Daily Devotional – 3/15/17 “Move by God!”

Sometimes you have to leave what you know in order to grow. I’ve shared this before but this week, God has been using ME and my personal testimony because somebody needs to know, it can happen for you too. This is for you who is about to give up because you’re tired of being denied. This is for you who is about to throw in the towel and not apply for that job. This is for you who is about to give up on moving out of town. This is for you who is about to turn down a position because it’s in another state. This is for you who is afraid to submit the resume because you think you’re too young or unqualified. This is for you who won’t go back to school because you don’t think you can afford it! God is, at this appointed time, getting ready to shift some folk who have been behind the scene. He’s about to alter the acoustic sound of your ministry and it’s going to blow some people’s minds. He’s getting ready to elevate some folk no one has heard of. And He has already prepared the press release to ensure your name is spelled right. All you have to do is move when God says move. Stop explaining why you quit your job, they won’t understand. Stop clarifying why you keep going with only 3 folk showing up for bible study. Quit trying to get folk to understand the vision God gave you. Move! You owe nobody a reason for the anointing when they didn’t give it to you.

Trust God and move. If anyone would have told me, ten years ago, I’d be where I am; I wouldn’t have believed them. But when God told me it was time to move from the only church I’d known to a church that although I knew, it was out of my comfort zone; I was devastated. I had to drive 45 minutes to church, to a place I didn’t know would even accept me but I did. It wasn’t overnight because my feelings were hurt and I was scared but I moved. Was it hard? God yes but the glory I’ve received has outweighed every uncertainty. I am not sharing this for somebody to get up and make a drastic change, immediately, however, I am telling you to move when God says move. For somebody, it will be drastic but you’ll get your deliverance. For some, it’ll be suddenly but it’ll quiet your storm. For some, it’s premeditated but it’ll relieve your pain. For some, it’ll be slow but satisfying. For some it’s going to hurt like you wouldn’t believe but don’t hinder it. This move, whatever it is to wherever it is; God has a purpose for it. Plus, you can’t grow in a place you’ve outgrown nor can you expand in an area with limitations. Move with God and when God says.

Daily Devotional – 3/14/17 “Where is your nest?’

Leaving work on yesterday, I was listening to my radio pastor, Bishop Brandon Porter and he said something that stuck with me. He said his grandfather would always tell him, “Build your nest before laying your eggs.” Now, I had to think about this and the more it sunk in, the greater it became to me. Yes, I know what his grandfather meant, in relations to children but I want to take this a step further. And for the sake of this devotional, egg here represents anything that you can or will potentially give birth too. See, we spend so much time focusing on the egg that we forget about the nest. We work so hard to obtain a position that we never stop to think about the place it’ll need to be nurtured. We work hard for the wedding that we forget about building a home for nurturing the marriage. We, day in and day out, push to open the business but where’s the nest? We start the ministry but where is your nest? Nest as in a place made or chosen for secluded retreat or shelter.

Beloved, where is your nest? Where is your covering? Where is your safe place? Where is the place you can go when all seems lost or when it feels like you’re about to lose your mind? Where’s your nest? A place that doesn’t see you as the mighty man or woman of God but simply as a man/woman who needs sheltering. Where’s your nest? A place where you can take off your collar and your robe? Where’s your nest? A place you can fall and it won’t be held against you? Where is your nest? A place that won’t banish you for getting pregnant out of wedlock but will teach you. Where is your nest? The place you can cry out for help and actually get it. Where is your nest? A place you can be sheltered when the storms of life are beating you down. Who is your nest? The person who will nurture you? What is your nest? A person, place or thing? Where is your nest? Can you get there when you need it? How sturdy is your nest? Will it fall from the weight of you? These are the kinds of things you have to think about before giving birth to the egg (Every Godly Gift), because it makes no sense to give birth without a safe place to nurture it. And regardless of how strong you are, you need a nest. Stop rushing to birth the egg if you’ve yet to build/find a nest for it to be nurtured in.

Daily Devotional – 3/13/17 “Understudy or under studying?”

I’ve recently been named Assistant Pastor to my uncle/pastor whose leadership I’ve been under for ten years. I’m looking forward to what God has for me but I don’t take this role lightly and this is why I’ve been patiently serving as his understudy. See, I wouldn’t dare rush what God has for me, before it was meant for me. And I know the only way I can truly handle this new position is by staying where God placed me, in my old position. And the studying I had to do, started long before I accepted my call to ministry. God sent me to my uncle’s church because it was there, the seed growing within me, would be cultivated. I had no idea it was preaching but I knew God sent me to his leadership in order for me to grow and I couldn’t rush the process because then I’d risk birthing something, prematurely, that wouldn’t survive. I knew that if I hurried this process, it would only hurt me and those I tried to serve. This is why I learned to shut up and listen. And this is also why, I have no problem sitting by his side, it is there I learn. I have no problem gleaning from his harvest, for it is there I eat. I have no issues with drinking from the overflow of his cup, it teaches me not to selfish with mine. I have no problem being the student because it is in this role, I learn how to be patient when it’s my turn to teach.

Why am I sharing this? Because somebody is agitated where you are. You can’t figure out why God hasn’t moved you yet or why every application you put in, for the promotion, gets denied. You can’t understand why your change hasn’t happened yet. Or why you can’t get elevated. But how have you been as the understudy? Are you learning or do you think you know it all? Are you antsy about getting the promotion or are you simply learning until it’s your time? I’m only asking because I’ve found that if you suck at being an understudy, you’ll suck more at being the replacement. Yes, I know you have more years of experience but that doesn’t make you leadership material. I know you think you know it all but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for the role. Yes, I know you rock out as being associate minister but are you learning what it takes to be pastor? In the bible, before Elisha could effectively handle the mantle of Elijah, he had to learn. There was no way Elisha could carry the fullness of Elijah’s mantle without first learning how heavy it was. For the bible says in 1 Kings 19:21, “…Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.” Elisha didn’t set out to take over Elijah’s prophetic garment, right away, but he studied him until his time came. And for you beloved, stop rushing to lead when you’ve yet to master following. Ask yourself the question … Am I being an understudy or am I under study? In other words, am I lacking in areas I should be learning.

Daily Devotional – 3/10/17 “That’s not your fight!”

You’d be shocked, if you really knew the amount of times your name has been mentioned in group messages or the many times your pictures have been screenshot. It would blow your mind if you found out the real number of people who don’t like you. Or the true identity of the folk who sit at your table. But that’s not your fight. You have to understand that there will always be people in the crowd who won’t cheer for you. There will be people who won’t show up no matter how many times you invite them. And even those who don’t like you, regardless of what you do or how you do it. But that’s not your fight. See, we live in a society where folk can bully you on social media but can’t face you in reality. We share the same air as folk who will speak ill of you and then turn around and smile at you, simply because you can open your mouth and demons tremble. We share space with folk who can’t stand you but they’ll copy what you say, how you dress and where you live. Folk, who can’t stand the pastor but will stay at the church and cause more hell because they were there first. People will fight what they can’t understand but that’s not your fight.

Chile, we don’t have the time nor energy to fight meaningless mess when there are souls that need saving. Yea, I could sit and argue with you on Facebook but beloved, there’s some people in bondage who need to be set free. Yes, I can go back and forth with you over the phone but there’s some healing that need to be manifested, some folk who need to be talked down off the ledge, some addictions that have to be destroyed and some hope restored. We don’t have time to fight folk over who don’t like who or who is talking about you? So what! There will always be somebody talking about you whether you did good or bad. This is why you have to pick your battles wisely because you’ll never win fighting folk in the natural. That’s not your fight. This is why the bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” You have to know when to bow out gracefully from a fight that wasn’t yours to begin with. Know when to fight and when to shut up!

Daily Devotional – 3/9/17 “God’s doing!”

God is going to intentionally place some folk who don’t like you, in your way. He’s going to set you up to be in places, surrounded by folk who look at you like you get on their nerves. He’s going to strategically place you at tables with folk who can’t understand why you’re there. Yep, God is going to methodically place you on jobs where you have to fight more than work. He’s going to meticulously put in you in covenant with some folk who cause your hair to go gray. God, has and will, set your feet within a ministry that has made you second and third guess your calling. He has deliberately set you up all so He can elevate you, when the time comes. What do I mean? Well, God is testing what you can handle. See, God has to be sure you can handle the bad and the good. He’s ensuring you can handle the minor before the mega. He’s testing to see how you handle the one bathroom before He gives you three. God is testing to see how you’ll react to losing some folk and things. God is testing to see how you’ll withstand the rain and how you’ll overcome falling. He’s simply checking to see if you’ll preach to the ten, if you’ll teach the two, if you’ll fight for what you believe in and if you’ll go by yourself.

This is why you have to understand your test because not every test is of the enemy. It’s like when Jesus tested Philip before feeding the 5000. The bible says in John 6:6, “He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.” And just like Philip, God already knows us too. What will you do? Will you do like the bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves? Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” Or will you buckle under pressure? Please understand, failing the test doesn’t mean you fail the course, it simply means you have some work to do. So now beloved, it’s time you get back to the drawing board by pulling out the book and studying. For just like Paul, my prayer for you is this; “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” — Ephesians 3:16-21