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Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord Psalm 27:14 NLT

Technology has introduced many conveniences, including one of my favorites: GPS Navigation–a satellite guidance system while traveling. Even so, the GPS does not have the ability to make decisions based on astute judgment, possess critical thinking skills nor is it programmed with common sense.

One of the most horrific events connected to guidance by a GPS occurred in 2011 in the State of Nevada where a Canadian couple lost their lives in a mountainous snow-laden terrain due to GPS misguidance.

We have been created in the image of God and blessed with the ability to develop our level of intelligence to the nth degree; yet, we are warned in Proverbs 3 to, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”

When we travel on a road trip we use our GPS or maps to navigate the best possible route; in the journey of life, we must acquiesce and let God be our GPS. He has promised that if we trust in Him then He will give us Eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth which is our final destination.

Remember that we can never be misled or lost when we let God guide our steps.

Order my steps in your Word, dear Lord, lead me and guide me along life’s way.

In memory of my beautiful Sister, Susan Bernard-Bevins: “My life is in His hands.”

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask you to lead us as we begin a new phase of our lives with you as our Navigator. We have come to realize that we frequently lose our way in this journey called life from self-direction. For this, we ask forgiveness and the desire to serve you with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz and Angel Ruiz Roque 2019

Sabbath Devotional

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience) gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness (being humble), temperance (self-control); against such, there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Because of sin, we are natural-born warriors; in fact, it takes little effort to engage in conflict with the mindset of winning by any means necessary.

We stay armed and ready for battle by keeping our swords sharpened from the active participation against those in our own household. Sarcastic words, focusing on faults, keeping permanent records of past misgivings, and feelings of resentment due to the failure to receive what we rightfully deserve easily take root and flourish in marriages, families, the workplace, and even in our churches.

In order to achieve peace, we must lay down the Swords of Unforgiveness, Bitterness, and Retaliation; they are ungodly character traits which create an environment of strife and promote a discontented spirit from within.

How do we transition from possessing unhealthy traits to a gentle and loving character that promotes stability, generosity, and faithfulness?

First, we ask God to forgive our sins and plead for His help to enable us to change, in how we react and respond. This is the hardest part, you must be ready to endure the tests; just remember, always pray for help–even if it is a silent prayer.

Pray before Speaking and Reacting!

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13

All unproductive habits can and must be broken!

Our responsibility is to reflect the love of Christ in all situations. We are part of God’s army and as His soldiers, we achieve victory from faithfully trusting and obeying God.

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

God gives us the command to “Be still!” which translates into “Be quiet.” The ocean has two phases: Calm and inviting with small waves and raging with larger, tumultuous waves. It is energy that is transmitted by the wind-driven waves; the ocean does not empty itself of water from its wave activity. When we choose to participate in conflict, we expend our vital resource, the Holy Spirit who must retreat because God is a God of peace and not of confusion. As a result, we empty ourselves because we are no longer driven by the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever felt peaceful, full of positive energy or closer to God after engaging in conflict? Each of us would answer with a negative response; remember to utilize your only option, God, and God alone.

God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order…1 Corinthians 14:33 first part, ESV

We were not created to fulfill the role of warriors; let God bring victory into your life by letting Him take control of every strife driven situation that you face.

We have the power of choice to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and give us God’s wonderful peace by laying down our swords!

Prayer for today: Dear God, We have become self-appointed warriors by carrying swords and engaging in conflict with the intent to deliver fatal wounds. And for our actions, we ask you to forgive us. Oh God, we desire your peace and a transformation of our character to align with the Fruit of the Spirit. Please teach us how to react and respond according to your will. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Part 1 of 2 in Achieving Peace

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

This is the day that the Lord made for us; no secular worries, just sweet communion with God🙏❤

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you my God…Psalm 25:1-2 NLT

I had a very precious friend who recently passed away after an ongoing battle with chronic heart disease. Although her health was severely compromised, she faithfully served God until the end of her life. The impact that she made on our church has given a sense of urgency to each member to serve God with all of our heart, soul, and mind.

God has given us many promises, all we have to do is believe. Why is it so hard to just believe and completely trust in God? When we reflect on our lives, we know that God has proven himself by blessing us time and time again. Truly, our lives are in His hands.

During our seven days fast, learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Is there anything to great for our God? Whatever your circumstances, take it to God in prayer; He is waiting to unleash His mighty power on your life.

Prayer for today: Dear God, Thank you for your great love for us. We desire to have steadfast faith and to realize that when we are in the valley of darkness, our lives are always in your hands. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. We ask these things in the worthy name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

The LORD’S loving-kindness indeed never ceases, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

If you are reading this devotional then you have been given new mercies for a brand new day to which we must proclaim, “Thank you, God.”

We can have the assurance that God always keeps His promises. He cannot be anything but faithful; even so, God has the condition of, “If and then”, we must obey and follow His commands for victorious outcomes.

As a faith-building step, I invite each of us to begin a spiritual fast; for the next seven (7) days, two (2) hours each day: Commit to prayer, study the Bible, and refrain from doing something that you love to do. Our goal is to live a faith-based life and for prayer to become an automatic response when we experience tribulations, victories, and the need for intercession on behalf of others.

Studying the Word of God is essential for our spiritual growth: We learn who God is, we develop an intimate relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit can bring to our remembrance the scriptures we have read for comfort and reiteration of God’s promises to us.

Bible Reading Schedule

Day 1-Psalm 51

Day 2- Psalm 25

Day 3-Psalm 23

Day 4-Psalm 27

Day 5-Psalm 34

Day 6-Psalm 37

Day 7-Psalm 47

Prayers of Forgiveness, Prayers of Gratitude, Prayers for Strength, Prayers for Intercession, Prayers for Financial Need, Prayers for Wisdom, and Prayers for Change of Character are among the endless prayers that we are blessed to offer to our Heavenly Father.

When we realize that prayer and the study of God’s Holy Word are the greatest blessings given to us, then we will become spiritual soldiers and proclaim as Job: “But I know that my redeemer lives, and in the end, he will stand upon the Earth.” Job 19:35

…But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4

Prayer for today: Dear God, We desire to have a deeper relationship with you and to live a faith-based life. We humbly come before you asking you to forgive us of our sins and shortcomings, and to fill us with your Holy Spirit. We are thankful for the ability to learn who you are through the study of your Word and the ability to communicate with you any time of the day through prayer. Thank you for your grace and your mercies. We ask your blessings as we begin our spiritual fast today in the worthy name of your Son, Jesus. Amen!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” Luke 12:24

This morning I prayed through my tears; the separation from our grandchildren after returning home to Texas was bittersweet. I begin to wonder when I would hear my precious babies–ages 10, 11, and 15– say, “Grandma, grandma guess what?” or how many months would pass before I would be able to give them the hugs that cause them to say, “Grandma, you are the best.”

At a time when I am progressing through the aging process, the love that we exchanged–between a grandmother and her grandchildren is certainly one of the most precious gifts from God. So, if I believe that God has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11), then why did the thought of never seeing my grandchildren again enter my mind?

Our lives often fluctuate between feeling elated, as if we have reached the peak of the mountain, only to experience unforseen events that catapult us down into the valley; the valley where darkness overshadows us and we begin to lose our faith.

Sometimes the valley is darker than it needs to be!

Is it because of the things that we imagine or the escalated emotions that push us into the realm of unsubstantiated fear?

Although I was overwhelmed from a mixture of sadness and fear regarding my grandchildren, I believe in the power of prayer and possess a deep love for God. All I could do was to talk to God and express my grief audibly through a simple prayer. Immediately following my prayer, the Holy Spirit directed me to watch a devotional that explained the value that God places on His earthly children.

From personal experience, I can say that God always keeps His promises; I am required to pray without ceasing and faithfully trust in God whether I am experiencing peaks or lows in my life.

God is always the best and only option! With God we never have to fear any circumstance; His love and power are awesome.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV

Prayer for today: Dear God, We pray for the confidence and steadfast faith that you are always here for us. We acknowledge that our faith wavers based on our circumstances and we invite fear into our hearts instead of completely trusting in you. Oh God, please forgive our doubt and unbelief. As we strive for a closer relationship with you, we ask for you to give us the strength to face our challenges with confidence that you are always here. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. We ask these things of you in the worthy name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Last week, I was at a thrift store that asked me to round-up my purchase amount of $13.58 to $14. Without hesitation, I said yes and left the store feeling good about my donation.

Hmmm…today I am thinking about the concept of rounding up and the amount of money that I could save, in my mason jar bank, from using cash for my purchases.

When we traveled out of state last week we paid cash for gasoline and food purchases due to the epidemic of skimming and fraudulent use of credit/debit cards. We spent a large amount of our change for the purpose of paying highway tolls; even so, our mason jar is almost full from the leftover change that we returned home with.

So here is the challenge:

Use cash for the majority of your purchases and save your leftover change.

Round down and keep your change as an investment in your own finances.

Resist the urge to reach for the debit or credit card…do not feel embarrassed or intimidated when using cash for payments.

The next time I visit a store that asks me to roundup to the next dollar, I will politely say, “No, thank you,” and think about my mason jar bank waiting for me at home.

Seeking new and improved strategies for a higher quality of life involves letting go of wasteful habits!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

What are you thankful for this Sabbath?

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

It is God who consistently provides for all of our needs. Do not focus on your circumstances, just rely on God’s power to bring restoration and resolution. Your responsibility is to pray, trust, and believe in faith that God is here for you.

God loves you!

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask for your Divine intervention in our lives today. We admit that our circumstances seem overwhelming. Please bring resolution to the problems we are facing and forgive us for doubting your awesome love and power. We ask this prayer in the holy name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019