have comforted me, reassured me, put me at ease, and encouraged me.

 

It is the epitome of romance.

 

If the young man you are dating is not filling your heart with grace and kindness, RUN FAR FAR AWAY!!! If he is trying to connect somewhere else besides your heart--you know what to do.

 

I once counseled a precious young lady who couldn't quite figure out what was bothering her about her boyfriend. It turns out that he had a subtle way of undermining her self-esteem by making comments like, "You are so beautiful, but you would look prettier with bangs." "I love you just the way you are, but that blouse makes you look a little pudgy." He once went so far as to suggest a nose job. Lord, have mercy! He would always give a compliment before a criticism. It was so damaging to her, and continuing to be with him would have been a mistake. Eventually she was able to see that he wasn't kind or gracious,and he certainly didn't touch her heart. There was nothing comforting, reassuring, or encouraging about his words. He did not put her at ease--he put her ill at ease. Bottom line: He hurt her heart, and she broke it off.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You for including me like Joseph and Boaz in the Bible. It provides an excellent model of what men act like and what women should look for. Help us and our kids be strong in this area because who we choose to be in a relationship with is the most important decision we will ever make. Thank You that our number one relationship is with Christ and the He guides us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~