Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 2/21/17 “Same God!”

If your faith is only strong on good days, it isn’t strong. If you only push through on sunny days, you may miss getting to your destination. If you only trust God when all is good, your trust is lacking. If you can only praise when bad times show up, your praise is poor. You have to realize, the same God you praise on good days is the same one who will show up on bad days. Do you understand that bad days are part of the process and that God doesn’t forsake us when He allows them to knock on our door? God will, however, allow us to experience darkness in order to check the quality of our light. What do I mean? My husband bought some night lights for the house. If you plug them in while the room light is on, you’d probably think they didn’t work. Oh but if you turn the light off, the night light serves its purpose because it’ll only light up when it’s dark. No, I am not saying our light only serves in darkness but it will shine brighter. What I need you to understand beloved is, not all days will be in your favor. Not all things will go according to your plans. Everything may not work out for you. Some applications may get denied. Some doors may shut on you. Some relationships may end. Some tears may fall and some bad days may appear but it isn’t the end.

I don’t know about your ministry but mine doesn’t stop when it rains. I don’t know about your job but mine requires I show up in the rain, sleet and sometimes snow. I don’t know about your household but mine doesn’t stop just because it is gloomy outside. And this is the same for you, spiritually. This is why your faith, trust and belief is sometimes tested. And it’s also why it has to be strong on good days and even stronger on bad days. The enemy doesn’t stop showing up simply because the sun is out, he applies his sunscreen and continues to work. This is why my brother, my sister; you can’t give up. No matter how dark it gets, keep pushing. No matter how hard the journey, keep walking. No matter how heavy the load, carry it. We all have the promise of God that keeps us, even on bad days. I’ll leave you with a word from Hebrews 6:13-19, “For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

Dear God,
Help us to know that you are the same God on good and bad days and through your promise, we are given an oath of hope that anchors us when the storm comes so that we do not drown.
Amen.

Daily Devotional – 2/20/17 “Moving but sitting still!”

When you watch movies, many times the actors/actresses are in cars and although it looks like they are moving, reality is they are sitting still. See, the engineers of the show creates an effect to make it look as if the car is moving when it isn’t. Now, if you were to pay attention to the scenery, you may just realize this. But most times we are caught up in the scene to pay attention to anything else. We never notice the gear shift, in older movies, is in one position. We never notice, in newer movies, the same tree in every scene. We never notice little things because the producers’ hope the storyline will keep you so entertained that you don’t notice anything else. And a lot of us are in this same position, spiritually. We’re stuck in a place and although it looks like we’re moving, we aren’t. It’s like getting into an elevator without pushing the number to your desired floor. The doors will close and for a second, you’ll think you are moving, until it dings and the elevator doors open and you realize you’re still on the same floor. If we shall be honest, a lot of us find ourselves moving but not going anywhere. Because we are stuck in a knock off version of a car that will never move.

And it’s nobody’s fault but yours. Nope, I won’t apologize for being blunt because some of us need the harsh reality before we can get up and do something. Well beloved here it is … you’ve stayed in nowhere too long. Yea, you’ve worn out your welcome in the state of stationary and seen all there is in the city of stagnant. You’ve been at this mountain too long and it’s time you, for real, moved. It’s time you yell, ‘cut’ and get out the made up car. It’s high time you shout, ‘this is a wrap,’ and move. It’s time you wave goodbye to the extras on the set and let them know, I’ve got some real moving to do. Because today, I want to feel the wind on my face. Today, I want to know what it feels like for the car to actually move. Today, I no longer want to be held back in a place of nowhere. Today, I need to get to greater! And you can. You can make a decision to change the scenery of your journey, you can decide to do something about being stuck in the same non-winning role and you can make it up in your mind that you’re tired of sitting still in a place that can’t pay you what you’re worth. Today, you have to; no, you can decide if today will be the day you stop showing up to rehearse the same lines. Today … You make a choice.

Dear God,
Help me to get out of the motionless place. Give me the strength to end the lease on the self-induced place of nowhere-ville. Don’t allow me to miss the scenery on the journey and don’t let me miss my opportunity to move. Guide me, oh God that I may finally move to a place of greater.
Amen

Daily Devotional – 2/17/17 “The call of ministry!”

Looking at Facebook memories and the devotional, from this date in 2015, was one on how people would often ask my husband what it’s like living in the house with a minister. He still gets this question, two years later and his answer is the same because I didn’t change (too much … lol) after my call to ministry. I was raised in the church so going to worship didn’t change. The only thing drastically different is that I now sit in the pulpit instead of beside him on the 7th row, on the right hand side. I’m still, for the most part, the same person yet I didn’t expect my husband to change overnight because I had. I’d been in training for this position and I think I did a pretty good job of preparing my husband because I knew being the spouse of someone in ministry is hard, very hard. But just like two years ago, I still believe that because God knows our destiny, He creates the person for us that can handle it. This is why we have to allow God to lead us to the person we’re destined to be with. You can’t marry Sis. Lacy or Bro. Williams and expect her/him to be okay with being the spouse of a preacher when they’ve always been super jealous. If you do, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of late night arguments on why he/she called you so late or why the secretary text you.

This is why you can’t just marry anybody because not everybody is called to the position of ministry spouse. And it is a calling. You don’t have to believe me. Ask anybody who is married to ministry, they’ll tell you. Just because she can wear a hat and he looks good in a suit, it doesn’t make them capable of walking this spiritual walk. Baby, there’s a cost associated with the oil and you need to make sure the person you lay next to at night is willing to help you pay it. The last thing you want is to come home fighting in the natural when you’ve been fighting in the spirit all doggone day. You need somebody who can cover you while you’re covering everybody else. Somebody willing to help you hold the mantle of the anointing. Somebody willing to say, “Baby, you sleep and I’ll go to the hospital and check on so and so.” Somebody willing to say, “I’ll step in and teach bible class while you’re sick,” because you don’t have anybody else. Somebody who can handle the personalities of low down, disrespectful church folk without getting their feelings hurt. Somebody who can shout for you when nobody else is. Somebody willing to push when you’re tired of pulling. This comes from trusting God for your mate and not social media.

“Dear God, help me to connect to the right person, in marriage and the right people, in relationships. Don’t allow me to enter into covenant with anyone that is not from you. Lead me to make great spiritual connections on this journey that I might grow stronger instead of weaker. Amen”

Daily Devotional – 2/16/17 “Don’t let go!”

Do you ever reflect back over your life? Ever take a moment and think about where you were ten, five or even two years ago? I’m only asking because my husband reminded me this morning of how far we’d been bought by God’s grace. Yea, I could have easily said, how far we’d come but we only made it by being carried by God’s grace. And as I look at the tattoo on my right wrist, I know exactly when the renovation process, for us began. It was August 29, 2014, the day after I accepted God’s call. See, I toiled for over a year trying to figure things out on my own, struggling and barely surviving and fighting spiritually against myself. I blamed the enemy when truth is, it was me, I was fighting God. I was against everything God was trying to do in my life because I was worried about what ‘they’ would say. And it almost cost me everything. I don’t usually get this personal but I need our testimony to speak to somebody on the verge of giving up. I need OUR testimony to become somebody else victory speech. I need somebody else to trust and know God won’t leave you. Even when you’re fighting Him, He’s still there. Even when you’ve walked away, He’s still trailing behind. Even when you act like He doesn’t exist, He does. I learned this, the hard way and yet, it is part of the process I wouldn’t change because it taught me to trust God more.

Look, my husband and I were young when we bought our first house and the entire process wasn’t in our favor. We stayed there ten years before we moved into an overpriced apartment, we couldn’t afford. Stayed there four years until 8/29 when God told us we had to move. And we did! We moved the contents of our family in 2 days. Didn’t even have a place to stay but we moved. Lived in an extended stay for a month before moving in with my husband’s parents for a few weeks. We went from there to a home we rented for two years. But let me tell you what was different. From 2000 (when we bought our house) until 2014 (in the apartment), we struggled. BAD! Yet we moved when God said move and from November 2014 to October 2016, we never missed a bill. Our credit score started to rise and things were different. It was God keeping His promise. Never paid rent, gas, electric or car notes late. Never went hungry. God did it! And this year, 1/31/17, we became re-NEW-ed home owners. And as I was leaving this morning, I began chanting, “Thank you Lord.” Whoever you are, hold on. Don’t give up but be patient while trusting God. He’ll show up for you just like He did for us.

“Dear God, Help me to trust you even when it doesn’t make sense. Guide me and don’t take your hands off. Although I may fight, I won’t and can’t let go until you bless me. Amen”

Daily Devotional – 2/15/17 “Simple prayer!”

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple prayer filled with the power of the Holy Ghost to get what you need. Beloved, when you don’t know what to pray for, sometimes you need to take a few words and do what my Grandma say, put your weight on it and get it through. See, I’ve been to a place of darkness and praying the Lord’s Prayer would take too much time. I’ve dealt with some pain and didn’t have the time nor strength for more than three words (Lord, do it!). I’ve been knocked down and all I could scream out was, Lord, have mercy! I’ve had the door slammed in my face and God, have your way; was all that came out. Been turned down and “Lord, you know,” was the answer.

What’s my point? Sometimes you have to let the Holy Ghost take over and get your prayer to places you’re too big to go. Put some weight on it, some bass in your voice and let the spirit of the Lord have His way!