Daily Devotional – 8/17/17 “Fear not!”

Did you know fear has the ability to paralyze us? Did you also know fear has the power to rip things right out of our grip? Funny how rip is the same as RIP, signifying the killing of our dreams because of fear. What has fear kept you away from? What has fear taken from you? Some can testify it being a job in a new state. Some can say relationships. And even more can say destinies. Oh but fret not beloved because forgiveness, faith and trust has the ability to restore what fear destroys; if you let it. See, when you forgive you are releasing yourself from the fear of being exactly what ‘they’ said you could not be. When you have faith, you can step out believing, “what God has for me, is for me,” even when you don’t see it. When you trust, you walk as if you’ve already received the yes. I know this and so do you because the bible tells us in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

You know this right? But if I can take you back for just a minute (this ought to shout you), the bible says in Isaiah 41:9, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” Is that not worthy of telling God thank you? When you thought it was over, God called you out to live. When you thought it would never get better, God gave you His best. When you thought there was no way out, God open the doors. When you thought the darkness would consume you, God gave you night vision. Stop letting fear take what is yours. Or should I say, stop giving away what is rightfully yours. Your destiny is depending on you. Your worth is waiting on you. Your gifts have been granted to you. And if you are having trouble standing up to fear, here is the solution. For the bible says in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” If that isn’t enough, Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

 

Fear not

Daily Devotional – 8/16/17 “Rethink that visit!”

I do not know who this is for but the Holy Spirit told me to tell you, you need to rethink that visit. What visit? Wherever you are planning to go that once caused you sorrow. See, the place you are about to subject yourself to AGAIN, was the very place that caused you pain, heartache and grief before. Do not go. I don’t care how sweet it seems neither the fond memories you used to have, rethink that visit. Think about it beloved. Every time you go there, you begin to relive those painful moments of your life. Every time you visit that headstone, you relive the minutes of abuse. Each time you answer the phone and hear the voice, it reminds you of the times that same voice verbally abused you. Each time those hands touch you, you cringe at the thought of the physical abuse you endured. Each time you go back to the scene of the crime, you relive the moments like it was yesterday. When you visit that place of worship, you feel the same hurt and sometimes hate. Every time!

This is why, God told me to tell you to rethink that visit. Yes, I know you need to get over it but that begins by forgiving yourself, forgiving them and letting go. You do not have to go back to the place of pain to do that. You don’t have to confront the monster who molested you, you can forgive from a distance. You don’t have to face the spouse you’re divorcing, sign the papers and move on. You don’t have to prove to folk that you survived, they know because they follow you. Baby, it is time we become like Paul who says in 2 Corinthians 2:1, “For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.” Paul had plans to revisit the Corinthian church but he said in 2 Corinthians 1:23, “I call God as my witness–and I stake my life on it–that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth,” but the people criticized him. All he was doing was sparing them yet they called him unreliable and untrustworthy. Does this sound familiar? You try to spare those folk the wrath of God yet when you go running back to somebody or something who has hurt you (revisiting) only to leave in worse shape than before by them pushing you out the door with harsher words/actions; you open them to God’s vengeance. Don’t go this time. Instead, think on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 2:2, “For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?” Rethink that visit, it will not be good for you.

Daily Devotional – 8/14/17 “It’s just the edge!”

Have you ever rolled to the very end of the bed, only to catch yourself from falling? Ever got close enough then suddenly woke up right on time? What about waking up, to find yourself wrapped in a sheet and one move from being on the floor? Or moving your arm, only to realize you are one turn from hitting the nightstand? Have you? I have and it made me think about all the times we’ve been at the edge, of this thang called life, knowing we should have fallen but suddenly, something happened. Or those times we’ve come to the end of all we can do mentally, knowing if we move slightly, it’ll be all over. Looking out at the edge, breathing heavy and heart pounding knowing, I should have fallen over but I didn’t. Anybody else besides me experienced an “I almost fell” moment? Thinking, had it not been for God stopping me, I should have been dead. Had it not been for the sheet of salvation keeping me, I could be out my mind, right now. Had it not been for the sudden opening of my eyes, I would have found myself in another jacked up situation, crying over another catastrophic circumstance, weeping over the woes of this world and fighting in a fixed fight I have no chance of winning.

But something happened … your eyes were opened to realize, I’m just at the edge and got another chance to step back. I’m just at the edge and I’m still safe. I’m just at the edge and can roll back over. I’m just at the edge and I can get up. Because being at the edge doesn’t mean I’m out, it’s just mean I almost. I almost what? I almost gave up, I almost gave in, I almost jumped, I almost died, I almost committed suicide, I almost counted myself out and I almost let go. BUT I DIDN’T! I don’t care what it looks like, step back. I don’t care what it feels like, roll over. I don’t care what they said, what does God say? Open your eyes beloved, you are just at the edge. Open your eyes sister/brother, it’s just the edge. And being at the edge means there is still a chance. It’s not over until God says it is! It’s just the edge!

Daily Devotional – 8/11/17 “Can you hear Him now?”

We watched another movie in class on last night and this one was called The Sunset Limited. An hour and a half movie featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommie Lee Jones sitting in the apartment of Jackson after he’d stopped Jones from trying to commit suicide. [Oh, Jones didn’t believe in God.] I will not go into the full movie (you need to watch it) but there was one thing Jackson said that I had to share. He said to Jones, “You don’t have to be virtuous in order to hear God speak, you just need to be quiet!” Listen, many times we mistakenly think we have to be on some sort of spiritual level in order to hear from God. We think it takes speaking in tongue, being able to shout, prophecy or lead intercessory prayer. We think we need to have everything straight and be perfect in our being. But who is perfect, other than God? Yes, we are all called to be virtuous, that’s having high morals, however, if today is the day you happen to lack virtue, God can still speak to you. If today just happens to be a day you don’t feel like being virtuous, God can still speak to you. If you were to make a mistake today, God can still speak to you. You simply need to be quiet long enough to hear Him.

Listen, I get it; there will be some days you will not feel like being morally correct and you are entitled but don’t think you cannot hear from God. Beloved, I was a jacked up, good for nothing, raggedy, mess of a person yet God still spoke to me. I was set in my ways, attitude on ten, could curse with the best of them yet God still spoke. AND I HEARD HIM! It wasn’t because I was morally good, all the time, but it was those days I hushed and listened. Even when I could not understand why God would use me, I shut up and listened. Even when I found myself running from Him, there were nights I had no choice but to listen. God does not speak because you are good but He speaks because of your potential to be. You simply need to be quiet to listen. How will you know it’s God? Well, the bible says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Daily Devotional – 8/10/17 “Greater to greatness!”

A while back, at my sister’s church, her pastor told me something that I haven’t forgotten. He said, “God will elevate you when you appreciate where you are.” I didn’t have to think about what he was saying because I already knew he was talking about ministry. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate where I was but I was at a point of asking God, “What now?” This was because I didn’t feel like I was doing enough, spiritually. I would have conversations (not prayers) with God because I felt like I was just sitting idle but then he words rung in my ear and I said, “Marcy (that’s my nickname), you have to appreciate where you are before you can move to where you want to be.” This entire time I’d been asking God to move me to greater when truth is, every day I walk in the anointing of God, I’m in greater. Every time my eyes open and I see a roof over my head, I’m in greater. Every night when I don’t have to go to bed hungry, I am in greater. And in due time, with appreciation and gratefulness, God will elevate me to greatness.

See, -er is a suffix used in forming nouns to label a person from the thing of their occupation or labor. For example, calling me a minister/preacher lets you know I work within the field of ministry. However, -ness is the suffix that means the state of the original adjective. i.e. Greatness means I am great. What does this mean Lakisha? Well this means, in greater I preach the word but in greatness, I live the word. Greater means I have to label myself but in greatness I am branded by God. In greater, you need my resume but in greatness, the anointing speaks for me. In greater, I have to ask but in greatness my seat is already reserved. In greater, titles may work but in greatness, my faith does the heavy lifting. Yes, I know you’re ready to be promoted but appreciate your now position. I know you’re ready for your own house but how well are you appreciating where you are? Yes, you are eager for your own car but are you appreciative of the rides you’re getting? Yeah, you’re ready to pastor a church but are you appreciating being minister? You’re ready to own your business but have you truly appreciated where you are? Greater is telling your dreams but greatness is living them.