Daily Devotional – 1/9/17 “Suddenly!”

suddenly

The other day, my husband and I were watching Family Feud. Steve Harvey introduced the families and one of them were the returning family who’d one 3 times already. Well, I watched and I couldn’t see how they’d won three games because they were struggling so badly this time. I mean, it was up to the third question and they were losing. By all accounts, there was no way they should win the game, this time. But then something happened. They ended up winning the third round which meant the two teams would have to go to sudden death. If you’ve ever watch Family Feud, then you know at sudden death, the person who gets the top answer wins. Well, they won. They’d been down the entire game and still won. They’d probably been counted out by everybody because even I didn’t think they could win. But they did. Why am I sharing this? Well because somebody is in the hardest struggle of your life and folk have already counted this as a lost. You’re at the toughest part of the fight and the referee is beginning to count you out.

You’re looking at the scoreboard and you’re still losing. You see the odds stacked and they’re not in your favor. You’re looking at the court papers and they still say guilty. You just answered the door or the phone and it was more bad news. You looked and you still can’t win for losing. You can’t get up for being knocked down. Well beloved, even when it looks like you’re losing we serve a God who has the power to change the game suddenly, in your favor. We serve a God who has the ability to still call you victorious after the lost. Baby, we serve a God who has the power to turn your default into deliverance, your forfeit into favor and your penalty into plenty. We serve a God who specializes in victories not scores. We serve a living God who counts you as the champion, not based on your wins but your faith. All you have to do is stay in the game, stay on the battlefield and stay in the fight. It may not look like it now but God can do it suddenly and without your permission.

Daily Devotional – 1/5/17 “Faith but no action!”

write-the-visionYou still have time to make this year, your year. In fact, you have 360 more days! Oh, let me guess. You have an excuse. What is it, this time? You’re still trying to find pictures for your vision board, you still don’t have a way to bible study, you’re still trying to get yourself together or you’re still trying to find something to wear? I mean, come on. You do know that at some point in your natural life you’ve got to get up, right? You do understand that at some point in time, you’ve got to stop writing the vision and actually put it into action, right? You do understand that the only way you can get a job, you have to apply for one, right? Listen beloved, I am all for setting plans, creating goals and I like the vision boards but what are you going to do with the plans, the goals and how are you going to make the vision if you’ve yet to move? That’s like expecting a car to run without a motor. That’s like expecting your remote to work with no batteries. That’s like eating cereal with no milk. Well, not actually the cereal but you know what I mean. Who wants an empty bank account? What I’m asking is, when are you going to make some action happen?

I know you’ve been let down before. I know you’ve been turned down more times than you care to remember. I know you can’t understand why it seems like everybody is getting blessed but you. I know you feel as if you’re in a never winning cycle but baby, how can you test your faith in God if you never put it into action? That’s like saying prayer doesn’t work when you’ve never prayed. That’s like giving a restaurant a bad review when you’ve never actually been there. Aren’t you tired? Aren’t you ready to see what being victorious looks like? Are you not ready to see what winning feels like? Aren’t you even curious to see how winning sounds in front of your name? What about healed, delivered and being set free? They can all become a part of your vocabulary, if you believe. So, come down off the cliff ma’am. Step away from the edge sir. Put the gun down son. Throw away the pills, daughter. It’s not time for you to die. You still have time to turn this thang around. You still have time for 2017 to be the most blessed year of your life.

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” – James 2:14

Daily Devotional – 1/4/17 “When praise exceeds your pain!”

How can you garner the strength to go on when it feels like your living is in vain? How can you come out of the darkness when it’s a struggle to find the switch to the light? What are you to do when it seems like grief has taken the place of grace and fighting overshadowing your faith? How can you manage when it seems like you’re by yourself or when it seems like trouble is on every side? What are you supposed to do when you look in the mirror and see bruises from the person who vowed to love you through sickness and health? What becomes of you, now, that your normal is anything but? Asking yourself the questions, who am I and how did I get here? Trying to rationalize why you’re stuck in a place that’s causing more pain than joy. Looking for someone to lean on? Calling and texting for someone to talk too? Searching for something to help you fill the void. Seeking relief from nightly pacing and daily crying until your body hurt? Who can help you answer the same questions you keep asking over and over? Why me? What else? When will it end? How can I come out? Who can I run too? And where is God?

Well dearly beloved, stop trying to fill the void because you might fill it with someone who looks helpful but only makes things worse. Stop trying to find someone to lean on when God is using this time in your life for you to learn to lean on Him. Stop trying to make sense out of something that God is allowing to happen. How do you know it’s God? When your praise exceeds your pain. What do I mean? When you should have lost your mind but instead you rejoice. When you should be hopeless about your house being foreclosed on but instead you shout. When grief should have closed your mouth but you still show up with praise. When you’ve been so faithful yet cancer keeps showing up and instead of choosing to die you dance. When you keep getting defeated in battle and instead of breaking, you still believe God. I don’t know who you are but it’s not time for you to give up. Praise in spite of what it looks like because your access to THEE everlasting never gives out. And as long as you stay connected, stay praising and stay faithful; even when it’s the darkest, you’ll still survive. This is why you have to know that when your praise exceeds your pain, it’s God working. #Psalm142

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Daily Devotional – 1/3/17 “You can’t do it all!”

She spent all her time trying to live up to other’s expectations of her. She was the first to go to college from her family so she had to maintain good grades, everyone was counting on her. And she did but it was a daily struggle yet no one knew. She graduated and got a great job with benefits and now she felt obligated to help her parents because they’d been the one helping her. She did but it was a daily struggle yet no one saw it. Everyone at church looked up to her because she was a saved, single girl who had it all together. She did but it was a daily struggle and she was tired. She was tired of feeling like she had to say yes. Tired of feeling like she’d let folk down if she missed one Sunday. Tired of feeling like folk wouldn’t eat if she took one day off. It was an inward struggle. One day she didn’t show up for work and that was unusual. One of her friends from college, who was also a coworker went to check on her. She saw her car in the parking lot and when she got to the door, she heard her phone ringing but she didn’t answer. She called 911 and by the time they got inside they found a note next to her body that read, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t do it all.”

For somebody reading this, you have to know that you can’t do it all. You can’t be and do what everybody else wants because you’ll find yourself being burnt out. Yes, I know you have people depending on you but what good will you do if you can’t do anything? Is a bulb any good after it’s burned out? Are batteries any good once they’ve reached their capacity? Are tires any good once they’ve run their course? I’m only asking because just like light bulbs, batteries and tires; we have to ensure we are equipped to be what someone else needs. This is why you have to say no sometimes, you can’t accept every invitation. This is why you have to shut up sometimes, every argument isn’t worth it. This is why you have to let some folk go, all relationships aren’t good. This is why you have to sever some ties, they are draining you. In this New Year, you need to reevaluate relationships, appointments, agreements and contracts. This year, you need to look at some stuff you agreed to years ago because you may just find that they don’t fit anymore. You can’t do everything and you can’t be what everybody needs and you have to get to a place where you are okay with saying it. If not, you’ll find yourself working to please folk who aren’t even worthy of it.

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I made it – Top 30 Devotional Blogs 

Listen … I made a post on Facebook a few days ago that said, God still has time to blow your mind in 2016.

Well, let me testify. On yesterday I was checking my email and there was an email with the subject “Kisha’s Daily Devotional Blog in Feedspot Top 30 Devotional Blogs.” I clicked on it and I was indeed among the list as being one of the top 30 devotional blogs on the internet. Wow!! 

My blog, https://kishasdailydevotional.com/ has been selected as one of the top 30 Devotional Blogs on the Internet!

Y’all! #nowords I told you God still has time to blow your mind in 2016! WOW!! Check it out. I got a cool badge and everything. And I must say, I am among some awesome blogs! You’ve got to check it out for yourself. Visit them at blog.feedspot.com and see the list. It’s going to blow your mind as well. 

I’m sharing this because somebody is doubting that God can do it. If you need another testimony, I got a text from my best friend, on last night, who said she got a call yesterday for another job that starts on 1/16/17.   

Baby, you can’t tell me what God can’t do. All you have to do is believe.

Thank you God and thank each of you who follow my devotionals. Please don’t stop. Share it with somebody and check out feedspot and show them some love.

God is amazing and He still has time to blow your mind. Do you believe?