The Best Possible News~

Dear DEVO Readers,

Think about some of the good news you have received over the years. For me all these statements were music to my ears:

"Your father-in-law will not die from his massive heart attack."

"Your husband's skin cancer was caught in time, and it has not spread."

"Mrs. Fernandez, please come down to the police station. We apprehended the perps who broke into your house, and we have your cameras!"

"Mom, I am in love, and she's a great girl."

"Mom, I am in love, and he's a great guy."

"Mom, I passed my finals."  

"Mom, I was in an accident, but I am okay."

But there's a bit of good news that makes mine and yours pale in comparison.

Luke 2:8-11

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord."

I think it's safe to say that out of the 7.5 billion people in the world, 7.4999999999999 wouldn't necessarily be filled with great joy at our personal glad tidings. But the message of our Lord's birth is the best possible news for all the people, for everyone, for the entire universe!  Every single person, without exception,  needs a healthy and heaping portion of salvation, joy, hope, faith, peace, love, miracles, wisdom, truth, comfort, healing, justice, light, redemption, and deliverance from the Bread of Life.  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the life-changing news the angel brought to the shepherds so many years ago.  Today we open our hearts to receive all that our Lord, our Savior, the Bread of Life, has to offer.  Fill us up completely, in Jesus' name, AMEN and Merry Christmas~

Behold it Yourself~

Luke 2:10-11 

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. And the angel appeared to them and said, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'"

The angel who spoke these power-packed words really wanted the shepherds to whom he said them to to activate their heart and minds  -  to purposely consider how great and incomparable Jesus is, to keep their focus on Him, to get Him into the depths of their being through faith and hope.  To absorb into their souls that they had just heard the very best of the very best possible news ever given.

So what did the shepherds do? They went and checked it out.  

"...the shepherds said to one another, 'Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:15

Try to picture this scene.  A bunch of shepherds are minding their own business when all of a sudden an angel appears with a powerful message.  They decide to "behold" for themselves, and as a result, they have an up close and personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind.

Don't you wish we could do that? We can! The angel said these good tidings of great joy shall be to all people! That means you and me!

Let's choose to behold our Lord.  To feast our eyes on Him. To make note of all He has done for us.  To make Him the focus of Christmas day and every day. When we do, we will be like the shepherds who, "were glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the life-changing news the angel brought.  And even though it was so long ago, You wanted us to receive the message right along with the shepherds.  We choose to behold You today in all Your splendor and miracle-working power.  Release it into our lives.  In Your name, Amen~

But David Persisted...

Hebrews 10:30 “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

How do we overcome the “Goliaths” in our lives? We follow the example of a young shepherd boy named David.  He was the youngest of eight boys, and his three older brothers had already joined the army and were among those who were fearful of Goliath.  David’s job was to tend sheep and run errands.  One day his dad asked him to take some bread and cheese to his brothers and their captain, and that simple request changed the course of the battle.

When David arrived with the gifts, it was just in time to “hear Goliath shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.” (I Samuel 17:23)  David witnessed the Israeli army running away in fright.  He was shocked and asked, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (v.26)

David asks a great question!  How dare anyone or anything, much less a pagan, be allowed to confront, mock, oppose, provoke, ridicule, dishonor, and insult the armies – in our case – the children – of the living God?

And yet, when challenged, I ran away in fear.  Ooops! I mean, they ran away in fear.   Sometimes we do that, don’t we?  Facing the opponent is something we would rather not do. 

Nevertheless, David’s question was so thought-provoking that the king sent for him.  As soon as David meets with the king he says, ‘Don’t worry about this Philistine. I’ll go fight him!” (v. 32)  King Saul replied, “Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” (v.33) “But David persisted…” (v.34)

Important truth of the day: When Goliath comes at you, even if everyone around you is running away or telling you it can’t be done, determine in your heart that you will fight anyway.    

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You expect us, Your children, to fight our enemies.  You expect us to stand up to anything or anyone that comes against us or our families.  Renew that fighting spirit within us.  We will not give in or give up.  Thank you that prayer is our number one, most effective weapon.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~  

I'm Hooked!

Psalm 23:4 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me; Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” 

Sometimes we make a dumb decision and end up in the valley.  Sometimes someone we love makes a dumb decision and drags us down into the valley with them, and sometimes life just happens, and it’s no one’s fault, but into the valley we go. 

The number one question people ask me when they are in a “valley” experience is, “How can I cope with the fear, anxiety, and anger? Sometimes it’s paralyzing.”  I completely understand the question because I have been there and done that, and it’s not fun.  It’s all-consuming, the days get bleaker and bleaker, it’s hard to see the exit sign, it sucks all the joy out of life, but GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO LIVE THIS WAY.

We must accept by faith that He is always close by using a rod and a staff to bless us. 

The rod is a stick that is bent at the top like a cane, and real-life shepherds use it to protect the sheep.  And the staff is similar to a walking stick.  Any sheep that wanders off is gently nudged by the staff to stay on course, but if it strays too far, it’s hooked by the rod and led back to the safety of the flock and away from a wandering wolf.  I don’t know if the sheep enjoy the rod and/or the staff, but without them they could die. 

The rod and staff symbolize God’s Word, and God uses the Bible to protect, comfort, guide, reassure, and give us courage.  But first we have to know what the Word says and then we must be willing to do it.  We must allow ourselves to be “hooked” by it because this is what will bring us protection and peace.

Sometimes getting hooked is unpleasant, and I have shared with you before how I knew I had to forgive a certain someone who had an unacceptable relationship with my married father, but it was hard.  Ultimately, I had to decide whether unforgiveness was Biblical or not.  It’s not, and holding onto a grudge kept me in a dark valley for a long long time. L

One day God whispered to my heart, “Yenisita, My son Jesus died on the cross for you and for ______.  She has a soul in need of forgiveness and love.  Out of gratitude for what My Son did for you, will you let it go?  In the process you will find joy again.”

What could I possibly say to that except, “Sorry it took so long.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your rod and staff.  They offer protection, comfort, guidance, reassurance, and encouragement to those of us who have been hooked.  We love you! In Jesus’ name, AMEN~   

Peaceful Streams~

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

Verse Two: He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.

Peaceful streams…

A couple of years ago I was the beach with my mother-in-law, and she and I were frolicking about like two young girls and not paying attention to the increasingly rough waters.  Suddenly, we were in the fight of our lives.  The waves and the current threatened to overtake us and we were swallowing water, but then we remembered the advice we had always heard: Swim parallel to the shore, which we did, and we made it safely back to the land. Amen!

We gagged and coughed and then laughed AFTER we were okay, but it was not a pleasant time.  Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it?  We are tossed back and forth, everything seems out of control, we feel like we might go under never to breathe again, but then we rise out of the problem and take in the fresh, life-giving air!

And we have God to thank for letting us rise and leading us to peaceful streams.  Not rough but not standing still either - just going along at an easy breezy calm pace.  In other words, God comes alongside and takes us to a place where there is just enough movement to flush the environment of our minds, bodies, and souls of toxins, but not so much that we can barely catch our breath. 

Before God leads, however, we must be willing to follow.  Is He worth following?

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Christ is trustworthy.  He gave His life for us.  To quote another verse found in Romans 8:32, “Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else?”

He will, He will, He will!  But are willing to submit to Him? To ask for help? To seek guidance? To admit that we are nothing without Him and that He has sufficient power and love to see us through?

If we answer “yes” to all those questions, then we can confidently tell Him that we belong to Him, that we put ourselves in His care, and that we look forward to being lead to those peaceful streams.

In fact, you would think that my mother-in-law and I would have stayed on the sand, but as soon as the water calmed down, back in we went.  When you are in gently moving water, it’s refreshing and soothing.  The sound alone has put many a baby to sleep, including Jorge, and it’s a great place to be.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Take us all by the hand today and lead us to peaceful streams.  We need a break today.  We long to relax and enjoy our lives.  Thank You that You are the Good Shepherd.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Green Meadows~

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

Verse Two: He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.

This second verse is so appealing; it brings images of beauty and comfort.  (There’s a reason the Bible doesn’t say, “He lets me rest in the brown weeds; He leads me beside stagnant waters.”)

This website – http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html - provides the definitions of different colors.  The meaning of green is inspirational:

“Green symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety.  It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.  In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.”

Now we know why God uses this descriptive language; it’s the ideal scenario.  Real actual sheep lie down with full bellies without a care in the world because their shepherd watches over them.  When we believe that God is in control and that He watches over us and those we care about, then resting fully and completely without a worry in the world is possible. We lie down in safety knowing we will get up in joy, peace, hope, and harmony.

However…

Right before I wrote this DEVO I had a conversation with someone who has some worries.  The actual words were, “I am just waiting for the bomb to go off.”

I think we’ve all been there and felt that way.  Still, God wants us to rest, but sometimes it’s 

difficult to relax with so much going on.  Besides, how does God even lead us to rest?

The first step is prayer.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Over and over again the Bible says You will give us rest when we come to You. Right now we come straight to You and only You.  We shut out everything and everyone else and look to You to give us the rest in the green meadows we so desperately need.  By faith we receive it.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

I Shall Not Want~

Greetings dear brothers and sisters J

I love Psalm 23, and it’s a powerful reminder of Who is taking care of us.   Sometimes, just by looking at my reactions and behavior, you would think I have forgotten that God is busy in my life.

Verse 1: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

This little nine-word phrase means big and beautiful things for us, and all we have to do is look at a shepherd’s job to know what God does for us.

God leads us to rest and safety. He knows in which direction we should head, and where the best pastures are for provision. He knows where the “wolves” are, so He watches over us.  If we stray from the flock, He stretches forth His hook and gently brings us back, and when the heat is on, He finds shelter for us.

Other versions of the Bible say, “I am never in need,” “I lack nothing,” and “I don’t need a thing.”  It’s never a question about whether God is doing His thing or not, but whether we want to take Him at His word and yield to His goodness.

If any of us feel as though we are in need of something, then it’s time to pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are our Shepherd.  You put the responsibility on Yourself to care for us.  We yield to Your goodness and provision.  With You as our Shepherd, we are never in need.  Thank You that You are providing ___________ for ___________ right now.  In Jesus‘ name, AMEN~