Daily Devotional – 5/28/13 “That’s God working!”

Sometimes God takes us through things in order for His work to be manifested through us. Why? Because most of us are too stubborn to share our testimony so in order for folk to know how God works He has to manifest His work through our trials, sickness, diseases, addictions; etc. Now, in order for you to get this you need to know that manifest means to show or demonstrate plainly; reveal or to be evidence of, to prove. Yea, see God will allow your mean co-worker to go through cancer and then declare them healed so that you can see and know that He’s a healer. He’ll allow you to see your sister or brother be strung out on drugs or alcohol and then break the chains of their addiction in order for you to see His power as giver of new life. I said new life, not just life because you are already living but when God brings you through some things that should have taken you out; He gives you NEW life. After cancer, new life! After dialysis, new life! After abuse and misuse, new life! After being broken, new life! After being hurt, new life! (I’ll leave that alone) God will allow you to see the homecoming of 3 young women who had been kidnapped and held hostage for years in order for you to know that He is a protector. He’ll even allow you to see moments of almost not making it, almost being without food, almost being homeless, almost being without a job, almost without just so you’ll see and believe that He is a provider.

So, you see; we have to go through our storms and troubles in order for God’s work to be manifested or shown to those who may doubt. It’s just God working. You keep wondering why you can’t move from the job you’re in even after the many applications submitted but that’s just God working. You’re trying to figure out why none of the medicine is working on you when it has healed so many others but that’s just God working. You’re trying to figure out why you keep being denied or turned down for stuff but that’s just God working. You’re not being picked on when trouble comes; it’s just your time, you’ve been picked out to go through. You aren’t being singled out each time you get knocked down; it’s just your time, you’ve been singled out to get knocked down so you can get back up. So don’t be shame of your situations or storms, shout through them. Don’t tarry in your trouble or be threatened by temptations; turn them around for your triumphant transformation. Don’t maintain mess because it makes you miserable but make it part of your message in your ministry. Yea, you’ll go through things, see things, do things and even give up on some things but that’s just God working so go through and then testify and allow God’s manifestation to work through you! Allow God to manifest His infinite power through you because 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” or another translation says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” So you see, it’s not about you but it’s about the message that God is manifesting or revealing through using you. Be used because it’s just God working.

Daily Devotional – 5/24/13 “Favor-full Friday”

Favor is defined as an act of kindness performed or granted out of goodwill, preferential treatment shown to somebody or something given or worn as a token of love, allegiance, or goodwill. Now, that alone is enough for me to realize, understand and appreciate the fact that my Friday is full of favor. Yea, I know your check was short, your account may still be in the negative, you got more bills on top of the ones you already can’t pay, child needs summer school when you thought you’ll have a break, job cutting hours when you need overtime, friends won’t answer when you need someone to talk too or family acting strange but you still have favor. Don’t believe me, then let me show you.

You woke up this morning – FAVOR!
You were in your right mind – FAVOR!
You didn’t find your spouse or child cold – FAVOR!
You looked around and realized that God gave you back everything you had on yesterday – FAVOR!
You could have lost your home in a tornado – FAVOR!
You could be strung out on drugs or dependent on alcohol – FAVOR!
You could be worse than you are but you’re not which means – FAVOR!

If you still don’t believe you have favor, think about the person whose week is filled with dialysis or chemo when your week is hanging out with friends or being lazy at home. Think about the many coworkers who have experienced death in their family over the last month, when you haven’t. So what if your boyfriend left, spend a few minutes crying and then get over it. Ok, your girlfriend turned out to be somebody other than who you thought, get over it. Your job laid you off, ok, man up and find another one to feed your family. Your car wouldn’t start this morning, ok, call someone or take the bus; the fresh air will do you good. You got a little pain in your body, ok, at least you’re able to feel it. Yea, you may be gifted at what you do but you can’t seem to get where you want to be, so what? This simply means it’s not your time because the bible says in Proverbs 18:16, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.” See, just because you have a gift it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to open up doors but allow the gift that God has given you to do it especially if you’re using that gift for good, then it’ll go ahead of you and speak on your behalf. Your resume, boss, coworker, spouse or family member can’t speak for you like your gift can and when you’ve been blessed with a gift; God gives you the favor you need to keep it. You have favor but you have to believe in it, understand it and then realize it. If God didn’t give you favor, then why would He keep using you? Stop worrying about what other folks got because they could be great at making stuff look good. Be blessed with the favor you have. Favor means God has faith in you to fulfill the purpose in which He has filled you with, so stop fretting and follow the footpath forward with faith and without fear because even if you fail or fail, your foundation is firm to flourish again.

Daily Devotional – 5/23/13 “Stop settling!”

Now settle is defined a number of different ways. It can mean to put something in place, make somebody comfortable, put details in order, to stop moving, move downward or to even pay what is owed. However, the settle for today is to make or become resident and I don’t mean of a house or place to live but I am talking about you allowing folk, mess, stress, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, spousal abuse, being cheated on, being walked over and being cast down settle into you. You’re settling for stuff that you’ve never negotiated over when most times before a settlement is even reached; some negotiations are had first, right? Then why are you settling for just anything now that you’ve decided to be a true Christian? I mean, you settle for the first man/woman who comes along when they could be standing in front of the blessing God sent; all because you don’t want to shack up but baby you better sit down and talk it over because you might just be settling. You take the first loan the car salesman brings because you’re just excited about the prospect of a new car, when you should be negotiating the terms for the price and payment you want, so don’t settle. You settle for the first job that calls because the benefits sound good when your career was beeping on the other line. You settle for the second dress that’s in the store when you should have told them to order the one you really want. Chile, you better stop settling for a Big Mac when you got a taste for a Quarter Pounder, make them cook it while you wait. Stop settling for less when God has given you the means to have so much more! God blessed you with that gift of writing so do not settle for a math degree because the advisor says you’re good at it. God blessed you with the ability to be a great husband/wife, so don’t settle for being someone’s mister or mistress. God gave you the ability to speak life into your dead places so don’t accept when folks say you can’t make it. God has given you favor so don’t settle for failure. God has given you love so don’t settle for lust. God has given you salvation so don’t settle for suicide as a way out. God has given you praise so don’t settle with the pain. God has given you a life to live so don’t let it pass you by because you choose to settle. You are worthy of so much more. If the person you’re with can’t appreciate what you offer (if you’re offering your absolute best) then you don’t need to spend another day being unappreciated. If the job you currently have can’t appreciate the talent you bring, find one that does. If the kids can appreciate the sacrifices you make to give them all they need and want, then stop giving. You don’t have to settle when you can negotiate the terms. This is your life and it should be on your terms, stop settling!

Daily Devotional – 5/22/13 “Cleaning Church!”

I was sitting here at my desk wondering how many churches would be closed down if folk did undercover operations in them the way they do the local clubs in the city. I mean, if you sent an unconverted sinner into the church would he find areas that would deem the church a nuisance that needs to be shut down? You do know that a nuisance is defined as something not allowed by law because it causes harm or offense, either to people in general public nuisance or to an individual person, right? Um, let’s walk this thang together.

The church covenant says that when we accept Christ we do so in the presence of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost and we enter this agreement joyfully with one another as one body. Oh, but then you start laughing in folk’s face and talking behind their back. You become friends with Sis. Usher and then turn around and sleep with her husband, Bro. Deacon. You turn new converts away by the gossip you keep filling their ears with, you say you’ll pray for them but what you really mean is that you’ll pray for their downfall. Yea, I’d say you were a nuisance. Then the covenant says we are to walk together in love yet you hate on the clothes I wear. It says we should strive to build up the church yet you complain each time the offering tray is passed. We are supposed to promote prosperity and spirituality but the only thing you want to promote is yourself to head of everything. And you are supposed to contribute cheerfully and regularly to spread the gospel, yet your bible has been in the back seat of the car so long the sun has turned the pages and when folk look at you they can’t see your light of God shining and when you open your mouth; they definitely don’t hear God’s word. Yea, I’d say you’re being a nuisance. We are supposed to teach our children about God but you’ve taught them about Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Johnny Taylor, T.I. and all that crap instead. We are supposed to avoid backbiting, being angry, judging folk, using alcohol to get drunk, drugs to get high, sex as a means of keeping folk, lying as a way of pleasing folk and hating on one another; yet we do and then have the audacity to say, “God knows my heart.” Chile please, I’d say you are a nuisance. Oh, please don’t get me started on the club clothes that double as your Sunday best because it definitely ain’t. However, you have the parents that don’t say anything to a child who comes out the house looking a hot mess for church because most times they are too. If your skirt is too short, how can you say something to your daughter? If you got your pants sagging, how can you tell your son his pants shouldn’t? Teach them by showing them. Let me get off my soap box because I have some things I need to change as well because I am not perfect but I’m simply saying; some things in the church need to be cleaned out. We have to get back to treating our places of worship as the sanctuary they were meant for before God comes in and shuts them down! Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” Isaiah 1:16, “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” We need to clean up what we’ve messed up!

Daily Devotional – 5/21/13 “Sometimes you have to wait!”

I know this is hard to do but sometimes we have to wait. As I sat in the doctor’s office, yesterday, with my daughter for 2.5 hours (before leaving without being seen) I thought about how God must feel with us when we ask Him for things and then have no patience in receiving it or the answer. I know how mad I was at the fact that I made an appointment and then still treated as if I didn’t yet we do this to God all the time. See, when we kneel to pray we make an appointment with God. Next, we are seen when we pray to Him giving Him all the reasons why we need this or how we need Him to come, right now, to see about us. Then, we finish our prayer and expect the answer or the blessing to be waiting in the next room but sometimes we have to wait. See, God knows what we are ready for and what, exactly, it is that we need. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This says, again, according to His riches. God knows you aren’t ready for that 5 bedroom house with the media room when you didn’t keep the 3 you had clean, extra garages that you don’t have enough cars to fill them with, 3 bathrooms that you’ll really have to make the kids clean and an extra large light bill that you know you might not be able to handle when you’re getting extensions on the small one now; so wait until God knows you can handle it. Oh but no … We have to rush out and get this big house because you can’t wait to post pictures on Facebook and Instagram and 3 months later, you’re barely making ends meet because that big house is sucking you dry. Sometimes you have to wait! Stop rushing to get married simply because everybody around you is and now you’ve rushed to the altar after you’ve been shacking up for 11 years and want things to change. You didn’t have a problem with him hanging with his boys before but now you got that paper and ring, you nag more hours out the day then you sleep. He didn’t have a problem with you wearing that short dress when y’all used to go out but that changed when you became wife and now he has a problem with everything you put on. Sometimes you have to wait because he or she may have been girl/boyfriend capable but not wife or husband material. And if the truth shall be told, God didn’t send them to you no way, you picked them and He is simply waiting on you to move that obstacle that has been blocking your blessing yet you didn’t have time to wait. And stop rushing your weight loss. You didn’t gain 40 pounds overnight so taking it off won’t be that easy. Eat healthier, work out and wait. If you stick to it, the weight won’t stick to you. (This is for me.) That career, it’ll come when it’s time so wait on it. Keep filling out your applications and going on your interviews because that’s just preparing you for the right time.

All I am saying is, sometimes you have to wait. Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Which means be glad for what’s coming, be patient during your trouble times but never stop praying. Another way of saying it, praise God for what He will do even if you can’t see it, endure and go through when you can’t see your way but never stop praying. Another way, don’t give up because your blessing is on the way, just wait for it but never stop praying! Be patient in whatever you’re going through, fighting with, praying about, toiling over and pacing for because sometimes you have to wait.