Daily Devotional – 6/25/15 “You are somebody!”

I’m going to be somebody … Nawl baby, I am somebody and so are you! Change your thoughts (past), your thinking (present) and your vision (future)! See, you are constantly saying what you’re going to be, do, buy, get, go, say, accomplish but baby what are you doing? “When I get some money,” “When I get this new job,” “When I get myself together,” “When I,” and “When I” but when are you? You do know that time isn’t going to wait for you, don’t you? You are aware of the fact that things aren’t going to just drop in your lap, right? Oh ok, I was just making sure. Listen beloved; you are somebody. You may not be exactly who you want to be at this very moment but get this … You could be what statistics say you were going to be, you could be strung out on drugs, a functional alcoholic with a problem you can’t break, you could have been the one abuse killed, the one cancer claimed, the one kidney disease captured, you could be walking the streets unaware of who you are, you could be a veteran of this country living with PTSD and not able to fully live after saving countless lives, you could be a mother or father living out of a hospital because your child is stricken with cancer, you could be behind prison walls, you could be confined to a nursing home, you could be confined to your bed because hospice has been called in, you could be homeless because your job laid you off and you had nothing and nobody, you could be searching garbage cans for your next meals, you could be a childless mother or father because your only child has been taken by violence, you could be a pastor of a church and still struggling to find yourself, you could be in ministry and the ministry isn’t in you, you could be …. so much more than what you are yet you are SOMEBODY!

How do I know? Oh, it’s because you belong to a man who says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)” Yea, He was talking to Jeremiah then but He’s talking to us now! 1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.” Do you love God? And Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” You are somebody. You don’t have to wait until someday. It’s now! Be the somebody God has called you to be!

Daily Devotional – 6/24/15 “Commit – God is waiting!”

I shared with you on yesterday the verse, Proverbs 16:3 that say, “Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” Now, I also told you that in order for you to commit your actions to the Lord, you have to first commit yourself to the Lord. You can’t honestly commit your actions to Him and expect everything you do to succeed if you have yet to commit your life to Him, can you? You’re only committing half way when you have to go all in! That’s like telling your personal trainer you’re committed to making a lifestyle change but every time you leave the gym you’re eating a double cheeseburger meal with large fries and the large drink from Five Guys – it won’t work. See, what I didn’t share with you on yesterday was Proverbs 16:4 that say, “The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Baby, God has everything designed for His purpose. Oh, you thought the enemy was self-made? Go back and read the ending of that verse – King James Version says, even the wicked for a day of evil. Oh, you thought that illness you’re suffering with was due to you, baby that’s simply God being manifested through you. Yea, I know it doesn’t feel good at the moment but this is just your sowing season and soon your reaping shall begin. What do I mean? Well, you have to sow sickness to reap your healing, disappointment to sometimes reap to your happiness and stress to appreciate the sacrifice! Chile, keeping sowing for soon you shall reap a reward that will be worth the payoff!

Yea; you may be going through chemo, radiation, dialysis, surgery, constant pain, high blood pressure, drug addiction, alcoholism, dealing with migraines, sinuses, asthma, cancer, heart disease, losing your eyesight, being cheated on, hurt by someone you gave your heart to, pushed by folk who look saved, talked about by folk who quote scriptures with the same mouth, used by folk who proclaim the gospel, let down by folk who are supposed to love you, judged by family, hurt in the church, tired of struggling in your finances, worn out from putting on a brave face, over being turned down for job after job but ma’am, sir … “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans; Proverbs 16:3!” You cannot do it on your own, stop trying. Quit with the proud act. Stop trying to do it on your own- how’s that working for you? You need to commit yourself and your actions to God and GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER! God will do His will, will you do yours?

Daily Devotional – 6/23/15 “What are you working for?”

For the last 12 weeks I’ve been attending this Dale Carnegie course on Effective Communications & Human Relations Skills. Now, when I initially started taking this course, I did it because my previous manager placed it on my career progression path as a means for me getting into management. So, I did and I went in with my mind made up that I was already an effective communicator and that I only needed this class as a great mark on my resume and as a means to help me move higher into my chosen career path. Man, was I wrong. This class helped me in more ways than one. See, I’ve been so focused on becoming a manager that I was overlooking the fact that I need to be alright with the right now and the leader I am already. I’ve been so focused on being overlooked for this position, being overworked and undervalued that I almost missed my assignment of being where I am for the purpose of what I was put here for. Here I was waiting for folk to validate the validity of my gifts when God has already made it known that I am worthy, gifted, anointed, talented and among all things His! I’ve come to realize that I’ve got this thang all wrong.

There was a story that the instructor told at the end of class on last night that went like this (I’m paraphrasing)… There were two mechanics working on the tracks of the railroad, one was young and the other was an older gentleman. As the train came through the station, another older gentleman got off and shouted down to one of the mechanics, “Hey Bob.” Bob shouted back, “Hey Frank.” When Frank left, the younger mechanic says, “Do you know who that was? That’s the president of the railroad. How do you know him?” Bob says, “We started together at the railroad some 30 years ago.” The younger mechanic says, “If you both started together, why is it he’s the president of the company and you’re still a mechanic.” Bob replies, “Because I started working for $3.13 an hour and Frank started working for the railroad.” – The moral of the story is … Be careful what you’re working for! Either you’re working for the money or you’re working for a career. Many times we can get caught up in being stuck, complacent, comfortable and alright with being where we are but is it what we are called to do? Are we utilizing our gifts? Are we using our talents? Or are we limiting our abilities out of fear of stepping out. Yea, we might fail, we might even fall but how do you know unless you do it? Fear has kept a lot of folk from making it. Fear has allowed a lot of dreams to be buried. Don’t allow yours to be one of them. If it’s working out, changing jobs, writing a book, starting a blog, doing devotion in church, teaching Sunday school, saving some money, opening a business, starting a new ministry within the church; whatever it is; do it! Don’t let the lack of trying be the reason you don’t succeed. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” Oh but before you commit your actions you have to first commit yourself. God is waiting. And if you’ve already committed yourself to the Lord, stop being afraid to ask Him for what you need because He’ll come through with His end of the deal, will you?

Daily Devotional – 6/22/15 “The other side!”

I’ve told you before that you need to start changing your thought process. Yea, you may be going through some things at this very moment, you may be so broke that you can’t even pay attention, so hungry that even air taste like Church’s chicken, so tired of dealing with mess that you feel like walking to the nearest bus station and getting on the next bus to wherever, so sick of hearing “it’ll be alright in the morning,” that you shut every curtain in your house, so tired of calling on folk who won’t answer, tired of being without and really sick of Holy folk telling you to pray about it but baby change your way of looking at things. See, we’ve got to stop looking at the worse side of things because there’s always another side to it; when you’re dealing with the God I serve. Don’t believe me, just watch. See, when it looks as if you have nothing; God says yet I will provide. When it seems as if you’ve reached the lowest of low, God says I’ll reach way down and pull you up. Habakkuk 3:17 says, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,” Habakkuk 3:17 (looking on the other side) says, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” Oh, there’s some joy on the other side of your situation!

Yea, even though it looks dark now (one side) I’ll wait on the morning (the other side). Even though I may be struggling now (one side), I know where my help is coming from (the other side). You may count me out (one side) but I can always count on God (other side.) Yea, I may not be who you say I should be but my bible says in Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Oh but on the other side Romans 3:24 says, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Isn’t that great news? There’s another side to whatever it is you’re going through but you’ve got to go through it to get there. Think of it this way … Your blessing is waiting on the other side but you’re facing a storm. How can get to it except you go through the storm? Stop shortening your blessings out of fear of the unknown. God sent a many of people to do some crazy things in some unknown places yet the reward on the other side was well worth it. Please know this, God won’t send you anywhere He hasn’t already been!

Daily Devotional – 6/19/15 “Spiritual protection!”

Every 90 days I have to change the password on my computer at work for security purposes. If you do online banking and even with social media accounts, it is recommended that you change your passwords often in order to keep folk from hacking into your accounts and messing stuff up. It is also recommended that you have a security system on your home to ruin any attempts by robbers who try to enter your home to steal that which you’ve worked hard for. It is often recommended that you have insurance on your possessions and even your life, in the event something happens; you’re protected. Yet, I wonder why we don’t guard our spiritual lives in this way. Oh, it’s recommended but we just don’t do it. What do I mean? I’m glad you asked. See, every now and then you need to change the password to your circle which means you need to reevaluate who you’re hanging around. Yea, if you’re on the straight and narrow path and doing what you should be doing on your destiny walk; as you’re elevated, everybody won’t be elevated with you – you need to change the password. Don’t you know by now that you are blessed by the folk you’re around? Oh, you didn’t? Well, Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

What else? Well, you need to secure your home. No, I don’t mean the physical home you live in but I mean your temple, your body. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” What’s in that temple? Your heart and it’s the most precious part of you because Proverbs 21:2 says God weighs a man by his heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 says man looks at the appearance but God looks at the heart and Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” What else? Protect and value your life. Life is precious and should be counted as such. And if you’re a born again sinner, you’ve been given a second chance to live, make it count even the more. Don’t take it for granted by allowing it to go to waste. Guard it like you do your purse when you walk into unfamiliar territory. Guard it like you do your wife when you’re in a bad area of town. Guard it like you do your car when you park at the grocery store and you don’t want a grocery cart to hit it. Guard it like you do all the other meaningless materialistic stuff that can be replaced because life can’t be. Protect your spirituality like you do everything else. Sometimes we make passwords that we can’t even remember (trying to keep other folks out). Protect it like it’s sacred enough to break but not sacred enough not to share. Live a life that is pleasing unto God and He’ll repay you for your effort. It’s about your effort and evidences not your earnings! It’s about your living, loving and laboring not your lying, lusting and what you’ve lost! Protect your spirituality because folk need to see it in you. It’s your job to help save those who are lost. Do your part ma’am, sir!