Daily Devotional – 5/14/13 “It’s still not impossible!”

I know somebody is still having a hard time believing that their situation will get better. You read the devotional from yesterday but you’re still trying to comprehend how all of those “biblical stories” relate to you now but see those are just testimonies of the things that are possible in order for you to see that nothing is impossible. Yea, I get it; that happened back then and you’re saying what about now but let me try to help you out. Now, I can only give you testimony of what I know to be true so I can’t speak for someone else but come here grandma. Grandma who has seen 82 years of living on this side, who has never buried one of her children, who is still in her right mind, who can still give you a good old fashion cussing, who will still give your number out to anyone who ask even when you’ve asked her not too, who took care of her husband who laid on his bed of affliction for 3 years, who buried the same husband who she spent 60+ years with, who still takes care of great-grandchildren, who still cooks a big dinner, who still hums a Dr. Watt when she’s in the kitchen, who can still tell you what type of rash you got on your arm, who can tell you what you need to take to feel better, who can still tell you just about everything in the bible, whose hands can still comfort a crying baby, whose voice soothes your spirit, who can still recite the alphabet backwards and one who didn’t let the thought of cancer keep her from living. Oh, nothing is impossible.

Come here momma who has raised 4 girls when folk said she wouldn’t make it, raised 3 boys when folk thought she couldn’t do it, kept a roof over our heads so that we were never homeless, food on the table so that we were never hungry, allowed us to see her struggle so that we could appreciate the sacrifice, taught us how to be women first and wives/mothers second, who taught us how to make a meal out of a few dollars, how to stare adversity in the face and still advance, how to survive the storm and still succeed, how to dance to that old school R&B, how to clean a house on a Saturday morning, how to wash a load of clothes and how to be just who you are. Oh, there is nothing that is impossible.

Excuse me while I testify … I could have been dead but I’m not, me or one of my sisters could have been diagnosed with breast cancer but we haven’t, one of my 3 brothers could have prostate cancer, dead from a bullet on the streets or addicted to cocaine but they’re not, I could have been a high school dropout when society deemed me a statistic for being a teenage mother, I could have been a drug addict and prostitute because we were raised in the ghetto, I could have been a nobody if I listened to folk, I would have been a nothing if I took what folks said about me, I could have even given up when the world turned on me but I didn’t. Why not? With God there is nothing that is impossible for Him. Yea, I’ve had days of not having but I haven’t been without. I’ve had days when I’m hungry but I haven’t starved to death. I’ve had days and nights of crying and toiling but it didn’t take me out. I’ve had momentary moments of mistakes but they don’t make me. I’ve had days of deceit and denial that tried to destroy me but those don’t define me. I’ve have times when I wanted to give up but I didn’t give in. I’ve had moments when evil almost won but they weren’t victorious. I’ve had temporary situations of setbacks but they only set me up. I’ve had folks try and destroy me but they made me more determined. I’ve had church folk to try and kill my flesh but it made me more focused. Yea, with God there is nothing impossible. Even on the days when I wonder why me, why would God use somebody like me, why would He choose somebody like me; He simply lets me know that it’s not for me to understand but for me to be used! Oh, nothing is impossible! You have to know that there isn’t anything that you face that God isn’t capable of handling because Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Daily Devotional – 5/13/13 “Impossible? “

What’s impossible? What could possibly be impossible with the God we serve? Yea, I know that you may think your situation is the worst and no one has gone through the things you have but you’re wrong. Yea, you’re going through a storm right now, you may have more bills than money, spouse acting strange, kids acting like you haven’t been the one raising them, folk on the job have lost their mind and it feels like everybody is getting on the nerve you had on reserve but your circumstance isn’t impossible.

Oh, you got pain and sickness in your body and it seems like you’ll never get well but come here woman with the issue of blood. A woman who suffered for 12 years with bleeding, being considered unclean that no one would even take the time to see about her but she was healed through faith, for Jesus said in Matthew 9:22, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.” Oh, you got a relationship that has been strained or stretch and it seems like it won’t be repaired because no words have been spoken, time has not stood still or you’ve been too afraid to face it but come here prodigal son. A son who left his father and spent all his possessions but when he came home, his father rejoiced because it wasn’t about the things done or said but it was simply because “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.” Oh, you’re praying and feel like God isn’t answering? Well come here Sarah who was 90 when God answered her prayers. Come here Mary who called on Jesus to see about her brother Lazarus who he raised after he was considered dead. Come here blind man who was blind since birth, yet Jesus gave him sight. Come here man who was possessed with demons yet God delivered. Yea, Matthew 19:26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

See, there isn’t anything impossible with the God we serve. However, you have to believe this. You have to know that there isn’t anything that you face that God isn’t capable of handling because Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” That marriage, it can be manageable if it matters. That job, it’ll be justified if you take the journey. That sickness, only a season if you don’t let it stay; speak it away. That hopelessness and hurt you feel, it can’t hinder you if you don’t hold on to it. Let go of the things that you’re allowing to make your situation look hopeless. If a person tells or shows you the real them, believe them and let them go. The things you’re praying for isn’t impossible to God because when you see the impossible, God see’s the infinite possibilities. When you see the impossible, God sees the inheritance with your name on it. When you see the impossible, God sees instruction. When you see the impossible, God sees the Holy Spirit interceding. When you see the impossible, God is saying just imagine! Oh, trust God through the thing that you see as impossible and watch Him make it possible!

Daily Devotional – 5/10/13 “What about you?”

Have you ever stopped and wondered why you aren’t getting the things you need? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you’re missing your blessing because you’re too busy letting folks get in front of you? Yea, you’re so busy praying for other folks that you don’t ever take the time to pray for yourself when baby, can’t nobody pray for you better than you can pray for yourself. Stop blaming folk for what’s going on in your life because if you stop putting it all on Facebook, stop gossiping with those loose lip friends, stop tweeting everything that’s happening and stop making text grams for Instagram no one would know about your problems anyway. Then you got the audacity to be mad because folk are talking about you but weren’t you the one that gave them all the information? Then why are you mad? All I’m saying is, sometimes you miss your blessing because you’ve either talked yourself out of it or you’ve allowed someone else to get it. Haven’t you realized by now that when you speak stuff like, “I’m broke, I’m tired, I’m sick, I’m depressed, I’m a drug addict, I’m an alcoholic or I can’t find a job;” you’re speaking those things over your life? Why not say, “I’m temporarily out of funds” which means your situation won’t last? Why not say “I’m not feeling my best but I’m living,” which means your greater is coming? Why not say, “I have a problem but I know God to be a solver,” which means your help is on the way? Why not say, “I’m without a job for the moment but I’m looking for my career,” which means you’ve asked and waiting on God to answer? Oh and stop trying to raise folk up because that isn’t for you to do because if you keep putting folks on a pedestal they may just be getting the blessing God is dropping on you. Right now is the time for you to lift yourself up. No, I don’t mean for you to brag on yourself all the time but speak some stuff into your own life some time! You don’t have to stop helping when you’re needed, encouraging whoever needs it or being a shoulder for folks but take a little time for yourself and be where you need to be in order to receive what God has for you.

Stop waiting on folk to encourage you, encourage yourself! Stop allowing folk to speak negative things over your life, who are they anyway? See, it shouldn’t have to take someone telling you you’re smart before you believe it. It shouldn’t take me telling you that you can be somebody before you know it for yourself and it shouldn’t take validation from a man or woman to know that you’re beautiful or handsome when you should look in the mirror and see all of this for yourself. Stop allowing the way the world thinks to corrupt who you are because Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” If God wanted you to look like everybody else, he wouldn’t have made different races, shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds but because of technology, media and reality TV, we’ve stop believing in ourselves and think the way things are on TV are the way things are supposed to be for us. Humph, those folks are having it harder because they have to put on a face every day to be something they are not when God proclaimed in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” You are capable of doing, of having, of becoming, of being whatever you choose to be but you have to want it, believe it and then go get it! Stop being anything other than who you’ve been destined, designed and delivered to be.

Daily Devotional – 5/9/13 “Stop giving away your power!”

When you plug something into an electrical outlet it pulls power from the power supply in order to make your lamp, TV, radio, charger and etc. work right? And sometimes when you have too many things plugged into that one power supply, the power usually gets dim, doesn’t it? Well, don’t you know that when you allow low voltage folk to plug into your power, they drain your power and cause you to get dim? Yea, you keep giving and until you’ve gave out and now your power is low. You keep going until you can’t go anymore and now your power is dim. Stop giving away your power. See, when you allow that boy/girl, man/woman to consistently hurt you; you’re giving your power away. When you allow the folks on your job to walk all over you, you’re giving your power away. When you keep getting your feelings hurt by those loose mouth saints in church who can’t put you in Heaven or hell with their rude comments, you’re giving your power away. Baby, you’d better pay attention to those things you’ve allowed to plug into your power because they are draining you. My tag team spiritual partner, Shun, said it best; you better watch who you’re hooking up too! Just because he is telling you all the right things, you better make sure you got your spiritual ears open because you might just be lying down with a snake. While she is feeding you all your favorite foods, you better be looking through your spiritual eyes because you might be eating something that’s bad for your health. While your co-workers keep smiling in your face, you better put your spiritual battle gear on because they could be setting you up for failure. Yea, you better recognize those who you have allowed to plug into your power because they might just be using you up! 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” Did you read what this said? It says that God has given us power, love and a sound mind and not fear so what’s holding you back from unplugging those who are draining you? If that car is leaving you stranded and broke, unplug it. If that husband or wife is leaving you busted and disgusted, you might want to look into whether it’s time to unplug him or her. If that job has you feeling stressed and not blessed, you may want to look into unplugging it. If your friends only come around to strengthen their power by using you, you may want to look into unplugging them too.

Wikipedia says a power supply must obtain the energy it supplies to its load, as well as any energy it consumes while performing that task, from an energy source and this is the same way with us. Don’t you know that in order for you to keep supplying the power to all those things/people you have attached to you; you have to continually receive power? And if you are disconnected from your energy source, eventually your power will decrease until it’s all used up. And who is your energy source? God and He will supply every ounce of power and energy you need, if you stay connected to Him. That’s what the word say in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” If that’s not enough then read 2 Corinthians 9:8 that says, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” Yea, you’ll have all you need if you’re “hooked up” to the right energy source and if you unplug some of those things that have your power running low. Stop allowing any and everybody to plug into your power source. Stop giving away your power so freely. Yea, I know that God says we should help one another but you need to recognize and realize when you are being used. Yea, the word says to let your light for God shine but if your power supply is overloaded, no one will be able to see your dim light anyway!

Daily Devotional – 5/8/13 “Pray for me!”

Now let me point this out … I didn’t ask you to pray for me because something is wrong, I just need you to pray. I didn’t ask you to pray for me because there’s something that I need, I just simply need you to pray. See, somebody is dealing with some things that don’t even make sense in their natural eyes but hold on because when you look at those same things through spiritual eyes, it’ll all make sense. So while you’re praying for me let me pray for you.

“Our Father in Heaven, whose name is sweet upon my tongue; I petition your throne this morning with thanksgiving on my lips. First, thanking you for the blessings that you grant me daily even when I’m too selfish to acknowledge them. Next, oh God, I must thank you for the portion of mind You gave me back this morning that’s well enough to know who I am, for the strength in my body to get up and go on, for family & friends, the job, home and car that I sometimes take for granted. Then God, I thank you for the gifts and talents that allow me to work for you every day. Now, God I didn’t petition your throne just for me this morning but I come on behalf of those reading this. I don’t know what all they need prayer for but you do so I ask that you grant their request, if it be your will. God somebody is crying out for healing for what’s hurting, restoring of their joy, renewing their faith, rebuilding their hope, releasing of the chains, endurance to run and enlarging of their territory; do it if it’s your will. For the police officers, nurses, doctors, teachers, ministers, evangelists, missionaries, anointed bible carrying field laborers (those who don’t mind sharing God’s word wherever they are) cover and protect them. For the person who is addicted to drugs and alcohol, whoremongers, liars, cheaters, backstabbers, users, abusers and thieves; convict them so that they turn away from all the evil things that keep them from being close to you. God, surround and protect the child that is being bullied, molested and taken advantage of. Deliver those who want to be delivered. Heal those who want to be healed. Restore those who are crying out for restoration. God, I need you to see about your people now because we just don’t praise like we used to, we don’t always practice what we preach, we don’t serve like we know we could and we don’t study like we know we should. Oh God, I need you now to make victims victorious, change liars to leaders, cheaters to committed coverts, hell mates to help mates, abusers and adulterers to appointed ambassadors and fearful followers to favorable frontrunners. Bind the things that’s meant to do us harm and loose those things that allow us to be willing workers for you, if it’s your will. Touch that grieving person now and let them know that they are not alone and give them the strength to deal with their grief. God, I ask these things for us; your people, now because you’ve given me that power. Do it God and do it like only you can. This prayer I submit to you. Amen.”