Turner of the Page

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am dong a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland" Isaiah 43:18-19.

Greetings,

This morning I received a notification from Pandora to tune in to Christmas radio as a way to kick off the holiday season.  Of course, as someone who loves Christmas, I took them up on the offer, and my morning has been filled with merry music. (Jingle Cats anyone?).

Honestly, I am sort of in shock that this year has flown by so quickly, but I am happy for the change.  And I am reminded that  God is known in His Word  as a, "Turner of the page," "Doer of a new thing," and "Usherer in of a new season."

How many of us want to stay put right where we are? How many of us are looking to God to get us out of our current season and into  a new more blessed one?  How many of us are ready to leave behind the struggles of 2016 and start off 2017 with renewed hope?

I am, which is why I pray.  Prayer invites God to do a new and powerful thing in my heart,  mind,  attitude, family, finances, and everywhere else where I could use it. Amen!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You turn the page in our lives and move us into better chapters.  We look forward to more joy, more peace, more hope, more wisdom, more heath, more protection, more love, and first and foremost, more of YOU.   Do a new and mighty thing in each of our lives.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Lessons From a Newly-healed Man!

Acts 3:2-8

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and PRAISING GOD.”

Happy New Year, and greetings in the name of our powerful and precious Lord!

Have you ever felt like the lame man in the verse above?  His problem had been going on so long that he accepted it - all he did was beg for money so he could at least have the basics of life.  No where do we read that he prayed for a healing. I hope it’s because the temple goers were generous, something all Christ followers should be known for. 

Regardless, we can learn a lot from this newly-healed man.  As soon as he received his healing he went straight into the temple courts praising God!  He did not complain that his healing had taken a lifetime to arrive.  He did not question why God had let him suffer so long.  He did not get angry that Peter and John had not shown up earlier or that he had wasted so much of his life as a beggar who had to depend on others for pretty much every thing. No! Instead, he did what we all should do when the answer comes: HE PRAISED GOD!

When he was taken by the hand, helped up, and made strong, he used it to first and foremost praise God.  That’s not to say he didn’t have questions.  All of us want to know, “Why?”  Sometimes, however, it is better to go with the flow of the good thing that has finally happened and just praise God.  It is better to forget the past and enjoy the new thing. Once we are off that desert road we should focus on the blessing and not look back. (That sounds familiar!)

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We look to You to take us by the hand and help us get up into our healing.  When we get up, we will praise You.  We will not sit back down and wonder what took You so long.   Nor will we squander our lives being bitter about anything that was lost.  On the contrary, we thank You for all the good in our futures.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Desert Road~

Happy New Year's Eve!

We are about to usher in a New Year, and I am excited!  Fresh starts, new resolutions, hope on the horizon - that's what a new year brings.  And my prayer for us all as we move in to 2016 is that we will, as it says in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. See the new thing God is doing.  He is making a road through the desert..."

What was your "desert" road this past year?  Did you travel through a dry, hard, unforgiving place that has left you craving cooling streams?  Are you parched and exhausted? Tired of the same ole' same ole'?

If so, then clap your hands and start thanking God because He is doing something new right now in your life. He is paving the way for you to get out of that mess. 

These verses are loaded with promise and hope, but before we can be alert and present, we have to let go of the past.  We must F-O-R-G-E-T.  Let's take a step of united faith and believe that if God is telling us to stop hashing and rehashing our history, it’s because it’s possible.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I take You at Your Word and pray that You would help me forget all the junk that brings me down. Help me focus on You and the new and glorious thing You are doing in my life..  I thank You for watching over me and my family this past year, and I look to You for every single thing we need this new year.  In particular, I desire deeply to be able to let go of ________________________;it’s a joy killer, it constantly crushes my hope, it consumes my mind, and it sometimes helps the fear creep in.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Day and Night Can Not Dwell Together~

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Greetings!

So many of you DEVO readers not only shared what you are shaking off this year, but also wanted to know what I am letting go of. 

Many of you are determined to rid yourselves of fear and the right to always be right.  Many of you long to keep your mouths shut rather than say something mean, rude, or negative.  Many of you are throwing away the anger that is damaging your relationships.  Many of you are determined to turn that frown upside down and just embrace life.  Most of you really want to forgive yourselves for past mistakes and errors in judgment and deeply desire the ability to stop beating yourselves up.  I personally am determined, through the power of Jesus, to stop complaining!  Precious Jorge assured me that he rarely hears me complain, but I know the truth.  I do it a lot to myself, and it ain’t pretty. But, let me just say that all these things we want to send packing are worthy to be tossed out, and things I think we have all experienced at one time or another

But why forget? Where's the harm?  

There's an old Indian proverb that says, "Day and night can not dwell together."

In other words, it is impossible to be the best, most peaceful, happy, hopeful, joyous, loving people we can be while simultaneously holding onto toxic ways of thinking and being.  I can not spend the entire day thinking about how angry I am at somebody who offended me and expect to be in a good mood at night.  And if I spend the day complaining about certain aspects of my job that I find challenging, it drains me of energy for the rest of the evening.  I know, because I have done it.  God is well aware of our tendency to stubbornly hold onto junk, which is why He wants to replace it with "a new thing."

The past is the past, but this "new thing" is written in the present tense because God is constantly at work refreshing, renewing, redeeming, and restoring our lives.  He's a "now" God. "Now it springs up."

This means that at this very moment God has something in His arsenal of blessings to send your way so you can transition from living in the mess of the past to the glory of the future -- one that is wrought with the immeasurable goodness of heaven.  

First, we must be willing to forget the former things; next, we must see what it is God is trying to do.  If it is springing up all around us, then let us boldly as God to give us eyes to see. 

Psalm 119:24 "Open my eyes so I can see what You show me of Your miracle-wonders."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Give us eyes to see what we have been missing out on.  Sometimes we get so hung up on hanging onto junk that we miss the new and beautiful ways You want to restore, refresh, redeem, and renew our lives.  In other words, You want to make it up to us.  All the hurt, pain, disappointment, failure etc...We take You up on Your offer and are determined to hang onto the new blessings headed our way.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~ 

Let "it" Go!

Happy New Year!

2015 is in full swing, and I have, for the first time in my life, already gotten used to the new date when writing checks!

It feels weird that it’s 2015; saying time flies is an understatement.  But it is precisely because time goes by so quickly that we should all optimize however much of it we have.  It is pointless and draining to hold onto stuff that is bringing us down, and yesterday I read a headline that actually inspired today’s DEVO. 

“Shake it Off” narrowly beats “Let it Go” in sales.

These are two completely different songs with different lyrics and different tempos, and apparently they were neck in neck with sales until “Shake it Off” won, but they have “it” in common, and they are both 100% spot on in what we should all do with “it”.

But before we can get rid of “it” we have to identify what “it” is.  That’s the easy part. “It” is anything that drains us mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  Anything that has us tired, exhausted, discouraged, and/or down.

Sometimes this means attitudes, worries, grudges, and injustices.  But sometimes it means people or our jobs.  And whether it’s a mental thing or an actual person who is our “it” both can feel seemingly impossible to let go of.  

However, and praise His holy name, God encourages us because He wants us to make room for something better.

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

These verses are loaded with promise and hope, and the first step to inviting that “new thing” is “forgetting the former things.”  We must all now form a figurative Kumbaya circle, hold hands, and take a step of united faith and believe that if God is telling us to forget, shake it off, and let it go, it’s because it’s possible.

Take a moment to identify your “it” before you pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for another year of life.  I look to You this year for every single thing I and my family need to live a blessed life.  In particular, I desire deeply to be able to let go of ________________________, because it’s a joy killer, it constantly crushes my hope, it consumes my mind, and it sometimes helps the fear creep in.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!