Daily Devotional – 3/30/16 “Resist!”

Strength2

Have you ever had someone who continually calls you even after the relationship is over? Ever had someone to constantly show up at your house even after you’ve put them out and changed the locks? Ever had folks to consistently bring up the mistakes of your past even though you’re not that person anymore? Folk all in your inbox trying to get your respond, just once! Have you ever been there? Well my brothers and my sisters; this is the same way the enemy works. Yes, you broke it off with him but he’s still calling, only from different numbers hoping today will be the day you’re going through something and will answer. He knows it’s over but he still shows up in the hopes you’re in the midst of a rough patch and will open the door. Yea, he tells you all the things y’all used to do, saying stuff like; “You remember when I used to,” or “You know you liked how I made you feel.” He’ll ask stuff like, “You still got that stuff I bought you?” “You still like to drink ..?” “You still go to club ..?” “You still friends with ..?” All the things he knows will jog your memory on what you used to have with him, hoping it’ll make you let him in. Sending, “Hey,” hoping this moment you’ll reply back. Oh, he even has you thinking that if you let him now, it’ll only be for this time and he’ll leave again. You know, a one night stand.

Well baby, the enemy doesn’t work in one night stands; he likes lifetime commitments. Don’t fall for his lies. Yes, I know he had you fooled into thinking that nobody else could make you feel like he could but how would you know if you’ve never tried anybody else. He has you thinking nobody will take care of you like him but how would you know if you don’t give anybody else a chance. The enemy has somebody bamboozled into thinking you aren’t worthy enough to leave him but try it and see. Please understand, I am only using he but there’s some she’s in the game too. It’s still the enemy, he’s only using what he knows will get you, including her. Stop being fooled by the enemy. His job is to destroy you. His job is to make you feel good, all the time. His job is to bless you in order to keep you out of the realm of God’s blessings and some of us fall victim to him DAILY! Stop! Stop replying to the texts, stop answering the phone and the door, stop getting caught up in the sob stories and stop allowing your flesh to fail you. You’ve got to make it up in your mind that you will resist the enemy. Stop falling for the same tricks that he knows will get you. He knows what you like and he’ll surround you with it every day until you give in but the bible says in Ephesians 4:27, “do not give the devil a foothold,” for James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” God doesn’t tempt us, the enemy does. God will only test us and it is up to us to pass.

Daily Devotional – 3/29/16 “Why don’t we _____ God, like God does us?”

When you walk in your God given purpose, He’ll handle the provisions of what you need to progress. When you trust in your God given talents, He’ll take care of the things you need to thrive. When your faith allows you to follow your God given favor, He’ll faithfully allow you to be fruitful in every season. Baby, when you seek to serve the Savior with all your heart and soul, He’ll ensure you survive the storm, situation and shame. When you believe, when you know for sure won’t nobody do you like the Lord, when you understand that what you have to go through is what you have to go through, when you recognize this thang isn’t about you and when you truly give yourself over to the God of infinite chances; you’ll see your worship wake up, your attitude abruptly alters, your flesh fades, your messy mouth is miraculously made over, you walk is willingly changed, your hands help and your spirit is sanctified. All you have to do is believe in what God has placed in you, tap into where He has placed you and walk in the assignment He knows you can handle.

Beloved, God believes enough in you or He wouldn’t continually snatch you back from the hands of the enemy. God trust in your ability to trust in Him, otherwise He wouldn’t constantly show up in the midst of your storm and protect you. God loves you because if He didn’t He wouldn’t consistently cover you in your mess, forgive you for the same sin, bless you despite your lack of praise and show up even though you’ve yet to call. God cares for you or else He would have allowed you to be killed in the middle of your mess, He wouldn’t have saved you from the hands of that abusive spouse, He wouldn’t have stopped you from getting HIV/AIDS, He wouldn’t have spared your life when the drugs should have sent you into an overdose, He wouldn’t have covered you when you should be doing jail time for DUI … If God didn’t love us, He could have taken His hands off of us by now but He doesn’t. If God didn’t believe in us, He would have stop answering our call but He hasn’t. If God didn’t trust us, He should have stop opening doors for us but He still does. Now, my question is; why don’t we trust in, believe in and love Him? Why don’t we ________ (you fill in the blank) God, the way God does us?

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Daily Devotional – 3/28/16 “Disciple or Distracted?”

After Jesus’ resurrection, He left this charge to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Now, my questions are … Have we been honest in our going forth? Have we been diligent about our Father’s business of making disciples? Are we disciples or are we distracted? See, we’ve become so complacent with going to worship that we don’t take it outside the doors of the church. We get caught up in the rhetoric (empty talk) of religion that we forget about a relationship with God. Oh, we are stuck on “I am the church,” when no boo, we are members of the church. If you were the church, why would God need so many willing workers? This is why we have to study God’s word for ourselves, in order to get an understanding. “God knows my heart,” yes and it isn’t right. We can’t keep using this line as a way to appease our sin because if our heart was right; we’d stop using excuses as to why we can’t serve God in the capacity He needs.

Look, my brothers and my sisters; it’s time we stop pacifying this thang and being distracted by the glitz and glamour of mess. God has needs of us; His people. Yet, we can’t serve in the shape we’re in and the only way we get out of this mess; we’ve got to give our self over to the potter, God. The Savior has needs of us, His people and it’s time we start acting like it. Stop waiting until a funeral to join somebody’s church that you don’t even go back to that Sunday (You’re distracted by your grief). Quit waiting until tragedy strikes your house before you call on God (You’re distracted by the situation). Don’t wait until a holiday to go to worship (You’re distracted by self). Don’t wait until you are laid on your back, in jail, in court, getting scary news from the doctor, standing over a loved one’s grave, coming down from that high of alcohol or drugs or in the midst of your storm before you seek the Lord (You’re distracted by the circumstance). We have a responsibility as children of God to go ye therefore but we can’t do it if we’ve yet to go. I can’t minister to you if I’m still distracted by my mess. I can’t preach to you if I’m distracted by the view from my pit. I can’t encourage you if I’m still distracted by the woes of life and can’t encourage myself. I can’t tell you about a Savior if I’ve been distracted and yet to serve Him. I can’t tell you that God will inhabit your praise if I’ve been too distracted to offer Him my praise. We’ve been left with the charge of making disciples but we can’t do it if we’re still distracted by deciding to be a disciple ourselves. Are you a disciple or are you a distraction?

Stop apologizing for your purpose!

Beloved, look … Stop apologizing to folk because you’ve moved out the hood. Stop saying you’re sorry because you no longer smoke or drink. Stop making excuses as to why you choose not to cuss anymore. You don’t owe anyone an explanation when you reach your goal, get that promotion, meet a new boo, move out, move on, stop answering the phone, accomplish what they thought you couldn’t, do something they said you wouldn’t or be what God has purposed you to be. You don’t owe anyone an apology for living! Chile, stop trying to explain why you got that promotion – you earned it! Stop apologizing when it’s your name called and not theirs – they didn’t see the hell you’ve been through to make it! Don’t feel bad when you can now shout, cancer or dialysis free – you made it! If they can’t rejoice in your blessing, rejoice anyway. If they don’t celebrate you, celebrate yourself. Pat yourself on the back. Toot your own horn. God blessed you, stop apologizing for it. Stop apologizing for what God is doing! I’m not sorry nor will I apologize for the destiny I’m trying to reach. God has given me access, I’m on my way!

Who cares whether or not they like who you’ve chosen to date, do you like them? So what if they don’t support you, somebody will. It doesn’t matter if they never congratulate you, you still made it. Stop apologizing for scoring the point, crossing that obstacle, winning your battle, coming out of your storm, getting that new house or car, spending your money, opening your business or tapping into your destiny. There will always be somebody snaring their nose at you. There will always be somebody saying. “How she/he get that?” That’s ok; just stop apologizing for doing you. You don’t have to boast but brag about God’s goodness. You don’t have to explain simply exalt God. If folk choose not to understand your gifts and accept what you have to offer, the hell with them. You don’t owe anyone an explanation of your anointing, of your gifts, of your talents and especially of your elevation. God did it and if they need answers, let them go to Him. Stop minimizing what God is doing in your life all because you don’t want to hurt folk feeling. And for those folk who consistently say to you, “God told me to tell you,” discern within yourself whether they are to be trusted because even the enemy will use this line.

Please check out my feature in the Fresh Touch Publicity’s online magazine for their Women’s Month Edition of HERoine Legacy! Click here – Lakisha’s Magazine Feature

Daily Devotional – 3/24/16 “Stop apologizing for what God is doing!”

Beloved, look … Stop apologizing to folk because you’ve moved out the hood. Stop saying you’re sorry because you no longer smoke or drink. Stop making excuses as to why you choose not to cuss anymore. You don’t owe anyone an explanation when you reach your goal, get that promotion, meet a new boo, move out, move on, stop answering the phone, accomplish what they thought you couldn’t, do something they said you wouldn’t or be what God has purposed you to be. You don’t owe anyone an apology for living! Chile, stop trying to explain why you got that promotion – you earned it! Stop apologizing when it’s your name called and not theirs – they didn’t see the hell you’ve been through to make it! Don’t feel bad when you can now shout, cancer or dialysis free – you made it! If they can’t rejoice in your blessing, rejoice anyway. If they don’t celebrate you, celebrate yourself. Pat yourself on the back. Toot your own horn. God blessed you, stop apologizing for it. Stop apologizing for what God is doing! I’m not sorry nor will I apologize for the destiny I’m trying to reach. God has given me access, I’m on my way!

Who cares whether or not they like who you’ve chosen to date, do you like them? So what if they don’t support you, somebody will. It doesn’t matter if they never congratulate you, you still made it. Stop apologizing for scoring the point, crossing that obstacle, winning your battle, coming out of your storm, getting that new house or car, spending your money, opening your business or tapping into your destiny. There will always be somebody snaring their nose at you. There will always be somebody saying. “How she/he get that?” That’s ok; just stop apologizing for doing you. You don’t have to boast but brag about God’s goodness. You don’t have to explain simply exalt God. If folk choose not to understand your gifts and accept what you have to offer, the hell with them. You don’t owe anyone an explanation of your anointing, of your gifts, of your talents and especially of your elevation. God did it and if they need answers, let them go to Him. Stop minimizing what God is doing in your life all because you don’t want to hurt folk feeling. And for those folk who consistently say to you, “God told me to tell you,” discern within yourself whether they are to be trusted because even the enemy will use this line.

Please check out my feature in the Fresh Touch Publicity’s online magazine for their Women’s Month Edition of HERoine Legacy! Click here – Lakisha’s Magazine Feature