Keep playing with your ticket to Heaven and see if you won’t be left behind and keep playing with God’s commandments like you don’t see the signs. Keep playing with your life like you don’t think it’s real, acting like you got all the time; until your fate is sealed. Keep right on playing with this thing called life until you end up the one played and then you’ll wish you’d listened and your feet would have stayed. Yea, keep playing with passing bullets and your life flashing before your eyes and keep playing until you’re standing over the casket of the innocent one who died. Keep playing with those drugs that you keep pushing through your veins, snorting up your nose; just keep on playing with that alcohol you can’t get enough of until your eyes gets closed. Oh, just keep on playing with folk’s heart until they finally wise up and leave, and then you’ll be begging them to come back on bended knee. Keep playing with folk’s emotions when you keep lying like you care but as soon as they call, you vanish and can’t be seen anywhere. Keep playing with other folk’s spouses and thinking it’s a game because when the tables get turned, will you feel the same? Keep playing in other folk’s storms, laughing at their trials because baby your time is coming; God has your number to dial. Yes, just go right on playing and wishing hell over folk’s life because you’re simply making it harder for yourself when it’s your time of strife. Keep on playing and bragging about tomorrow and all your material things when Proverbs 27:1 says, “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” Keep on playing if you want, this is your life but remember Matthew 25:46 says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Daily Devotional – 6/26/13 “It’s not about me!”
No, nawl, shoal ain’t, it can’t be about me! I’m talking about this Christian journey. See, if it was all about me then I would write a devotional every day to be admired by folks when the bible tells me in Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Yea, if it was all about me then I would find joy in bragging about myself but the bible says in James 4:16, “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” Baby, if it was all about me, I’d place junk in your joy so your journey is jumbled, mix misery in your miracles so you’ll miss your mark, test your testimony with temptations so you tarry there, weaken your witnessing so that you’re weep and be weary instead of willingly work, put pain in your praise so that you get no peace, add bitterness to your blood so that you’re bound instead of blessed, feed your fear so that you forget about faith and fail instead of flourish, be foolish instead of fierce and a follower instead of favored. Oh, if it was all about me, I’d push you when you lean instead of propping you up, I’d let you stay down instead of picking you up, I’d laugh when you ask instead of trying to help, I’d be happy about your tears instead of wiping them away, I’d dance when you grieve instead of being there for you, I’d rejoice in your storm instead of holding a umbrella over your head and I’ll shout during your battle instead of helping you fight! If it was all about me. However, Nonetheless, Yet; I’m so glad that it’s not about me but it’s about the God in me because when I am nothing but a filthy rag God still finds me good enough to wipe with! When my legs feel like they can’t go on, I walk without stumbling! When my eyes are filled with tears, I can still see through my trouble! When my heart is hurting, it still has room to love! When my hands are tired from working, I still have strength to clap! When my mind is filled with mess, God cleans it out and gives me a message. When I feel like I am not worthy, God gives me work to do. When it seems like I’m not going anywhere, God opens up a new door. When it seems like pity is taking over, God gives me a praise for the things He’s already done. When I get to be too selfish, God gives me back all the things I haven’t even thanked Him for. When it seems like no one is listening, God gives me a platform to speak. When it seems like trouble is winning, God gives me a piece of the Trinity (that’s the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) to usher me on through. When it seems like my obstacle is too big to go over or around, God gives me space right where I am to overcome it.
I better leave this alone but I feel a shaking in my spirit which means some chains of selfishness will be broken just by reading this. I feel a moving in spirit which means some changes will be made in somebody’s life today. I feel a pressing in my spirit which means some spitefulness, malice, meanness and hate will be pressed down not to be seen again just by reading this. Yea, it’s not about me for the bible tells me in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Daily Devotional – 6/25/13 – “What you answer too…”
Why is it that we, as African Americans or blacks are cool with calling each other the N word but as soon as someone else does, we’re ready to fight, sue or kill? I mean, isn’t it the same thing? If you are referring to yourself as the N word then isn’t it cool for you to be called that? If someone hears you referring to yourself or your friend, brother or sister as the N word then wouldn’t they think it’s cool to call you that? (I would) Don’t get me wrong, someone who is racist is just that, racist and no amount of money or time will change that because a person will be exactly who they are. However, I’ve lived to learn that it’s not about the name you’re called but it’s about the name you’re given and then what you answer too. See, you can call me Lakisha (or Marcy) and I’ll answer to it because that’s my name but when you call me anything other than that I keep on going. You can call me blessed and I’ll answer because that’s what I am. You can call me living and I’ll answer because that’s what I’m doing. You can call me God’s chosen and I’ll answer because that’s who I strive to be. What you can’t call me is a bitch because that’s defined as a female dog, a difficult thing or situation, a nagging complaint, a vulgar woman, a woman considered to be spiteful or overbearing or a man considered to be weak or disgraceful; I am none of those things so I won’t. You can’t call me a hoe because that’s defined as a gardening tool used to weed; I am not that either so I won’t answer. You can’t call me a hater because that’s defined as to dislike somebody or something intensely, often in a way that evokes feelings of anger, hostility, or animosity; not me so I won’t answer! You can’t call me jealous because then I would feel bitter or unhappy about the things you’ve got and nope, not me either so I won’t answer! Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” So, go on and call me what you want because I know my name! Go on and talk about me, I know who I am! Go on, if you will because I know whose I am! Proverbs 10:7 says, “The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
It doesn’t matter what folk call you, it’s what you answer too and act like. Yea, I know that words hurt but that’s only if you let them get close enough to pierce your ears and heart. Stop using the N word if it offends you to be called that. You can’t call yourself that or allow some to call you that and get offended when others do. Plus, the N word isn’t the only word that should be taken out of the language. Just like you get offended when Whites/Caucasians call you the N word, they get offended when you call them cracker; it’s a double edge sword. Learn and then do better. “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them, Ephesians 4:29.
Daily Devotional – 6/24/13 “Deny them!”
Luke 14:26 says “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple.” Now, I thought about this scripture and at first it was puzzling to me because I was trying to figure out why I have to deny folk in order to follow Jesus and then it donned on me. See, if you stop and take a look around at the folks who are in your circle, you may find that some of them are the obstacle blocking you from getting your breakthrough. Yea, one of them talks so much about themselves that you can’t even hear God’s voice telling you to move. One of them brags so much about the material things that you can’t even see God working in front of you. One of them is even probably talking down about your relationship and you’re too busy nodding and agreeing that you don’t even realize they’re the ones causing the issues in your home. Yea, you may need to start denying some folk and some things because they may be the ones causing all the hell you’re going through. Stop trying to keep up with folk, slow down and get what’s yours. Stop pretending and conforming to this world of mess when John 12:25 says, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Yea, you’ve got to hate this worldly life in order to get to your eternal life yet, you’d rather enjoy the world and take a gamble with your salvation but baby you better recognize, before it’s too late, that you may not have time to get it right. I know, you enjoy drinking on Friday, dancing on Saturday and detoxing on Sunday but when will you have time to devote to God? In the midst of your hangover will you help someone who needs you? In the midst of your partying, would you pray for me if I called? In the midst of your cheating, would you comfort me if I needed a friend?
All I am saying is you need to start denying some folk or some things in order to get what you need and where you need to be. You can’t keep allowing “them” to cause you to stumble on your journey because they won’t be the one to blame, you will. Just because “they” smoke or drink, it doesn’t mean you have too. Just because “they” wear that it doesn’t mean you have too. Just because “they” sleep in on Sunday and miss church, manage mess on Monday and miss Bible Study, weep on Wednesday and miss prayer meeting, drink on two for one Thursday and skip choir rehearsal; it doesn’t mean you have too. Stop following and lead sometime. Stop conforming and change every now and then. Stop doubting and start denying all those requests that you know won’t mean you any good tomorrow. Luke 14:33 says, “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” You have to be willing to give up some things to get something, deny some folk to declare deliverance, reject some things to receive some others and throw away some things in order to transform your tribulations. Yea, you may want to look at denying some calls, deleting some text messages and discarding some phone numbers in order to get the blessing you’ve been waiting on.
Daily Devotional – 6/21/13 “Reach beyond and pull!”
Are you at edge and it seems like you can’t hold on; you’re tired of being broke when you just got paid, kids acting like strangers in your home and it seem like all hell is breaking loose around you no matter how hard you pray? Do you want to let go because your rope is breaking? Well baby, reach beyond that break, hold tight and pull yourself up! See, if you pull yourself up, you’ll eventually reach the top of that cliff and once you reach the top of that situation that has you feeling like you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, you’ll get your healing. Once you’ve reached the top of that circumstance that has you feeling like you’re bound and in prison, you’ll get your breakthrough. After you’ve reached the top and passed all those footholds the devil was hiding in and the bumps and sharp edges that used to be haters; you’ll be able to stand tall, wipe the tears from your face, the dust from your clothes, dirt from your hands, footprints from your shoulders that folks used to push themselves up and bandage the scars from the knives that were stabbed in your back to shout loud and proud, “I’m so glad I made it!” After going through the storm, you’ll appreciate the sun. After being broke for so long, you’ll manage the increase that God sends. After being used, abused and lied on, you’ll wait for God to send your friends and/or spouse. Yea, I know it’s easy to get caught up in what other folk do and say but most of them are simply misery looking for company. When all those friends are gone after your money runs out, God is still there. When your boyfriend leaves because your coca cola bottle shape is gone, God is still there. When your girlfriend packs her bags because your black hair is now gray, God is still there. When the job closes down after you’ve given it your all, God is still there because He never abandons you although you often leave him for His word says in Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Yea, it may seem like you’re walking this path all alone but you simply need to go back where you left God because He doesn’t leave us and He won’t force His way in we have to open the door for Revelation 3:20 says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” This means, God has you covered and He won’t allow anything or anyone to stop you from reaching the place He has designed just for you. Now, wait because there is a catch! The only person that can take this away from you is YOU! So get out of your own way, stop sabotaging your own dreams, stop talking yourself out of the blessing that’s in front of you, stop settling for anything, stop falling for everything and stop listening to other folks because not all of them want you to be blessed like that! Yes, you are worthy, you can do this, you can be that, you can go there, you can live there, you wear that, you can say that, you can marry who you want, you can date who you want and you can do whatever you want to do because God has given you exactly what you need to do it! Don’t ruin it for yourself because you’re too good for that. Reach beyond that break in that rope and watch God work this thang out for you in your favor! Everybody can’t handle the favor that God has, so put it on and rock it and show them how it’s done!
Lakisha, the Author 