Daily Devotional – 1/16/14 “Amazing Grace!”

It’s Thursday and someone is tempted to throw in the towel because things have become terrible, you’re terrified that you won’t come through this time, you’re toiling over your thinking, trembling because you’ve trespassed on someone else’s territory, transformed into someone threatening, trashed your temple, tainted your testimony and traded your treasure for troubles … oh but then there’s God’s amazing grace. In the dictionary grace is defined as the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God. His grace that is sufficient for us even when we are in the belly of our sin. His grace that comes to see about us even when we aren’t well enough to see about ourselves. God’s grace, His amazing grace! In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul was being used by God as he had been gifted with visions and revelations. Now, Paul says that he was given a thorn in his flesh (the Message Bible calls it a handicap) to keep him from becoming greater than who he was supposed to be but then Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 12:8, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me (the thorn)” but then God simply replied in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” It was then and only then did Paul realize that no matter what he faced or went through, it was for a purpose for he said in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

See, God isn’t allowing you to go through that disease, pain, unemployment, harassment on the job, being lied on by folk, hurt by family, abused by your spouse and cast out by the world as a way to break you yet wherever you are weak it is where God is stronger. Why do you think you’re still living when you read the obituaries every day of folk dying from the same thing you complain about? How do you think you’ve been able to make it when some folks, who work with you, have filed bankruptcy 3 times? How do you think you’ve been able to keep going when some have committed suicide or turned to drugs or alcohol? It’s not you but its God who is in you. For Romans 11:6 says, “If they were chosen by God’s kindness, they weren’t chosen because of anything they did. Otherwise, God’s kindness wouldn’t be kindness.” It ain’t about you baby! God’s grace isn’t because of us yet He gives it. God’s grace isn’t about us yet we have it. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast, Ephesians 2:8-9.” God’s grace is absolutely amazing!

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; ‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.”

Daily Devotional – 1/15/14 “Mustard Seed Size Faith!”

It’s Wednesday and somebody is probably weeping from the woes of this world because it seems like every time you peek above the water that seems to have you drowning, you get tangled in some more mess that pulls you down; every time you take a few steps out of debt another bill comes along that knocks you 5 back; every time it feels like you can finally breath again because some weight has been lifted, death shows up and snatches the air from your lungs; every time you think you’ve cried out, the doctor delivers devastating news and now the tears start again and every time you think you’ve done all you could do, been all you could be and gone everywhere you thought you were needed, that enemy shows up with more hell than you bargained for … so what now? Do you wallow in the worry, wander like you’re alone in the wilderness, waste your time weeping, willingly allow your life to wither or do you withdraw from working because you’ve been wounded and wronged? Don’t you know that in order to grow you have to sometimes be pushed down? Well, in order for a seed to grow it has to first be buried under dirt. Do you honestly think an oak tree came to stand as tall as it does without first starting out as a seed?

Then where is the faith, the mustard seed size faith, that God can see you through whatever it is you’re facing? Where is that mustard seed size faith that lets you know that no matter what you’re looking at now, it won’t always last? Where is that mustard seed size faith that allows you to stand in your storm and think about all the things that God has already done which lets you know that no matter how hard the rain falls, it won’t cause you to drown? Where is that mustard seed size faith that allows you to walk into a room of your enemies knowing they can’t do you any harm? Where is that mustard seed size faith that allows you to answer the phone call from the bill collector knowing that it’ll work out in your favor? Where is that mustard seed size faith that allows you to apply for a job that, on paper, you aren’t qualified for but through God, it’s already yours? Where is your faith when Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move? Nothing would be impossible.” All you need is a mustard seed size faith because “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1). All you have to do is try it before you give up!

Daily Devotional – 1/14/13 “No title needed!”

It’s Tuesday and someone is contemplating suicide, grieving over the death of a loved one, heartbroken, being abused, was lied on yesterday, being talked about today, in pain, unemployed, sick, tired, sick and tired, addicted to something, chasing after someone whose running away, using the one good person who actually love you, homeless, wrestling with demons while trying to hide the skeletons in your closet, all in other folk’s business when your porch needs to be cleaned, straddling the fence after you’ve fallen a few times already, sitting at the edge of the cliff because you hear a voice telling you to jump, crying because doors keep being closed, applications keep being denied, no one is calling you back for the job, can’t get promoted, medicine cost rising along with your light bill, car acting up, children are too, checking account closed, check is gone before you even get paid and your credit just won’t get it … And now you have the audacity to question God. Yea, you got the nerve and you’re even bold enough to point your face towards Heaven to ask why me. Well, I have to ask you, why not you? What makes you different from anyone else? Don’t you realize and understand that a little stress is sometimes necessary for you to appreciate the sacrifice you’ve made to succeed? Haven’t you comprehended yet that sometimes you have to go through some ugly stuff to uncover that which is unmovable? Do you not see that sometimes you have to be buried under dirt in order to be developed into your destiny? Yea, sometimes you have to cry but that’s simply cultivating (developing) your calling. Yea, you have to pace but that’s just perfecting your purpose. Yea, you have to stumble, sometimes, but that’s salting (flavoring) your sanctification (blessing).

Oh, I’m going to leave this thang alone but I had to let you know that “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:3-5) and if this isn’t enough then know, “the one who endures to the end will be saved, Matthew 24:13.”

First Magazine Feature

I am so excited to share that I, along with my fellow pub mate, Author Johnie Jay, were featured in Six Twelve Magazine.

sixtwelvemag

Check out their website at sixtwelvemag.com where you can purchase a copy of their magazine in print or digital format. You can also check out the digital version by here.

God is doing amazing things!

Daily Devotional – 1/13/14 “Just a thought!”

What shall I write about today that you haven’t already heard? What can I possibly share that you aren’t tired of hearing? I don’t know. I will tell you this, on yesterday on the way to church, I posted this to Facebook, “Headed to worship service to worship! See, I’ve realized that in order to get worship out of worship service I have to first offer my worship. So, here am I Lord, willing and yet able to give you worship for absolutely everything You’ve done, doing and will do! #thatisall,” and when I tell you that we had an absolutely amazing worship experience; it would be an understatement. I told you a few posts back that it felt like I was getting tired of church but then God got all in my spirit to let me know that maybe it was me and it was. Yea, because it finally clicked that I can’t get out what I am not putting in. Oh but then my uncle Pastor preached on “Grow up” from Galatians 6:1-5 and this verse stuck out … “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).”

Now, this stuck out because there are a lot more “church” folk chastising and criticizing rather than correcting and directing. Yea, “church” folk are quick to tell you about your sins when they were in theirs last night and just didn’t get caught. Yea, “church” folk find it easy to dabble in your business instead of minding their own. Yea, “church” folk! And I put quotation marks around church because I need it to stand out because most of us have forgotten what church really means. Church is us as we are the living word. I don’t have a lot to share today so it won’t be long because all I need you to get out of the devotional today is, help me if I sin but don’t hurt me because you can be tempted as quickly as I can. Romans 15:1 say, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” However, please understand this; I am not trying to give you my burden, I just asked you to help me carry it. I didn’t ask you to pay off my debt, I simply ask you to let me borrow something. I didn’t ask you to heal me, I just asked you to pray for me. I didn’t ask you to lie about me, I asked you to love me. “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).”