Daily Devotional – 10/10/18 “Go get your stuff!”

It’s Wednesday and someone is watching time get away from you because something or someone from your past is trying to delay the purpose assigned to your life. Yea, this thing or person has shown up and it’s wreaking havoc on the very thing you thought would work this time. Now, you’re crying yourself to sleep because it seems all your hard work was in vain. You cannot concentrate because you’re worried about folk finding out who you used to be and they may not understand. You’re wandering aimlessly through your day and the weight of this thang is getting heavier. Well baby, I’m stopped by to give you a quick word. It shouldn’t be a shock to you because I’ve told you before. You shouldn’t be surprised by this but I’ll share it anyway. Here it is … The only person, place or thing; alive or in the process of being created that can keep you from getting what God has for you is YOU. Take back the rights to your story, deliver your own message and let folk know; if I survived all the hell I’ve been through, I’ll be doggone if I allow you to stand up and tell my story wrong. Yep, I did that. Yep, I did him/her. Yep, I said that. Yep, I went there. Yep, I wore that. Yep, I was a member there. Yep, I was foolish then. Yep, I wrote bad checks. Yep, I’ve filed bankruptcy more than once. Yep, that was me. Oh but now!

See, when you take back your power, you take the power out of the hands of others. When you tell your story of what you used to be and look like, no one else can hold it over your head. This is why, sometimes, you have to pull rank and tell folk … Look, I don’t care what my background shows, I will not allow you to demean my present character because I am not that person anymore. I don’t care what my arrest record shows, I will not allow you to destroy my present because I am not that person anymore. And if that means you keep your job, keep it. If that means I will not receive help from you, I don’t want it. If that means you no longer want to be friends, goodbye. I am no longer in the business of trying to convince you I’m worthy. Yeah, the old me would have but this is the new me and I don’t care what you think. God made me who I am. He constructed me this way and if you have a problem with who I am, now, take it up with God because I’m done explaining. Beloved, get your power back and then go get your stuff. How? By trusting God’s love for us and His word because He says in Isaiah 55:11-13, “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”