Daily Devotional – 1/24/14 “Look at you!”

It’s Friday and someone is mad because your check is gone and you just got paid. You’re so mad that you probably haven’t even thanked God for waking your ungrateful butt up when it isn’t His fault your account was overdrawn. You knew you didn’t have it when you spent it but now God gets short changed again. Oh, but I wonder how we would really be if God blessed us based on our service. Most of our names would probably be on a headstone in somebody’s cemetery, on the surgery list at somebody’s hospital, on the warden’s list of inmates in somebody’s jail or on an intake list for somebody’s rehab but look at you, looking like you’re looking. Folk could see you struggling to make ends meet but instead they see you. Folk could see the tear stains on your face but they see you smiling instead. Folk could see you flinching in pain but instead they see you pushing on. Folk could see you heartbroken by the hurt you’ve endured but they see you healing. Yea, folk could see the mistakes you made years ago, last month or even last night but all they see is who God allows them to see, so why are you complaining when you could be looking worse? You could look like the crack head you should have been or you could look like the alcoholic folk said you’d be but look at you. You could look like the abuse he put your through or you could look like all the hell you’ve walked through but look at you. You could look like the sickness you’re wrestling with or the unemployment you’ve dealt with but look at you. You could look like the nobody statistics said you’d mostly likely be but look at you. You could look like the grief others are feeling yet death keeps passing your home but look at you. You could look like the mother who is burying her only child but look at you. You could look like the man who has to sleep on the streets but look at you. You could look like the husband after finding his healthy wife dead but look at you. You could look like the wife whose husband was killed because someone else was driving drunk but look at you. You could look like the parents who received an eviction notice this morning but look at you.

Things could be worse but watch God. Things should be worse but watch God work. If it depended on man, things would be worse but watch God work this. Oh, if it depended on some of our own family and friends things will be worse but watch God work this thang. Yea, if it was up to us and our service to a Man who has been nothing but great, things ought to be worse but watch God work this thang out! Not only will God work this thang out but He works it out in our favor, EVERY TIME! Oh, but we got the nerve, the audacity, the guts and the gall to act like we’re entitled to every blessing we received. Baby, you better open your eyes and see that it’s isn’t about us yet God makes it look like it every time we open our eyes to see another day. So, look at you looking like you’re looking because from where I’m sitting, it’s looking pretty doggone good!

Daily Devotional – 1/23/14 “Sacrificed to Serve”

Yet most of us aren’t servant material. Yea, God sacrificed His only Son for us and most of us aren’t even worthy of being called His servant. Most of us know the commandments yet we don’t follow them. Most of us go to worship service yet we leave worse than we came. Most of us go to bible study but it’s out of habit so we aren’t learning. Some of us serve in leadership capacities but it’s only to be recognized by men when the bible says in Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Some of us only serve when we are asked so that we can stand out amongst the crowd but it means your service isn’t sincere when the bible says in 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” I mean, how can you honestly serve God when you hate the folk you see every day? How can you serve God when you can’t even help the folk who live with you? How can you serve God when your attitude is so rude, no one ever dares to call you? How can you even open your mouth to proclaim to be a servant of God when you won’t even serve? Luke 12:35 says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,” which simply means always have your light of God shining so that He’d recognize you when He comes looking and it shouldn’t matter when God comes because your light should be shining at all times!

Let me make it plain … Being God’s servant, here on earth, is like taking care of the house while momma is gone. See, when she leaves she gives everyone their perspective task to handle that which will keep the house running. The oldest person is in charge and they are responsible for taking care of the house. Then there’s someone who is responsible for making sure the house is together (cooking, cleaning, bathing; you know). Then there’s someone else who may be responsible for helping with the learning (helping with homework, etc.,) and then there are the babes who aren’t fully capable of doing anything so they crawl around and play. Well, in this Christian journey it’s the same. This is why God left everyone with an assigned task or calling that allows us to serve Him in our different capacities. Yes, some of us have the same gift but we use them in a different way because no 2 people are just alike and just like babies, there are some babes in Christianity who don’t fully understand their responsibility so it is up to the older servants to teach them. This is why we have to be capable, responsible and faithful servants because Isaiah 43:10 says, “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” God made the ultimate sacrifice for us; the least we can do is serve Him but serve Him the right way

Daily Devotional – 1/22/14 “If?”

God is not a man who lives on if, don’t you know that? Then why do you keep saying, “If the Lord never does anything else for me, He’s done enough,” because we all know that’s a lie. Yea, I am appreciative, grateful, ecstatic and forever indebted to God for what He has already done in my life but I will never ask Him to stop. Don’t you know that when you use the word if, you’re actually showing doubt which means you really aren’t sure the person who you’re asking can do whatever it is you’re asking them for? When you say, “Lord, I want you to heal me, if it’s your will,” you’re really saying Lord, heal me if you can but hasn’t He already made His will plain? God is a healer, the only thing that is different about our healing is the time it’s actually done. God doesn’t work on if. In Mark 9:22, a father brings his son to Jesus to heal yet he says, “…But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Oh but then Jesus makes it plain and simple in Mark 9:23 when He answers, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ANYTHING is possible if you believe. You see the difference in the way if is used in this sentence? That’s because if is only supposed to be used in conjunction with something else to let you know that this has to happen in order for that to happen.

Let me break this thang down for you! God says, you can have it if you ask for it but then we turn around and say, if you bless me. God says, it’s yours if you believe but then we say, if it’s your will. God says, you can move mountains if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed but then we say, if it’s my time. Baby, if it’s left up to you, you’ll never get out of your storm, get out of that valley, climb that mountain, stop crying, stop allowing yourself to be hurt, be delivered and set free and be made new in God’s likeness because you’re still living in a “if” moment but if you change your mindset, you’ll change your living. When Lazarus died, God had to make it known to Martha when they doubted His ability to raise the dead by reminding her in John 11:40, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” What will it take for you to believe this? God doesn’t work in “ifs” because all you have to do is trust Him to do what He says He’ll do but it’ll only work if you believe!

** Please don’t forget to vote for Doses of Devotion for the DIVA Award for best inspirational book for January. VOTE HERE**

Vote for me!

Before I was an author of a fiction book, I was a self-published author of a devotional book entitled Doses of Devotion. Now, my book has been nominated for a DIVA Award for best inspirational book by Book Divas. This book was some devotionals that I wrote for my blog Kisha’s Daily Devotional that manifested itself into a book and it is available on Amazon for $0.99.

Doses of Devotion isn’t a book that tries to tell you that everything in your life will be right all the time but it’s a book of encouragement to let you know that sometimes there will be some bad days, some crying, some pacing the floor and some I want to give up moments but then there is someone who can see you through all of it. Simply put “An encouraging word for you my brother, my sister; to uplift your spirits for the times when giving up and giving in seems easier than fighting. No ma’am, no sir; I will not tell you that your life will always be easy because it won’t. I will not tell you that every day will be a day of sunshine, birds singing and moments to smell the roses because then I’d be lying. However, I will tell you that no matter what you face; God is an able God to see you through it. This is simply my thoughts that I’ve shared to give you a little encouragement when it seems like you’re drowning in depression, suicidal over your situation and hopeless by the hurt. Just a little encouragement to let you know that you don’t have to throw in the towel but wave it to let God know that you’re ready, now, for Him to take over.”

Please take a minute and vote for Doses of Devotion and then share it and ask everyone you know to vote as well.


Daily Devotional – 1/21/14 – “Selah”

The book of Psalm in the bible is known as the book of hymns for singing praises to God and throughout this book, the word Selah is used over 70 times. Now, this word has been deemed hard to translate but the Amplified Bible translates it as a to moment pause, and calmly think of that. But in Lakisha’s logical thinking, I define Selah as a moment to pause to get your mind right in order to hear, I mean really hear what’s about to come so that your actions afterwards match. Let me explain. In Psalm 66:4, it says, “All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name. Selah” Pause and think on that because then Psalm 66:5, says (me paraphrasing) Now, come on and see the works of our God who is awesome! You didn’t get that? Well Psalm 66:7 says, “He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.” Pause and think on that because this verse says God will FOREVER reign because He wasn’t voted in for a term, He doesn’t ever reach retirement age, He doesn’t have to worry about getting a pink slip and His power can’t be taken and because of this Psalm 66:8 says, “Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.”

See, every now and then we need to Selah (pause and think) on some of the mess that God has brought us from in order for our worship to be real. Every once in a while, we need to Selah; (pause and think) on all the good things that God has done in order for our praise to be sincere. Sometimes we need to Selah (pause and think) on the good because then you’ll know that your bad can’t measure up. From time to time, we need to Selah (pause and think) on the realization that things could be worse so that you appreciate what you have. At times, we need to Selah (pause and think) and hear God speaking instead of your gossiping friends. Occasionally we all need to Selah (pause and think) on our lives because then our adoration for God will show in our appreciation; our respect for Him will show in our rejoicing; our love for Him will show in our living; our satisfaction towards Him will show in our shout and how we serve and our deliverance through Him will show in our devotion and dedication. Yea, take a moment and Selah because it might just do you some good!

P.S. My book, Doses of Devotion, has been nominated for a DIVA Award for best inspirational book. Please take a moment and vote (and ask everyone you know to vote). Please!

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