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!

What a Great Pairing!!!

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.

 

What's your favorite pairing? It is a cheeseburger and fries? Maybe it was Bogey and Bacall? For me it's always been milk and anything.

For sure we know that one is just not as good as the two together, and that's what makes this verse so AWESOME!

The hope to which He has called us, once our eyes are open to it, will encourage us deeply. But paired together with the glorious wealth that we will inherit makes this verse a tour de force--something that nothing else can compare to. Not your bank account, your cute spouse, your dream job, your pet monkey, or your best friend in the whole wide world!

When we break this down literal word for literal word it means that there is an infinitude of wealth.

Now ask yourselves this question, "How long can I enjoy my possessions on earth?" Realistically speaking, and even with advancements in science, I think the majority of us will make it well into our 80s and beyond. But sooner or later, BAM! we are all taking a ride on the glory train. So the infinitude of wealth that this verse refers to is eternal life.

When this life gets you down, think about the magnificence of heaven.

When somebody gets on your last nerve, think about the inexhaustible riches that await.

When every dream you ever dreamed for someone is dashed, remember that in heaven everyone will be a perfect version of themselves.

I am not suggesting that we check out early and resign our lives to a dreary existence. What I am saying is that even when life is less than great, we can always hang on to the hope and the glorious glory that awaits. In fact, when we shift our focus to everything that's wrong to everything good that's coming our way it transforms us. We become happy happy happy.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank You for the infinitude of wealth that we will enjoy one day. How rich and glorious. We are even more grateful that we don't have to wait to start benefiting from all Your blessings. Right here right now send your peace and help to me and every single person I love--especially (Fill in the blank.) 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~

Chew on Hope~

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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...

I am having difficulty letting go of the topic of hope because it's just too good.

Last night I made New York strip steak, medium rare. Jorge and Rayray woofed it down like rabid coyotes--as though it were water--no chewing necessary. Yet I savored every little tender morsel. It took me three times as long to eat it. That is how I feel about hope. Hope is something we must purposely chew on. We must willingly embrace it. And our eyes must be opened to it so that we know what it is when we experience it.

Have you or someone you loved ever felt hopeless? Like that needed relief would never come? That God is sending answers for everyone on the planet but you? That things are getting worse and not better? Welcome to the club!!!

I promise you, however, that God is all about giving you a breakthrough--not standing idly by while you have a breakdown.

If your child, or even a complete stranger, were drowning in a pool would you just sit there or do something about it? I think most of us would dive right in. When we yell, "Help! I am drowning!" God dives right in.

I have chatted with many folks, too many, in fact, who are content to waddle along in life purposely excluding God from their lives. And I have met many others who are too proud to ask for help, because you know, they can do everything by themselves. And then there have been a few who did not know that God even desired a personal relationship with them. How personal?

Mark 14:36

"Abba, Father," He said, "everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will."

Jesus had this conversation with His Father right before He was arrested and crucified. And one particular word in this verse really shows us what God wants to be to us. "Abba," literally means "Papa," or "Daddy." Sigh~

As our Papa, He will open the eyes of anyone who needs it. Let's pray.

PRAYER:

Dear Papa, We love You. Open the eyes of our hearts to understand the hope that is ours. Hope for a better today and an even better tomorrow. Hope that You take care of us in this life and in the one to come. (Fill in the blank) particularly needs a mighty revelation from You that You will take care of him/her. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Focus on the "Who"~

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...

This morning I attended the burial of my Great Aunt, Irene. She would have been 91 years old this Friday and was surrounded by her family as she crossed from this temporary difficult life into eternity--where the real fun begins! Here's a little shout out to Irene because in 1995, at the apex of grief as her daughter was dying of lung cancer, she and her daughter both said a little, "Forgive us of our sins and remember us," prayer to Jesus. The reunion she is enjoying with her daughter and Jesus as we speak is so very very real to me that it penetrates all the way to my bones and puts everything else in perspective. Amen!

Going back to the verse, we know we need to have an eye-opening understanding of God. I can tell you that as Irene was day in/ day out by her daughter's side, the one thing she asked me over and again was how God could allow for a 44 year old non-smoker to get lung cancer?

And surprise, what could I possibly answer given that my fit-as-a-fiddle 47 year old mom died of cancer a couple of years earlier?

I can tell you right now that there is no way we are going to have all the answers this side of heaven. And I have often wondered if there is an answer that would have somehow satisfied me and made it all better. Besides, God does not call us to know why; He calls us to hope.

H-O-P-E!!!

What a glorious word. Purpose right now in your heart that you will never let disappointment stand in the way of hope. Can the two exist together? Read Lamentations chapter 3. You might be shocked at how angry Jeremiah was at God.

The first 20 verses say things like, "God has broken my bones," "God has made me walk in darkness," God has turned against me," "When I call out for help He shuts out my prayer," " Like a lion in hiding, He dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help...."

Those are strong words. Portraying God as an animal just waiting to pounce and ruin our lives is a serious accusation. But midway through the chapter starting at verse 21, after Jeremiah had thoroughly vented, he says, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope..."

What is the "this?"

• His compassions never fail.They are new every morning.
• The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.
• For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.
• He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love.
• You came near when I called You, and you said, “Do not fear.”
• You, Lord, took up my case; You redeemed my life.

So as we start to scratch the surface of what is the hope God is talking about let's keep two things in mind:

(1) You can be brutally honest with God about every single thing that has gone wrong with your life and even tell Him that He has, "trampled you in the dust," and He won't strike you dead.

AND

(2) When we set out to understand, even if it's by complaining to God, He will accept your honesty and eventually take you to your own verse 21.

It's a mystery, but it's a reality.

Irene's need to understand "why" took a back seat to her greatest need to understand "Who." Her questions gave way to the only thing that really matters--an assurance that Heaven is for real and that her baby girl would be there waiting.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that no matter what heartache, loss, disappointment, pain, or grief we experience, Your compassions never fail. Open the eyes of our heart until we all have a clear understanding of the hope that You have called us to. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

An Eye-Opener~

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...

Let's dive right into our study of these verses.

What the Bible is saying is that before you can know the hope, you have to have an eye-opening understanding of God. Your heart might be in the right place, but your understanding has been blinded by everything that is wrong with your life and the evil in the world. Trust me when I tell you that I speak to a lot of folks who have very narrow and wrong views of God.

Yet, when we purposely set out to have an ongoing and vibrant relationship with Christ, immediately our understanding of God starts to change. Wrong thinking is transformed. Truth takes hold and crowds out false and negative thinking. Ever known someone who entertains wrong thinking? "I am not good." "I am worthless." "I will never amount to anything." "Nobody loves me." "Things are never going to get better."

It's dangerous, self-defeating, and leads to depression. You can stop it in your own life or in the life of someone you love by praying that the eyes of their heart would enlightened--opened to the Truth that they are so incalculably beautiful that Jesus gave up His life for them.

Honestly, dear people, I find myself often pausing as I write these DEVOs because I am overcome with such joy at the profound depth of God's love for me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that no matter what anyone else thinks, You proved that we and those we love are worth saving. Open the eyes of our hearts today, especially for (fill in the blank) that we may understand the hope that is ours. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Has Called us to Hope~

At the bottom of this DEVO appears a picture of a joke that back-fired. I thought I would be all funny and put a rubber mouse in the bathroom to scare Rayray for April Fool's, and instead I scared myself when I saw it this morning. HAHAHAHA on me:)

Greetings, brothers and sisters! I trust you all had a beautiful Easter weekend. Here's a passage to start your week off with hope! We will chop/chop it all week long.

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, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

God has called us to hope--not fear, there's a glorious inheritance for us, and there is a great power available to us--the same kind that resurrected Jesus. (Could you use new life in an area that you thought was dead?)

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, You are so generous with Your love, hope, riches, and power. Amen! because we need it. Thank You for Easter. It's been called the biggest upset and greatest comeback in history, and it must be because we're still talking about 2000 years later. In Jesus' name, AMEN~