Daily Devotional – 11/10/15 “It’s interesting …”

I find it quite interesting that we trust folk, no questions asked, but we have an issue with trusting God. I mean, we will question God like He’s the material witness for our case yet when folk say, “Ride with me,” we go no question about it. We’ve even gotten to the point that we trust Siri for directions but we won’t go where God leads us. We are so trusting of cell phones and electronics that we feel lost without them yet we won’t trust El Shaddai, God almighty. We trust the bread from the shelf of the grocery store without looking at the expiration date yet we won’t trust Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. We trust the expired medication that’s in the cabinet but we won’t trust Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. We trust the one who says, I’ll be there yet we won’t trust Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. We trust our carnal minds to ease our troubles but we won’t trust Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace or Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner. Oh, we can trust sleeping pills, alcohol and drugs yet we won’t put trust in Jehovah M’Kaddesh, the Lord who makes Holy. We trust walking in the darkness, wandering in the wilderness yet we won’t trust EL ROI, God of seeing.

I don’t get it. It’s so easy for us to get in the car with a new co-worker, church member or friend and trust them with our life yet we have a problem trusting Jehovah, Lord. It’s easy for us to eat other folk’s cooking without a doubt yet we have questions for EL OLAM, Everlasting God. What is it going to take to get you to trust Him? Oh I know you’ve never seen anyone physically walk on water but have you seen anyone make air, yet you trust it? Haven’t God proved Himself by the miracle that is you? You know, good and well, you should have been dead by now, yet your ungrateful self still lives to see another day. You know, like I know; your past should have cut you off yet you’re still here and your past can’t stop what God has. Yea, you should have been the one in jail, you should have been the one strung out on drugs, your name should have been in the obituary section of the newspaper, it could have been your child with cancer, your momma with Alzheimer, your husband with an addiction he can’t break, your son on the corner, your daughter walking the streets, your family homeless or you without a way out; oh but God spared your stingy, stanky self, one more time! Baby, you know like I know, your mouth should always have praises in it. However, when you get to a point of trusting God, He’ll get to a place of trusting you!

Daily Devotional – 11/6/15 “Your sacrificial suffering!”

You aren’t going through for you but you are going through in order for the manifestation of God to take place through you. Yea, I know you thought the things you were suffering with were because of you but baby, look around; God is trying to save the folks in your midst. Sometimes, people have to see the miracles that God can do before they believe in the miracle that is God and you are just the incubator. You are simply the one God chose to be His walking testimony. The sickness in your body, you are just carrying it until it’s time for you to birth the healing somebody around you needs to see. That financial trouble you’ve been in, you’re just the one God chose to manifest a blessing so big that it’s going to blow even your mind. Oh child of God, your sickness isn’t until death, your marriage isn’t over neither is your job search in vain; it’s part of the process. Oh, dear pastor; I know the assignment may seem hard but it isn’t time for you to throw in the towel, it’s part of the process. Single mom or dad, your suffering won’t last always, it’s part of the process. Grieving family, your tears are being heard by God and they won’t last; it’s part of the process.

We talked about this in bible study on Wednesday night. I told my aunt who had to go through breast cancer that God didn’t allow the cancer for her to suffer but she had to go through in order to be able to help somebody else. She is now volunteering at the cancer treatment center yet she wouldn’t be as helpful as she is if she didn’t know what they are going through. She had to go through cancer in order to help somebody else go through cancer. It’s the same for you. Whatever it is you’re going through, it’s not for you but it’s so that you can help (and hope) somebody else. How else can you tell folk how you made it through, if you don’t go through anything? Your testimony is only validated by your tests. You can’t be a witness unless you’ve witnessed something; remember that you’re under oath! We have to be like Paul and testify to God like he did in Colossians 1:24, “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.” If we don’t participate in the suffering, how can we save? If we don’t do our part in sharing the suffering, how can we be a sacrifice? If we don’t suffer, how can we be saved? Baby, your suffering is an offering to God, it won’t return void. For the bible tells me, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later, Romans 8:18.”

Daily Devotional – 11/5/15 “When we fear God…”

Psalm 34:9 says this, “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” And you’re still wondering why you are without! Humph… Baby listen, we fear folk, spiders, losing our jobs yet we don’t fear God. We fear abusive spouses yet we don’t fear God. We fear losing bae or spouse walking out on us but we don’t fear God. We fear being alone yet we don’t fear God who will keep us company. We fear money not being enough, a common cold that medicine will help, high blood pressure that can be maintained yet we don’t fear God. We are more fearful of our boss and IRS than God. We are more of the diagnosis than we are of the healer yet if you read Psalm 34:9 again, as a matter of fact, let me give you another translation that says, “Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.” Another way says, “O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.” In order words, if you fear God you shall not want!

Please understand; I am in no way saying you have to be perfect because God doesn’t expect that from us but I find it strange that we will question God before we question folk. We’ll allow a man or woman to run all over us and won’t open our mouth, oh but don’t let God answer your prayer and you’ll be questioning Him like He’s on trial. We got the audacity to question Him when we are up crying out night (Why me God?) yet you won’t question the one who made you cry. Don’t you get it, fearing God takes us of out our comfort zone in order to do what He has called us to do? When we fear God, we won’t be too quick to do things out of His will. When we fear God, we ask for forgiveness of our mistakes. When we fear God we love like we should. When we fear God, we do the assignment He has placed us in instead of fighting it every time. When we fear God, we don’t put our mouth on those He has sent to guide us. When we fear God, we actually keep His worship place Holy and not hellish. When we fear God, we do His will thus making Him do for us which means we lack for nothing. When we fear God, we shall not want! When we fear God, He makes a way for us. When we fear God, doors open. When we fear God, we are never in need!

Daily Devotional – 11/4/15 “I shall not want!”

I’ve come to realize on my Christian walk that as long as I know whose I am, I shall not want for nothing. For Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” See, wanting means I have no faith but waiting means my faith has taken over. Wanting means I’m trying to figure it out but waiting means it’s already done. Wanting means my flesh is hungry but waiting means my spirit has been fed. Wanting means it’s in my hands but waiting means it’s in the Master’s hand. Wanting means I’m looking through natural eyes but waiting means I see it in the spirit. Wanting means I try to get even with folk but waiting tells me that vengeance is the Lord’s. Wanting means I look at my checking account and cringe but waiting means I look and believe that greater is coming. Wanting means I need to do it but waiting means it’s being worked out in my favor. Wanting calls me by my name but waiting calls me anointed. Wanting gets me tangled in mess but waiting gets me before great men. Wanting has me looking at my past but waiting has me in praise. Wanting has me thinking about the future but waiting has me blown away by my present.

Oh we are children of the King, we shall lack for nothing. I don’t have to want; all I have to do is wait! Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Yea, I know you need some things now but wait. I know you are looking for some things to happen but wait for the bible says in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Baby, waiting doesn’t tell you no, it’s simply preparing you for what’s to come because Lamentations 3:25 says, “The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Oh, there’s joy in waiting if you tap into it for Isaiah 40:31 tells me that, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” All you have to do is go from wanting to waiting and see the change in your life. Go from wanting to waiting and see the evidence in your getting. The Lord is our shepherd and we shall not want! #Psalm33Verse20

Daily Devotional – 11/3/15 “Where’s the fellowship?”

How can we say we are ‘fellowshipping’ together if we aren’t on the same accord? Fellowshipping means we are gathering together with the same intent and purpose; a group of like-minded people coming together. Oh, you didn’t know that? Well, if we gather for a birthday party; everybody’s intent should be to celebrate whosoever birthday it is, right? It’s the same way with worship. If we all serve the same God, shouldn’t our intent be to worship Him during our fellowship? Shouldn’t our purpose be to follow Him, His teachings and give Him praise during our fellowship? If you aren’t doing that, when you fellowship, you need to rethink some things. Going to a building on Sunday doesn’t make you part of the fellowship if your intent isn’t the same as the others gathered. If the purpose of a church building is to worship God and you’re going there so that you can keep your status up, you are going for the wrong reason. If you are going into God’s house because you are the head of whatever board, you are going for the wrong reason. If you are going to God’s house simply because you are the one who counts the money yet you can’t be counted into fellowship, you are going for the wrong reason.

Fellowship

This is why Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” How can you encourage me when we are on different pages or standing on uncommon ground? Chile, I can’t listen to you, in God’s house, especially if we don’t have the same intent to serve our God. Please understand, you can have your role (in God’s house) but don’t allow it to overshadow the reason why we fellowship. You can serve in your capacity but don’t allow it to dominate the purpose of the shepherd God has ordained and put in place to lead His sheep (if he or she is leading you in the right direction). Acts 2:42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer,” but how can we sit down to eat together when we are at odds? What happened to the fellowship? What happened to gathering together to worship God? What happened to going to church for deliverance instead of mess? What happened to following the pastor instead of our own agendas? What happened to helping one another? Where are the true Saints of God? Where is the fellowship among God’s people? Where’s the fellowship?