Daily Devotional – 5/20/13 “Why are you questioning God?”

Is it because things are not going like you think they should? Is it because you want more than what you have? Is it because you think you should be better off than what you are? Is it because you didn’t hit the Powerball jackpot? Is it because you’re having one of those “Why me” moments? Is that it? Yea, I get it (a little), I understand (some of it), I’ve had my share of pain (it hurts), I’ve been where you are (not exactly where but), I’ve been through something similar to you (I’m still here), I’ve had my share of hurt (It sucks) but guess what? You get over it! So, why are you now questioning God? He didn’t put a sign on that man’s head and tell you to marry him especially when he was abusive before the marriage; chances are he will be afterwards. It’s not God’s fault that you had a baby by that girl especially when she already had 2 by 2 different baby daddy’s and she was making their life hell; there might be a chance she’ll treat you the same. Stop blaming God for that piece of a car you bought with all your tax money. Yea, you prayed for a sign and when you saw the oil leaking on the lot; that was God showing you that it’s not yours but you bought it anyway. Stop questioning why you have to go through, we all do when Job 14:1 says, “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.” Stop questioning why you have to suffer when Romans 5:3-5 says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Stop questioning God because you’ve fallen because Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Oh but wait one moment because then it picks back up in Romans 3:24 and says, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Yea, even when we go through our sinning seconds, our messy minutes, our hurting hours, our down days, our weak weeks, our misery months and yearning years; God still declares that we are righteous, good, save able, deliverable, justifiable and certifiable! So why are you questioning His methods now? You don’t when things are going good, do you?

Romans 9:20 says, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” It’s like kool-aid or tea (after you’ve made it) asking you why did you make me so sweet, it just doesn’t make sense. Trust, believe and then receive whatever it is God has for you. Go through your storms, heartbreak, hurt, job loss, sickness, death and misery; during its season and then come out stronger than before but do it without questioning the master who makes it all possible.

Daily Devotional – 5/16/13 “You’re too anointed …”

To be disappointed, to blessed to be stressed, you’re living so start forgiving, so many gifts in store to not have joy, a foot in the race to not appreciate His grace and a provider that doesn’t hold out so why do you doubt? Yea, you’re anointed and because you are God has you covered. He got you! Why do you think God’s word said in 1 Chronicles 16:22 and again in Psalm 105:15, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm?” See, to be anointed means you were chosen by or as if by divine election; in other words when you’re chosen by God. Yea, you’re chosen when you accept God into your life and commit to doing His will. Yea, you’re chosen when you aren’t ashamed to tell folk who you serve. Yea, you’re chosen when you know whose you are. So stop acting like you have no power because if you’re chosen, you’re anointed which means you have the power. It’s like when you stand before your Pastor who is anointing you with oil; the oil doesn’t have any power but the power is coming from the one who has been chosen by God, His anointed people. You don’t have to be called to preach in order to be anointed because Jesus didn’t have a pulpit when He delivered the word so share it. No, you don’t have to be an ordained deacon who never sins because if you look into the past of some of Jesus’ disciples you’ll see that they weren’t all squeaky clean either so serve Him as a pew member.

What I’m trying to get you to see is this, you too are anointed. How do I know? Well, because God gave each of us a duty which is to spread His word. How else could you tell of God’s word if you aren’t anointed enough to understand it? Then why do you keep getting disappointed when things don’t turn out right because they won’t all the time? Why do you keep getting stressed over the small things when God has blessed you with so many bigger things? Why do you constantly let folk suck out your joy, hold your heart hostage because you’re holding on to hurt and binding yourself when you won’t forgive? Don’t you know by now that you’re anointed which means you’ve been approved to accept the abundance of advantages that allows you to ascend above your adversaries, accomplish what you aim for and gives you the ability to acquaint yourself with an awesome God who answers your prayers? Then now is the time to get off your pity box, throw it as far as you can and get to getting! You have been appointed which simply means you’re anointed to be exactly who you were delivered to be!

Daily Devotional – 5/15/13 “Now you’re disappointed?”

Why are you disappointed? Didn’t you know what you were getting yourself into? Didn’t you know he was a poppa with a rolling stone before you allowed him to lay his hat at your home? Didn’t you know she couldn’t be trusted when you made her “wifey” and now you’re disgusted? Didn’t you get that job by throwing somebody else under the bus and now you’re wondering why you’re being tossed out and you want to cuss? Chile please! You knew there was a possibility that car was a lemon when you spent your tax money on it so why are you disappointed? That same person has hurt you before and has turned around and done it again and yet you’re disappointed? I don’t understand why because you had to know what you were buying, right? See, disappointed is defined as not satisfied or unhappy because something was not as good, attractive, or satisfactory as expected, or because something hoped for or expected did not happen. You know how it is when you get dressed all up in your spanx girdle and your different color wig to go out to the club and you meet this dude that you’re feeling and he asked you out to dinner, yet you’re disappointed when he doesn’t recognize you when you walk in yet you were smaller and had longer hair when he met you, don’t be mad at him. Be yourself! You meet this dude at the corner store with his pants sagging and his cap turned backward and after a few months of talking you invite him to church and yet you’re disappointed when he shows up dressed the same way but why? You cannot be disappointed in what you got if you paid for it. It’s like ordering fast food. If you don’t check your food before you leave the counter or drive through; don’t be unhappy or disappointed when you get home and find onions on your sandwich. It’s like you being disappointed in the dog because he/she bit somebody but he/she bites you so why are you surprised now?

All I’m saying is, you cannot be disappointed in something or someone when you know who or what you’re getting. If you buy pants or shoes too little, don’t be disappointed when they don’t fit. If you don’t have money in the bank, don’t be disappointed when your transaction is denied. If you haven’t been keeping God’s commandments, repenting when you sin, believing in God instead of denying Him or going instead of staying; don’t be disappointed when your name isn’t on His roll. Don’t be disappointed when folk show you their true selves, believe them. Don’t be disappointed when things don’t work out like you think they should, stuff happens. Don’t be disappointed when friends no longer want to hang out all night, people change. And don’t be disappointed when life is no longer the same because it can’t stay the same always. Disappointment leaves you dissatisfied which can then lead to deceitful ways that cause you to destroy the direction of your destiny which may deliver you to dance with the devil so instead when disappointments drags its way into your dreams; declare deliverance, dissolve doubt and determine that your darkness will soon turn to day!

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!