How can I, a plain somebody who has been gifted by God for such a work as this, still sometimes sin, still make a few mistakes, still curse, still dance to worldly music, still have a glass of wine every now and then, still sometimes fall, still sometimes act; you know human; how can I tell you to still hold on when the rope is breaking, still look for the hope when your eyes are filled with tears, still see joy when all you see is junk and to still keep the faith when faith hasn’t been keeping you? Well, I can tell you all these things because I know. How do I know, you ask? Well, it’s because I go. Yea, see; I can tell you to hold on because I still have a rope breaking moment sometime. I can tell you to not give up because I’ve been in the place of almost giving up before. I can tell you that it gets better because I’ve seen some bad times. I can tell you that your breakthrough is coming because I’ve had to wait on mine. I can tell you to go on through the storm because I’ve stood in a few over the years. I can tell you to cry because I’ve shed a lot of tears. I can tell you now because I know but I only know because I had to go; go through that is. See, I cannot tell you how hard the storm will be if I’ve never been through one. I can’t tell you how to overcome a test if I’ve never taken one. I can’t tell you how to pray, if I’ve never prayed. I can’t tell you to stand still and wait on God’s command if I’ve never done it. So, you see; I tell you these things each day I write the devotional because I know. When I say trouble won’t last, I know. When I say your dark days will end, I know. When I say the pain won’t always be there, I know. When I say it’ll be alright, I know. When I say that God is all that you need, I know. When I say that God will be right there when you need Him, I know. When I say you can be delivered, I know. When I say your breakthrough is only a step away, I know. When I say your victory is within reach, I know. I know because I go!
Daily Devotional – 8/9/13 “Stop judging me!”
Why do you find it easy to put your mouth on folk? Why do you find it cool to talk about somebody else? Why do you feel the need to comment about everything and everybody? Aren’t you old enough now to be acting your age and not your shoe size? Yea, I know you may not go to church every Sunday but didn’t you listen, at all, the few times you have been? Well, I simply stopped by to tell you to stop judging me! Now, when I say me I’m talking about every man or woman who has and is currently being judged. For my bible, I don’t know what yours say, but my bible says in Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” So, when you see somebody and you open your mouth to say something negative think about this …
• I may not be a size 2 but I feel and look great in the size I’m in so stop judging me.
• I may not drive a fancy car but mine gets me where I need to be so stop judging me.
• I may be without a job now but my God is getting ready to bless me and He’s never stop providing so stop judging me.
• I may not be able to shop in the places you do but I still have clothes and shoes so stop judging me.
• My house may not be decorated like yours but I call it home so stop judging me.
• I may not have a man or woman to come home too but I’m still happy so stop judging me.
• Yea, I maybe still making mistakes but let me learn from them so that I may do better, one day, so stop judging me.
• You may sometimes see the tear stains on my face but they could be tears of joy so stop judging me.
• You may even see me with my clothes out of place but that could be from my praise so stop judging me.
• I may have a problem with alcohol or drugs but let me fix me so stop judging me.
• I may not attend church like you do or recite scriptures from memory but I have God in my heart so stop judging me.
• You may ask why I stay with him or her with the way they treat me but it’s my choice so stop judging me.
• I may be tired of being tired but I’m willing to go on so stop judging me.
• I may have sickness in my body but I’m living so stop judging me.
• I may sometimes complain but that just means I’m human so stop judging me.
• I may not be where you think I should, I may even be a few of the names you call me, I may go to some places I said I wouldn’t anymore, I may even dance a little to the worldly music but it doesn’t make me more of a sinner than you so stop judging me.
Baby, God says if my people would pray more instead of having pity! If my people would fast more instead of fighting! If my people would help more instead of hindering! If my people would use their hands to uplift instead of bringing down, use their feet to walk right instead of over people, eyes to see the good in folk instead of judging, ears to hear the sorrow in someone’s voice instead of the words they say, arms to hold up those that are leaning instead of closing the door in their face and mouth to speak life for their brother/sister instead of speaking death then will I hear from heaven and will forgive your sin and will heal your land. Stop judging folk when your sin is no more or less than mine or the next person. Stop and ask someone how they are before you assume. Stop and see about her before you go in. Stop and see about him before you think you know! Stop judging the next person because you might just be sending your own self to hell.
Daily Devotional – 8/8/13 “T.E.S.T. – Taking Everything Satan Took!”
I just had to let you know today that the test you’ve taken, the one you’re taking now or the one you’re getting ready to take is simply God’s way of giving you everything back the devil has stolen. Stop trying to figure out why your storm is lasting longer than other folks when it’s because you got more stuff to get back than they do. Yea; I know you’re tired of being tired, tired of robbing MLGW to pay rent; tired of taking ibuprofen because you can’t afford your real pain medicine; tired of eating cheap hamburger meat when you want a steak; tired of wearing the same pair of shoes & pants; tired of having to limit your drive to save gas money but just wait, will you? God isn’t punishing you by placing that storm cloud over you but He’s giving you time to clear some space for all the things He’s about to give to you. When God allowed the devil to attack Job, He gave him permission to take all that Job had; everything but his life because God was simply setting Job up to receive an overflow of blessings. See, we sometimes get this thang twisted in wanting to question God but God asks in Job 40:8-10, “Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint? Do you have an arm like my arm? Can you shout in thunder the way I can? Go ahead, show your stuff. Let’s see what you’re made of, what you can do.” God has to allow you a few months off with no job in order for you to appreciate the one that He’s sending to you. He allows a few sick days in order for you to appreciate the well ones. He allows you to struggle in your finances so that you’ll appreciate saving. He allows the rain so that you’ll appreciate the sun. He allows the restless nights so that you’ll appreciate the sleep.
So, stop acting like you’re too good for a test because we all have to go through them. The only thing different from you and me is how we go through them and if you’ve studied and prepared then you won’t have a problem when it comes. If you’ve stored up praises and prayers, beforehand, they’ll carry you through the test. If you’re obedient to God’s word and repent when you’re not, He’ll protect you during the test and once the test is over, you’ll be rewarded for a job well done by receiving all that was taken from you and more. Don’t believe me, read Job 42:10 which say “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD gave him success again. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had owned before.” So don’t think of your test as a way to knock you down but it’s a way to bring you up. Your test isn’t to take you out but it’s to take you higher. Your test isn’t to make you fail but it’s simply taking everything Satan took to begin with. So go through your test because with all the stress the world has to offer, He’s a better stress reliever and cheaper than a massage. When your body is aching with pain, He’s better than Tylenol because He doesn’t wear off. When your mind is racing and you can’t fall asleep; try the best sleep aid that won’t give you side effects like Ambien. Yes, you will have trials and tests; yes there will be days and nights you want to give up and throw in the towel, you want to let go of the rope, your legs just won’t walk any farther, you have no more cheeks to turn, your flesh won’t be as strong as it should be and days and nights where your all just isn’t enough anymore but they won’t last. This test is just a teacher teaching us that these trials are simply a temporary trouble that we have to trespass through in order for us to be thankful for and to be able to testify so that we are able to teach those who are thinking about throwing in the towel that if they tarry today, God will carry us tomorrow! The test is just a tower over your transgression, a track over that trap that was set and the ticket out of your trouble. This test is simply Taking Everything Satan Took! Don’t allow it to consume you because what the devil meant for your bad, God turns it around for your good. Just hold on!
**repost from 8/8/2012 and still holds true a year later
Daily Devotional – 8/7/13 “My soul cries out … “
When I have cried out, when I have no more strength to move, when I have to open my eyes even when I don’t want to; when I have to go and I don’t even know my location; my soul, my broken soul is saying Take Me to the King. When you’re tired of being tired, you have no more options to choose from, seems like praying isn’t working and church is just becoming a repetitive thing with no change; all that is left is the broken pieces that now need mending; I can hear you singing; Take Me to the King. Yea, see; this King is a mender of broken hearts, He is a repairer of broken souls and a fixer of broken spirits because Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” so I know He can make us whole. This King is a Man who can restore the joy even when it looks like all the joy is gone, if we ask because John 16:24 says, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” This King is a Man who can renew your strength even after it’s passed its renewal date because Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This King! Oh, a Man who don’t mind coming to see about you in the wee hours of the morning or the pitch black darkness of the night. This Man doesn’t mind coming into gang infested neighborhoods or drug ridden alleys to bring you your healing. This Man doesn’t care about whose around you when He enters your heart because even on a Wednesday morning He’ll still put a shout in your mouth and dancing in your feet.
Yes, I’m saying Take Me to the King for I know that one touch from Him will save my life because even when my flesh wants to die my soul refuses too! Even when my legs want to give out, my soul keeps walking and when my eyes want to close; my soul keeps looking. (I need a touch from the King.) So I’m taking all of my broken pieces to a Man who doesn’t have letters behind his name; yet He can perform surgery on me. I’m taking my broken pieces to a Man who doesn’t have a couch for me to lie on yet he hears all my problems because Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit,” so I know I’m not alone and He is near. I know that God will come and see about little ole me. See, we need to take some “me” time and go before the King in order for Him to hear our pleas. We have to have some one on one fellowship time with God in order for Him to be able to know our voice. It doesn’t matter because you don’t have much and it feels like your spirit is running on empty because Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So when you get to a point where it feels like giving up is your only option and giving in is the easiest way out; take your burdens to the King. When looking up is your only choice because you’ve fallen to the lowest part of the ground, cast your worries on the only King who can reach that far down to get you. When you are sick and tired of being plain ole sick and tired, reach out for the only King who won’t push you away. When you have nothing left to give and nothing more to offer; take your broken pieces to the King and let Him fix it!
Daily Devotional – 8/6/13 “Quit lying on the devil!”
Yep! You read this right, quit lying on the devil. Yea, the devil is a spirit that is real and his main purpose is to make your life hell on earth but please understand; he cannot do anything to you that God does not approve. However, but, yet and nonetheless; those thangs you’re doing on your own accord are of your doing and not the devil so stop lying on him. The devil didn’t make you give your cell phone number to that dude in the club, his sweet talk did. The devil didn’t make you follow that girl to her car, her short skirt did. The devil didn’t make you steal, you chose too. The devil didn’t make you lie when you could have easily shared the truth, you did. The devil didn’t make you curse that person out who said something you didn’t like, your rude attitude did. Am I defending the devil? No, but I am simply telling you that you need to be accountable for your actions; all of them. Stop saying that God is tempting you because He doesn’t, this is why James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” When you’re in a relationship and you’re missing all the things they did to get you, you start looking elsewhere for them and this is when the devil comes in. See, although you’re just thinking about the things you’re missing, your eyes are looking for them and when they see it, temptations start and once the temptations start turning the devil is getting a way in and we are warned about it which is why James 1:14 says, “But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” Once this happens, all hell breaks loose because James 1:15 goes on to say, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
It’s a lot, I know but let me break this down in Lakisha’s lingo for you to get; clearly! When you start lusting, you open up the door for conversation and through conversation you get comfortable and once you’re comfortable you get caught up in carelessness of your actions until they cause you to lose what you have at home. When you start stealing, you get satisfaction that you didn’t get caught so you get greedy and continually do it until your hands are behind your back in handcuffs and your face is plastered in Just Busted on Tuesday. See, the temptation started and the devil took over and made it look easy to do again and you fell for it. When you start smoking that marijuana, snorting that powder or drinking that alcohol; the temptation was calling your name because it made you feel good so the devil latched on to that feeling and started making you feel like you couldn’t live without it and now you’re addicted and losing everything and everybody you’ve ever loved. Yea, the devil may have a hold on you now but the devil didn’t make you do it to begin with. You chose everything that you are a part of and if it hasn’t been exposed yet, keep on living because it will be. Stop lying on the devil! Man/Woman UP and take responsibility for the mistakes you’ve made. Learn from the mistakes and then try your hardest not to make them again or you could wait until God exposes you but you may not like the attention!
Lakisha, the Author 