Daily Devotional – 8/27/13 “Shut down to start up!”

While at work this morning, my computer kept acting like it was on vacation even though I’m not. Now, as sat here waiting on it to decide to work, I was still trying to decide on what to write and then as I reached to shut it down, God spoke this in my spirit; “the same way you have to shut your computer down to make it act right, I have to sometimes shut you down in order for you to start up.” Wow! Then it donned on me, when sickness attacks your body and it has you feeling like giving up is the only option; that’s simply God shutting you down only to start you back up. When your job gives you a termination notice after you’ve dedicated years of your life, that’s simply God shutting you down to start you back up. When your best friend is now the enemy, your spouse is acting like a stranger, kids acting brand new, co-workers hating and church folk manipulating; that’s simply God shutting you down to start you back up. I know you’re asking why God needs to shut us down only to start us up, well I am glad you asked. See, sometimes we become so attached to people that we forget about praising God. We start working and worshipping gets pushed back. We start hanging out and helping is no longer an option. We get promoted and then become a problem, get sick and then start sinning, get blessed and then become a burden and get a gift from God only to give it away. This is why God has to shut us down because we start acting like we don’t want to work. You get the car you’ve been asking for and now instead of bible study on Monday you’re at happy hour. The Pastor asks you to teach Sunday school and now you think you know more than the next person. You get an increase on your check and now you feel like you can look down on the next. You get approved for the car and now you won’t even give a ride when someone calls. Well baby, let me drop this in your spirit. Just because you’re being blessed now it doesn’t mean that you can’t be shut down. Just because you have it all together, right now, it doesn’t mean you can’t be shut down. Just because you think you have all the answers, now, it doesn’t mean you can’t be shut down because even though your hands may be helping if your heart is filled with crap; your helping means nothing.

To sum this up let me say this; sometimes God has to shut us down in order to start us up because this is the only way to get our attention. When you can’t understand why it seems like your life is in chaos, why all hell is breaking loose around you, why nothing can go right, why it seems like you’re walking in circles or no matter how much you work you can’t get your head above water; that’s simply God shutting you down to start you back up. So, go on through your sickness, pain, unemployment, disappointments, being talked about/lied on, being knocked down and used because after the shutdown you’ll start back up in the Savior’s secure mode where you won’t mind shouting about God’s significance, serving the spiritually sick, saving those who are still sinking in sin, sharing the strength you now have and striving to be stronger so that you never stumble over the same situations again. Yea, sometimes God has to shut us down but that’s simply to start us back up the right way!

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

Daily Devotional – 8/23/13 “What shall I say?”

Lord, I don’t know! I want to say thank you for all that you’ve done for me but the word just isn’t enough. I want to say thank you for all that you’re doing for me but that word just isn’t enough. I want to say thank you for keeping my sister even during this sickness but that word simply isn’t enough. See, when I think about the way things could be; I’m thankful. When I think about the way things should be, I’m thankful! When I think about the fact that you didn’t have to provide for me, you didn’t have to protect me, you didn’t have to give light on my journey, strength in my weak places and joy in the nick of time; I just want to thank you but Lord, what shall I say? Yet, I turn to my bible and Isaiah 12:4 says, “Give thanks to God. Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation,” so, I’ll continue to testify on your goodness. Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever,” so I’ll praise Him no matter where I am! Psalm 96:3 says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples,” so I’ll continue to share with you, His good news! Psalm 98:1 says, “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him,” so I’ll sing to Him my thankfulness! Oh, I realize now that even if I cannot say a word, I can still thank God. Even if I never mumble another word, I can still give thanks! Even if my mouth never moves again, I can still say thank you Lord! So, when I raise my hands, I’m telling God thank you! When I cry tears of joy, I am telling God thank you! When I shout in the midst of my storm, I’m telling God thank you! When I dance in the face of my enemies, I’m telling God thank you! When I bow my head at the table prepared for me in the presence of my haters, I’m telling God thank you! When I’m standing in the hallway facing a door that has been closed, I’m telling God thank you! When I am looking at the doctor who is delivering bad news, I’m telling God thank you! Oh, God; I thank you! Mere words aren’t enough when you keep doing for me so I’ll continue to show you the thanks I have for you! Words, printed or spoken aren’t enough, so I’ll continue to work on behalf of you! I thank you God! I thank you God!

Daily Devotional – 8/21/13 “Alphabet Lesson!”

I had to stop by, today, to let you know that every time you go through something; there is something greater that shall, not should, but shall come afterwards. See, 2 Timothy 2:12-13 says, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: Our faith may fail, his never wanes- That’s who he is, he cannot change!” Now, wanes in the previous scripture means fades or vanishes so this is simply saying, even when your faith fails, God’s never fades. Isn’t that amazing? This is why I had to tell you, by walking you through the alphabet, that even when you go through, just hold on because afterwards there shall be a reward, if you don’t give up, give in; if you don’t sow in the world’s fields, listen to gossiping friends and messy church folk but if you hold on and endure you shall reap a reward that man’s hands can’t touch.

See, in life you have to deal with folks who accuse you of doing wrong even when you’re not, you have to deal with your adversary (enemy) who is trying to tear you down on every side and even agony in your body but then when it’s over you come through your battle because God has allowed you to beat the enemy this time and with more blessings than you can measure. Yea, I know you got the call that cancer was in your body or the devil tried to hold you captive but God says, hold on because I’m carrying you out of what you’ve been cast in, I’m changing your circumstances and I’m clearing the clouds so that you will no longer be consumed. That danger and that darkness the devil ditched you in to discourage you, don’t worry because I’ve got a door opened for you that’ll give you back double what you’ve lost. God is saying, it won’t be easy all the time but if you embrace me; I’ll fill the empty places and enlarge your territory in due time and exceed your expectations. Even if you fall be faithful and your fears shall be few and I will not forsake you. Yea, I know you gave your all and all you got back was grief but God says I’ll guide you through your heartache and your hurting times and I’ll increase your inheritance and your joy. Even with the world judging you, I’ll justify your actions and keep you from being knocked down while you labor, stop you from leaning when your legs want to give out, maintain your mind when misery tries to mock you and move your murmuring so that nothing overshadows your praise. Ok, it seems like your prayers aren’t being answered, you can’t get promoted which means you’re not prospering, you can’t find your purpose and you’ve stopped pursuing your goals but don’t you know that you need to get in a quiet place to talk to God and quit running from His safety? Yea, it seems like you keep getting setup but you’re being shaped into who you should be and your soul is being filled with the Holy Spirit which makes you steady when it feels like you’re sinking and gives you strength when it feels like you’re stumbling. Yea, that ole devil may have taken some things from your life but that’s just the tribulations and trouble that God promised but it’s not meant to make you an unbeliever but it’s to make you understand that God is unmovable and that He can make you victorious in your weeping, wise during your woes and wonderful in your works. God can take YOU and your zeal (that’s passion) for Him and make your life a blessing zone!

Yea, I just had to take you through the alphabet to let you know that no matter what you go through, there is always something greater coming afterwards! So don’t give up, don’t give in, don’t allow your faith to waver and your work, on God’s side, to be few; don’t allow the world to change you and don’t allow yourself to change just because you’ve been hurt, misused or abused. Hold on! God never changes and although you’ve changed more times than you can count, change for God this last time and allow Him to do the rest!

Daily Devotional – 8/20/13 “Turbulence during Transition”

I don’t normally log into Facebook until after I’ve done my devotional but on this morning I did and I just happened to see a post from my spiritual sister, who I call my Tag Team Ministry Partner. Now, anybody that knows us know that most time we are on the same accord, spiritually, even though we are seldom in the same room. We can be encouraging each other, with the exact same topic, at the same time without even knowing it but you know what, God does! See, her status simply said, “One will always face TURBULENCE during TRANSITION, but oh my God, the TESTIMONY that comes forth, once you arrive at your point of TRIUMPH. I Peter 4:12-13.” Let me make this point clear, I had no idea what my devotional would be on this morning until this! So, I whispered, “God, use me to do your will,” so here goes!

Many times, as Christians we think, no we expect our journey through this thing call life to be easy. We expect God to show up as soon as we finish confessing our belief in Him even though we’ve yet to show Him why we are confessing. We expect the journey to not have bumps, expect to always find a bridge over our troubles and always expect a rope to be hanging down into the valley that we’ve fallen in. However, when will you realize that in order to truly appreciate the triumph after your test; you will have to first ride through the turbulence? Yea, if the ride out of the mess you’re in is easy, you might just continue to get into that mess but if you have to struggle to stand after you’ve fallen, climb back up the mountain after you’ve slid down, start over after you’ve been pushed to the back of the line or find another door to knock on after many have been closed in your face; you will appreciate the victory once it comes. Let me break this thang down! A butterfly is created from an egg (like we are), it is then born as a baby caterpillar at which point all it does is eat in order to grow (like babies, which we once were) and then the caterpillar goes through a metamorphosis stage in which it is wrapped in this hard shell called a chrysalis (you know those teenage, early adult years when you think you can do anything). During this stage the outside shell looks the same but the work, the changes are being made on the inside (You’ll get that in a minute) and then once it has done completing the transformation on the inside, the butterfly begins to come out of its shell and as it does, it struggles. Now, the struggle is real and hard but it has to happen because while the butterfly is struggling, it is pumping the necessary blood into its wings that they need in order to be strong enough to fly. You get it? You have to struggle in order to pump the necessary things you need into your life that will help you fly above all the things that are trying to keep you down. Yea, when you’ve experienced turbulence during your transition from trouble to tranquility, you’ll be thankful for the peace. After you’ve experienced turbulence during your transition from toiling to testifying, you’ll be grateful for the test. After you’ve experienced turbulence during your transition from terrible trials, terrifying terror and traumatizing things you’ll be transformed by the time you reach the destination of your triumph! Then and only then will you appreciate the ride because all of the hell you’ve been through, the turbulence that almost made you turn around, the knock downs, the names you’ve been called and those wanting to give up moments will make the triumph at your destination worthwhile!

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13”

Daily Devotional – 8/19/13 “Worship = worth!”

Does your worship show God how worthy you are of Him? Does your worship reflect how worthy you are of receiving the blessings that are bestowed upon you daily? Do you even worship? I mean, worship is described as to have or express feelings of profound adoration or to be devoted to and full of admiration for, so is your worship worthy of God’s wondrous works? Now, adoration or adore means you love something dearly or simply put something you would die for and admiration or to admire means to regard somebody with respect, approval or appreciation. So, in Lakisha’s logical thinking; worship is simply loving and respecting God enough to show it! Yea, see; God is a spirit which means you can’t physically give him anything so the only way you show your appreciation is through worship. It’s like on Mother’s or Father’s Day, birthday or anniversary; you show your appreciation for someone else with gifts, well how do you show God? If you are too mean to open your mouth and thank Him for the things He does, continually; how do you show Him? If you’re too ashamed to wave your hand and acknowledge the strength that He has, yet again, given your limbs; how do you show Him? If you’re scared to shout even after the Holy Ghost has interceded on your behalf one more time, how do you show Him? If you’re too selfish to stand on the legs that still work, clap your hands that still feel, open your mouth and use the voice that you didn’t have to have, to worship God for all the things He didn’t have to give you; how do you show Him? Is your worship worthy? The bible does say in John 4:24, For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth,” so are you? Are you being truthful in your worship when you say thank you Lord? Are you being truthful in your worship when you are standing at the altar, kneeled down in prayer, fasting or studying your bible? Are you truly worshipping like you should be? You do know that, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth,” right? Well, this is what my bible reads in Psalm 145:18, what does yours say?

Isn’t God worthy of a true worship from a true worshipper? No, I am not saying you have to be perfect because no human being is but what I am saying is be truthful in your worship. If you have found fault in anyone, forgive them and if you have been the one to give fault, ask to be forgiven. If you aren’t doing what you should, repent. If you are going where you know you shouldn’t, stop going and repent. If you are doing what you shouldn’t be doing, stop doing it and repent. For when you repent, you are recognizing the wrong in what you have done because you are truly sorry about it. Worship God because He is worthy and not because it is convenient for you. Worship God because He did it for others and you know He’ll do it for you. Worship God because He has done it for you and you know He’ll do it for others. Worship God simply because He is worthy!

“Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.” Hebrews 12:28 (The Message Bible)