She Believes 3 Devotion – Page 4

Faith June 16, 2025

Chemo Day

Chemo Day

Psalm 25:5
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Hello Sweet Friends

Today is my chemo day.
As I am sitting here I started to think about all of the things that God has taught me while I have been on this incredible journey. If it’s ok I would like share just a few of them with you.

1. God is in control. I may make plans, but it is truly God who orders my steps.
Proverbs 16:9
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
2. The Lord is my Shepherd and I am a sheep in His pasture. He has led me and guided me each step of the way. He is faithful.
Psalm 100:3
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his.^[a]We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
3. God is my protector. He has protected me and placed me in the hands of the best physicians for this disease that I am fighting. I truly trust His judgement for my life. He makes no mistakes.
2nd Thessalonians 3:3
³But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.^[a]
4. When I go through my storms and trials, God goes before me. He has people in place to support me and help me through the difficult times.
Deuteronomy 31:8
⁸Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
5. I should never take my family and friends for granted. They love me and they will be there for me when no one else will. I am so thankful for my support group.
6. Each and every day of life is a divine gift from God. Don’t even think about wasting it. So many didn’t get to see this day.
Psalm 90:12
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
7. Living my life with gratitude has helped me to see God in everything that I have gone through. Gratitude shuts the door to complaining. I could have it so much worse. I must remain grateful.
1st Thessalonians 5:18
¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
8. God has blessed me to extend my ministry about His kingdom to doctor’s offices, Oncology Centers, hospitals, and even family and friends. In my most difficult time, God has used me in my weakness to experience and reflect His strength working through me. He has given me an opportunity to share Him with so many. My pain has purpose, but I have to stay close to Him for my purpose to continue to be revealed to me. Also there are facets of His character that I would not have ever seen or experienced had I not been on this journey.
9. I can be smart and do as my doctors suggest, but I don’t have to accept the diagnosis as my final outcome. I choose to not only to have faith that God can heal me but that I am already healed.
God said by His stripes I am healed and I choose to believe I am healed.
Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded^[a] for our transgressions, He was ^[b]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes^[c] we are healed.
10. I must work and live my life each day with excitement and positive energy. I refuse to allow negative thoughts or negative people to cloud my judgement or cause me to doubt what God has already told me to be true.
11. I must continue to set goals and run the race that He has set before me. Because the battle is His and what a sweet victory it will be when my goals are achieved and more women’s lives are enriched.
12. I must be transparent with my story. If not who will grow from my testimony and my experience? And when I stand to tell my story trust me, God and only God will receive All of the glory.
Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
13. God has given me the strength for each new day. Thank you Lord! Only God could carry me through the unimaginable.
2nd Corinthians 12:9
⁹Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
14. God is a Master Encourager. He has gently whispered to me many times during this journey “Don’t be afraid”. Oh how soothing and comforting those words have been to me.
Genesis 15:1
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,^[a] your very great reward.^[b]”
15. God’s timing is perfect. I have seen it over and over through my journey. He is always right on time.
Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
16. He holds me in the very palm of His hands. He carries me through the storm. He’s got me. He will never leave or forsake me. Praise God!
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
17. Prayer works! God hears every single prayer. I have learned to give Him time to respond. His delay is not my denial. Prayer changes things, most importantly it has changed me. Thank you Lord!
James 5:13-15
¹³Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. ¹⁴Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
18. I am so grateful for the days years ago that I worked my business even when I didn’t feel like it. I am thankful for every sacrifice I made years ago and for every woman that said yes. and even those who said no. I grateful for the times that God gently whispered keep going. I am thankful that He encouraged me to push through. I am thankful that I obeyed. Who knew back then that my life’s journey would go this direction? I certainly didn’t. He was preparing me for the unseen.
Ladies work while you are healthy, strong and able. We don’t know what’s around the next curve. Most importantly
He has blessed me with an amazing group of women who have been there for me and cheered me on. I am truly blessed!
19. To have a wonderful Church Family is everything! Oh how I have been showered with prayers, Get Well cards, gift cards and food. I absolutely love my Church Family.
20. I trust God! I pray that when you encounter your trials that you will remember just how much God loves you, and that God is Always good whether you are on the mountain top or in the valley. His character is not changed by our circumstances Trust Him no matter what it looks like. Just know He has not forgotten you. He is faithful!

Love you and immensely grateful for you,
Marico

Relationships June 2, 2025

The Blessing Of Being With Family

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
² a time to be born and a time to die,
  a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
  a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
  a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
  a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
  a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
⁹What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

The past two weekends I have traveled out of town to be with family. One event was a Graduation celebration for my grand niece, and the other was with one hundred and fifty family members from all over the country. Both weekends were filled with fun food and lots of laughter, and we even attended Church together last Sunday.

What I realized at both events is how special time with family is. Our lives get so busy with work, chores and other commitments, that if we are not careful, over time we can easily start to grow further and further away from our family.

I work a lot, and I always have something on my calendar, but what I realized these last two weekends is that I need to stop more often and just enjoy life. I truly enjoyed being around my family and friends, I saw cousins, aunts nieces, nephews and uncles that I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I became acquainted with new little cousins that I had never met before. What a blessing it was just to take a moment and breathe, and to do something fun with those that I love most.

In God’s Word we are told to number our days. In other words, pay attention. Life is going by. Take time to find joy in each and every day. Also God’s Word tells us that there is a time for everything. When your family has set a time to gather, make a plan to be there. Don’t assume that there will be a next time. Make a plan today to do something fun with those that you love most. It may require some adjustments to your schedule but I promise it will be worth it. I think that when it’s over and everyone is going their separate ways you will be glad and grateful that you not only invested time in your family but also in yourself.

Prayers May 20, 2025

Peace Comes When We Surrender

²³When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
Mark 11:24
²⁴I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Have you ever been rolling along pretty content, and all of a sudden out of nowhere you were thrown a curveball? Well that happened to me yesterday. I have a goal that I have worked on all year to achieve by June 30th. The news that I received would interfere with the timing of completing that goal. It means what would have clearly taken two months to accomplish, now has to be completed in one month. And did I mention it has to do with my job? So clearly that would mean it’s a bit important.

I became so frustrated by the news that I received, that I almost let it ruin my entire day. This news was regarding a medical procedure that I was told that I needed to have. I tried really hard to get it scheduled past my goal date, but I couldn’t. I even made phone calls and sent text messages in the portal, and the answer from my doctor’s office was, “you need to do this as soon as possible”. I had wrestled with it long enough. Something inside of me knew that I needed to listen and not fight it anymore and definitely not ignore it. I didn’t want to live with the regret that having a hard head can sometimes bring.

In the very moment that I decided to listen, I said “Lord I release it to you. The only way I am going to reach this goal is with your help”.
When I look back on it I now realize that I simply did not want to relinquish control of what I thought was my plan and my schedule. Once again God has shown me that I am really not in control of my life. He owns it all. My life, my time, my plans and my schedule. When will I learn?

Today I feel much lighter, as I have decided to trust God’s timing and His provision for this set of unforeseen circumstances. This will be yet another opportunity for me to see how God will masterfully work His plan for my life. I know that I will be stronger and wiser on the other side of it all. I will continue to work towards my goal, in the time frame that I now have to work within. And I will be ok with God blessing my efforts as He sees fit.

It is truly amazing how much peace comes when we surrender our will to His will. Have you been wrestling with something that you need to surrender to God? Trust me when I tell you, you will not have true peace until you do. When you trust His timing, His plan and most importantly His love for you, you can never go wrong. Because He always unselfishly does what is best for us. Take a deep breath. Now Surrender!

Acts 17:28
28 “for in Him we live and move and have our being..”
1 Peter 5:6-7
⁶So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Proverbs 19:21
²¹You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
Romans 8:28
²⁸And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

She Believes 3 Devotion May 12, 2025

Do You Pray Believing?

²³When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
Mark 11:24
²⁴I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Earlier this week I had to go to a doctor’s appointment. My doctor’s office is connected to a very large hospital in my town. The parking lot is always full to capacity. I was in a hurry to get my car parked, because I was running late that morning. I didn’t know if I would have to fill out paperwork or not.

As I entered this very large parking lot I saw a sea of cars. I remember praying “Lord, please bless me to find a parking space up close to the office.

I drove by the side of the building where I was hoping to park and I saw not one available parking space. I kept driving and circle back to where I first entered the parking lot which was quite some distance and I decided that was too far out. I thought ok I will drive back and see if anyone has left. There was nothing.

I decided to keep driving past the emergency room entrance which was on the opposite side of the hospital entrance. As I was driving that direction the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Why are you way out here if you want a close parking spot? You prayed for it, so just believe and trust that I will give it to you”. When I got that divine download, I immediately turned my car around and headed back to the spaces at the entrance of my doctor’s office. And would you believe if I had not moved in that very second, I probably would have missed the perfect parking spot. As I approached the area where I was initially hoping to park, I saw a white car backing out. I couldn’t believe it. I immediately started to thank God for whispering to me just in time for me to witness His perfect timing at work. I was able to walk up one short ramp that led me straight to the door of the doctor’s office. It was perfect and I got into the office with a few minutes to spare.

Here are some things that I learned that day:

1. If you ask God for something, ask believing that it is done.

2. Be patient. Just because you don’t see it right now, that doesn’t mean that it’s not coming. God is working and we must remember that His timing is not like ours.

3. God hears the simplest of our prayers. Which tells me that if he is willing to deliver on something as small as a parking space, He is also working behind the scenes on the big things that we have been praying about. I just need to continue to be patient.

4. Praise God before He even delivers, by saying Lord I know that you can do this for me, and really believe it when you say it.

5. Praise Him afterwards, by giving Him a sincere praise for the victory. Always, always express your gratitude to God when He has blessed you. God loves it when we express our gratitude and acknowledge Him for our blessings.

6. Share your testimony. God loves for us to share with others how good He has been to us. It gives them encouragement and hope and it’s a reminder to us what he has brought us through.

¹⁵Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.
1 John 5:14
¹⁴And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

—

She Believes 3 Devotion April 28, 2025

The Lord Will Fight Our Battles

¹⁴The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
1 Samuel 17 46-47
⁴⁶This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Yesterday, I found myself in a situation that could have really gotten out of hand had I not chosen to hold my tongue. In my younger days, I would have probably lashed out in response to the negative and almost hostile treatment that I was encountering.

As I have grown spiritually, I have come to realize that I don’t always have to respond when I am being treated unfairly. I can fight on my knees, by going to God in prayer. When I take this approach, God actually steps in and fights for me and I come out victorious every time. You see I now realize that when these attacks just come out of nowhere, it’s Satan using another one of his tactics to throw me off my game, by upsetting my day. Well, my new response is “Not Today Satan”!

I can tell you that God did not delay this time. Within an hour, the problem was resolved, and the other person’s whole outlook had changed regarding the situation. And if that wasn’t enough, they were sending me a text being extremely kind, as though nothing had ever happened. When I tell you that God can flip the situation, believe me, because He truly can and He did.

Just think how differently things would have turned out had I chose to take matters into my own hands. What if I had blown up in response to the other person’s ugly behavior? I can assure you that I would have felt disappointed in myself as well as I would have been embarrassed before God, because I know better. Not only that, it could have brought a significant amount of damage to the relationship.

My whole point in sharing this with you today is to encourage you to trust God to work on your behalf when you are going through tough relational situations.

Pray, Pray, Pray! God will fight for you if you let Him, but it will require that you truly release it to Him.

There are times when speaking up for yourself or on behalf of others is the appropriate thing to do. Just know that the Holy Spirit will prompt you when it’s that time. Then there are other times when we just need to be prayerful and quiet, and truly, that’s when we will see the salvation of the Lord!

She Believes 3 Devotion April 19, 2025

The Account Of The Death, Burial And Resurrection Of Jesus

JESUS BETRAYED

Matthew 26:14
¹⁴Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests

Matthew 26:20-25
²⁰When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
²²They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
²³Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
²⁵Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Matthew 26:47-56
⁴⁷While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
⁵⁰Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”^[a]Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
⁵²“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.

JESUS ARRESTED

Matthew 26:57-68
⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”⁶²Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent.The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
⁶⁴“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a]

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸and said,

JESUS DENIED

Matthew 26:69-75
⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
⁷⁰But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
⁷¹Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
⁷²He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
⁷³After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
⁷⁴Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

JESUS CRUCIFIED

Mark 15:21-41
²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

²⁵It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
²⁷They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^[28]^[a] ²⁹Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
³³At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b]³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
³⁶Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
⁴⁰Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^[d] and Salome. ⁴¹In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

JESUS BURRIED

Mark 15:42-47
⁴²It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

JESUS IS RISEN

Luke 24:1-53
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸Then they remembered his words.

⁹When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹²Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
On the Road to Emmaus
¹³Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶but they were kept from recognizing him.
¹⁷He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
³⁶While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
³⁷They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate it in their presence.

⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. ⁵²Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

She Believes 3 Devotion April 13, 2025

Living In Uncertain Times

Living In Uncertain Times
Psalm 121

¹I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
²My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

So much has happened recently in our country. We have seen things changing with our economy, as well as the stock market plummeting and people losing their jobs. There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times. I know that these are the kinds of conditions that can cause fear and anxiety and even a loss of hope for some.

But this is what I know for sure. The Bible says that our God does not sleep or slumber. He sees it all, and nothing about what is happening in our world right now is a surprise or shock to Him. Believe me when I tell you that He will protect and provide for His children.

Always remember that our job as Christians is simply to trust and have faith that He will work it all out in His time. The how is up to Him. We must always, no matter the circumstances, keep our focus on God. He is our source of all that is good. He can restore the years that the locust has eaten away.

So you may be asking how will I make it through this season of economic turmoil? My answer to you is on your knees and in God’s Word, and simply by taking one day at a time. This is when we exercise our faith muscles, and through this process, I know in my heart we will see the salvation of the Lord!

Be sure to make praise a part of your daily routine, and although your circumstances may not change right away, your perspective will. Be blessed and be encouraged, God is with us and He is not sleeping!

⁹you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you,
“You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
¹⁰fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

She Believes 3 Devotion April 6, 2025

Peaceful Sleep And Sweet Dreams

Psalm 4:8

⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 23:1-3
¹The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Matthew 11:28
²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

In my lifetime I have had many restless nights. There have been times when I tossed and turned all night, only to realize that morning had come and I had not rested or slept at all. Stress and worry of course, are the culprits when this happens.

You see, the enemy wants us to feel tired and defeated. He wants us to think that whatever we are worried about will not be ok, and that there is no hope. Don’t forget he is the deceiver, he will lie to you. Be clear, his main strategy is to get you to doubt that God will come through for you.

As I have matured spiritually, my faith in God’s ability to protect, provide and take care of me and my family, has definitely increased to a whole new level.

Now, when I have situations that arise that are out of my control I simply say, “God will be up all night so I will let Him worry about it”. This may sound crazy but it really does help me to release whatever I am worried about to Him, so I can rest.

The other thing that I do is journal every night before I go to bed. When I get my concerns out of me and on paper, I feel lighter and not as weighed down. I also pray and read scriptures every night before I go to bed and that gives me a very peaceful sleep. Prayer + Scripture Reading +Journaling = Peace.

This is truly another way to have joy in the midst of your storm. Being able to function each day is very important, and in order to do so, we all need to get our rest. Don’t let the enemy rob you of your peace or your rest.

I have provided a list of questions below that may help you, if life currently seems overwhelming. Please take a few minutes to answer these questions.

1. Do you currently feel worried or overwhelmed about something?

2. Are you having a hard time releasing it?

3. Have you prayed about it but you have not totally given it to God?

4. Do you stay awake thinking about your problems at night?

5. Do you wake up tired or exhausted?

6. Do you have a consistent prayer life?

7. Do you consistently read your Bible?

8. Would you be open to journaling to process your feelings?

9. Do you have a wise Christian sister that you can talk to?

10. Do you truly trust that God will help you?

Praying that your nights will be very restful, and that your dreams will be very sweet!

She Believes 3 Devotion March 30, 2025

Morning Prayer

³Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Lord, thank you for allowing me to see this new day. I thank you for watching over me as I slept and slumbard last night.

As I start this glorious day that you have created, I ask you for guidance, direction and wisdom for every decision that I must make today.

Help me to move past any disappointments or hurts from yesterday, by forgiving those who may have caused me pain. Help me to see this day as a fresh start, and to embrace all that this day holds for me, being fully aware that you will only allow what is best for me.

Help me to be kind, loving and compassionate to all that I come in contact with this day. Lord allow your light to shine brightly through me today, that others might see you in me and desire to know more about you. Help me not to miss any opportunity to share the Good News with others, and to share with them how you have blessed my life.

As I start my work day, help me to work as unto you. Help me to do my best to honor you, by working at a level of excellence that will make you proud.

Lord, please reveal to me any opportunities that may be offered to me that I should take advantage of. I ask you to bless me with creative thoughts and ideas.

I pray that your favor is all over me wherever I go and with whomever I meet.

Help me to always handle my dealings with others with integrity and fairness. Help me to be honest no matter what.

I pray that you help me to make wise and healthy food choices, so that my body will be nourished and have the energy to do all that you would have me to do today. I pray that every cell in my body is totally healthy.

And lastly Lord, I pray for protection over me and my family from any hurt, harm or danger of any sort. Please watch over us and keep us safe from the fiery darts of the enemy. At the end of this day I ask you to please bless us to return home safely, and I ask all of these things in the Mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Psalm 143:8

⁸Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

Faith March 24, 2025

Deep Faith

11 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:6
⁶And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

After hearing someone’s story, have you ever thought that they had an incredible amount of faith? Maybe you feel that you are not as courageous or as patient at enduring hardships as others are. But whatever the case, you are in the right place at the right time. All it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed to turn your life around, and when this happens your faith muscles will start to get stronger and stronger. When we exercise faith for small victories, we get more and more opportunities to have faith for larger victories.

Faith however is not just about believing, it’s about moving forward on what we believe. Obedience is a key element to our faith being productive.

We are exercising faith when we do what God asks us to do. When we are obedient, we trust that God is who he says he is, and that he can do what he says that he can do.

The definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 is “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Having faith also means that we are believing God for what we see in our mind’s eye, even though we may not know how it’s going to happen or when. We simply know in our heart that it will happen.

Walking by faith and not by sight can be a very difficult journey at times. We are people who love to know details and outcomes. I am sure that the Children of Israel at times wanted to know how long their journey in the wilderness would take. God in his wisdom knew there was no way they would have been able to handle it, if he had revealed to them that it was going to be a forty year journey.

Some of you may be going through your wilderness right now. I want to encourage you to have faith for a hopeful future, and trust God with your whole being. He will never leave nor forsake you. See this season of your life as an opportunity to grow closer to God. And as you grow closer to God, your faith in him and his ability to meet your every need, no matter the need, will deepen.

This very thing was what the children of Israel struggled with and their lack of faith and trust in God, caused them to wander for forty years on a journey that should have taken about eleven days. Their murmuring and complaining was proof that they were not at peace.

The goal of every child of God should be to trust his love for them without question, and to exercise immeasurable faith no matter how dark the day looks. When our love for God deepens, so will our faith. With God’s help we are all capable of deep faith.

When the rest of the world thought that Noah was crazy, he built an ark. There was no evidence of rain but he trusted God, and because he trusted and acted in faith, he and his family were spared. Sometimes when we exercise deep faith, we may be ridiculed by others and that’s ok. There is only one voice that real faith listens to, and that’s the voice of God.

My prayer for you is that your journey will be blessed by the hand of God leading and guiding you every step of the way. And that when you get weary from your journey you will trust the One who knows your way. Then you will know that your faith has truly deepened.

⁷It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:17-19
¹⁷It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, ¹⁸even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[a] ¹⁹Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
Hebrews 11:30
³⁰It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.