Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 5/11/16 “Friend or foe?”

Last week in bible study, we began the book of Job. As I studied, I found it interesting that most of the beginning chapters are the conversations with Job and his three friends. What was also interesting was the judgment his so-called friends passed. I mean, here they come acting as if they really cared; they did sit with him for seven days and seven nights without mumbling a word but oh when they did, the first thing they suggest is that Job must have done something wrong and sinned against God because innocent people don’t suffer. After Job begins cursing the day he was born, the first friend replies saying Job you’ve always encouraged others during their times but now that trouble has struck you, you can’t handle it. Job listens because he believes encouragement is coming but Eliphaz then begins trying to convince Job to confess his sin. He says in Job 4:8, “My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.” In other words, he’s saying Job must have sown trouble because it’s what he’s now reaping; all because Job’s glitz & glamour was gone. Yet, isn’t it crazy how quick folk will judge you in your trouble but wasn’t saying a word when they were reaping the benefits of your good? This is why I asked the question in bible study, “How well do you know your friends?” Can you answer that?

Think about it. Job loved these friends and called them brother but when he needed someone to comfort him, they cursed him instead. When he needed someone to lean on, they pushed him off. They came to see what he’d done to cause God to punish him, not to offer words of encouragement. And some of us are surrounded by folk like this. Yea, they act like they love us but wait until trouble comes. They’ll start whispering stuff like, “I didn’t know she’d do something like this,” or “He sure did have me fooled, I thought he was one of the good ones.” These kinds of folk are only around to benefit off your favor. They won’t come and pray for you but they’ll show up to pimp you for information. They don’t show up to console you but it’ll be more like confronting you. This is why you have to be mindful of who’s around you. You have to examine folk, now days, just to ensure they are willing to go through the good and the bad. You do know some folk are only hanging on to you for the good, right? They are there as long as you’re serving steak but starting offering ground beef and see what happens. Baby, you have to get somebody around who can pray you out of trouble when you can’t, encourage you when you’re hurting or who’ll tell you when you’re wrong. You have to get someone who’ll be willing to go to war (spiritually) on your behalf and not be the one cheering for your enemy! How well do you know your friends?

Daily Devotional – 5/10/16 “If God doesn’t show up …”

After a few days of not doing a devotional, I’ve come to understand that even if God never gives me another message to minister, He’s still God and I’ll serve Him. Even if I never write another devotional to encourage somebody, you ought to know that God is available for you and you should try Him. Even if God doesn’t show up when I expect Him to, I’ll still trust in Him. Even when God allows me to go through trials, I’ll go in with praises unto Him. What am I getting at? As Saints of God, we’ve got to understand that even if God never shows up in our situation, He’s done enough already (that should be enough to pull us through). Even when we can’t understand why we are being tested, we ought to have enough faith to know that it’s not for our torment (that should be enough for us to push on). Even if God allows everything we have to be snatched away, we have to know it’s for a purpose (that should be enough for praise to still be fresh on our lips). I think about the three Hebrew boys when they were about to thrown into the fire. Nebuchadnezzar was in an uproar because they wouldn’t bow down to him. He asked these boys in Daniel 3:15, “And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” These three boys simply say in Daniel 3:16-18, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

See, they knew and recognized that the God they served was capable of saving them from the fire but they end by saying, but even if God doesn’t show up and save us; we won’t bow down to you. They understood that everything God had already done for them was more than they could afford to pay back (already indebted to Him). They knew all of the blessings God had given them were already too numerous to count. They recognized the blessings in being attached to God. So they said to the king, “Even if God doesn’t show up, we’ll still go in the fire on His behalf!” And somebody on today, whomever you are, who are complaining about the trials of life; you ought to get out of your funk and realize that going through is just a part of the process and you should be willing to go through it, just to serve your purpose! It doesn’t matter how hot or hard it seems, at the time, you ought to be willing to go simply because it’s God asking. I mean, think about this … If a cake could talk, it’d probably say, everything I have to go through; from being whipped and beaten to then withstanding the heat of the oven is all worth it, to see the end result and even if you don’t eat me, I’d still would have served my purpose. What do I mean? Jesus had to endure and even if we decide not to serve Him, He’s still served His purpose. We have to endure and if God decides not to show up, at that moment; He’s still serving His purpose. We should, then, be willing to serve ours and if that means a test, this time; we should do it!

Video Devotional – 5/6/16 “Are you willing to fight?”

You’ll never know if you’re capable of winning unless you’re willing to get in the fight!

Are you willing to fight?

Be blessed!

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Daily Devotional – 5/5/16 “I’ll just wave my hand!”

Have you ever been waiting at a restaurant for someone to come in and when they do, you stand up and wave your hand to get their attention instead of yelling? Have you ever been across a room and you see someone you know and you wave your hand to get their attention instead of calling out? Have you ever been in public and see someone familiar but instead of shouting, you wave to get their attention? Well, sometimes all you have to do to get God’s attention is simply wave your hand. Yea! He already knows your cry; He’s been listening to your tears. He already knows your prayer; He’s been listening to your heart. He already knows because He’s intercepted your groans. Sometimes, all you need to do is simply wave your hand. That’s letting God know, here I am. That’s letting God know, I need you and I need you now. Baby, God doesn’t need you to cause a scene, He isn’t waiting to see how loud you can scream; all He’s interested in is the sincere prayers of the righteous. Don’t believe me? Well, that’s alright because I have bible on my side. God says in Isaiah 65:24, “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” That’s not enough? Then read Romans 8:26-27 that says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

I don’t know what you’re in need of my brother. I don’t know what you’re seeking my sister. However, I know someone who can help you. I know someone who will meet you where you are. I know a man who will show up in the midst of your cry. I know a man who will listen even when you don’t speak. I know a man and He shows up, every time. This is why you have to do what Ephesians 6:18 says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.” It doesn’t matter that it might not sound right, continue praying. God isn’t looking for proper grammatical conversation; He’s simply listening to see if you’ll call Him. God isn’t waiting to see if you’ll use biblical terms, He’s just waiting on you to let Him in. God isn’t counting the minutes of your prayers; He needs to see if you’ll take a minute for Him. Baby, I don’t know about you but when I’m in a spiritual fight for my life, I don’t have time for a long drawn out prayer; I simply say, “Lord, have mercy on me! Amen.” When I’m in the midst of a darken pit, I don’t have the resources to tap into a Sunday morning altar prayer, I simply say; “Lord, come and see about me. Amen.” When I’m at the edge of the cliff, there’s no time for meaningless mumbling, I simply call out, “Lord, I trust you. Amen” When my feet is in the fire, I don’t have time to think out my words, I say; “Lord, I’m willing to endure for you. Amen.” And when I come to a place I have no words, I’ll simply wave my hand and God will understand.

Daily Devotional – 5/4/16 “Ever seen a bird with a backpack?”

I received an inbox yesterday for clarification on the question, “Have you ever seen a bird with a backpack?” It says that birds consistently travel this planet constantly guided by their instinct to carry out their purpose. Isn’t that something? Although a bird travels from here to there, you’ll never see them with a backpack of their belongings neither will you see them staying in one place simply because they don’t think they’ll find what they need to fulfill their purpose. Why? Well, they trust in what was placed inside of them and that means they are trusting in who made them. It’s like the birds that fly south for the winter. If they decided to stay north because they didn’t think they’d have what they need in the south; I’d surmise they would probably starve to death (as the birds that fly south usually do so to survive). What’s the point? You’ve got to stop staying in your place of complacency simply because you are afraid. You’ve got to quit placing your purpose on hold because you’re worried you won’t have what you need. Have you ever seen a bird with a backpack of twigs to build their nest or worms to eat? No and this is because they trust in their purpose of knowing, they’ll find everything they need when they fly in their purpose.

So I ask these questions of you today? Why do you have a backpack on your back and what’s in it? Is it worry because you don’t feel good enough? Is it self-hatred because you don’t feel beautiful enough? Is it anger because someone did you wrong? Is it selfishness because you’re all about you and nobody else? Is it messiness and gossip because you’ve become good at that? What’s in your backpack and why are you carrying it around? When will you trust in what God has placed inside of you? When will let go of the backpack and soar higher? When will you let go of the negativity and worry and believe in who God has made you? A bird flies without thought of what they’ll need because they trust, through faith, in how they were created and that what they need to fulfill their purpose will be given. Why are we, as Christians, not capable of tapping into our faith and trusting in who created us knowing we have access to everything we need to fulfill our purpose? Birds were created with wisdom to build and strength to fly in order to survive and we’re created with wisdom to build and strength to survive. Why aren’t we? They trust their purpose and the purpose giver. Do we?