Daily Devotional – 7/14/17 “After this …”

After the week, day, and morning I have had, the fleshly me wants to cuss, drink and smoke, without a care in the world about what anybody thinks. But then my spiritual self, taps my fleshly self and asks, “Girl, whose side are you on?” So then I readjust my crown, sip on my coffee, open up my word document and write to encourage somebody else. See, the flesh part of me could have given in but I’ve seen too many victories. The flesh part of me could have cried and given up but I’ve seen too many miracles. The flesh side of me said, let them fend for themselves today but then God says, read 1 Thessalonians 5:11 that says, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” The flesh side of me could have said, curse God and die yet instead I stand like Job, in the midst of chaos and confusion; checking my pitch to ensure clarity for when I scream, loud and clear, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him (Job 13:15).” Understand, I am simply writing this for you to know that you can go through and survive. I know I am talking to myself but who else needs to know this today? You can go through and survive. I don’t care what it looks like, “Greater is He that is in you, than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).” Who else needs to be made aware? You can do this my sister. You can make it my brother. All you have to do is be willing to survive.

Let me leave you with Psalm 130 (NLT), in its entirety because there is hope in God’s love. Because after this, there shall be glory. After this, God shall redeem us. After this … This, whatever it is you are facing … there is hope. “From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.”

Daily Devotional – 7/13/17 “My choice!”

I recently started back on the journey of getting healthier. My husband and I joined an athletic center near the house and I am proud to say, we have been 4 consecutive days. Along with working out, I have also changed my eating habits. Today, for lunch, I walked with two of my coworkers to the cafeteria. I had already made up my mind saying I was getting grill chicken on a spinach wrap. We get there and the station that makes the sandwiches also makes pizza. My two coworkers order pizza with every meat available, some vegetables and covered in cheese. Really?? Baby, when I tell you it looked so good. But I held my own and I ordered my spinach, chicken wrap. What am I getting at? Your choices don’t have to be like those around you. You have a choice. Yes, I could have given in and ordered that good looking pizza but then I would have been mad at myself later on because it was my choice. And although, I was with them and they ordered pizza, it didn’t mean I had to. And guess what, we didn’t stop being coworkers because I ordered something different from the menu. It meant they made their choice and I made mine.

Look, you cannot keep using the excuse, “they made me do it.” My grandmother used to ask us, before the punishment, if everybody jump off a cliff are you going to jump too? Well, are you? At some point, you have to be alright with being different, doing things differently, answering questions differently or even asking questions differently. It does not mean you are better than anybody, it just means you are your own person who can make your own choices. Beloved, your destiny depends on you standing out from the in crowd. Your faith depends on you being able to know the difference between right and wrong. Your salvation depends on you being strong enough to make your own decision. You have a choice. This is why the bible says in Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Besides, I got enough stuff to repent for, on my own, without you helping me. We are good and I love you with that agape love but it does not mean I have to agree with your every choice nor does it mean I have to go along with everything you do. It’s my choice.

Daily Devotional – 7/12/17 “You praying?”

About two weeks ago, I made a statement that said, “God, I am ready whenever you are” and I be doggone if the enemy wasn’t ear hustling on our conversation. Chile, I could tell you but I won’t because God got me covered. What I can tell you is this, I can be in a place right now where I don’t feel holy, don’t feel like encouraging you, don’t want to pray for anybody else, declining to respond to those who have need of me, pressing ignore on the phone and bypassing text messages but I will NOT! Why? Because this thang isn’t about me. I knew when I said yes to God that I would have to accept the heaviness of the mantle I carry. Does it make this journey easier, no but it sure does make it worth it. This is why I can sit in my car, before walking into my job, and pray for God to open shut up wombs, for Him to remove anything negative from MRIs, for Him to erase debt in the matter of minutes, for Him to open blinded eyes and give movement in feet that haven’t worked in years, to restore organ functions, to pay off debts, to ease a trouble mind and to make His ways known.

Yes, when I could have taken the time to pray for me, I chose to pray for others because I just know, believe and feel that if God can do it for you; He will bless me in the process. I will not be selfish because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. I won’t hold my prayer for you because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. I refuse to allow my situations to keep me from helping you out of yours because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. See, when I pray for somebody else, I just believe that God is shutting the mouths of the naysayers who are against me. When I pray for somebody else to be blessed, I just believe He will use the same somebody who spoke ill of me to bless me. When I war for you, God will have somebody warring for me. When I walk the floor of my house, at midnight, for others; God will have somebody doing the same thing for me. Please understand, I am in no way saying don’t pray for yourself but sometimes, you have to pray for others. Hello Job! For the bible says in Job 42:10, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Daily Devotional – 7/11/17 “Say what now?”

So, let me get this straight. Marvin Sapp says the reason people supported and purchased a million copies of Jay Z’s album (in 6 days) is because they/we, Christians or people in general, are quicker to forgive them of their issues before those of gospel singers. I disagree. Lakisha’s opinion says, the reason folk are not quick to support gospel artists is the same reason a lot of youth and young adults don’t support church … there is no transparency. We, preachers, pastors, intercessors, prophets, bishops, apostles and etc. stand as if there is no hell going on in our life or like we don’t want a beer or glass of wine sometimes. Too many times, those in ministry and leadership put on a front like all is well when most of them is a cry away from suicide. Some of us (I’m a member of ministry too) preach that the only way a woman can stand in the pulpit is with a shirt button up to her chin, sleeves pass her wrists, skirt down to her ankles with stockings and kitten heels. Or that a man has to dress in a suit and tie otherwise he won’t be taken serious. Well, what about reaching those whose only form of clothes, for the moment, is cutoff jeans and a t-shirt.? How do you reach the young lady who don’t know how to properly dress for service? How do you reach a young man who doesn’t own nor know how to tie a tie?

Where is the transparency in ministry? When will you drop the act and let folk know you’re just as damaged as they are? Yes, Jay Z sold millions of albums but he owned his truth? What’s yours? When I accepted my calling to ministry, I toiled months with the assignment because I was fearful of how folk would look at and accept me. I mean, here I am 5’5 with curves who likes to rock a pair of 5 or 6 inch heels with no stockings, jeans occasionally with holes in them and a dress that hits right at my knees. I raise my arm that has tattoos. I pray with the same mouth I sometimes curse with. I like to have a margarita every once in a while. My attitude is sometimes jacked up and there are times I don’t feel like being holy but this is my truth. I don’t stand in the pulpit nor do I carry myself in ministry with an act like I got it all together, I don’t. No, I am not saying you have to spill the entire truth of your life but don’t act like me wanting a glass of wine is sinful when you have one too, yours is just in secret. You can’t preach deliverance from bondage when it is the very thing that has you bound. Faith works with facts and Grace works within weakness. Be willing to change and don’t be afraid to testify of what you’ve overcome. Your weakness could be the very thing to save somebody else.

Daily Devotional – 7/10/17 “What is your faith doing?”

When you think you are not worthy of the favor God has placed over your life, He will allow some things to happen to prove to you that you are, indeed worthy. This is why we have to trust God, especially during the struggle. You may know this and/or you may not believe this but it is when you’re in the midst of your struggle that loyalties are defined and lines are drawn. When we go through, spiritual and/or physical attacks, God allows it to see whether or not we will trust Him through the good AND the bad and to see just how far our trust with Him goes. Do I believe God will purposely place a sickness in our body to test your faith? No, because I have read Genesis a few times and I have yet to see where God created cancer, high blood pressure, migraines, organ failure; etc. yet, it happens. And it can happen to the best of us, when we least expect it because occasionally, we just have to struggle. Read Job.

And if Job isn’t enough, read about Paul because in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are sent out to preach the gospel and while doing what they’d been chosen and appointed to do, they meet struggle. After being ran out of one town, they move to the next only for struggle to find them there too which results in Paul being stoned (a big struggle). Now, Paul could have easily stopped trusting God after the first time the struggle showed up and he definitely could have while he was standing there with stones hitting his body but he doesn’t. Instead, Paul allows stones to pierce his skin and his trust is still there. With every sting and blood drop, his faith could have left but it didn’t. While he was being drug out the city and left for dead, he could have lost faith but he doesn’t. Instead, the bible says in Acts 14:20, “But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up…” His faith, connected to the faith of the disciples around him, raised him up. What is your faith doing, especially doing your struggle? What is your faith saying, especially doing your struggle? Where is your faith taking you, especially doing your struggle? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself because if you are not checking your faith, regularly, you may not have all the coverage you need when struggle shows up.