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Devotional

What Mountains Tell

August 28, 2024

Two weeks ago, my hubby and I took a road trip to Athens, Georgia, to attend a local film festival where Merl’s short film was screened. We traveled through Indiana and Tennessee and encountered a thunderstorm while driving through Chattanooga. We made it to Georgia just in time for the viewing that night. My plan for the next day was singular—drive the winding, scenic 31-mile Newfound Gap mountain pass on U.S Route 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, between the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. 

There was just one problem. The forecast predicted rain and thunderstorms all day. Merl kept telling me that it might not rain. I slept that night after praying for clear skies to see the next national park on our bucket list. I peeped at my weather app the following morning, hoping for a change as I looked out our Airbnb window. It was partly cloudy outside, but no rain was expected until noon. 

Off we went to the mountains. We snatched our belongings, had breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe in Athens, and flew up the road, hoping to catch the views before the rainpour. We were blown away with yet another spectacular view of God’s green earth. Scattered blue light skies and brightly lit cotton clouds canvased overhead all day. The rain never came.

As we drove up the Smokies, we parked at a few overlooks and were met with the hazed mountain range of the Appalachian region, with the highest elevation at almost 7,000 feet. Merl and I chatted about what a mountain underneath the foliage is, a giant rock. 

I decided to do a little research on mountains and their formation, and I was taken back to my Earth Science class, where we learned about plate tectonics. Tectonic plates are large, irregularly shaped pieces of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle (hot, flowing rock). They float on the mantle and move in different directions due to its flow. 

According to geologists, most of the Smokies are sandstone, a sedimentary rock that changed under pressure when the tectonic plate of Africa crashed into the North American one. When that happened, the mineral composition of the sandstone rocks changed. They morphed like a caterpillar into a butterfly under extreme pressure.

The rocks are altered and fundamentally transformed in a process called regional metamorphism. Under extreme heat and pressure, sandstone can recrystallize, forming quartzite, a metamorphic rock.

Everyone with breath in their lungs will experience some hard times. But if we trust God through the process, a spiritual transformation will undoubtedly occur, solidifying our faith walk. The heat and pressure of life’s trials will produce a purified life for a Christian who has surrendered to God’s refining process. We will be sons and daughters who shine like our Father in a dark and weary world, grasping for hope, peace, and purpose.

Another fascinating journey unfolds over time in the Smoky Mountains; large boulders of metamorphosed sandstone embark on an adventure, falling from cliff outcrops on the mountain tops. They are gracefully carried downstream, breaking down into cobbles, pebbles, sand, and silt, as they make their way down the Mississippi River and finally reach the Gulf of Mexico. This journey, where parts of the mountain traverse to the lowlands, is a thrilling analogy of the Church as a city on a hill, with its members, like the sandstone, venturing into all the world to spread the message of God’s grace.

Making More of Mountains

The Smoky Mountains offer much more than breathtaking vistas and vacation getaways. The hills resound with a symphony from the rocks, testifying to God’s creation of the world and the global Flood.

Dr. Andrew A. Snelling, Making More of Mountains
BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out. We continually share in the death of Jesus in our own bodies so that the resurrection life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. —2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭TPT‬‬

My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance. And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking. —‭‭James (Jacob)‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭TPT‬‬

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

Hace dos semanas, mi marido y yo hicimos un viaje por carretera a Athens, Georgia, para asistir a un festival de cine local donde se proyectaba el cortometraje de Merl. Viajamos por Indiana y Tennessee y nos topamos con una tormenta eléctrica mientras conducíamos por Chattanooga. Llegamos a Georgia justo a tiempo para la proyección esa noche. Mi plan para el día siguiente era singular: conducir por el sinuoso y pintoresco paso de montaña Newfound Gap de 31 millas en la Ruta 441 de EE. UU. a través del Parque Nacional Great Smoky Mountains, entre la frontera de Tennessee y Carolina del Norte.

Solo había un problema. El pronóstico predecía lluvia y tormentas eléctricas durante todo el día. Merl me decía que tal vez no lloviera. Dormí esa noche después de rezar para que el cielo estuviera despejado para ver el próximo parque nacional en nuestra lista de deseos. Miré mi aplicación del clima a la mañana siguiente, esperando un cambio mientras miraba por la ventana de nuestro Airbnb. Estaba parcialmente nublado afuera, pero no se esperaba lluvia hasta el mediodía.

Nos fuimos a las montañas. Recogimos nuestras pertenencias, desayunamos en Another Broken Egg Cafe en Athens y volamos por la carretera, con la esperanza de disfrutar de las vistas antes de que cayera la lluvia torrencial. Nos quedamos atónitos con otra vista espectacular de la tierra verde de Dios. Cielos azules dispersos y nubes de algodón muy iluminadas nos cubrieron el cielo todo el día. La lluvia nunca llegó.

Mientras conducíamos por las Smoky Mountains, aparcamos en algunos miradores y nos encontramos con la cordillera neblinosa de la región de los Apalaches, con la elevación más alta a casi 2100 metros. Merl y yo charlamos sobre lo que es una montaña debajo del follaje: una roca gigante.

Decidí investigar un poco sobre las montañas y su formación, y me llevaron de nuevo a mi clase de Ciencias de la Tierra, donde aprendimos sobre la tectónica de placas. Las placas tectónicas son piezas grandes y de forma irregular de la corteza terrestre y el manto superior (roca caliente y fluida). Flotan sobre el manto y se mueven en diferentes direcciones debido a su flujo.

Según los geólogos, la mayor parte de las Smoky Mountains son areniscas, una roca sedimentaria que cambió bajo presión cuando la placa tectónica de África chocó contra la de América del Norte. Cuando eso sucedió, la composición mineral de las rocas de arenisca cambió. Se transformaron como una oruga en una mariposa bajo una presión extrema.

Las rocas se alteran y se transforman fundamentalmente en un proceso llamado metamorfismo regional. Bajo calor y presión extremos, la arenisca puede recristalizarse, formando cuarcita, una roca metamórfica.

Todos los que respiran en sus pulmones pasarán por momentos difíciles. Pero si confiamos en Dios a través del proceso, sin duda ocurrirá una transformación espiritual, que solidificará nuestro camino de fe. El calor y la presión de las pruebas de la vida producirán una vida purificada para un cristiano que se ha rendido al proceso refinador de Dios. Seremos hijos e hijas que brillarán como nuestro Padre en un mundo oscuro y cansado, aferrándose a la esperanza, la paz y el propósito.

Otro viaje fascinante se desarrolla a lo largo del tiempo en las Smoky Mountains; Grandes rocas de arenisca metamorfoseadas se lanzan a la aventura, cayendo desde los afloramientos de los acantilados en las cimas de las montañas. Son arrastradas con gracia río abajo, descomponiéndose en guijarros, arena y limo, a medida que avanzan por el río Misisipi y finalmente llegan al Golfo de México. Este viaje, en el que partes de la montaña atraviesan las tierras bajas, es una analogía emocionante de la Iglesia como una ciudad en una colina, con sus miembros, como la arenisca, aventurándose por todo el mundo para difundir el mensaje de la gracia de Dios.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

Somos como vasijas de barro comunes que llevan este glorioso tesoro en su interior, para que este poder inmensurable sea visto como de Dios, no como nuestro. Aunque experimentamos todo tipo de presión, no nos sentimos aplastados. A veces no sabemos qué hacer, pero rendirnos no es una opción. Somos perseguidos por otros, pero Dios no nos ha abandonado. Puede que seamos derribados, pero no derrotados. Continuamente participamos de la muerte de Jesús en nuestros propios cuerpos para que la vida de resurrección de Jesús se revele a través de nuestra humanidad. —2 Corintios 4:7-10 TPT

Mis queridos hermanos, cuando parezca que solo están enfrentando dificultades, véanlo como una oportunidad invaluable de experimentar el mayor gozo posible. Porque saben que cuando su fe es puesta a prueba, se aviva en ustedes el poder de la perseverancia. Y cuando esa perseverancia se hace más fuerte, libera perfección en cada parte de su ser hasta que no les falta ni les falta nada. —Santiago (Jacob) 1:2-4 TPT

Una ciudad asentada sobre un monte no se puede esconder. Ni se enciende una lámpara y se pone debajo de un almud, sino sobre el candelero, y alumbra a todos los que están en casa. Así alumbre vuestra luz delante de los hombres, para que vean vuestras buenas obras y glorifiquen a vuestro Padre que está en los cielos. —Mateo 5:14-16 NVI

Devotional

Good News Bears

August 3, 2024

About a week ago, I was thinking about the 1976 movie The Bad News Bears starring Walter Matthau. The screenwriter wrote an offensive line coming out of the mouth of an 11-year-old. The fruit of his mouth reflected what he was taught by those close to him.

And I’m sure you’ve also heard the phrase, “(S)he is bad news!” That’s the kind of person you stay away from because they’ll likely bring trouble into your life.

Well, the reverse is also true—good news bears.

The Greek word for “gospel” is euangelion, which is made up of eû (good) and ángelos (messenger). The good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ produces good fruit through those willing to allow its seed to penetrate deeply into the soil of their hearts. (See Luke 8:5-8)

Eternal life, which is supernatural life, is the fruit of intimacy. The scriptures teach us that knowing God and His Son Jesus is eternal life (John 17:3). From that union with God, like a branch connected to the vine, good and lasting fruit is produced.

Good fruit is born from a good tree. John the Baptist exhorted us to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8). When you turn away from anything that produces spiritual and physical death and cultivate an intimate relationship with God through Jesus, you will bear good fruit.

Cultivating intimacy with God and remaining in his presence through His word and prayer, will produce supernatural fruit in your life through His power.

Let’s be mindful of who we align ourselves with, what news we receive in our hearts, and what fruit we are producing.

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. —‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NASB

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. —‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬ ‭NASB

What a beautiful sight to behold— the precious feet of the messenger coming over the mountains to announce good news! He comes to refresh us with wonderful news, announcing salvation to Zion and saying, “Your Mighty God reigns!” —‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭7‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Hace una semana, estaba pensando en la película de 1976 The Bad News Bears (Los Osos de Malas Noticias), protagonizada por Walter Matthau. El guionista escribió una frase ofensiva que salió de la boca de un niño de 11 años. El fruto de su boca reflejaba lo que le habían enseñado sus allegados.

Y estoy seguro de que también has oído la frase: “¡(Ella) es una mala noticia!”. Ese es el tipo de persona de la que te alejas porque es probable que traiga problemas a tu vida.

Bueno, lo contrario también es cierto: las buenas noticias también traen fruto.

La palabra griega para “evangelio” es euangelion, que se compone de eû (bueno) y ángelos (mensajero). Las buenas noticias (evangelio) de Jesucristo producen buenos frutos a través de aquellos que están dispuestos a permitir que su semilla penetre profundamente en la tierra de sus corazones. (Véase Lucas 8:5-8)

La vida eterna, que es vida sobrenatural, es el fruto de la intimidad. Las Escrituras nos enseñan que conocer a Dios y a su Hijo Jesús es vida eterna (Juan 17:3). De esa unión con Dios, como una rama conectada a la vid, se produce fruto bueno y duradero.

De un buen árbol nace buen fruto. Juan el Bautista nos exhortó a “producir frutos dignos de arrepentimiento” (Mateo 3:8). Cuando te alejas de todo lo que produce muerte espiritual y física y cultivas una relación íntima con Dios a través de Jesús, darás buen fruto.

Cultivar la intimidad con Dios y permanecer en su presencia a través de su palabra y oración, producirá fruto sobrenatural en tu vida a través de su poder.

Seamos conscientes de con quién nos alineamos, qué noticias recibimos en nuestro corazón y qué fruto estamos produciendo.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

Yo soy la vid, vosotros los sarmientos; el que permanece en mí, y yo en él, ése da mucho fruto; porque separados de mí nada podéis hacer. El que no permanece en mí, es desechado como sarmiento, y se seca; los recogen, los echan al fuego y arden. Si permanecéis en mí, y mis palabras permanecen en vosotros, pedid todo lo que queráis, y os será hecho. Mi Padre es glorificado en esto, en que llevéis mucho fruto, y seáis así mis discípulos. —Juan 15:5-8 NVI

No puede un árbol bueno dar frutos malos, ni un árbol malo dar frutos buenos. —Mateo 7:18 NVI

¡Qué hermoso espectáculo es ver los preciosos pies del mensajero que viene por las montañas a anunciar buenas noticias! Viene a refrescarnos con noticias maravillosas, anunciando la salvación a Sión y diciendo: “¡Tu Dios Poderoso reina!” —Isaías 52:7 TPT

Devotional

Losing Words

June 9, 2024

When my husband was asked to play the lead role in a play in Chicago years ago, he had one month to memorize his spoken lines, the lyrics to eight songs, and the accompanying musical pieces on guitar. 

The play ran for a month and a half, and at the beginning of that run, there were times when he forgot his lines.

He lost the words he needed to speak. 

And a beautiful thing would happen. His fellow actors helped to remind him of the forgotten words. They would improvise a line that sparked his memory, and he would then remember. The words would all come flooding back to him. 

Many things can cause us to forget what we desperately need to remember, and this usually happens when hard times encroach upon us. Fear, stress, sadness, pain, and anxiety can make our minds go blank. But there is hope.

It is vitally important to work at planting the word of God deep within us. It is a source of strength and guidance, always readily accessible to us, especially in times of need for ourselves or another. The bottom line is that the word of God is not just reliable but powerful enough to speak into every situation of our lives. 

We have received from God the gift of the Helper to remember the word. He not only teaches us all things but also reminds us of every word Jesus taught and found in the scriptures. But we must study and meditate on it for the Holy Spirit to remind us of it. 

Let’s be the type of people and friends with a ready word in and out of season. We need each other but are only as good to one another as the quality of our intimacy with the word of God, both written and living.

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. – Isaiah 55:11, NASB

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. –Proverbs 4:20-22, MSG

These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. —John‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬-‭26‬, NASB

Cuando hace años le pidieron a mi esposo que interpretara el papel principal en una obra de teatro en Chicago, tuvo un mes para memorizar sus líneas habladas, la letra de ocho canciones y las piezas musicales de guitarra que las acompañaban.

La obra duró un mes y medio y, al comienzo de esa ejecución, hubo momentos en que se olvidó de sus líneas.

Perdió las palabras que necesitaba para hablar.

Y algo hermoso sucedería. Sus compañeros actores ayudaron a recordarle las palabras olvidadas. Improvisaban una línea que despertaba su memoria y luego la recordaba. Todas las palabras volverían a él.

Muchas cosas pueden hacer que olvidemos lo que necesitamos recordar desesperadamente, y esto suele ocurrir cuando nos invaden tiempos difíciles. El miedo, el estrés, la tristeza, el dolor y la ansiedad pueden hacer que nuestra mente se quede en blanco. Pero hay esperanza.

Es de vital importancia trabajar para sembrar la palabra de Dios en lo más profundo de nosotros. Es una fuente de fortaleza y guía, siempre fácilmente accesible para nosotros, especialmente en momentos de necesidad para nosotros mismos o para otros. La conclusión es que la palabra de Dios no sólo es confiable sino lo suficientemente poderosa como para hablar en cada situación de nuestras vidas.

Hemos recibido de Dios el don del Consolador para recordar la palabra. Él no solo nos enseña todas las cosas, sino que también nos recuerda cada palabra que Jesús enseñó y encontró en las Escrituras. Pero debemos estudiarlo y meditarlo para que el Espíritu Santo nos lo recuerde.

Seamos el tipo de personas y amigos que tienen una palabra lista dentro y fuera de temporada. Nos necesitamos unos a otros, pero somos tan buenos unos con otros como la calidad de nuestra intimidad con la palabra de Dios, tanto escrita como viva.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

Así será mi palabra que sale de mi boca; No volverá a Mí vacía, sin realizar lo que deseo y sin lograr el fin para el cual la envié. – Isaías 55:11, LBLA

Hijo mío, atiende a mis palabras; inclina tu oído a mis dichos. No se aparten de tus ojos; guárdalos en medio de tu corazón. Porque son vida para quienes los encuentran, y salud para toda su carne. –Proverbios 4:20-22, MSG

Estas cosas os he hablado mientras permanecía con vosotros. Pero el Consolador, el Espíritu Santo, que el Padre enviará en mi nombre, él os enseñará todas las cosas y os recordará todo lo que os he dicho. —Juan 14:25-26, LBLA

Devotional

Root for Each Other

June 1, 2024

Root for each other.

That’s what the T-shirt I was wearing the other day said. I hadn’t worn it in years. The words were written right next to a drawing of a plant with its roots showing. 

I know you’ve heard that phrase before. And I’m sure you’ve done it, too: encouraged or supported someone’s efforts for success or through a challenging time. 

But the other day, I noticed a twist to that phrase. Instead of its intended meaning, I added a pause after the word root, and the meaning also shifted. 

Root, as in plant yourself. 

What if we also rooted ourselves in Christ for the benefit of another? 

Root for each other. I’ll root for you, and you root for me.

Let your roots grow deep into Christ so that you remain faithful without wavering. Others need our stability, integrity, dependability, wisdom, and comfort from our intimacy with God Himself.

Don’t do it only for yourself. Do it for others as well. We’re not meant to go it alone in this life. Those who don’t have a relationship with God need us as much as those who do. 

Root yourself in Christ so you’ll be unmoveable. You’ll be anchored and an anchor for someone else. 

My husband and I took a cross-country trip to the redwood forest two summers ago. The coastal redwoods, found mainly in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, are the tallest trees on Earth. The secret strength that upholds these giant trees is found in their roots. They only go 6-12 feet deep but extend to 100 feet wide and interlock with neighboring redwood trees.

Imagine a vast root system spread underground, giving it stability above ground through strong winds, earthquakes, storms, and floods. 

Roots are vitally important because they provide nutrients and stability. This is true in our spiritual lives as well. However, roots are only as strong as their source.

If we’re not rooted in Christ, our whole body suffers. The mind-body connection is real. Our mind refers to our thoughts, which are influenced by what we choose to believe. Our mind will impact our emotions and our physical bodies. This is true for us as individuals and fellow believers. 

The Bible describes believers in Jesus as the body of Christ. If one member suffers, we all suffer.

Someone may need your strength in an area of weakness. They may need comfort and encouragement when facing anxiety and depression. Perhaps they need your prayers to overcome certain habits they’re having difficulty breaking, like cursing, drinking, or gossiping.

We can’t give what we don’t have ourselves. Superficial Christianity won’t satisfy us. We need a profoundly intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ—the kind that transforms us from within.

Almost nine months ago, I began to experience the effects of a hurried life that hadn’t prioritized tending my secret garden and how that impacted those in my sphere of influence. I want to encourage you to build a deeper, more intimate relationship with God, not only for your sake but for the sake of others. 

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. – 1 Corinthians 12:26, NASB

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27, NASB

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:1, NASB

Devotional

Things Above

May 22, 2024

Earlier today I took a walk through my neighborhood and realized that I was surrounded by cicadas. The sidewalk was filled with them. I couldn’t tell if they were dead or alive. Some were twitching their legs in the air, others were walking slow, and I was trying desperately not to step on them. I didn’t intend to crunch my way to my destination.

I decided to take the street after one of the cicadas flew on my leg and I swatted it off in a panic. It felt overwhelming and tedious to avoid them. I just wanted to take a relaxing walk and what I found was a concrete field of cicadas.

I was so focused on the cicadas and trying to avoid them that I didn’t notice the birds in the trees. We have a ton of trees in my neighborhood which is probably the reason why we have a cacophony of cicadas as well. My eyes were so fixated on the cicadas that my ears were not picking up the singing of the birds. They were literally twittering away. The cicadas can get loud but the birds were just as loud. But I was choosing to focus on the cicadas.

And then it hit me. The birds twittering away in the heights of the trees reminded me of how we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, way above all the things of the earth that are trying to distract us, fill us with fear, and keep our eyes off God.

After I began to walk on the streets, away from the sidewalks, I felt a rushing wind hit me. It was a natural wind, and it was cool and refreshing. It reminded me that God’s Holy Spirit is always with us. We may go through hard times, uncertain times, painful times, sad times, and scary times but He will lead us through, encourage us to set our eyes on the things above, and refresh us.

Remember that God makes a way where there is no way, and He will never leave you.

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2, NLT

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. – Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬, ‭NIV

Hoy temprano di un paseo por mi vecindario y me di cuenta de que estaba rodeado de cigarras. La acera estaba llena de ellos. No podía decir si estaban vivos o muertos. Algunos movían sus piernas en el aire, otros caminaban lentamente y yo intentaba desesperadamente no pisarlos. No tenía la intención de pasos crujiente hacia mi destino.

Decidí tomar la calle después de que una de las cigarras voló sobre mi pierna y la apagué presa del pánico. Se sentía abrumador y tedioso evitarlos. Solo quería dar un paseo relajante y lo que encontré fue un campo de concreto de cigarras.

Estaba tan concentrado en las cigarras y tratando de evitarlas que no noté los pájaros en los árboles. Tenemos muchos árboles en mi vecindario, lo cual probablemente sea la razón por la que también tenemos una cacofonía de cigarras. Mis ojos estaban tan fijados en las cigarras que mis oídos no captaban el canto de los pájaros. Literalmente estaban gorjeando. Las cigarras pueden hacer mucho ruido, pero los pájaros son igual de ruidosos. Pero elegí centrarme en las cigarras.

Y entonces me di cuenta de algo. Los pájaros cantando en las alturas de los árboles me recordaron cómo estamos sentados con Cristo en lugares celestiales, muy por encima de todas las cosas de la tierra que intentan distraernos, llenarnos de miedo y mantener nuestros ojos alejados de Dios.

Después de que comencé a caminar por las calles, lejos de las aceras, sentí que un viento fuerte me golpeaba. Era un viento natural, fresco y refrescante. Me recordó que el Espíritu Santo de Dios está siempre con nosotros. Puede que pasemos por tiempos difíciles, inciertos, dolorosos, tristes y aterradores, pero Él nos guiará, nos animará a poner nuestros ojos en las cosas de arriba y nos refrescará.

Recuerda que Dios abre un camino donde no lo hay, y Él nunca te dejará.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

Poned vuestra atención en las cosas de arriba, no en las de la tierra. – Colosenses 3:2, NTV

Y Dios nos resucitó con Cristo y nos sentó con él en los lugares celestiales en Cristo Jesús. – Efesios 2:6, NVI

Devotional

Thin Veil of Separation

April 6, 2024

Many of us have felt the pull to prioritize seeking a deeper, more intimate relationship with God, His Word, and His Spirit. We are being called to walk away from all that distracts us, lies to us, and imprisons us.  

We’re being wooed back to His presence; the place that’s really our inner circle, where we’re accepted, comforted, empowered, and shown wonders. That’s really where we’re supposed to abide.  

It’s time to cut ties with temporal, lifeless things, to walk beside His rivers of living waters, and embrace the eternal treasures awaiting us. It’s always been God’s intention for us to really 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 Him.  

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the Jewish temple ripped in half. This was the veil separating the Holy place from the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence. The veil marked a separation between the earthly dwellers and the Creator. When the veil of Jesus’ skin tore open with the nails of death on the cross, it opened up a way behind the veil into fellowship with God—a life-giving intimacy.  

There is a thin veil of separation between this earthly realm and the spiritual one. It requires accepting the 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 way in, through Jesus Christ and His Spirit, to see and hear the secrets of God’s kingdom.  

Surrendering to a lifestyle of holy spiritual habits is not really about what we do, but who we 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 and who we 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 in the process.  

The following are some questions to help you do that. 

Will you prioritize God above all?  
Will you surrender your will?  
Will you set aside plenty of time? 
Will you partner with Holy Spirit? 
Will you abide in the secret place?  
Will you persevere when it’s hard? 
Will you pray for God’s direction? 

BIBLE VERSE TO MEDITATE ON

And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. —Jeremiah 29:13

Muchos de nosotros hemos sentido la necesidad de priorizar la búsqueda de una relación más profunda e íntima con Dios, Su Palabra y Su Espíritu. Estamos llamados a alejarnos de todo lo que nos distrae, nos miente y nos aprisiona.

Estamos siendo atraídos a regresar a Su presencia; el lugar que es realmente nuestro círculo íntimo, donde somos aceptados, consolados, empoderados y donde se nos muestran maravillas. Ahí es realmente donde se supone que debemos permanecer.

Es hora de cortar los lazos con las cosas temporales y sin vida, de caminar junto a Sus ríos de aguas vivas y abrazar los tesoros eternos que nos esperan. Siempre ha sido la intención de Dios que lo conozcamos realmente.

Cuando Jesús murió en la cruz, el velo del templo judío se rasgó por la mitad. Este era el velo que separaba el Lugar Santo del Lugar Santísimo: la morada terrenal de la presencia de Dios. El velo marcó una separación entre los habitantes de la tierra y el Creador. Cuando el velo de la piel de Jesús se rasgó con los clavos de la muerte en la cruz, se abrió un camino detrás del velo hacia la comunión con Dios: una intimidad que da vida.

Existe un fino velo de separación entre este reino terrenal y el espiritual. Requiere aceptar la única manera de entrar, a través de Jesucristo y Su Espíritu, para ver y oír los secretos del reino de Dios.

Rendirse a un estilo de vida de santos hábitos espirituales no se trata realmente de lo que hacemos, sino de a quién buscamos y en quién nos convertimos en el proceso.

Las siguientes son algunas preguntas que le ayudarán a hacerlo.

¿Darás prioridad a Dios sobre todo?
¿Renunciarás a tu voluntad?
¿Dedicarás mucho tiempo?
¿Te asociarás con el Espíritu Santo?
¿Permanecerás en el lugar secreto?
¿Perseverarás cuando sea difícil?
¿Orarás por la dirección de Dios?

VERSÍCULO DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

Y me buscaréis y me encontraréis cuando me busquéis de todo vuestro corazón. —Jeremías 29:13

Devotional

Our Secret Place

November 12, 2023

Dear one, you are not alone. We all go through hard times at some point or another in our lives. But I don’t want your heart to despair. I’m in the midst of one myself. If you’re going through a refining fire season, remember the following to keep your mind and heart focused on our loving, protective, strengthening, and victorious Father God, Lord and Savior Jesus, and Holy Spirit. You’ll find what you need in our secret place with God.

In the secret placed you’ll be …

01 Embraced – God loves you with an everlasting love. He has not only purposely created you, and that’s enough to stop you in your tracks, but He has also paid the ultimate price to keep you near His bosom for an eternity. He can’t lie so He gave His word for you. His word is Jesus. You are loved, saved, chosen, and adopted. You are a child of God and co-heir with Christ.   

02 Enveloped – You are safe, and protected under His wings. Seeking God brings a proximity to Him. Intimacy keeps you safe because you are always in His Presence. No weapon formed against you will prosper when you’re hidden in Christ. You are never left alone. You have been lifted to a high place that no evil can ascend. Never, ever.   

03 Encouraged – You have been given the gift of faith to believe the whole counsel of God. God’s word is truth. It never fails. His word always performs His purposes. Your faith brings His truth into substance before you. His truth exposes lies and renews your thoughts, transforming them into the mind of Christ. Now, all things are possible if you believe.   

04 Equipped – It’s not by might but by God’s Spirit that you overcome. You are made strong with the gift of Holy Spirit living inside, giving you everything you need for life and godliness. Love, power, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, revelation, and a sound mind are yours. You become a Godly warrior, always victorious.  

I encourage you to read, dwell in, and pray through Psalm 91. Also, Psalm 23 and Psalm 27.  Try reading them in different translations until you find the one that resonates with your heart. 

BIBLE VERSES TO STUDY

When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse. His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you. Don’t fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you, nor will the powers of evil be launched against you. Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed. You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment, for they will be paid back for what they have done! When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High, our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm. How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us? God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm. If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you and keep you from stumbling. You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness, trampling every one of them beneath your feet! For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: “Because you loved me, delighted in me, and have been loyal to my name, I will greatly protect you. I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will feel my presence in your time of trouble. I will deliver you and bring you honor. I will satisfy you with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!" ‭‭- Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭16‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me the right path and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. Even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near. You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows. So why would I fear the future? Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you! - Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Yahweh is my revelation-light and the source of my salvation. I fear no one! I’ll never turn back and run, for you, Yahweh, surround and protect me. When evil ones come to destroy me, they will be the ones who turn back. My heart will not fear even if an army rises to attack. I will not be shaken, even if war is imminent. Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh, the one thing I seek above all else: I want to live with him every moment in his house, beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to contemplate in his temple. In the day of trouble, he will treasure me in his shelter, under the cover of his tent. He will lift me high upon a rock, out of reach from all my enemies who surround me. Triumphant now, I’ll bring him my offerings of praise, singing and shouting with ecstatic joy! Yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh! Hear my cry. Show me mercy, and send the help I need! I heard your voice in my heart say, “Come, seek my face;” my inner being responded, “Yahweh, I’m seeking your face with all my heart.” So don’t turn your face away from me. You’re the God of my salvation; how can you reject your servant in anger? You’ve been my only hope, so don’t forsake me now when I need you! My father and mother abandoned me. But you, Yahweh, took me in and made me yours. Now teach me, Yahweh, all about your ways and tell me what to do. Make it clear for me to understand, for I am surrounded by waiting enemies. Don’t let them defeat me, Lord. You can’t let me fall into their clutches! They keep accusing me of things I’ve never done, breathing out violence against me. Yet I believe with all my heart that I will see again your goodness, Yahweh, in the land of life eternal! Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you! ‭‭- Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Querida, no estás sola. Todos pasamos por momentos difíciles en algún momento u otro de nuestras vidas. Pero no quiero que tu corazón se desespere. Yo misma estoy en medio de uno. Si estás pasando por una temporada de fuego refinador, recuerda lo siguiente para mantener tu mente y tu corazón enfocados en nuestro amoroso, protector, fortalecedor y victorioso Padre Dios, Señor y Salvador Jesús, y Espíritu Santo. Encontrarás lo que necesitas en nuestro escondite secreto con Dios.

En el lugar secreto estarás…

01 Abrazada – Dios te ama con amor eterno. Él no sólo te ha creado intencionalmente, y eso es suficiente para detenerte en seco, sino que también ha pagado el precio máximo para mantenerte cerca de Su seno por una eternidad. Él no puede mentir, por eso dio Su palabra por ti. Su palabra es Jesús. Eres amada, salva, elegida, y adoptada. Eres hija de Dios y coheredera con Cristo.

02 Envuelta – Estás a salvo y protegida bajo sus alas. Buscar a Dios trae proximidad a Él. La intimidad te mantiene a salvo porque siempre estás en Su Presencia. Ningún arma forjada contra ti prosperará cuando estés escondida en Cristo. Nunca te quedas sola. Has sido elevada a un lugar alto al que ningún mal puede ascender. Nunca jamás.

03 Animada – Se te ha dado el don de la fe para creer todo el consejo de Dios. La palabra de Dios es verdad. Nunca falla. Su palabra siempre cumple Sus propósitos. Tu fe hace que Su verdad se convierta en sustancia ante ti. Su verdad expone las mentiras y renueva tus pensamientos, transformándolos en la mente de Cristo. Ahora, todo es posible si crees.

04 Equipada – No es con el poder sino con el Espíritu de Dios que se vence. Eres fortalecida con el don del Espíritu Santo que vive en tu interior y te da todo lo que necesitas para la vida y la piedad. El amor, el poder, la sabiduría, el conocimiento, la comprensión, la revelación y la mente sana son tuyos. Te conviertes en un guerrero piadosa, siempre victorioso.

Te animo a leer, meditar y orar el Salmo 91. Además, el Salmo 23 y el Salmo 27. Intenta leerlos en diferentes traducciones hasta que encuentre la que resuene en tu corazón.

VERSÍCULOS DE LA BIBLIA PARA ESTUDIAR

El que habita al abrigo del Altísimo Morará bajo la sombra del Omnipotente. Diré yo a Jehová: Esperanza mía, y castillo mío; Mi Dios, en quien confiaré. Él te librará del lazo del cazador, De la peste destructora. Con sus plumas te cubrirá, Y debajo de sus alas estarás seguro; Escudo y adarga es su verdad. No temerás el terror nocturno, Ni saeta que vuele de día, Ni pestilencia que ande en oscuridad, Ni mortandad que en medio del día destruya. Caerán a tu lado mil, Y diez mil a tu diestra; Mas a ti no llegará. Ciertamente con tus ojos mirarás Y verás la recompensa de los impíos. Porque has puesto a Jehová, que es mi esperanza, Al Altísimo por tu habitación, No te sobrevendrá mal, Ni plaga tocará tu morada. Pues a sus ángeles mandará acerca de ti, Que te guarden en todos tus caminos. En las manos te llevarán, Para que tu pie no tropiece en piedra. Sobre el león y el áspid pisarás; Hollarás al cachorro del león y al dragón. Por cuanto en mí ha puesto su amor, yo también lo libraré; Le pondré en alto, por cuanto ha conocido mi nombre. Me invocará, y yo le responderé; Con él estaré yo en la angustia; Lo libraré y le glorificaré. Lo saciaré de larga vida, Y le mostraré mi salvación. - Salmo 91

El Señor es mi pastor; nada me falta. En verdes praderas me hace descansar, a las aguas tranquilas me conduce, me da nuevas fuerzas y me lleva por caminos rectos, haciendo honor a su nombre. Aunque pase por el más oscuro de los valles, no temeré peligro alguno, porque tú, Señor, estás conmigo; tu vara y tu bastón me inspiran confianza. Me has preparado un banquete ante los ojos de mis enemigos; has vertido perfume en mi cabeza, y has llenado mi copa a rebosar. Tu bondad y tu amor me acompañan a lo largo de mis días, y en tu casa, oh Señor, por siempre viviré. - Salmo 23

El Señor es mi luz y mi salvación, ¿de quién podré tener miedo? El Señor defiende mi vida, ¿a quién habré de temer? Los malvados, mis enemigos, se juntan para atacarme y destruirme; pero ellos son los que tropiezan y caen. Aunque un ejército me rodee, mi corazón no tendrá miedo; aunque se preparen para atacarme, yo permaneceré tranquilo. Sólo una cosa he pedido al Señor, sólo una cosa deseo: estar en el templo del Señor todos los días de mi vida, para adorarlo en su templo y contemplar su hermosura. Cuando lleguen los días malos, el Señor me dará abrigo en su templo; bajo su sombra me protegerá. ¡Me pondrá a salvo sobre una roca! Entonces podré levantar la cabeza por encima de mis enemigos; entonces podré ofrecer sacrificios en el templo, y gritar de alegría, y cantar himnos al Señor. A ti clamo, Señor: escúchame. Ten compasión de mí, ¡respóndeme! El corazón me dice: «Busca la presencia del Señor.» Y yo, Señor, busco tu presencia. ¡No te escondas de mí! ¡No me rechaces con ira! ¡Mi única ayuda eres tú! No me dejes solo y sin amparo, pues tú eres mi Dios y salvador. Aunque mi padre y mi madre me abandonen, tú, Señor, te harás cargo de mí. Señor, muéstrame tu camino; guíame por el buen camino a causa de mis enemigos; no me entregues a su voluntad, pues se han levantado contra mí testigos falsos y violentos. Pero yo estoy convencido de que llegaré a ver la bondad del Señor a lo largo de esta vida. ¡Ten confianza en el Señor! ¡Ten valor, no te desanimes! ¡Sí, ten confianza en el Señor! - Salmo 27

Devotional

Secrets of the Redwood Forest (Strong Roots)

September 6, 2023

Redwoods on a trail along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Northern California. Photo / Merwyn Sanders II (2022)

The coastal redwoods, found mostly in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, are the tallest trees on Earth. The secret strength that upholds these giant trees is found in their roots. They only go 6-12 feet deep but extend up to 100 feet wide and interlock with neighboring redwood trees.

Imagine a wide root system spread out underground giving it stability above ground through strong winds, earthquakes, storms, and floods. Their scientific name attests to their durability; sequoia sempervirens, which means “evergreen or everlasting.”

Roots are vitally important because they provide nutrients and stability. This is true in our spiritual life as well. However, their only as strong as the source of their strength.

dark night of the soul

Recently, I went through what could be described as a ‘dark night of the soul.’ The built up of stress at work revealed unresolved trauma from the past and erupted as severe anxiety coupled with depression for over a month. I was off work during that time and ended up making a prayerful decision to resign from a job I was at for 9 years that I viewed more as ministry than work.

However, when mechanisms are not in place to support staff, burnout usually follows. It was one of the hardest experiences I’ve been through. I’m still processing what led me to that place, the loss, the disappointment, but most importantly, discovering new depths in my relationship with God.

There’s always hope when we cry out to the God who loves us and who has promised to never leave us. And this love can reach us in varied ways. One of the ways God comforted and sustained me was through my friends. These friends prayed for me, nurtured me, fed me, listened to me, encouraged me, and presented the light of love in what felt like the darkest of nights, at the time. I know I would’ve made it through even if I was alone, but I wonder how long that would have taken. There is a reason why God once said that it is not good for man to be alone.

fellowship & unity

One of my takeaways from that recent experience is the value and necessity of fellowship with other like-minded believers. Just like the redwoods whose root system is comprised of the interlocked roots of many trees; our strength is found in unity of the faith. There were several key practices, many which were done daily, that contributed to the stability of the early Church and that can model that unity.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

When you fellowship with other believers, especially around the intimacy of a familial table, you’re taking the time to invest in getting to really know each other and share life’s journey, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You value each other, stir one another to love and good works, build each other up, you worship, pray, and learn together, and you share in the communion of Christ’s death, and meet each other’s needs. From this safe place you venture into ministry. On the other hand, a life lived in isolation breeds hopelessness, loneliness, and weakness.

rooted takeaways

  • We are connected to each other.
  • What we consume affects our brothers/sisters in Christ.
  • If we stay connected, we will get through life together.
  • The source of our strength holds our position and posture.

We’re living in a time when ‘church’ as we’ve known it may change and the call back to small intimate gatherings in homes may be necessary. With this in mind, I encourage you to begin to build some intimate relationships with brothers and sisters and start with a simple dinner around a table. This is what I now value and know to be necessary.

Bible Study, Devotional

Secrets of the Redwood Forest (Tall Tales)

October 8, 2022
Redwoods along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Northern California. Photo / Ibelisse Sanchez (2022)

 

the tallest trees in the world

The redwood forest is a fairytale to visit. It has centuries of secrets throughout its cinnamon-red bark tree groves, whispered like fireflies ready to be caught. Some of the massive trees in the forest are as old as 2000 plus years; mere saplings destined to scrape the skies in the Northern Hemisphere when Jesus walked this earth.

Redwoods can grow to 350 feet tall. There’s much happening between the ground and the crown of the redwood. Simply standing next to these giants is quite humbling. We can’t help to look up at these tall trees in admiration. They hover over us as nature’s guardians.

I can only imagine the Earth’s quake when they fall. That was their great peril many moons ago when logging was rampant in Humboldt County of Northern California. Chopping down a redwood tree wasn’t an easy task in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before electric saws were invented, this was done with axes and hand saws, which took days to complete.

What was left behind in that early period of logging the coastal redwoods was a forest floor filled with headstones of old-growth tree stumps. The cut stumps revealed the secret of how long the trees had lived. The top of a tree stump has concentric rings, with light-colored rings representing growth occurring in the spring and early summer, and dark rings representing wood that grows in the late summer and fall. The combination of one light ring plus one dark ring would equal one year of life for the tree. In the mid-1850s, redwood forests covered 2,000,000 acres of the California coast. By 1910, conservation efforts began to preserve the remaining redwood trees. By 1968, 90% of the trees that stood the test of time had been logged. Today, these old-growth redwoods comprise only 39,000 acres, located in the Redwood National and State Parks.

a king, a dream, and a tall tree

Trees are quite predominant in nature and in the Bible. Around 2500 years ago Nebuchadnezzar was king over the Neo-Babylonian Empire (605 – 562 B.C.); a pagan warrior-ruler-builder who wreaked havoc on his enemies. He destroyed the Kingdom of Judah, Solomon’s temple, and led its people into captivity to Babylonia. Among the exiles was Daniel, a young Jew from Jerusalem taken captive who proved to be quite useful to the king with the interpretation of dreams (when the king wasn’t throwing him into a fiery furnace for refusing to serve other gods or worship the golden image the king had set up).

One night, Nebuchadnezzar saw terrifying images and visions while lying in bed and none of the wise men of the land could interpret the dream. Sorcerers and soothsayers, diviners, and Chaldeans came to him and couldn’t reveal its meaning.

The king dreamt of a tree that grew strong, and its height reached the heavens above and could be seen all over the earth. Then an angelic watcher, a holy one come from heaven appeared and shouted:

“Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the animals flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind change from that of a human
And let an animal’s mind be given to him,
And let seven periods of time pass over him.
This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And He grants it to whomever He wishes
And sets over it the lowliest of people.”

Daniel 4:14-17

Nebuchadnezzar is a color monotype print with additions in ink and watercolor portraying the Babylonian king by English poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake (1757-1827). Photo / Tate Gallery in Great Britain

Daniel interpreted the dream and gave the king a decree. He revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that he was the tree that became great and strong, whose dominion reached far and wide. He was the tree to be chopped down to the stump, to be driven from his people, to live among wild animals, to be given the mind of an animal, and eat grass like an ox, for 7 years. But Daniel also advised him to renounce his sins and wickedness by doing what was right and kind.

King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t heed Daniel’s wise counsel and a year later he was walking on the roof of his royal palace and prideful words leaped from his heart and rolled off his tongue.

“Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you.”

The frightful dream was fulfilled.

And at the end of 7 long years, King Nebuchadnezzar looked up to the heavens and his sanity was restored and he praised the Most High. The restoration of his honor, his splendor, and his throne followed suit. Daniel 4 not only includes the king’s dream, but a testimony of his pride, God’s glorious and miraculous power and reign, and his merciful restoration.

tall tale takeaways for spiritual growth and freedom

In working with formerly incarcerated clients, I’ve found a common denominator: self-serving decision-making without regard to God or others will lead to bondage, both physically (sometimes with a prison sentence) and spiritually. The latter is much worse than the former, with the possibility of lasting an eternity without true repentance. Below are a few keys to freedom that will lead to a life set apart for God, His ways, His plans, and His glory.

1) Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, not your own.

Nebuchadnezzar was focused on building his own kingdom and exalting his own name. And in his chase after the things of this world, he neglected the oppressed. After interpreting the dream of the tree to the king, Daniel earnestly advised him to repent of his sins and help the oppressed and he failed to do that, causing the gavel of justice to come down. This incessant striving to build and exalt our own kingdom is rampant in this technological age and has become a spiritual pandemic. John Calvin once said that it is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. That should be our sole desire and pursuit. God promised that He would take care of the rest.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

(Matthew 6:3, NASB)

2) Pride leads to insanity and destruction, humility to peace and prosperity.

While the Kingdom of God includes His supreme reign over all, it innately also includes His thoughts and ways of being, which are naturally not our thoughts and ways. In seeking God’s kingdom, we are also in pursuit of aligning with His heart and mind. Prideful, self-aggrandizing thoughts and subsequent behaviors can lead to mental health and emotional issues. Our minds are literally lost in the world of self and are unable to hear or see anything else. This leads to an inflated sense of power and corrodes personal and social relationships. This is what King Nebuchadnezzar experienced. God wisely counsels us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, so that He will lift us up in due time.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18, NLT)

Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward. (Proverbs 16:18, TPT)

3) God is merciful and sovereign; therefore, judge not.

When God decreed Nebuchadnezzar’s 7-year sentence for having a prideful heart, he didn’t completely destroy him or his kingdom. He simply humbled him because he would not humble himself. Leaving the stump and its roots imprisoned in a band of iron and bronze, represented God’s mercy toward him. In nature, trees can grow back from a cut stump. If the root system has enough remaining nutrients, then the impossible becomes possible. For some of my formerly incarcerated clients, the prison was their saving grace. Everything they pridefully pursued was stripped from them, and like a cut tree stump, they waited behind bars, sought the Lord, and were freed spiritually before they were freed physically.

In the Bible, we learn that the ‘Year of Jubilee’ released those from debts and all kinds of bondage; prisoners, captives, and all slaves were released, debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. This occurred after seven cycles of seven years, or after 49 years. King Nebuchadnezzar was completely restored after 7 years. And as He works with us and through and for us in our weakness, we too can shout, “Grace, grace,” like the prophet Zechariah, as God lays the capstone Jesus Christ in our new heart-temple.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will show clemency on whom I will show clemency. (Exodus 33:19, Jubilee Bible 2000)

Devotional

No Other Substitute Will Do

August 31, 2019

For the past several years I’ve been a case manager at a correctional halfway house with countless federal offenders who leave their respective prisons from all over the United States, enter our facility for a time, and exit into society—our shared community.

Each individual man or woman reacts to their time under custody in different ways. Some, it seems, never changed the mindsets that led them there, while others have made a 180-degree turn. The in-betweens are struggling to make life changes. Some have been broken and humbled and others have been traumatized beyond imagination.

I was talking to one of the latter for close to an hour in my office one day. This individual was beyond frustrated and needed to vent. It was quite intense, to say the least. Although I was at peace in spirit, I could see that the individual was not. This person was imprisoned for over a decade and committed countless disciplinary infractions, many violent, while incarcerated—the most I’ve ever heard of. They spanned two pages long.

The individual was transferred to a supermax prison for the last two years of custody, housing prisoners inclined to violence toward other prisoners and staff. Under its roof were terrorists, bombers, cartel leaders, and organized crime figures.

And there, across from me, sat this individual, who was not only trapped by the physical tentacles of that prison and its inmates but also trapped by the darkness within, pouring forth from trembling lips. Corrupt and lifeless were self-descriptors. All I could do was listen as time and a few soft-spoken words attempted to quiet the demons.

As I sit here replaying that hour in my mind, I wonder, why me, why now. And the answer comes, If not me, who? And in the words of Primo Levi, If not now, when?

We live in a material world of flashy lights and deceptive smoke, greedy glitter, and never-ending entertainment that attempts to inject a happy serum in us and distract us from a dark, spiritual reality. This reality even tries to masquerade as light, as good. Heaven and earth testify through their groaning that evil shares a common living space with us.

I saw that deep darkness take hold of a human from the inside out.

I looked into their eyes and saw the depth of its grip.

And then I saw something else.

I saw a spark of hope as healing truth dribbled out. It had been planted in that soul and took root and broke through the darkness carrying the potential of a mustard seed.

There is a darkness that lurks and connives, penetrating into the human soul not visible to the human eye, until we see its effects.

And it will take God’s light to expose it.

And it will take God’s light bearers to pierce it.

And it will take God’s love to lead the way.

No other substitute will do.

Devotional

Prisoner of Hope

January 2, 2019

I’ve realized that sometimes when you’re doing a good thing, the enemy throws a monkey wrench to mess things up, and sometimes it just feels like he throws a torpedo at us, right? Like it comes out of left field and we’re blindsided.

So for me, fear was thrown into the mix when I was taking care of my loving grandparents years ago. At the same time I was taking care of them, I experienced emotional abuse from someone close to me and the torment I felt was relentless. The person inflicting the abuse was also experiencing fear of their own and fear breeds torment. 

The fear felt like my feet were petrified in cement and I didn’t see a way out of it.

Fear had become the silent dictator in my life. I was literally walking on eggshells every day for years, bowing to fear.

And even after my grandparents went to be with the Lord, and my caretaking years were over, and I was set free from the emotional abuse, I didn’t know how to live in freedom because I had grown accustomed to living as a prisoner.

After fifteen years of being a caretaker at home, I was thrust into the workforce. I began working with federal prisoners at a halfway house and I was still grieving all my losses.

At the same time, this new season in my life was like a three-year exhale for me. It was as if God was allowing the eye of the storm to hover over me. When a hurricane initially passes over land, the eye of the storm brings calm but when the back end of the storm reaches you, you’re caught up in some terrifying, strong winds.

And then it happened! The tail end of the storm came. I experienced my first panic attack at work. And the torment was back. That experience had me face to face with the fears and emotional pain I had stuffed into the depths of my soul.

The anxiety attacks, as difficult as they were, served the purpose of testing my faith and to show ME, not God, what I was made of. Because God already knew.

God is concerned that we know so that we can confront our struggles and not repress them, so that we can hand them over to Him for transformational healing.

God can allow and use a difficult experience to ruffle our feathers so to speak, to make us uncomfortable so that we don’t stay where we are in complacency, whether it’s habitual negative behaviors, feelings or thoughts.

He doesn’t want any of us to be a captive to our feelings, despite our circumstances. And He works with us, and He’s patient, and He knows exactly when enough is enough.

Some of us cry, punch a pillow, or scream to release our feelings. And sometimes we try to release them in ways that harm ourselves and others or both, through sex, addictions or violence. But as much as we try to get rid of them, sometimes they just linger, and fester, and root themselves in our souls and sometimes they paralyze us and don’t let us move forward in our relationship with God, in our relationships with each other and in our callings.

When we stay in a comfort zone it keeps us stagnant and it doesn’t increase our faith. Looking back, I can thankfully say that the anxiety I experienced was used as a catalyst for freedom. It challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, to move forward in my spiritual journey.

I believe that God is calling us out of our settlements, our comfort zones, our fears, our pain, and even our security, if it is anything or anyone beside God. And sometimes He does that through divine interruptions.

Some of you may feel like you’re stuck in your feelings or in your circumstances, like there’s no way out, like you can’t control them, or make them go away?

MIRACLE AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA

In the beginning of chapter five in the Gospel of John, we find a story of people gathered at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. They were by the pool because they were sick, they were blind, they were lame, they were withered, but most importantly, they were WAITING to be healed!

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

According to the biblical text, it says that an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water and whoever got in first was made well.

Many of the old Greek manuscripts that our English version was translated from don’t have verses 3-5. And some biblical commentators propose that those pools were associated with pagan temples nearby and that the expectation for healing wasn’t from the God of Israel but other gods.

And it made me think about how we are quick to dip into the pool of this world for answers to our problems, for healing for our conditions. The world offers scores of ideas, tips, tricks, and methods for emotional healing but do they really hold the keys to our healing?

There was one particular man there at the pool who had been ill for 38 years. Verse 6 says, When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”

The sick man answered, “Sir, I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Some of us are scratching our heads and saying, wrong answer. The sick man didn’t exactly answer the way we would have expected, right?! He was supposed to say, YES! I want to be made well!

But that’s easy for us to say when it wasn’t us in that situation.

But guess what, he is us.

Can we honestly say we haven’t waved away God’s offer for healing because we were stuck in believing that our deliverance, our wholeness comes from something or someone other than Jesus?

How many times have we made excuses to God because we really didn’t have a full revelation of who Jesus really is? Jesus introduced Himself and His authority to the sick man but the sick man didn’t know who he was!

12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.

We look to exercises and breathing techniques and therapy for relief and all that can help temporarily but it isn’t the answer.

It’s not how we breathe but what we breathe.

It’s not about physical posture but where we stand.

It’s not what we say, but what He says.

It’s not how we feel, but what He reveals.

Jesus simply said to the sick man…

Get up.

Pick up your mat.

And walk.

Get up.

Notice that Jesus didn’t respond to what the sick man said to him about not having someone to put him in the pool at the stirring of the waters. The sick man was stuck in his past thinking and believing. He didn’t realize that his wholeness was standing right in front of Him. Jesus refused to leave Him there. He simply commanded freedom for the sick man.

Pick up your mat.

Don’t settle into your toxic emotions. Don’t accept it! “This is just the way I am, this is my personality, this is my lot in life.” No! Jesus has something better for you. He has a new land for you to abide in.

And walk. 

This wasn’t really about walking physically. Jesus is way more concerned with us walking in faith. He’s concerned with setting the captives FREE, free from the clutches of sin, the torment of fear, our fiery anger, an unforgiving heart, the control of our emotions.

That’s why He tells us to walk. So that we can know that we’re FREE. That spiritual walk is done in faith. You can be in a wheelchair and be the FREEST person alive and you can be trotting the globe and be a prisoner spiritually.

Jesus asks us to walk. Why? Because He’s taking us toward our destination—into His presence.

OUT OF OUR SETTLEMENTS, INTO HIS PROMISED LAND

Jesus is saying to us, these toxic, incarcerating emotions, isn’t where I want you settled. LOVE, HOPE, FAITH that is our inheritance! That is the promised land and its treasures! That is what we’re walking toward in faith. If Jesus is not there, that is not your promised land!

The promised land is not a place, it’s a person! It’s God’s presence. God Himself is your promised land. It isn’t about an earthly plot of land, or a spouse, or success, or fortune, or homes, or children. He is your treasure and your great reward!

Jesus isn’t settling for you being a captive to your emotions and neither should you! He has so much more. But we have to be willing to do our part and walk away from the lies, our past, our fears.

And when we walk away from all that in faith, we may walk away with scars from our battles but we’re given a treasure that doesn’t compare to what we lost.

And you know what? The sick man’s healing wasn’t the best God had for him.

The best God has for you and me is the revelation of knowing Jesus and that only happens when we get up, pick up our mats, and walk into a deeper relationship with the God who offers us the keys to freedom from the grip of our emotions.

LOVE, HOPE, FAITH

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected and influence each other. So you can’t deal with your emotions without assessing what you’re thinking about, what you believe, and what you’re doing.

Feelings are usually driven by three thoughts:

  1. What you think about yourself.
  2. What you think about what someone else said/did or didn’t do for or to you.
  3. What you think about what God did/didn’t do for you?

I think its safe to say that toxic feelings usually stem from a relational issue. And I believe that it’s a relational issue that will solve it!

So the first key to freedom that God offers us from the grip of toxic or controlling emotions is relational and it involves our relationship with God.

The 1st key is love.

We’re all going to feel angry, lonely, sad, and scared sometimes. But I’m persuaded that the root of our emotional imbalances, meaning, feeling too much anger, too much fear, too much sadness, too much loneliness, is not knowing we are LOVED!

There’s ONE relationship that can fix that. God’s love is perfect. There are no holes in it, no lack, no fickleness. It’s faithful, it’s sacrificial, it’s always thinking about what’s best for us.

If God is for you, WHO can be against you? It may feel like the world is against you, out to get you but God is there. He is the ONLY CONSTANT in your life and the one that can meet all of your emotional needs and then some.

So why not get to know the person that knows us better than ourselves? Why do we run to others for healing, why do we listen to half-truths instead of what God says?

God wants you to know Him as your Father—the One who loves you, protects you, provides for you, withholds no good thing from you and has your best interest at heart.

Ask Him to reveal Himself to your heart. Prioritize spending time with Him alone. That’s been a huge key in my freedom. Knowing that I’m His dear daughter has been a game changer! I’ve learned to trust Him as I’ve gotten to know Him deeper.

The 2nd key is hope.

The 2nd key is hope because hope fuels faith. One of the ways I continue to get to know my Father is through His word. Saturate your mind with the truth of who God is and who He says you are. And intentionally turn of all the other negative voices in your life.

Without good news, what do people have to hope in? God offers you good news to give you hope; to shine a light in the midst of your darkness. That good news is found in His word. Make a habit to be in His word!

The 3rd key is faith.

The struggle over your emotions ends when you choose to BELIEVE the Truth found in His word—what Jesus did for you and how much He loves you.

The fight of faith isn’t to fight your emotions but to BELIEVE!  Position yourself to believe by knowing the Truth, because faith comes by hearing and hearing WHAT? The word of God!

When you find yourself in the chaos of human weakness and the whirlwind of emotions, remember this, God is constant! God is faithful! God never leaves you! God loves YOU! Find your safe space in Him! Settle into His truth and the mind of Christ will influence your emotions and set you free.

I want you to become a prisoner with me, but this time we’re not held captive by fear, or depression, or pain, or our past but by hope.

… prisoners of hope is what we’ll be.

This post was adapted from a talk I gave for the first time at a women’s brunch in Chicago this past December after years of the enemy trying to silence my voice through fear. 

Devotional

Son-rising

November 17, 2018

We are overwhelmingly aware of all sorts of things. Today’s technological advances have aided the delivery of despairing news from all around the world—tragedies, threats of war, and terrorism that attempt to consume us. It camps in our mind, affects our behaviors and influences our words. The darkness that surrounds us is thick. The darkness within, even thicker. It often feels like nothing can penetrate this oppression.

Yet, there is hope.

Matthew 2:1-2 says that at the time of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the east saw Jesus’ star rising in the sky. There was a star rising but it wasn’t an earthly star. It was the bright and morning star.

The Son was rising.

These wise men were following ‘His’ star in the night sky. They were used to that. God spoke to them in a way they understood. These spiritual priests or advisors were also known as magi, experts in astronomy, astrology, and natural science. But on that grand day when Jesus was born, God led them to the most glorious Light the earth has ever known. And it wasn’t the star in the sky. They were led to Jesus Himself, the hope for a world caught in the throes of darkness.

Jesus is …

The star that ushers hope into our broken and desperate souls.

The star that reveals the authority of truth amidst the tyranny of confusion.

The star that heals with His presence as torment releases its grip.

The magi witnessed for themselves that the true Light of the world had come. The sun, the moon and the stars paled in comparison to the Light that dispels spiritual darkness. By nature, Jesus’ life brings hope, healing, and the revelation of truth.

When His Light comes, darkness must flee.

Darkness is hard at work being what it is. Darkness doesn’t understand how to be light. All it knows, lives and breathes is darkness—an oppressive darkness that keeps us blind and chained. But, take heart. Even if there is devastation and destruction all around you, the Son is rising with healing in His wings.

The Son is rising in the hearts of many seekers.

If you’ve been looking to the lesser lights of this world for counsel and comfort and still feel darkness nipping at your heels, all you have to do is allow the true Light to enter your heart. His Light will shine in you and through you.

The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua, which means, “the Lord is salvation.”

Reach out for Him in faith, even in the midst of darkness.

Your rescuer is near.