Daily Devotional – 8/19/15 “A turbulent shift!”

When you are ready to work for the Lord, be ready because baby when you tell Him you are; He begins to open doors for you. This is why you have to be careful what you speak. The tongue has power to put you in positions you didn’t even think were possible but it’s when you’re ready. All you have to do is submit to the Lord and He’ll direct your path. However, please understand – don’t make a vow to the Lord if you aren’t ready because if you say you’re ready to work, He has work for you to do. Yea, you’ll look around and be amazed at how much differently your life has become, in a short matter of time. That’s because God doesn’t have to wait to elevate you. See, He knows what you’re capable of doing; He’s simply waiting on you to catch on. He knows what you are destined to be, He had to wait until you saw it in yourself. And now, things are beginning to take flight in your life. Yea, I know you felt the trembling but that’s just the turbulence during your transition. You may have even felt a little pressure but that was only because you were changing altitudes.

Please understand this; in the midst of change, chaos can happen but it’s a part of the process. Do you think the enemy will allow you to enjoy the benefits of being blessed without bothering you? Nope! But he cannot do anything without the permission of your Father. So, if you are experiencing a sudden change in your surroundings, it may be turbulent weather due to your impending elevation; don’t count it out just yet. Yes, it’s hard but everything worth having is worth working for. And if you are experiencing turbulence that means you’re moving, you’re being shifted, your position is changing, your elevation is at hand; deal with it for it’ll soon stop. Praise your way through it for it won’t last because soon you’ll see your destination ahead at victory! Yea, the turbulence may cause you to be shook, bumped around, knocked down or maybe thrown into some unfamiliar places but don’t let it scare you out of staying the course! Turbulence means shift and with God, a shift is always good!

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13”

Daily Devotional – 8/18/15 “Be careful how you change!”

As I start, again, on this journey to be healthier; I can never see the change in my body when I begin to lose weight yet people can. Yea, I can notice the change in my clothes but when I look in the mirror, I still see me. And as I sat at my computer this morning contemplating what to blog about, it became apparent that sometimes when we make a change in our lives, we don’t necessarily see it right away … but people do. Now, please understand, this change can be good or bad; right or wrong. This change can also be one that we feel is right, at the time but it don’t necessarily mean that it is. Nevertheless, when a change is made, you don’t always see the change in you that others do. People say, you sure have changed and you’re thinking, no I haven’t. Or if the change was intentional, then you welcome the comment. However, what I need you to get out of this blog today is this – Be careful how you change because it reflects on the outside of you. Let me show you what I mean.

When you feel good on the inside, it reflects on the outside and you don’t even have to open your mouth. When you change your thought process from negative to positive, people notice and you won’t have to tell them a thing. When you go from being the class clown to now being about your business, people notice. You may not think there is a big change evident by the way you walk but there is. There’s even a glow about you because now your light is shining a little brighter. There’s even a quicker pep in your step because you heard your destiny calling and you’ve got to get to it. Oh but get this, when your attitude, on the inside is rude; it shows too. What? You didn’t think people could notice the fact your face is tore up because you didn’t sleep well last night? You don’t think we can see that you’re mad because your boo didn’t post you as his woman crush Wednesday or her man crush Monday? You don’t think people can notice your attitude when things don’t go your way or the fact that you think the world should revolve around you? Are you still wondering why people don’t want to hang out with you anymore? It may that attitude you rock. And please know this, not everybody who corrects you is your haters! They are simply trying to stop you from wrecking yourself before it’s too late. This is why you have to be careful how you change because it reflects on the outside of you. What’s on the inside shows on the outside.

Daily Devotional – 8/17/15 “We take for granted … “

I was talking to my mom and sister on yesterday and we were speaking on how blessed we’ve been. The death angel hasn’t been camped out at our houses, no major diseases, all of our children are still alive, all of my uncles and aunts are alive and well, I have all my cousins and my nieces and nephews, I still got grandma and even our spouses yet we take it all for granted; most times. Oh, I know we aren’t the only ones because as fleshly bodies, we sometimes take the passing minute for granted … until it’s too late. We don’t value life, we don’t appreciate time, we aren’t grateful for family and we sure don’t give God his due honor. What in the world is going on? We glorify reality television when the truth of the matter is, it isn’t reality. You have women that will spend more money to sew hair into their heads than to decently clothe their children. You have men who will spend all their time working in a warehouse just to go out to pay hundreds of dollars on a pair on tennis shoes instead of paying for a GED program or a college course in order to better themselves to be better men. What in the world is going on? Folk complain about tithing yet don’t complain about popping bottles. You want to blame the pastor for the church being in distress when it’s the sheep roaming in wrong pastures. It’s time we fix this thang!

Baby, you can’t keep expecting things to work out for you when you keep speaking evil on other folk lives. Keep your mouth off of folk. You do know that once you speak it, it’s said; right? There is no taking it back. That’s like trying to unscramble an egg or unbreak a plate – It can’t be done. Watch your mouth! You cannot continue to take life for granted and think you’ll have time to get it right. Time has no respect of person and it won’t wait on you just because you asked it too. As a people of God, it’s time to get right. Stop playing with God and stop playing with your life. I am not saying that it’ll be an overnight change because with any change, it’ll take time but if you are willing to make a change; it should be evident. If I say I am working out to lose weight, after a while a change should be seen. And if you are working on your spirituality, to be greater than you were, a change should be evident by your living. You have to make the choice and the changes necessary to be pleasing in God’s sight. Just don’t wait too long!

Daily Devotional – 8/14/15 “At the edge!”

This morning when I rolled over, I was almost at the edge of the bed. I was so glad I was just at the edge and that I didn’t go over. Being wrapped in my sheet was also a help because had I rolled a little farther I, most likely, would have found some danger. See, there’s a night stand on the side on the bed that could have caused some damage; had I fell. Then there’s the floor that could have also caused some issues not to mention a bruise to my ego, had I fallen yet I only made it to the edge. When I rolled back over, I laid there for a minute because then I begin thinking about all the times, as Saints of God, we’ve rolled to the edge but didn’t fall. Yea, things start going through my mind about all the times God has allowed us to roll to the edge yet He had us wrapped up and it prevented us from going over. Yea, I thought about the times we’ve been caught up in our mess and almost rolled to the edge of “jacked up again” yet God kept us! Oh, I even thought about the times we’ve been in our feelings and it caused us to roll to the edge of “I’ve messed up again,” yet I’ve been forgiven! For had you fallen, you’ve encountered some danger. Some of you probably had some potential one night stands standing next to you that could cause you danger, had you fallen (you’ll get that in a minute). Some of you could have been hurt by hitting the ground, had you fallen. Some of you could have been knocked out of God’s will, had you fallen.

Oh but aren’t you glad that the God we serve kept us at the edge? Yea, He allows us to go through some stuff but only edge type trouble. Yea, He allows us to get to the edge but He won’t allow us to go over it. Trouble, sickness, hurt, death, loss of jobs, financial trouble, car problems, family issues … edge type issues for the bible says in Deuteronomy 4:31, “For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.” Baby, I understand you’re crying now but that means you’re at your edge but get this … you haven’t went over! Step back! For the bible says in Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” may be at your edge now but know this, the Lord is with you. How do I know? You’re still here to tell somebody! Stay at your edge for as long as you need to in order to understand that God is right there with you. Then step back with your faith reignited! It isn’t over yet! You’re just at the edge!

Daily Devotional – 8/12/15 “Stop trying to please folk!”

Being in fleshy bodies, we often seek the approval of others in our day-to-day lives. It happens so much now that it’s common and we sometimes do it without even thinking. We get dressed based on how we think folk will see us or what they will say. We post things to social media because we want the likes and comments. We say and do things to gauge a reaction. We go places, even when we’re uncomfortable, all to please somebody else. When will we stop seeking approval of folk? Haven’t you realized by now that the same person you’re trying to please may be the same one who is speaking for your demise? Please understand, this may not be in all occurrences but you won’t know this if you aren’t testing their spirit. Baby, not everybody dressed in their Sunday best is saved! How can you test the spirit of folk? It’s simple; you have to make sure your spirit is right. You can’t possibly think you can test the spirit of someone else and yours is out of whack, can you? That’s like trying to boost off a dead battery with another dead battery, it won’t work.

As Saints of God, we have to eventually get to a point in our lives where we say like Galatians 1:10, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” This is why the bible tells us in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” As people of God, trying to please folk of the world will continually keep us out of God’s will for our life. It’s time now to let that go! There will always be folks who don’t like you and it has nothing to do with you but it’s because of the favor that has been placed over your life. There will always be somebody talking about you and it has nothing to do with your clothes but it’s because of the place God has put you in. Chile, folk will continue to stalk your life without you even knowing it, all because they can’t understand the anointing that is covering you! So you see, you don’t have to please folk; most of them claim to don’t like you anyway yet they show up wherever you are. Try pleasing God for it is written that the only time we should please folk is when we are spiritually saving them. Romans 15:2 say, “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up,” not for personal gain. When we stop trying to please folk it is then we will start appreciating our favor!