Little Willy is in Bloom!

"When the storms of life come the godly have a lasting foundation, the righteous stand firm forever" (Proverbs 10:25).

Greetings,

It has been raining so much that our backyard cactus, Little Willy, is in bloom again.  He's usually content being dry and prickly, but the non-stop storms have brought out a lovely side of him.

May we all look at his vibrant flowers and thank our Lord that when it pours down on our lives, a sweeter, refreshing, fragrant renewal follows. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord,  there have been some wild and crazy storms around lately, but You are the anchor of my life and You hold me steady. I keep my eyes on You knowing  You are producing something beautiful in my life. Help me keep the faith.  You are my immovable Rock, and I stand firm because You decided to bless me.  I receive it! In Jesus' healing name, Amen.

When it Pours...

"When the storms of life come the godly have a lasting foundation, the righteous stand firm forever" (Proverbs 10:25).

Greetings,

A few days ago Jorge and I saw something in our yard we had never seen before.  Our backyard cactus, Little Willy, content to always be dry and prickly, has been rained on so much during the non-stop storms of South Florida, that he blossomed!  And now, dear friends, I am pausing to cry...

The Fernandez family is tightly knit and huddled together in fervent prayer as we wait for a diagnosis for my mother-in-law.  We don't have all the details yet, so I will not even speculate.  What I will do is look at Little Willy and remind myself that when it pours down on my life, a sweeter, lovelier, more fragrant renewal awaits.

PRAYER: Dear Lord,  So many storms around, and yet You are the anchor of our lives Who holds us steady.  We keep our eyes on You knowing  You are producing something beautiful beyond our wildest dreams.  Help us keep the faith.  You are our immovable Rock, and we stand firm because You have made us worthy to receive blessings. THANK YOU! We love You and trust You. In Jesus' healing name, Amen.

I Need a Personal Resurrection~

Easter Sunday is a little over two weeks away, and Resurrection is on my mind.  Powerful synonyms include, comeback, rebirth, return to life, renewal, restoration, and rebound.  Of course, the greatest comeback of all time was Christ's, and His Resurrection teaches us that just because death has occurred, it doesn’t mean it’s over. 

Eternally speaking, if we physically die, it’s the beginning of a glorious existence in heaven.  

But what are the implications of the resurrection while we live on earth? 

According to Ephesians 1:19-20 "The immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of God’s power which He exerted when He raised Christ from death,” is “in and for us who believe.”

That same mind-blowing power that resurrected Christ is IN us and FOR us to resurrect any dead areas of our lives. 

This is profound, people.  It’s not too late, and it’s not over.  God is willing to exert His power for us. 

Think about something you have given up on. 

“I’ll never get married.”

“I’ll never have children.”

“I’ll never get out of debt.”

“I’ll never have peace.”

“I’ll never get along with my spouse.”

“I’ll never enjoy the work I do.”

"I'll never have faith."

"I'll never feel better."

"My kid/s will never get their act together."

"Depression will always get the better of me." 

Let’s stop saying never.  The immeasurable, unlimited, surpassing greatness of God’s power CAN RESURRECT ANYTHING. 

There is one condition, however, and it is that this power is reserved for those who believe.  Are you having difficulty believing?  Take heart!  Ephesians 1:18 tells us that prayer is the key. We can pray that "the eyes of our heart be enlightened to know the hope to which He has called us."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I long for do overs and new beginnings -- especially in this area (____________________).  I need a personal resurrection,  and right now as I struggle to fully comprehend the exceeding greatness of Your power for me and in me, I pray that You would enlighten my eyes to believe You with my whole heart.  You raised Christ to give me eternal life, but You also exert Your power to raise up hopeless areas of my life.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Resurrection Power~

Good afternoon:)

Interesting fact of the day based on an article in Sunday's paper: Rats are becoming increasingly popular as pets because they enjoy being tickled and they can laugh, albeit at frequencies we can't hear. They even play peekaboo with their owners. Sorry, people, but all of the above freaks me out! Proceed at your own risk:)

Ephesians 1:18-21
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you and the glorious wealth that God's people will inherit, and v.19 His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength v.20 He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms..

I misstated something yesterday. These verses are not about awesome pairings but triple whammies--BAM! BAM! BAM! And I am not talking about the Three Little Pigs, Peter, Paul, and Mary or rock, paper, scissors. This is about Hope, Riches, and Power.

Just what kind of power are we talking about?

RESURRECTION POWER

This is the kind of power that brings new life to preciously dead situations. Rather than list them here, ask yourself what areas of your life need a do-over. What situation are you facing right now that needs renewal, restoration, and revival? Where do you need to see God raise something from the dead and make it heavenly?

Have joy today, dear one, our God is able and willing. It all starts with...

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You that You exert mighty strength on our behalf when we need a resurrection of our own. Bring renewal, restoration, and revival to (fill in the blank). Praise You for Your incomparably great power. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

God our Father~

Before we move on with this topic, I want to address the issue of God as our Papa. For many of us in the DEVO crew, our fathers here on earth didn't or still don't measure up. Many of us have been hurt, abused, even betrayed by the one who should have protected us and provided for us with love and willingness. I used to struggle with the concept of God as my Father because of the very painful relationship I had with my dad. In my mind, if my biological father didn't care for me, then why would God? If he had other things to do than be there for me and my siblings, then maybe God did too. It was complicated; it was rough. It was sad; it was downright heart breaking.

It's not as though I could even clinch a fist and demand God prove His love to me because, after all, He ignored His own Child's pleas to let the cup pass.

As a mom I have often found it nearly impossible to say "no" to my kids. Imagine if they were asking to be spared from death, and I, having the power to do so, did not? Yet, that is what God did. And not because I am special, or regularly teach myself how to spell long words like, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which ironically means fear of long words. It's because He is all-loving and good. I wasn't worthy;He made me worthy. And still I struggled with trust and faith in Him.

My struggles, however, never stopped me from seeking Him. Many many times I would honestly ask Him if He was listening? If He was really there? If He truly cared? I believed the Bible, but I needed the eyes of my understanding opened. I can not tell you exactly when this happened. I just know that as I sit here today, I am a new person. Actually, God assures us in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that even though our physical bodies are getting older, our inner spirit is renewed every day. Every single day we have a better grip on Truth, more faith in God, deeper courage, and greater fountains of joy.

Somehow Someway through the simple practice of seeking our daily bread, we will receive the nourishment that leads to our renewal.

Even if your dad was or is the best father on earth, thank God that that relationship was a beautiful foundation upon which to build a relationship with God your heavenly Father. And if your relationship with your dad wasn't or hasn't been good, thank God that He is perfect and will perfectly love you even if no one else will or does.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your unfailing love. Your love never fails--no matter what. You are the best Dad we will ever have. For those fathers out there who have turned away from their families, help them turn toward home. And for those dads who are awesome, bless them for all their selfless devotion. In Jesus' name, AMEN~