Daily Devotional – 3/7/13 “What’s in a gift?”

I’ve been working on a new book, the past few months that I just published to Amazon on yesterday that isn’t a devotional book but it is a work of fiction (for a mature audience). Yea, I know that someone will ask how I can go from writing devotionals to writing fiction but its simple, just change a few words. See, when God blessed me with this gift He didn’t stipulate that it only be used for spreading His word but He said for me to use it and so I shall. Yea, I know this book won’t be for everybody and I’m ok with that but please don’t think that I am doing less than what God has for me because of it. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him,” and this is what I do every day.

I’ve learned in my years of living that Christian folk can be some of the most judgmental folks when they shouldn’t be and they can also be the most hurtful but that’s another topic. However, whatever gift you’ve been blessed with; use it! You think that because God blessed you with a gift of cooking that you should only cook in the church but baby, if paying your bills mean you have to cook for the late night club crowd, do it because you are using your gift. You’ve been blessed with a gift of sewing and you think that you should only sew long skirts and long sleeved shirts but baby, there are other folks who need clothes and they may just want them a little short, do it because it doesn’t mean that you are forfeiting your gift but it means you are using what God has given you. Don’t allow folks to run you away from the gift that God has given you because 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” All I am trying to get you to see is, no matter what your gift is; use it and when you use it, use it to the best of your God given ability. You don’t have to prove stuff to man because they surely won’t prove it to you. You don’t have to get the approval of man to be the best you can be because you’ve already received the ultimate approval from the only man that matters and that’s God. Should you care about what people think, yes; but not at the expense that it stops you from living? What’s in the gift that you have? Well, if you don’t use it, you’ll never know.

Daily Devotional – 3/5/13 “Just work for me!”

I was sitting at my desk this morning messing around with the charger cord for my phone (that is on its last leg) and I was saying, just work for me because my phone was on 4% and in the midst of this, my devotional topic was derived. See, many times when we are going through God is saying, “Just work for me,” and let me work it out but we’re too busy complaining or whining to hear Him. Yea, you’re always the one that people call on to help but God is saying, “Just work for me,” and receive your blessing. Yea, you do a lot on your job with little to no recognition but God is saying, “Just work for me,” to receive your reward. Yea, you are the one being talked about by folks because you don’t do the things you used to do but God is saying, “Just work for me,” and I’ll raise you up. Yea, folks keep knocking you down, they keep throwing rocks and hiding their hands, stabbing in your back when they smile in your face, wishing bad over your life even though they say they’re happy for you but God is saying, “Just work for me,” and I’ll make your enemies your footstool. Yea, this Christian journey is hard some days but God is saying, “Just work for me,” and watch me work it out. All you have to do is let God do Him and you do you (God’s way).

You don’t have to conform to the folks around you, let them conform to you because baby, I can guarantee that somebody you know, that’s probably close to you, doesn’t think you deserve the job you have but look at God. Somebody you know is still trying to figure out how you got approved for the car you drive but look at God working. Somebody is wondering how you made it through cancer, survived that stroke, and recovered from that heart attack, drug or alcohol abuse with the life you lived when others died but look at God working this. Somebody is questioning how you manage to still have money left over from paycheck to paycheck but look at God working this thang! Somebody is even trying to see how God could have picked somebody like you, who use to be on drugs, dancing in night clubs and sleeping with every man or woman who would lie flat; clean you up and now you’re ministering His word but LOOK AT GOD WORKING THIS THANG OUT! Excuse me while I sweep around my front door. Someone is trying to figure out how God can take a girl who was raised in the ghetto by a single mom with 3 brothers and 3 sisters, graduated from a North Memphis School, deemed another statistic by the world’s standard, not fitting to live and not ready to die; yet He snatched me from the pits of hell, dipped me in His blood, forgave me of my sins, cleaned me up and gave me a new heart, gifted me for His ministry and said He would allow this same gift to open doors for me but LOOK AT GOD WORKING THIS THANG OUT FOR ME! See, while they are trying to figure it out, God has already worked it out. While they are counting your blessings, they are adding theirs to yours. While they are counting you out, God is simply adding pegs to your footstool and lifting you higher! So go on and tell them to talk about you, lie on you, scandalize your name, try to ruin your relationship, and keep on digging that ditch for you because when it’s all over with God has you covered so all is surely well! Because when I no longer look at what I used to be or how I use to look, I see how I was meant to be. I am who God has made me, so I will pray every day “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word,” Psalm 119:37. Just work for God and He will surely work for you!

Daily Devotional – 3/4/13 “Another Monday!”

Yea, it’s Monday again but don’t blame it for your sour mood. You knew yesterday that Monday was coming so why are you acting like it is a surprise? You knew when you were out late last night that you had to get up and go to work so why are your co-workers catching hell? No, it wasn’t the side of the bed you woke up on because you sleep on the same side every night which means you wake up on the same side every morning. Ok, so what if your Monday didn’t start off right, you can change that can’t you? You may even be faced with the same hurt from last Monday, same responsibilities, same bills, same people, same problems, same job that comes with more problems, same car that still giving you problems, same negative balance in your checking account, same pains in your body, same medicine you have to take, same cancer, kidney disease, high/low blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, lupus, sickle cell, MS, migraines, sinus infection, cold, flu or simply the same old stuff that has you being sick of being tired but I just stopped by to let you know that it’s not Monday’s fault. Quite frankly, you have nobody to blame, so get over it. Job 5:7 says, “People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire,” so be ready for it because after you’ve gone through all of it, God’s word says in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Isn’t that enough to make you want to run on? Isn’t that enough to rebuild your strength to press on? Isn’t that enough to let you know to not give up? Yea, you may be a single parent struggling to make it but hold on. You may be all alone during your sick time but hold on. You may even have folks around you and still feel alone but hold on. Yep, it’s another Monday but then comes Tuesday with Temptations, Wednesday with a little weeping, Thursday with some trials, Friday with fear, Saturday with stress but then Sunday comes which allows you to go to worship service and shout off all the hell from the previous week and if you take that shouting with you when you leave worship, it’ll prepare you to face Monday all over again. And when you do that your Monday turns from moody to ministering, Tuesday goes from temptations to being triumphant over your troubles, Wednesday goes from weeping to being worthy in your walk, Thursday goes from trials to talents that makes you thankful, Friday goes from fear to finding favor that makes you faithful and Saturday goes from stressful to satisfying that leaves you speechless! Yea, it’s Monday but hold on. It’ll be over before you know it!

Daily Devotional – 3/1/13 “Now hold up!”

I said stay in your struggle but I didn’t say you had to look like it! Yea, you don’t have to look like the hell you’re going through or been through. Just because you had to pace a little last night, that doesn’t mean you have to let folks know it by the bags and dark circles under your eyes. Just because you can’t afford to buy a new pair of pants, it doesn’t mean you have to show it cause baby, you can take them same pants you’ve had and add a different shirt and you got a whole new outfit! Yea, you don’t have to look like your struggle! Just because I don’t have the money to get my nails done, it doesn’t mean I can’t polish them myself because from a distance, everything looks good. You may not have the money to get my hair done but surely you can comb your own, right? All I’m saying is staying in your struggle doesn’t mean you’re giving in, so stop acting like it. Staying in your struggle says that you’re trying to reap your harvest from sowing your seeds of struggle. Humph, if you can’t endure a little to get your blessing, then why are you asking God for it? You can’t walk into a business and tell them you want a job and then expect to receive a badge because it doesn’t work like that. You have to fill out an application, interview 1 or 2 times, get hired, get some training and then work to be promoted. Well, getting blessings is the same. You fill out an application (that’s asking God), you interview for it, (that’s your struggle), you may have to interview again because there are a few more questions the Boss has questions on (again, your struggle), you get hired (that’s coming out your struggle), you get some training, (that’s bible study, prayer meeting, worship service) and then you work (that’s going when you don’t feel like it, helping when you don’t have it, blessing when you don’t want too, praying for others even though they’re talking about you, loving when you get none back, shouting in the place of crying, dancing in the place of pacing, living instead of dying, being a messenger instead of messy, etc.,)! See, after you do all these things you work toward being promoted or shall I say elevated. Because when you stay humble in the place you are, God is able to evaluate your efforts in order to elevate your employment, enlarge your earnings, establish your environments and exceed your expectations. Oh, when you stay in your struggle you’re able to get the blessing from the stressing but you don’t have to look like it!

Daily Devotional – 2/28/13 “Stay in your struggle! (part 2)”

I started writing something else but the Holy Spirit just won’t allow me to leave this alone. I don’t know who this is meant for but baby, I stopped by to tell you to hold on. Yea, I know it doesn’t look good right now but just wait. I know that the storm clouds are hanging low and you feel like getting face down on the floor but just hold on. You may be without money and your spouse and children are acting funny but hold on. Your body may be filled with pain and your pillow is covered in your tear stains but hold on. When Job was tested by the devil, everything he had was taken from him yet he stayed in his struggle and everything that he lost was restored back greater than it was before. When the woman that had the issue of blood was sick for 12 years, she stayed in her struggle and her blessing came in the way of her healing. See, you are not giving up when you stay in your struggle but you are giving in. You aren’t throwing in the towel when you stay in your struggle but you’re waving the white flag. Yea, the blessing is in your struggle so stay in it to get it. Why, because your struggle is setting you up to be sentenced to a lifetime of salvation that allows you to stand when you should be stumbling, successful when you should be suffering, strengthened when you should be suicidal, spiritual when you want to be spiteful, striving for greater instead of stealing for later, succeeding instead of being stuck, saving instead of spending, shouting for your healing instead of keeping that sick feeling and to be somebody someday instead of still searching for your way! Yea, staying in your struggle has benefits; so stop rushing your storm and get whatever it is that God wants you to know in order to past the test and get your testimony. Because if you are not ready and you fail the test then you have to retake it again! No one wants to go through the same storm again, so hold on in your struggle and watch it all work out!