Daily Devotional – 6/3/15 “Vows!”

I was studying my bible study lesson for today and we are currently in the book of Numbers (on our walk through the bible) and in Numbers 30, the Lord gave a Law to the Israelite people concerning them making vows to Him. This piqued my interest because as children of God we are always making promises to Him that we know we can’t or will not keep. I’m just so grateful that God’s anger doesn’t strike us down in our mess like He could! In Numbers 30:1-2, Moses said to the leaders of the tribes of Israel; “This is what the Lord has commanded: A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.” Please understand; a vow is a pledge, a promise or an oath that we make with our mouth. You know how we say, “God, I promise I won’t drink like this again,” or “God, I promise if you allow me to get this car I’ll go to church more,” or “Lord, if you heal my body I’ll serve you,” or “Lord, if you send me a spouse I’ll do right by them,” or “Lord if you give me Sundays off I’ll go to church or Mondays off, I’ll go to bible study” or “If you allow me to see one more birthday, I’ll give up this or that,” “God, I promise I won’t hit my wife anymore,” “God, if you get me out of this, I promise I won’t come back here again,” yet we never hold to our end of the vow. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t strike us dead in our sins?

Yea, I know we make mistakes; we are entitled to a few because God knows we aren’t perfect but stop making vows you know you can’t keep. That’s like constantly saying you’re sorry when you know you don’t mean it. That’s like asking forgiveness for a lie. That’s like taking the blame for a mistake you have every intention of making again. It just doesn’t make logical sense. If you aren’t husband or wife material; don’t make a vow to become a husband or a wife. If you aren’t of leadership quality, don’t make a vow to become a leader. If you don’t have what it takes to be momma or daddy; don’t lie down and make a vow to become one to one or three. If you know you can’t be trusted to pay your bills, don’t make a vow with these folks to get their stuff. If you know you aren’t ready to be who God has destined you to be, stop making a vow to Him because He is holding you accountable and He comes to repossess what belongs to Him. Don’t you know that God will show up to snatch what is His? When you think all hell is breaking loose, that will be God reclaiming His stuff. You did make a vow, after all. And His stuff is you. Chile, God will lie you on your back to get you to see Him. This is why I tell folk, you have to be careful about this spiritual thang because it’s serious. Yea, we will make mistakes but that’s why we have repentance. God didn’t say we had to stop living, He simply says do all things decently and in order. All I am trying to get you to understand is this – don’t make a vow if you don’t have intentions on keeping it because they are easy to make and hard to pay for. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says, “When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.”

Daily Devotional – 6/2/15 “Hurting to heal!”

I am not at my computer today but I had to share this with somebody who needed to know this.

Whatever you’re dealing with, at this moment, it maybe painful as crap; it might be hurting you beyond words, it may even have you crying, pacing or wanting to give up but know this … you sometimes have to have bones broken to allow them to properly heal – it hurts! You have to sometimes go through surgery to properly heal what’s ailing you – it hurts! You have to sometime go through heartache to find love – it hurts! You may have to be laid off a few times to find your career – it hurts! You may have to lose some folk through your process of renewing – it hurts!

Oh but after the hurt comes healing! ..After the hurt comes healing! …After the hurt comes healing! Please note – Your healing times may vary depending upon your hurt but don’t rush the process because then you could have a setback! Trust God through your process, He will never let you down! (Oh Jesus!)

Daily Devotional – 6/1/15 “New month, half the year is gone …”

New month and half the year is gone – how are those New Year’s resolutions looking? Have you made any changes, done any soul searching, wrote any plans, created any visions or have you simply stayed where you are? Look here … Stop wasting time, it’s not going to wait on you! Stop blaming God; He didn’t get you in the mess you’re in! Stop blaming folk, some of them could care less if you succeed but they sure are happy when you fail. Stop blaming momma nem; when you’ve been given chance after chance to do something different. Baby, it doesn’t matter where you come from; the question now is, where are you going? It doesn’t matter what you used to do, what are you doing now? It doesn’t matter what you used to be called, it only matters now what you answer too. Yea, I know you used to shut the clubs down but if that isn’t you anymore stop allowing people to drag you back there. If you know your Saturdays are now spent preparing for Sunday morning, be alright with folk knowing that. Stop being shy about folk knowing your dance partner has changed. And please, let go of the built up anger and resentment you have for whoever, deal with whatever issue you’ve buried and let go of past hurts.

Beloved, understand this – You cannot continue to live if you are spiritually dead because eventually your rotting decay is going to start to smell and then folk will find out you aren’t all you say you are. Yea! You get dressed up yet you’re torn up on the inside. You draw a smile on your face but inside you’re weeping. You go to church, playing church and leaving worse Sunday after Sunday. You can’t hear what God is trying to tell you because you got so much mess going on. You can’t fulfill your Godly assignment because you are worried about the image folk are seeing. Chile, get your life! God isn’t pleased with the current state of His saints and that’s a problem. When folk have more authority in the church than the pastor, there’s a problem. When saints are suffering yet other saints are only concerned with the weekly gossip, there’s a problem. When parents begin giving children an option on getting to know God, there’s a problem. When parents don’t know God, there’s a problem. We have made it to see half a year gone which means, we have half a year left. It’s time out for playing. Whatever you need to apologize for, do it. Whatever changes need to be made, make them. You may not have the time you think you do!

Daily Devotional – 5/29/15 “He’ll answer!”

My devotional on this day last year was titled, “Don’t hang up,” and I could repost it; word for word here because it fits today. Yea, I mean it fits like a tailored made suit because just as I said last year; I’ve been telling you for the last few days about the benefits of calling on Jesus and in your calling, don’t get weary if it seems like Jesus isn’t answering; just hold on, don’t hang up! Yea, you might have some mess beeping in but don’t hang up, keep calling. Somebody from your past might show up and distract you from your waiting but don’t hang up, keep calling. The enemy may camp around you in the hopes of causing you to give up but don’t hang up, keep calling. Even in the midst of your calling you have to deal with a few storms, some hellish folk, some conniving friends and untrustworthy family members but don’t hang up; keep calling. I shared this last year but it still fits …While you’re calling you may be wallowing in your worries, partying in your pity, drowning in your depression, sinking in sin, bound by bankruptcy, maintaining misery, suffering in sickness, accepting addiction, being held by chains of your circumstance, jailed by judgment, neglected because of your name, guided by grief, cast out because you chose Christ, walked over because of God’s word, discarded because you’re devoted and made to feel guilty because you’re using your gift but don’t hang up! Hold on until Jesus answers but do it with faith that what you’re calling Him for is already on the way!

I get it; I may not understand your dilemma, I may not be in the predicament you’re in, I may not be in the same boat you’re sinking in or walking in your shoes but I know a man who knows a man who can answer if you don’t hang up because when He answers, thangs start happening. Go back and read the previous devotionals because I’ve shared what can happen but know this … When Jesus answers; He’ll turn the tears you’ve shed into your testimony. When Jesus answers, He’ll make the pacing you’ve done into your praise party. When Jesus answers, He’ll make the depression you’ve dealt with part of your dance. When Jesus answers, He’ll make that sickness a part of your sanctification. When Jesus answers, all the hell you’ve been through would have been part of His manifestation process to renew you into the person He needed you to be who is now more willing and able. You don’t have to trust me, just don’t hang up because at the name of Jesus even the demons obey, death behaves, sickness disappears, destinies are revealed, walls are destroyed and rebuilt, giants are defeated, marriages are saved, relationships helped, wandering children are bought home, prison doors are open and wretches like me are saved! Oh, don’t hang up in the midst of you calling on the name of Jesus; He’ll answer.

Daily Devotional – 5/28/15 “At the name of Jesus!”

Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, demons flee? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, battles that are waged against you won’t prosper? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, closed doors don’t stop your elevation? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, healing can be performed in the midst of your living room? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, deliverance can take place on your job? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, addictions that you’ve had for 15 years can be snatched from your mouth in the blink of an eye? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, He can keep your body intact when it should have been broken in that car accident? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, He can keep your mind when you should have been crazy? At the name of Jesus; He can comfort you when feel confused, rock you when you feel like your life is in ruins, shift you when you feel like you’re sinking and carry you when all you feel like doing is crawling. At the name of Jesus; problems no longer persist, anger is annulled, bitterness is broken, resentment finds a resolution and weakness is withdrawn. Baby, at the name of Jesus …

See, I’ve found that it doesn’t matter that man may close a door because at the name of Jesus; He’ll make stairs for you to climb. It doesn’t matter that the enemy tries to block your blessings because at the name of Jesus, what He has for you, it’s already yours. It doesn’t matter that folk talk about you because at the name of Jesus, His word precedes you and He’ll make your name great. It doesn’t matter that you’ve fallen before because at the name of Jesus, it only matters that you get up! It doesn’t matter that folk don’t know your story because at the name of Jesus, they’ll get to see His glory. It doesn’t matter that folk try to throw salt in your game, shade on your vision or obstacles on your path because at the name of Jesus … no weapons formed against you shall prosper! That’s bible! In Luke 10, when Jesus appointed the 72 to go ahead of Him into the towns He was about to go into; the bible says in Luke 10:17, “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” Ha! Baby, at the name of Jesus, we have power! Power to cease the enemy, power to shut up the naysayers, power to turn on light in dark places, power to get out of dead-end situations, power to get healing out of death sentences, power to get a case dismissed when it should have been jail time and power to get a yes when we know it should have been no! All we have to do is use the power of Jesus’ name! We have the power to use it if we belong to Him. Do you belong to Jesus? I don’t know about you but I need this kind of power, what about you?