Daily Devotional – 6/28/13 “Aren’t you tired yet?”

Aren’t you tired of being abused by the belittling words coming out of his or her mouth or being hit by the hands of the one person who promised to never hurt you? Aren’t you tired of being messy because others have what you want although you haven’t worked to get it? Aren’t you tired of hating on your sister because she has it to give every time you call? Aren’t you tired of downplaying someone’s shout simply because you haven’t tapped into the spirit that’s inside of you? Aren’t you tired of going to church every Sunday playing church? Aren’t you tired of laughing at their blessed dance when you should be dancing about the blessings you’ve received? Aren’t you tired of talking about folks? Aren’t you tired of using folk? Aren’t you tired of dipping and hiding with someone else’s husband or wife, don’t you want your own? Aren’t you tired of stealing what other’s work hard for when you can work and get your own? Aren’t you tired of always being the one begging or with a sob story? Aren’t you tired yet?

Well, you should be! All you have to do is turn on any news channel and you’ll quickly realize that the next moment of your life isn’t promised so when will you get it together? If you died today, who would give your eulogy, at what church? Would anyone have nice words to say or would they simply sit there because you never stood up for them. Would the life you live actually speak good things about you when you’re gone or that doesn’t matter now? Oh, you think you have time don’t you? Well baby, I may as well tell you now that Matthew 24:36 says, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only,” so you go on thinking that if you want. If you aren’t tired of being without, keep being without but if you are; do something about it. If you aren’t tired of playing saved, keep playing but if you are; you have right now to change. Haven’t you noticed that it’s not about you but it’s about the God in you? This is why Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Haven’t you realized yet that you should be intimidating the enemy and not your brothers or sisters or that you should be attacking the devil and not God’s power when James 4:7 says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you?” When will you be tired of running when you should be reaping, tired of crying when you should be chosen, tired of wandering when you should be worshipping, tired of falling when you should be faithful, tired of being weary when you should be willing, tired of stumbling when you should be satisfied, tired of pacing when you should be partaking, tired of being a victim when you should be victorious, tired of being bound when you’ve already been bought and tired of being broken when you’ve been beautifully built? When? Aren’t you tired yet?

Daily Devotional – 6/27/13 “Keep playing!”

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.