Proper Alignment

Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
Proverbs 8:34 NKJV

Every time I read this verse, I think of Joshua, son of Nun. I know I've mentioned it before - how he waited at the entrance every time Moses went to meet with God. Always serving Moses, obedient and attentive to his every directive. Joshua knew his place, his position and his purpose. And he served in each with excellence.

There is no record of Joshua moaning and groaning about his position. He did NOT bring back a bad report or commiserate with the other ten spies who said they were like grasshoppers in their own eyes. He aligned himself with what the Lord had declared, and would profess nothing less.

Do we serve God the same way? Do we align ourselves to be in His presence at every opportunity? Do we align our mouths to say only what God has to say about any given situation? Do we align our spirits to say "Yes, Lord!" at His every expectation of us? If not, why not? These are not rhetorical questions. Stop and think about how you will answer.

Prayer:

Father,
            O that it would be said of us that we listen, watching daily at Your gates, waiting at the posts of Your doors. What wisdom we would glean! Help us, Father, to make it be so! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Announcing the Launch of my book - He Promised.

I am pleased to announce that my new book "He Promised" is available for order online at West Bow Publishing:

https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/822560-he-promised?fbclid=IwAR1ClUySNuAY42iwJSL3hNrkxdYiSmZMXykfK7kOFrk3U6VKULrZPrBY5G8

It is also available on Amazon at: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1664234357/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ISBN%20%3A%209781664234352&qid=1630416952&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR3aeZ5PBPT2X3T6IRlKo5QHej7aJ5Qmge17UkRnYV-jVofezP420Zkke6Q

Within 10-15 days, it will be available on Barnes and Noble and will also be available in an e-book format. 

Thank you for your support over the years!

Blessings,

Andréa deCento

I Never Thought of That

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalm 139:16-18 NLT

On the days when I wonder what in the world is going on, I am comforted by this passage. It reminds me there IS a Master plan. I may not know what it is, but I know WHO made it and I choose to trust Him no matter what. 

And one of almost everyone's favorites, Jeremiah 29:11 NLT - "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."  I know I've used that Scripture reference LOTS of times. He's telling His people, "Yes, you are being held captive and will be for 70 years!"  It's not our first, second, or even third choice but there is great comfort in remembering the Lord said, "I know the plans I have for you..."  

There is even greater comfort in realizing that at NO TIME has God ever said, "I never thought of that." Let that sink in...then give Him praise.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You that You are ever mindful of us and what is best for our lives as we follow You. Even though we don't always understand Your ways, we are so glad You have thought of everything. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us. Help us to continue to walk in Your peace through every storm, knowing that You have thought of everything. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A REMINDER of Blessed Assurance

[Moses speaking to Joshua] Be strong and courageous. Don’t tremble! Don’t be afraid of them! The Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 GWT

Sometimes we're faced with overwhelming facts in our lives - whether at work or at home. Or the doctor's office calls with the results of the tests... and they're not good. Be strong and courageous.

How? How can we be strong? How can we not meltdown in the face of great adversity to ourselves or to our loved ones? Let me point out a big truth to you. The Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you. Wrap that Truth around you like a favorite blanket.

We live in a fallen world, but we do not serve a fallen God. He will never fail you. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is a God who cannot lie. So, if you are in (or if you're walking into) the biggest battle of your life, KNOW this TRUTH - know HIS Truth... I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. 

Blessed Assurance...

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your Truth. Thank You for the times You give us a heads up about what's going to happen. And for those times that we're blindsided, thank You, Father, that we can have peace in knowing that You are NOT blindsided. Nothing takes You by surprise. Thank You for Your promise to be with us always. Help us to walk confidently in the blessed assurance that You go before us, surrounding us in Your love and protection. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

All Gone

To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61: 2c-3 NKJV

I think this may be one of the most often, overlooked promises in God's Word. We are quick to grab onto beauty for ashes - especially when we are going through a trial by fire - but do we fully comprehend what that means?

We tend to think that it has something to do with rising up out of the ashes, like the phoenix. That somehow God will take the ashes of our burned-out lives, our burned-up dreams, and use what's left to rebuild. No, I don't think so.

It doesn't say He will give us beauty FROM the ashes. It says He will give us beauty FOR ashes. He's not making something out of the old stuff. When we bring Him the ashes of our lives, He gives us something beautiful in exchange. When we understand that, we are able to better comprehend the miracle of being made new. 

2nd Corinthians 5:17 NKJV tells us, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. In other words, the ashes are gone.

Prayer:

Father,

           Open our eyes of understanding to see the Truth of Your Word. We give You glory and honor and praise for the beauty we have received in exchange for the ashes of our past lives. Thank You for making us new. Give us the courage and the strength to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Praying for You

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT

Life is hard. Sometimes, we just need someone to pray for us - to stand in the gap. If you're in that place, be comforted by reading again and embracing some of the powerful prayers that have been prayed for you by Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and John, the Revelator.

[Jesus praying] John 17:20-26 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

[Paul praying] Ephesians 1:15-20 NLT, Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

[John, the Elder, praying] 3 John 2, Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

[Paul praying] Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT, When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Father,
           Help us to believe and receive all these. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

God is Our Shelter

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

Neighborhoods closest to the refinery were issued a Shelter-In-Place warning. What Shelter-in-Place means: This is not the same thing as going to a shelter in case of a storm. It is a precautionary procedure aimed to keep you safe during a chemical release or similar incident. Shelter-in-place does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building. It means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there, preferably above ground because chemicals tend to be heavier than air and will settle to the ground. All intakes and HVAC systems are to be turned off. All windows and doors covered with plastic sheeting and taped - emergency food and water supplies, etc. The idea is to protect you from danger and contamination until they sound the All Clear horn. And as hot as it gets in Texas, we are advised if we're in our car to get up under some sort of shade.

It got me thinking about God being our shelter and finding rest in His shadow. If we get up under His wings, we are safe from all harm and all contamination. Nothing will get to us, and we don't have to worry about suffocation - He is the breath of life! And He's going to tell the angel to blow the All Clear horn and we will be able to go home. Are you sheltering in place? In the RIGHT place?

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for orchestrating our days so that You are glorified in all things. Thank You for Your hand of protection and provision in our day-to-day lives. Lord, we give You all praise and honor and glory due You. Keep us ever mindful of Your love and care for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Singing Your Way Out

My friend, David Jackson, wrote the following and I want to share it with you. He is one of the Godliest, most humble men I know.

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“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.” Psalm 57.7

[King] David begins this Psalm by crying out for God’s mercy and seeking refuge under the shadow of His wings “until these calamities have passed by” (v 1). Even a brief reading of the Psalms reveals how often David was discouraged by the calamities incurred from those who opposed him. His chief discouragement wasn’t so much the political opposition of those nations seeking to overthrow Israel as it was the friends, family and fellow countrymen that misunderstood and betrayed him. This noticeably frequent calamity is expressed in Psalm 55.12-14: “For it is not an enemy who taunts me – then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me – then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.” Beyond the betrayal of close friends, David experienced the much deeper pain of family betrayal when his son Absalom attempted to overthrow his own father with a political coup (2 Samuel 15-18). The overwhelming grief of this situation was multiplied beyond measure when Absalom met with the promised Scriptural demise of those who so dishonor their parents (Proverbs 30.17). David’s grief was captured in a tearful lament: “O my son Absalom – my son, my son Absalom – if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18.33).

David was deeply acquainted with heart-rending discouragement. But he had a secret for repairing a ravaged heart: singing! In his deepest despair, while experiencing his most piercing pain, David’s heart was steadfastly committed to praising God through song. In the same way Paul and Silas, with scourged backs and chained limbs, took refuge under the shadow of Jesus’ wing and sang their way out of a Roman prison cell, so David would heave his broken heart into the heavens on the wings of musical notes and passionate lyrics to be gently caught and cradled by the One Whose love and encouragement he desired most. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73.25-26). In those moments when David felt most forsaken, he found that God was his refuge and strength, a very personal, very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46.1). The catastrophic calamities that often characterized his life served to focus him on the one true thing a man after God’s own heart really craves: communion with God. “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27.4-5).

David’s secret is ours to share. Keep your hymn book handy. Beginning with your daily morning devotional, which is non-negotiable, “come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100.2) and continually enter His gates with songs of thanksgiving and praise all day long, especially when the calamities are most crushing and your heart is most discouraged. Do your homework ahead of time and find those Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs that are a worthy offering of truth and beauty and that best capture your heart’s desires and prayers. Have them close at hand, ready to pull out at a moment’s notice and, as best you can under the circumstances, resort to a quiet place where you can sing and make melody in your heart to the One who will never leave nor forsake you – the One who loves you more than friends, family or compatriots – the One whose encouragement will sustain you when all others forsake you. Let David’s steadfast heart resolution be yours: “I will sing and give praise.” There in that holy place, your heart can find healing and the hope to carry on.

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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the people You put in our path to encourage us and point us toward You. Thank You for every song You have inspired in mankind to lift our hearts in praise to You. Thank You that we only have to make a joyful noise to come into Your presence. We have so much to praise and thank You for! Bless my friend, David, and his wife. and their children. and all their generations till You call us home. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It's Not Easy

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 

James 4:13-18 The Message

It's not always easy dealing with people. We're flawed. We flounder. We fail. It's hard work to get along with each other, but SO worth it! Colossians 3:15b tells us, For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Prayer:

Father,

            Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where was God?

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 NKJV

We all want to know why bad things happen, and especially when they happen to people we perceive as good. Usually, the first question people ask is "Where was God?".   

God - whose ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours, that we can't possibly know or understand the whys and wherefores of life. What we CAN do is choose to trust a God who is Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omniscient (all-knowing), and Omnipresent (all-present). What we CAN do is remember that this world is not the end-all, be-all of our existence. What we CAN do - according to His Word in 2nd Corinthians1:3-5 - is take the comfort God gives to us and give it to others.

What we can and MUST do is remember that Jesus went through it first. He was the only sinless man to walk this Earth and yet we crucified Him. He wasn't guilty of anything, yet He died a horrible death to pay for our sins. Where was God in all that? He was right there - God with us.

Prayer:

Father,

         Open the eyes of our understanding to see You and to know that we can trust You in all things. In the words of the old song, we thank You for the mountains and we thank You for the valleys. We thank You for the storms You've brought us through. Most of all, Father, we thank You that through it all, You are with us. Keep us ever mindful of Your presence. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

By Request

 ...as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee...

Joshua 1:5b KJV

When I was little, my mother kept a little container full of Bible verses on the kitchen table, and every day, we'd all pick one. The Promise for Today is one of the first Scripture pieces I committed to memory. I've mentioned it before - I'd fallen through the glass door of my mother's china closet, yet God had protected me. When it was all said and done, I picked a verse from the box and Joshua 1:5b was the text. It went immediately into my memory and has stayed there all these years.

It's one of those verses I hear when I need to be reminded that God is with me. He promised. Until recent years, I'd never really done a study on Moses' life, so I don't think I fully understood the commitment God was making to Joshua at the time. Nor did I grasp the depth and wealth of that promise.

Today, as I face yet another challenge in my life, I was reminded. A sweet and loving reminder of a lifelong promise God made - not only to Joshua - but to me, as well. And He finishes that verse with,  I will never fail thee, nor forsake thee.

And just like Moses refused to go one step if God wasn't going with him, I don't want to, either. So, based on His Word - His promise - it's not a matter of me asking God, Are You with me? He's already promised that He will never leave me, nor forsake me. It's more a question of God asking us, "Are you with Me?"

What's your answer?

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for the seeds of Truth You plant all through our lives, whether we are actively following You, or You are actively pursuing us to follow You.  Thank You that those truths are alive and bring forth good fruit in us. Help us to be moved only by You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

The Perfect Fit

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10 NLT

It's hard to find THE perfect clothing outfit for a special occasion. Some people start the process online, hoping to find what they want, where they want it, at a price that won't break their bank account before they go to purchase it. Others wear themselves to a frazzle jumping right into a shopping marathon, charging from one place to the next in pursuit of the perfect fit. Sometimes, you can see what you want, but they don't have it in your size or they can't get it until after the event will have taken place. 

That's just one more wonderful thing about Jesus! The event of our life looms large on the horizon and we'll need to be dressed properly for it.  He clothes us with His salvation and His robe of righteousness. It is the only TRUE one size fits all. No matter our size or shape, no matter the weight of our sin, no matter the load we carry, or if we come without... His salvation, His robe of righteousness covers each of us perfectly. 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for making provision for us to be invited and able to attend the grandest wedding of all time. Thank You for providing everything we need to be able to be there. Open our eyes and our hearts to see and know You and Your best intentions and plans for us.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

No Panic

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
Proverbs 12:25 NLT

My pastor - Alan Neel - posted this today - a timely message to share!

WEIGHED DOWN BY WORRY?

There are so many people who are weighed down by the worries of this world. How about some good news? 

There is absolutely no panic in Heaven today! God is not writhing His hands in despair, overwhelmed by the state of planet Earth. God has an eternal plan that enables us to live forever with Him in a drama-free, stress-free, worry-free environment. 

BE ENCOURAGED, GOD HAS A PLAN!

Prayer:

Father, 

          We declare according to Your Word in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we will trust in You with all our heart, and not depend on our own understanding. We will seek Your will in all we do so that You will show us which path to take. Help us to walk in unwavering faith AND trust, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Inestimable Value

Then I saw an incredibly powerful angel proclaiming with a great, loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and able to break its seven seals?” But no person could be found, living or dead, in all of creation -no one was worthy to open the scroll and read its contents. So I broke down weeping with intense sorrow, because there was found no one worthy to break open the scroll and read its contents. Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping. Look! The mighty Lion of Judah’s tribe, the root of David—he has conquered! He is the worthy one who can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And they were all singing this new song of praise to the Lamb: “Because you were slaughtered for us, you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. Your blood was the price paid to redeem us. You purchased us to bring us to God out of every tribe, language, people group, and nation.
Revelation 5:2-5, 9 TPT - The Passion Translation

Next to Jesus, who is your favorite person in the Bible? If we were to rank them according to their work done for the kingdom of God, who do you think would be the greatest? The Apostle Paul? How about John or Peter? What about Moses - the friend of God? Or David who is defined in Scripture as a man after God's own heart? We could make quite a list of their value to the Body of Christ - backed by Scripture.

The question then is, what is our value? Where would we fit in? We don't have chapters written about our value to the Body of Christ... or do we?

Value is decided by what someone would pay for it. And the amazing Truth is that Jesus paid the price for us - gave His life's blood to pay the ransom to redeem us from our sin and unworthiness. And He paid the same price for all of us - for Paul, John, Peter, Billy Graham... YOU. To the Father, your value was - and is - inestimable. Let's live like it.

Prayer:

Father,
           Your love never ceases to amaze us. We pray according to Your Word, that we may have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. That we would experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You. Now all glory to You, Father, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Open our eyes of understanding to know You more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Giving Everything

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.
Joshua 1:7-9 The Message

Somehow we got the idea that if something is from the Lord or it is God's plan, it would be easy. That's not true. That's the enemy of our souls twisting God's Word to try to deceive us.

The only thing Jesus said would be easy is His yoke (see Matthew 11:30), but it's still a yoke. And what is its purpose? To pair two together to get the job done. We are still paired up to do the WORK together. Are we going to try to coast through it or will we give it everything we've got, just like Jesus did? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.

Prayer:

Father,
Open our eyes to see Your Truth. Strengthen our hearts to do Your will. Give us the mind of Christ, too. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Keep On Keeping On

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 NLT

There is nothing about our Scripture reference today that indicates our Christian walk is a one-time pass-through event. There's no "I tried it once, it didn't work." There's nothing that indicates we'll get it right the first time or even the second. What does "keep on" mean to you?

Back in the 1960's "Keep on keeping on" was a popular phrase. A lot of people thought it originated with the Curtis Mayfield song, but in fact, Mayfield had taken the phrase from a Martin Luther King speech made in 1964. Given Mr. King's vocation, it is safe to assume it is a paraphrase of Scripture, more likely Philippians 3:14 where Paul talks about pressing on toward the prize. 

The point being, we don't try once and quit. We keep on asking. We keep on seeking. We keep on knocking. In the words of the old song, "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase. So bravely run the race till we see Christ." 

Let's keep on keeping on.

Prayer:

Father,

           Help us to be overcomers by the Blood of Jesus and the word of our testimonies. Be our Waymaker and our Strength. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen