Walking Through~

Thursday greetings,

Psalm 23:4 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me…”

Is it possible to have an encouraging DEVO when the word “darkest” is part of it? Yes, dear brothers and sisters, yes!

Every one who has lived long enough has experienced a low place, a valley - a time when sadness, sorrow, confusion, frustration, hopelessness, and/or fear were the prevalent feelings. 

God acknowledges our feelings; He knows we all face rough moments.  But life-changing truth number one for the day is that God reminds us there is an out and an exit from this valley. We are walking through it; we are not standing still in it.  We are following the Good Shepherd’s lead, and He is leading us straight to peace and joy.  How does He lead? Every single time we pray and read the Bible, every time God puts an angel in our path to say a kind word, every time we allow ourselves to be a blessing in someone else’s life, we continue to make a steady pace out of that valley and into a verdant and abundant meadow.

Life-changing truth number two of the day is that because He is with us, guiding us, loving us, leading us, and protecting us, we don’t have to be afraid of what’s happening in the valley.  If only…right?  One way to get a grip on those times we are overwhelmed with fear is to remind ourselves that because God is with us EVERY SECOND OF EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY, hovering close by, we have nothing to be afraid of.  Is there any one or anything that comes even remotely close to being more powerful than God?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that because You are in our lives, we have the assurance that You will always point us in the right direction.  Thank You that we don’t have to be stuck in the valley; You lead us out.  Help us to pick up our feet and go! And thank You that when You say there’s nothing to fear it’s because You are infinitely more powerful and awesome than anyone or anything.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

The Right Direction~

Tuesday greetings~

Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

“Paths of righteousness” means He leads us in the right paths and sends us in the right direction.

All of us want to stay on track.  Dead ends and roadblocks are no fun, and they waste time.  They can also be dangerous. 

When my older sister first received her driver’s license, six of us piled into the station wagon and headed for a joy drive down to the mall.  We were enjoying ourselves when all of a sudden she hit the brakes with such force that our heads – especially my precious one – violently snapped forward then backward.  She had taken a wrong turn due to poor lighting and stopped literally within an inch of ramming through the concrete wall of an actual store in the mall.      

If any of us had been paying attention, we would have seen the obvious sign:

 

God wants us all to take the tried and true road that leads to blessings and peace, and the Bible provides all the road signs we need to get us there.  Right out of the gate we can all be 100% certain that God leading will never take us through the avenue of adultery, the boulevard of backbiting, or lane of lying.   

And even though God desires to lead us in the right paths, we must be willing to follow.  Jeremiah 6:16 says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable, eternal paths. Ask which way leads to blessings.  Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves.” 

The responsibility to live that way is on us; no one forces us.  If we are not sure, we ask.  We stay connected to God, and He will get us there. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to travel the reliable, eternal paths that lead to blessings.  Sometimes the road signs are clear, and sometimes we need clarification.  We ask You now for guidance for ourselves and our families.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Nightingale~

TGIF greetings,

Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Someone once said: “The 23^rd Psalm is the nightingale of the Psalms.  It sings the sweetest when the night is darkest.”

That is exactly what this Psalm has meant to me over the years.  

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* I originally shared this DEVO on January 31, 2012. 

Almost three years ago my precious and darling girl Rayray was t-boned by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.  The car flipped four times and landed upside down against a tree.  Rachel fractured her collarbone, and sustained injuries requiring stitches after she had to crawl through glass to get out the window on the passenger's side. 

She called her dad, as she always does, and with a shaking voice explained what happened.  In one split second I felt the life leave my body and then come back to me when the paramedic said everything was OK.  Jorge and Hormone went to the hospital because I had just had surgery a few days earlier and was still convalescing. 

I had to wait over an hour for Jorge to get to the hospital, see Rachel, and indeed confirm she was alright.  And I remember making him swear that he wasn't lying to me – Rachel really was OK.  But it wasn't until she finally came home and that I could see her with my own eyes that I could exhale with relief and joy.  The car was a total loss.  Who cares?  Someone at the accident scene stole her phone and called their family in Guatemala to the tune of $700.  Who cares?  Rachel's favorite shoes were beyond repair.  Who cares? 

None of that matters.  It didn't even matter when we found out the other driver was uninsured.  And several months later when Rachel had to go to court because the state of Florida was prosecuting him for driving without insurance and running a red light, I was incredibly proud of her when she said she was overwhelmed with compassion for him because he was old and frail.  She forgave him.  Did I mention that all four passengers also walked away, and the three in the back were not even wearing seat belts? Lord, help us! 

But what I want you all to know is that I began that day unaware of how much I would need God's restoration.  Immediately after Rachel’s call I started crying, not some quiet dignified sniffle, but an all out boogery wailing fest and begged God to take care of my baby.  As the day wore on the peace of the Lord settled on me, and by the time the day was over I truly learned that (1) God cares for all the people I care about, and (2) He does a better job than I could ever do at protecting them.  That experience changed the way I pray, made me infinitely more grateful, and I knew that my soul – my very life had been restored.

One Bible version of this verse says, "He lets me catch my breath."

I can relate.  Maybe you are out of breath and tired about something right now.  Then let's go to the One Who is in the restoration business. 

 PRAYER: If Your Word says You restore souls it's because our souls need restoring.  Let us catch our breath today and reinvigorate our lives with Your goodness.  Everything truly will be alright because we have You on our side. 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~

New Dreams~

TGIF Greetings~

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

I originally wrote the DEVO below on January 26, 2012. 

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Sometimes it is not until we have the benefit of time that we can look back and realize that all along God was taking care of us.  No matter what struggles, difficulties, pain, brokenness, financial problems, health issues and so on and so on, we are all here today, alive and well.  Notice the verse says all that I need.  It doesn't say all that I want.  There is a lot of stuff I have wanted.  Maybe in your mind you can think of several things you want for yourself or your family.  But God knows best and gives us what we need.  Sometimes we need faith and hope more than that new car.  Or we need love and patience more than that dream job.  Do we trust God to know what to give and what to withhold?

As many of you know my lovely son played sports growing up, and when the University of Miami came calling for him to play football, we were all so sure he would have a chance to play.  It was an anticlimactic ending.  He did not play - not once!  It broke my heart.  "God, I cried, please let him play.  You have given him a gift, and I want to see him use it."

The Lord was so very silent on this request, and for many years  I did not understand.  Fast forward to 2012, and I have made peace with this.  Why?  Because if I really believe that God is my son's Shepherd, then Jorgie had everything he needs and always will.  Playing college sports was not part of the overall plan, but I choose to trust God’s decisions as they concern my son. 

What do you do when your dreams do not come true?  You ask God to give you new dreams and opportunities.  I am happy to say that Hormone has been given a wonderful and lovely person to love who loves him too, and that is something everybody needs.  And, although the football dream has long been forgotten, a new dream has surfaced.  It's actually an oldie but a goodie.  Jorgie is training to play baseball again and leaves in April for Denver, CO.    

I do not know what the future holds, but I do know Who holds it.  That is why I can say that I am confident Jorgie will have what he needs.  The Shepherd will make sure of it!

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UPDATE TIME: What struck me most about this DEVO is the very beginning – “Sometimes it is not until we have the benefit of time that we can look back and realize that all along God was taking care of us.”  It’s been two and half years since this was written.  Jorgie has been married for almost two years, and it has been the greatest blessing of his life (and mine)!  Playing sports at the pro level has still not panned out, but he has had a great time playing locally.  His wife supports him, we go to all the games, and God has been and always will be in control.  Maybe every single one of our dreams will not come true, but when we ask Him, God will give us new dreams.    

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Sometimes it is hard to admit that You know best--especially when we do not get what we ask for.  But we trust You today!  You know best, and You will never give us something or withhold something that is not ultimately for our good.  Help us to trust You with all our hearts.  Wherever there is disappointment over a lost dream or opportunities, give us new and better ones to takes their place.  And thank You because You have brought us this far, and we are all well!  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~