Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 2/27/17 “Intentional fall!”

Often times we find ourselves being so consumed with trying to survive that we, in a sense, forget how to live. We get so caught up in everything happening that we miss the message God has laid so plainly before us. We fight, trying to understand why me and why now that it overshadows everything God has been doing. You’re probably asking, how am I supposed to understand when I can’t make heads or tails of why the place God sent me is failing. Or why it seems God would allow you to get almost done with school and now you may not be able to afford tuition. You can’t make sense of why God would bring you this far and then allow all hell to break loose. Or why He waited until you got ready to retire for sickness to attack your body. Or why He would allow death to show up when your marriage is falling apart? Why God, am I struggling more when you were the one who told me to move? Why God, am I hurting more when you were the one who told me to go? But have you ever stopped to think the hardship you are facing right now, was intentionally placed by God? Has it ever dawned on you that what caused you to stumble was God’s way of intentionally knocking you back to save your life? Have you ever stopped to think that what you thought was for your bad was actually for your good? Yes, you are walking the right path but maybe it came by way of an eager heart. Let me explain what I mean.

How many times did you pray for the place you are, even though God told you no, the first time? How many days/nights did you plead with God for the very thing, you’re crying over that He’d already told you no too? Think about it because maybe you’re in a position like Balaam in Numbers 22, finding yourself on a road and on your ass. (By ass I mean donkey.) See, Balaam found himself in a predicament because the ride he thought would be easy turned in one with a few bumps and a setback because God allowed Balaam’s donkey to stumble. Balaam was mad and told the donkey had he had a sword he would have killed him but what Balaam didn’t realize was falling on his ass (donkey) caused him to live. Numbers 22:32-33 says, “The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.” Baby, I don’t know where you are on your journey but falling just might be the reason you’re still alive. Because had God not been intentional in you falling, you probably would have gotten deeper into some mess that caused you to die prematurely. You don’t have to believe me but read Numbers 22 for yourself and then get up. However, this time do what God tells you the first time.

Daily Devotional – 2/23/17 “I forgive ME!”

On my ride to work this morning, I heard, on the radio station, of a new single by James Fortune. I haven’t listened to it yet but I made a mental note to download it. The name of it, “I forgive me.” Baby!! See, many times we say forgive others in order to be forgiven yet no one ever tells us to forgive ourselves. Yes, there are a lot of hurt people walking around with weights hanging over their heads and can’t understand it. Some of you are staying up at night, losing sleep. Many of you are going through the motion but you’re barely making it. And for the life of you, you can’t figure it out. You’ve forgiven them but have you forgiven you? Have you stopped blaming yourself for the abuse inflicted by the hands of someone you loved? Have you stopped blaming yourself for husband/wife walking out? Have you forgiven yourself for the hurt and pain? Have you forgiven yourself for the thoughts of not being enough? Have you forgiven yourself for daddy not being there? Have you forgiven you for the ministry not working or the business failing? Have you forgiven yourself for losing your house or car? Have you taken time to forgive you for the things you did, for the places you went and for the people you gave yourself too? Have you forgiven you? Have you cried out to Lord for forgiveness on your part? Have you released yourself from the burden of your hand in it?

Well, I can say, truthfully, probably not because many of us don’t know how. I can tell you, it hurts and it’s going to take strength, some tears and a strong connection to God because there are some things you just can’t forgive on your own, including self. And that’s because we are the hardest on ourselves. But today, it ends. Today, beloved, your healing begins; for real. It starts with forgiving you. Today is the day you tell self, I forgive me. I forgive me for thinking I wasn’t good enough. I forgive me for not eating right. I forgive me for not taking care of myself. I forgive me for thinking it was my fault momma/daddy didn’t want me. I forgive me for all the mess I got in. I forgive me for that relationship that almost cost me my life. I forgive me for putting my children in a hostile environment. I forgive me for connecting with somebody who could have given me a deadly disease. I forgive me for almost ruining my family. I forgive me for not doing God’s will. I forgive me for connecting to the wrong people. I forgive me for the trouble I got in. I forgive me for blaming everybody else. I forgive me! What is it you need to forgive yourself for? You don’t have to tell me but tell self. Today, self, I forgive me for ___________.

Dear God,
Please forgive me. But this time, God, while you’re forgiving me, give me the strength to forgive myself.
Amen

Daily Devotional – 2/22/17 “What are you focused on?”

I was watching this game show the other night called ‘idiotest.’ In the game, a person is given a question like, “You have a one-dollar bill. How many sodas can you buy?” The picture shows a drink machine with grape soda $.50, diet bubble $.15 and bubble zero $.25 along with a sign that says quarters only. Your choices are 8, 2, 0 and 4. What’s your answer? If you said anything other than 0, you were incorrect. See, for some all we see is a dollar and the prices of the drinks but if you paid close attention, it said, quarters only. How many of us would have missed it? And how many of us miss things daily because we focused in on the wrong thing? Think about it. If you were thirsty and hadn’t had a drink in days and I hand you a cup that’s dirty on the outside, would you drink from it? Many of us would say no because all we are focused on is the dirt on the outside instead of seeing the clean water inside. We allowed the outside dirt, to keep us from getting the clean water we so desperately needed on the inside. Now, we’re lying in the gutter of some dry place taking shallow breathes until death shows up to put us out of misery. When all we had to do was shift our focus.

How many of us would be in the place we are if God only focused on our dirt and not the possibility of how we’d look clean? How many of us would have the testimony, right now today, of “Had it not been for the Lord, on my side” or even “He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs?” Anybody else besides me? See, had it not been for God whose focus was on my potential and not my past, I’d still be lost. Had it not been for God focusing on our restoration instead of our scars; we’d still be raggedy and not worth a nickel. Had it not been for God focusing on the probable likelihood we could be used, we’d still be jumping from bed to bed, from alcohol to drugs, from club to club and mess to mess. Yet because He didn’t focus on what we were, He saw who we could become. Because God didn’t focus on where we came from, He saw where we can go. Now, the question is, what are you focused on? Are you still trying to figure out if the glass is half empty or half full or have you realized it’s a glass that can be refilled? Are you focused on who left or has your focus shifted on who is to come? Are you focused on what you lost or have you shifted to what you’re about to be blessed with? What are you focused on?

Dear God,
Help me to regain focus on what’s really important. Open my eyes with a new way of looking and seeing. Give me strength to decipher between what’s temporary and what is permanent so that I don’t miss out. Today, God, give me wisdom to focus on the big and not the small and the good and not the bad. Today God, shift my focus to where it belongs.
Amen

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