Someone is sitting in their car, at home, at work, in the parking lot of the grocery store, at the doctor’s or dentist office or wherever; wondering why you’re having it so hard. For the life of you, you can’t understand why you always have to go through. You can’t explain why it constantly feels like all hell is breaking loose. You try but you just don’t get why it seems like there is a dark cloud continuously following you around. Well, have you checked your attitude lately? I mean, the bible does say in Ephesians 4:26-27, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” Oh but here you are with a temper so bad, the kids are scared to ask you for water and you have the nerve to wonder why the devil is roaming in your home. Yea, you say you want peace in your life but you’re causing hell in everybody else’s. And you even say you have peace yet it’s not evident when someone looks at you. You do know that your attitude determines your altitude, right? You walk around in a funk and then you got the audacity to say, “I got up on the wrong side of the bed,” when you know you get up on the same side every morning because it’s the side you sleep on. You’ve become so wrapped up in what people say and think about you that now you’ve conformed to the way they want you to be but if you had the right attitude, a kingdom attitude, then you’d see the blessing in not conforming because there’s a blessing in being different. See, when you accepted Christ, you accepted the calling to study God’s word for yourself because in your studying you gain knowledge which means you should no longer be ignorant of what is expected of you for 1 Peter 1:14 says, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” All I’m trying to get you to understand is your attitude plays a part in the hell you’re in. Yes, trouble is promised to us but not everything we go through is because of God for there’s a lot of mess you’re in because of you. Check yourself boo and then you may actually see the light at the end of the tunnel! Check yourself and then you may see the sun shining. Check yourself and then you may see the magnificence, the glory and the splendor of God working.
Daily Devotional – 2/27/14 “You may not be ready!”
I wonder how much better you’d be if you prayed for folk as much as you talked about them? How many more blessings you’d received if you helped instead of hurt? How many doors you’ve closed because you’d rather tear folk down instead of building them up? I mean when will you stop craving other folk’s blessings and pray for your own. You got the nerve to be mad at your sister because she just got a new car, you’re angry because your brother got a promotion on his job, you’re heated because your friend was approved for her new house and you’re furious because others are flourishing in the same business that you’re having trouble in. Oh but let me drop this in your spirit … While you’re secretly wanting and wishing for their blessings, you may not be ready to endure all the hell they’ve gone through. Yea, you see folk’s glory yet you haven’t asked them their story. Yea, you see their blessing but where were you during the stressing? Yea, you see them doing well but you didn’t notice all the times they were going through hell. You see them now that they’ve received their healing but not when pain and tears was all they were dealing. Where were you?
All I’m saying is don’t be quick to wish for what others have because your shoulders may not be strong enough to carry the weight they’ve had to carry to maintain their family. Your legs may not have the endurance to walk the path they’ve traveled to get their career. Your back may not heal like theirs have from being stabbed by enemies and friends in order to build the lasting relationships they now have. Your heart may not be built to take all the hurt they’ve gone through to make their marriage work. Your body may not be able to go through the many sleepless nights they’ve dealt with to overcome their addiction. Your mind and spirit may not be ready for the shifting that God has done in their life that has prepared them for this spiritual walk. You may not be ready for what you’re wishing for so be careful of the things you ask God for. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3.”
Daily Devotional – 2/26/14 “Content vs. Complacency”
Are you content in your current situation or have you become complacent? You do know there’s a difference, right? Yea, I know some will say that both content and complacent mean to be satisfied but there is still a difference. See, content means you’re happy and satisfied with the way things are because you keep striving to make them better yet complacent means you’re satisfied with the way things are without wanting or working to make them better. Still don’t get it? Well, let me break it down and please understand that these are merely my thoughts. Being happy in your marriage behind closed doors because you and your spouse work hard to make it happy is content but acting like you’re happy in front of a crowd yet sleeping in separate beds at home because staying married is the right thing to do is complacency. Going to a place of worship because you’re spiritually fed and you work to keep it that way is content yet going because it’s the “family” church is being complacent. Doing the same thing for years that are pleasing to God is being content yet doing things because its tradition is being complacent.
Philippians 4:11-12 says, “I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little.” Why, well that’s because Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Again, this says for I’ve learned how to be content not complacent. Being content says, “Even though I’ve been knocked down, I still trust and believe so I’ll pray and work until my change comes,” oh but complacency says, “I’ve been knocked down and I’ve learned how to be happy down here so I’ll stay.” Being content says, “I wasn’t promoted this time yet I’ll continue to work until it’s my time” but complacency says, “I didn’t get promoted so I’ll just stay where I’m comfortable.” Being content says, “The doctor said he’d done all he can do yet I know a healer who is able so I’ll live,” but complacency says, “The doctor said 6 months so I’d better get my affairs in order to die.” Yea, content says, “All of my good days outweigh my bad so I won’t complain” but complacency says, “If it wasn’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have any.” Complacency is taking lemons and having lemonade but being content is taking lemons adding them to tea, making a lemon martini, a lemon meringue pie … You get my drift. All I can hope for you to get out of this is; stop being complacent is whatever situation you’re in and be content because there’s a difference.
Daily Devotional – 2/21/14 “God trust you with it!”
I know you’re probably wondering why your body had to be afflicted with cancer, heart disease, kidney problems, lupus, diabetes, arthritis, unbearable pain, being lied on, talked about, turned on, abused, misused and cast away but I’m here to tell you that God did it because He trust you with it. Yea, you’re trying to figure out why your marriage is suffering, can’t get a job, turned down yet again at the 3rd car lot, people spreading lies about you on social media and they are talking about you yet they don’t know you well that’s because God trust you with this trouble. See, just like Job, God knew you wouldn’t leave Him when trouble showed up, so He allowed it to come into your home. God knew you wouldn’t curse Him and turn your back so He allows the sickness to creep into your body. God even knows you’ll praise Him in the midst of your hell so He allows all hell to break loose around you. Yea, God knew you’d hold on through the storm; why do you think He allowed the rain to pour? God knew you’d love Him even after momma died, you lost your job and friends walked away because He trust you enough to allow you to go through it.
How do I know? Well because Jeremiah 29:11 tells me, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God doesn’t allow anything to happen to us that has not already been intended for our lives yet He allows it because He trust us enough to get through it. Baby, God wouldn’t allow anything, absolutely anything harmful to succeed against you, me, us and I know this because Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.” So go through the hell and come out greater than you were. Go in the fire but come out shining like pure gold. Get knocked around by the storm and then come out refreshed and renewed. Stumble a little if you have too, lean if you must, let go of the rope if you can’t hold on, fall down if you need too, cry if it helps, scream and get it out but don’t give up and don’t throw in the towel yet do it with a fresh renewal of your faith in God because He trust YOU enough to allow you to go through. Oh and after it’s over, after you’ve gone through and withstood, after you’ve been knocked down and gotten up, after you’ve been talked about and still walked, after you’ve been abused and is now stronger; God will give you everything back that you lost simply because He is taking you from great to greater and you held on through it! God trust you enough so now trust Him!
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
Daily Devotional – 2/20/14 “Recharge yourself!”
On yesterday I told you that you need to stop making things harder and you do because while you’re so busy worrying about the souls of those unsaved, you’ve forgotten about your own. I mean, how can you help others when you’re not even helping yourself? Yea, you pray for folk but what about praying for yourself? You encourage others but when will you encourage yourself. You’re always there for everybody else but when will you take time for yourself? Please don’t get me wrong because I am not saying that you need to stop doing everything God has asked of you but what I am saying is take a day for yourself to recharge. It’s like a battery, either you’re rechargeable or you’re not. Now, if you’re not rechargeable then when you’ve been used up, you’ll be cast away, thrown to the side because you are no longer usable but get this … if you’re rechargeable and you haven’t been charged then you too are no longer usable because who can use something dead? I’m just asking. You do know that recharge means to renew something such as somebody’s energy, right? Then when will you recharge yourself? Don’t you know that when you recharge yourself you’re renewing the strength of God’s light that is within you? When you recharge yourself, you’re revitalizing the spirit, the Holy Spirit that is on the inside of you that you’ll need to intercede on those moments when you’re running low. When you recharge yourself, you’re reviving the life that God has blessed you to live in order to live. Every now and then, recharge yourself because there will come a time when your light will go out never to shine again, the blood in your veins will cease to flow, your heart will no longer beat and your eyes will no longer open and at that time recharging won’t matter. So, while you have the time, recharge yourself!
Lakisha, the Author 