Daily Devotional – 7/14/14 “Give God a Jubilated Praise!”

Jubilation is defined as uninhibited (that’s an unrestrained) rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success and every now and then this is the type of praise we should give God. Now, I know you’re trying to figure out how you can give God a jubilated praise when momma/daddy is gone but baby rejoice in knowing that she/he is gone to an eternal rest that we all hope to one day experience. Yea, you’re trying to understand how you can rejoice when all of your bills are behind but rejoice in the fact that you’ve lived another day to get your life together to be able to get back on track. How can you give God a jubilated praise when the doctor is saying we saw something in your test results but rejoice now for the healing that’s on the way. Baby, when I sit and think about all the things that could have made me a victim, I offer God a jubilated praise because instead I am victorious. When I think about all the times folk said I wouldn’t amount to nothing and instead of failing, God strengthened me with His favor, I give God a jubilated praise! When I think about the fact that it could have been me, it should have been me or that it would have been me (had I not accepted God); it causes me to offer God a jubilated praise. I don’t have to wait until it’s my birthday to celebrate life when I get a fresh anointing to live every morning. I don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to offer a jubilated praise when God blesses me on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday too. I don’t have to wait until payday to rejoice when God has kept me up until payday. I don’t have to wait until the loan officer says approved because they way God has set this thang up, our name alone has enough merit to get us everything we ask for, if we ask in faith.

In Luke 17 starting at verse 11, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he was approached by 10 (ten) men who were referred to as lepers or folks who were shunned or had leprosy. Now, all of the men begged Jesus to have mercy on them so Jesus sent them to the priest for their healing but get this … they got their healing on the way. However, don’t you know out of the ten only one turned back to offer God a jubilated praise? Well the bible says in Luke 17:15-16, “Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.” Then Jesus asked in verse 17-18, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” God is asking the same thing of us. Don’t you see that we have to give God a jubilated praise every chance we get. Not only because God is worthy of our praise but because He deemed us worthy enough to receive it. God isn’t looking for players but He’s looking for prayers and praises. God isn’t looking for those of us who dance in the sun but He’s looking for those who have faith enough to dance in our storm. God doesn’t need those of us who only call when we fall but He’s looking for those who rejoice while we’re on top. God is worthy of a jubilated praise every day we’re able to put our hand over our chest and feel the warmness of our skin (which means blood is flowing) and feel our heart beating (which means we’re alive) because we’ve scored another victory.

Daily Devotional – 7/11/14 “My Man!”

Ooo Wee, I’ve met a man y’all and I’ve got to tell you about Him. We met one night while I was at this revival and He came in telling me all the things He could do for me. No, he wasn’t flashy, he didn’t have his pants sagging, all the jewelry around his neck but I could tell by the way He spoke that He could do all the things He was promising. I told Him that my grandma spoke highly of Him and she told me that one day you would introduce yourself to me. I was so glad to finally meet Him for myself because I wanted to know this man that can make a woman moan His name and He’s not in the room with them. I wanted to know this man who folk would always sing about. I wanted to know the man who could make folk dance simply by calling out His name. I just had to meet the man that folk would stay up all night long talking too without going over their cell phone minutes. And I have y’all and when I tell you He is like none other, you wouldn’t believe it but all you have to do is get to know him for yourself. Baby, this Man came into my life and it has never been the same. See, He has bestowed upon me a gift that no man can take away. Even when I felt I was too worldly to handle it, He found me worthy. When I act selfish and in my flesh, He still calls me favored. When I sometimes get out of character, my name He still calls. When I don’t see Him, He is silently working. When I need comfort, He’s there even before I ask. When I get knocked down by this mean world, He picks me up, dusts me off and pushes me on. When I get hurt by folk, He loves me through it. When I shed tears, He wipes them away. When I pray, He answers. When folk say I can’t, He whispers, “Girl, you got this.”

This man y’all. He isn’t just any man and although I don’t have Him to myself, He still finds time to spend with me. I don’t have to worry about dressing up for Him because He doesn’t dress in expensive suits, ties and shoes to impress me. He doesn’t have to take me to a fancy restaurant to get me full or waste money on expensive wine to give me a buzz. Yet He still opens up doors for me and pull out the chair for me to sit at a table man said I shouldn’t have even been invited too. And get this, He already got the approval from my parents to date me. (HA). And I don’t have to worry about being taken advantage of with this man, because He is the advantage. I am pleased to introduce you to my Man. Many of you may know Him because He is a bestselling author. He hasn’t been on any book tours because His book speaks for itself. He doesn’t give autographs but He’ll write your name in His book if you believe in him. No, He doesn’t answer questions but He does answer prayers. You won’t even find an email address, Facebook account, Twitter, or Instagram but He specializes in social networking. Do you know Him? Oh, you’ve met Him too. Isn’t He awesome? Yea, I thought so too. This is why I’ve made the commitment to love, honor, cherish and obey this man through sickness and in health for all the days of my life until death brings us together. My Man, Jesus!

“You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Deuteronomy 30:20

Daily Devotional – 7/10/14 “An attitude of expectancy!”

Chile you got the nerve to have an attitude of expectancy from God when you aren’t even doing your part. I mean, you expect God to snatch the taste of nicotine from your lips but you won’t throw the cigarette down. You expect God to heal your body yet you won’t do what the doctor says. You expect God to grant you the promotion on your job when you cause those folks hell every time you walk through the door. You expect God to send you a husband or a wife yet you’ve dogged everyone you’ve ever had the pleasure of dating. You even expect God to anoint your praise when you know your worship isn’t even real. Yea, you got an attitude of expectancy but you’re not doing the work to get what you expect. Oh, it’s not only with God because you have that same attitude with folk. You expect your husband to support you yet you won’t support him. You expect folk to always give to you yet you won’t give back. You expect folk to always come when you call but you hit ignore when their turn comes. Yea, you expect folk to lend a shoulder for you to cry on but they’ve never laid their head on yours. You expect momma to continually bail you out but you won’t stop getting into trouble. Baby please! Ain’t nobody got time for that!!

You need to get yourself together boo. See, when you worship God in spirit and in truth then you can expect the Holy Spirit to abide in you and intercede on your behalf. When you do what you know you should be doing then you can expect the blessings of God. When you do what you should be doing on your job then you can expect to be rewarded. When you do what you should be doing in your home then you can expect God to bless it even more. When you do what you know you should regarding your finances then you can expect God to enlarge your territory. Yea, God will do what you expect of Him if you do what He expects of you. Oh and get this; God doesn’t ask much of us because He left Ten Commandments, ten! And then, if we don’t always do them right, He gave us repentance in order to get forgiveness. God didn’t tell you to climb the mountain, that’s in your way, because He said in Mark 11:23, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” God didn’t ask you to hate your enemies for it says in His word, Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” So then, why don’t we do what we should when God is only asking of us the things we should be doing anyway? All I’m saying is, in order to have an attitude of expectancy; you’ve got to first have an attitude of willingness.

Daily Devotional – 7/9/14 “Just be thankful!”

Just be thankful because it could be worse. Just be thankful because, if the truth shall be told, it should be worse. Just be thankful for what you have because you could be without. Just be thankful because if God blessed based on your merit, you should be without. Just be thankful for the bad days because then you’ll appreciate the well days. Just be thankful for the sickness because when you’re healing comes, you’ll get to see God’s power firsthand. Just be thankful for the pain you can feel because it means you’re alive yet again. Just be thankful for the storm you sometime have to endure because it could be a consistent thing. Just be thankful for the trouble that shows up every now and then because it’s simply God saying He’s chosen you because of your faith.

Baby, don’t you see? Don’t you get it? Trouble is promised to each one of us even before we were born but it’s not to cause you to tap out of the fight but it’s simply to test your faith in God. Don’t believe me? Come here Job. Job was stripped of everything, absolutely everything; yet his faith sustained him and he got back what he lost multiplied. Come here woman with an issue of blood. She spent everything she had trying to get well by man’s hand yet her persistent faith got her the healing simply by touching Jesus’ robe. Come here 3 Hebrew boys. They were cast into a fire for praying to their God yet they didn’t get burned, didn’t die of smoke inhalation; they didn’t even have the smell of smoke in their clothes and hair because their faith held back the flames. Still don’t get it? Come here my sister Laquisha. She had to endure her Job experience when a sickness attacked her body. A sickness that leaves most doctors bewildered, a sickness that cost her the ability to eat, sleep, talk or even go outside. Oh but her faith held her up and now she’s restored. Come here woman who’s had to endure kidney dialysis for as long as she can remember yet she still living. Come here single parent who has had to do it all by yourself yet you’re still making it. Come here you with cancer who the doctor said you wouldn’t live 6 months and it’s been 6 years. Come here woman or man who is only making minimum wage yet you’ve never missed paying a bill or cooking a meal. Come here, you who thought you couldn’t afford your rent yet you’re still paying it a year later. Come here, you who thought you’d never get a new car but the loan was approved. Come here, you who folk said wouldn’t be promoted and now you’re over those same folk. Chile, just be thankful! Even if you’re facing hell right now; be thankful because God hasn’t left you, He’s simply working behind the scenes. Even if the rope you’re holding on too is breaking and you’re too tired to reach beyond the break; let go but do so with the faith to know that God will catch you before you reach the bottom. Just be thankful y’all and watch the difference it makes!

Daily Devotional – 7/8/14 “It’s time for a major change!”

Why does it feel like I’m not doing enough for God? It feels like I am missing something that He is trying to get me to see. Has anyone else felt like this? What does it mean? I know I am not perfect by any stretch of my imagination and I don’t always do things right but every day I try to do what is pleasing in God’s eyesight. I don’t live to please man yet I say man please to those who act like I should. I don’t live to conform to this world but I live so that my world conforms to me. I don’t know but I do know that I’m feeling some type of way today. I feel like there is something I should be doing, someone I should be reaching or some place I should be going but I don’t know who, what or where it is. Oh but I will keep praying until God manifest whatever it is to, through or in me.

In the meantime, I won’t dwell in or on negative things. I won’t spend time on ridiculous stuff because I don’t have the time to spend. I mean, can you imagine how much better most of us would be if we didn’t harp on meaningless mess? Yea, we spend more time fussing at the males in the house for leaving the toilet seat up but doesn’t it take just as much effort for them to raise it as it does for us to lower it? When what we should be focused on is the fact they are at home instead of in the streets. We dwell on the fact that the kids won’t clean up but be grateful they’re at home because a mother/father somewhere just buried their only child. You complain when the job says overtime but then complain when they don’t because your check is short. You complain about gas prices yet you won’t take the bus. You complain about the medicine the doctor prescribes but then you keep hollering you’re sick. Baby, start focusing on the good because I can bet it outweighs the bad in your life every time. Don’t think so, well let’s see. You woke up with a headache (bad) but you woke up (good), on the top side of the dirt (good), with a reasonable (that’s better than most) portion of health and strength (good), with the activities of your limbs (good), a regulated mind (good), with everything you had on yesterday (good), with the added blessings of today (good), a fresh anointing (good) and maybe not everything you want but all you need (good). I could continue but you get my point. The time is right now to get it together because we may not have tonight to fix it. We’ve got to stop dwelling on the minor things when we should be making a major change to make a major difference. It’s time now for a major change in everything we do in order to get right and get it right!