Daily Devotional – 3/21/13 “Your gift will make room for you!”

God’s word says in Proverbs 18:16, “A person’s gift opens doors for him, bringing him access to important people.” This didn’t say you would bring yourself before important people but it says your gift will. See, I had this revelation this morning about myself and I had to quickly check myself because while I’m trying to get my gifts of writing and speaking noticed I didn’t stop to realize exactly what the word said. It says your gift! Yea, I know you’ve been trying to get promoted on your job, let your work speak for you because it can take you more places than you can. There are a lot of people who don’t hold degrees but they hold titles because their work preceded them and spoke on their behalf. If the work that you do is of great standing then it will speak for itself. When you are doing all that you should be doing, then it catches the eye of those that need to see it and you won’t have to say a thing when your boss comes with the promotion that you didn’t even apply for because your work has already claimed it for you. When God starts to open up the doors and you start getting calls to speak here, go here, do this and do that it will be because your work spoke for you. When you realize your raise was double what it should have been it is because you allowed your work to speak for you. If you are as good as you think you are, someone is noticing and you don’t have to say a word. You wonder how the VP of the company knows your name out of 500+ employees when you’ve never met – Your work introduced you. You’re wondering how the HR person at another company knew about the talents that you have – you work spoke for you! You’re wondering how you got the interview when there were 3 other people who had degrees and more years of experience – your work spoke up for you! You’re trying to figure out how this Pastor knew about you – your work spoke for you! You’re wondering how you’re the one always asked to speak before people who are more qualified than you – your work spoke for you.

See, stop bragging and boasting about yourself because John 5:31 says, “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true,” but then John 5:32 says, “There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.” Let someone else brag on your good works. Let others see the work that you’ve done and then allow it to speak for you because most of the time when you’re bragging about yourself, it’s actually to the person who wants to see you fail. Excuse me while I make this personal… While I’m worrying about getting my work noticed, I’m going to allow my work to speak for me. While I’m trying to advance my career, I’ll let my work speak for me. While I’m trying to go here and there, I’ll allow my work to speak for me because it can tell more about me than I can. Now, I didn’t say stop working but I said let your gift make room for you and take you places. You still have to put in the work (applications, sharing your work, sending resumes, using your gift, etc.,) but then allow it to speak for you. You don’t have to beat folk over the head to notice you because your gift will do it by itself. Allow your gift to take you places because your gift is a blessing from God and what God gives, man can’t take.

Daily Devotional – 3/20/13 “Making this thang personal!”

When I was thinking about what to write, I whispered and asked God what He needed me to say to His people. I first went to the devotional I wrote this time last year but then I decided to save it for later because in the midst of my writing God said share your testimony. Here I am thinking that I always tell people that test gives you a testimony yet I haven’t shared mine. See, I choose to not look like my struggle so folks rarely know when I’m having a bad day but that’s just the God in me.

I’ve been married for almost 15 years and through our marriage we’ve had our share of ups and downs but we’ve always came out together. During the last 6 months of last year, we really struggled and I knew that we would have some harder times because it was then that I really decided to trust God and use the gift that He has blessed me with more, so I was ready. Now, when I say we struggled I mean financially. It seemed like every time we turned around a bill needed to be paid but there was no money to pay them but we endured. I was raised by some strong women so I know how to make a meal from a few dollars, stretch a few more dollars to pay day and even rob Peter and Paul to pay Saul but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a struggle but we endured. We said, we only have a few months until tax time and then we will pay off our bills and get on a budget but let me tell you how God had already worked this thang out. While I was trying to figure out how to pay January’s rent, God blessed me with enough from a bonus I received to pay 2 months. Then He, God, allowed us to take tax money and pay off every household bill we had to a $0 balance (with the exception of my car note). That’s a ZERO balance. See, while we were trying to figure out how to get enough to catch up, God had already made a way for us to get ahead. While we were trying to figure out our next steps, God had already cleared the path. While we were trying to figure it out, God had already worked it out! No, we don’t have thousands in the bank but we have a little left over from paycheck to paycheck. No, we don’t have money to blow but we have a little left to grow.

See, I shared this with you to let you know that if you go through the storm, you’ll appreciate the blessing afterward because going through the hell we went through those six months; we never pulled away from each other. I didn’t blame my husband and he didn’t blame me but we endured and because we struggled in the storm together, we are now able to enjoy God’s blessing together. However, the struggle made us stronger and it made us wiser. It made us appreciate the little in order to turn it into a little bit more. I had to make it personal this morning because I want you to know that trouble comes but trouble doesn’t last. So, don’t look like the hell you’re going through or been through. Strap up and enjoy the ride, dance in the rain, cry if you must because they are liquid prayers, scream because it’ll release some stress but don’t give up. With the struggle comes sacrifice but then it turns to strength which allows you to succeed through your suffering.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 (NLT)

Daily Devotional – 3/19/13 “What’s in a name?”

Well, that depends on the name you’re calling. See, I’ve learned that there is something about calling on the name of Jesus. Something about saying Father God, Lord Jesus! Something that stirs in your spirit when you whisper His name before falling asleep, before taking a test, before getting the results from the doctor, before driving home drunk, before the money runs out and even after the money runs out. There’s something about this name that gives you the assurance that everything will be alright even if you can’t see through the tears you’re crying. Something about that name lets you know that all is well even when the refrigerator is bare. Something about that name lets you know that you will make it even after the job has laid you off. Yea, there is something about the name of Jesus, something about the name of God, something about the name of the Father that removes all doubt. Something about that name that makes me smile in the midst of my storm. Something about that name that makes me greater than the obstacles that has been set by my enemies. Oh, something about that name that allows me to call His name this morning not to ask for anything but to simply thank Him for everything. Why, because when I should have been dead He allowed me to live, when I should have given up He allowed me to keep going, when I wanted to give up He gave me a little more strength in my bones, when I thought I was nothing He allowed me to see that indeed I was something, when I made mistakes He forgave me for them, when I went left instead of going right He made left another option, when folks closed doors in my face He turned them into blessings, when sickness attacked my body He gave me a blessing in my healing and when my enemy covered themselves in friends & family’s clothes He opened my eyes to see them for who they were. Oh, that name!

That name moves obstacles, open doors, stops heartache, heals pain, delivers addictions, breaks chains, saves sinners, picks up the fallen, restores the broken, sustains your soul, refills your hope, promotes you without the degree, heals you without the surgery, provides for you without a job, fills you with love without a spouse or significant other, lightens your path without a lamp, raises you up when others doubt and blesses you with a gift that takes you places you never thought you’d be …. Oh, that name!

Daily Devotional – 3/18/13 “God has a purpose for your struggle!”

Just because you think you aren’t worthy of the favor that God has placed over your life; it doesn’t mean He’ll stop giving it. Sometimes it takes struggle in order to appreciate the sacrifice that God made. Don’t give up on your life just because you feel like it should be better than it is because your life is going just how God ordained it, so live it! You don’t have to be cleaned up before God favors you because the bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You don’t have to be rich for God to bless you because Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” All you have to do first is believe because Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Secondly, confess with your mouth your belief in God, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).” And then be baptized because Mark 16:16 says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Don’t give up because you can’t see God, you don’t see air yet you trust it to be there. Don’t give up because you can’t touch God when you can’t touch light but you trust it to see. Don’t give up simply because you can’t hear God, when most times you don’t hear the gossip that is being said about you but you believe it; just believe that He’ll be right there when you need him. Go on through your storms and your circumstances but don’t let it break your faith. Strap it on like a shield of protection and it’ll never allow you to fall although you may stumble. God has a purpose for your struggle but you’ve got to believe it. Your purpose is bigger than your problem, so believe in yourself to come through it. I’ll share this again, “Although your problems come with pain, the pain is proving that you’re not perfect but yet a person who God has picked to be placed at this point and through prayer you’ll be prescribed a promise of praise that allows you to be purified and through this purification process you’ll prosper and through your prosperity you’ll get power and with this power you get God’s protection that allows you to prevail and once you prevail, you’ll have the patience to pursue your purpose.”

Daily Devotional – 3/14/13 “You got the facts but not the fire!”

Isn’t that something? You read your bible, you know a few scriptures by memory, you can recite some of the commandments yet you don’t get excited about the things God does. You know how He healed folks in the bible, gave sight to the ones who were blind, made the lame walk, removed demons that resided on the inside of some yet you still don’t get excited about the things God does. You’ve been taught, read about or even watched a movie about the hell that Jesus endured at the hands of folk who found no crime that He had committed, just so we’d be able to sin and then repent for it yet you still don’t get excited about the things that God does. He woke your ungrateful self up this morning, gave you back the piece of mind you had, gave you the ability to dress and feed yourself and you’re still not excited. He allowed your family to rise in their right mind; He gave you common knowledge to know how to drive a car and work at the job He blessed you with yet you’re still not excited. God healed your body of the pain that had you tossing and turning yet you won’t praise Him. He allowed your marriage to go from failing to favorable yet you won’t fellowship with Him. He blessed you with a car with that credit you got when you should have been walking yet you won’t worship with Him. Yea, you wondering why God hasn’t shown up in your life; you may want to look at your praise. See, God inhabits the praise of His people which means if you aren’t praising Him, He has no place to reside. No, praise doesn’t mean you have to jump, dance, shout and scream but praise can simply be you thanking Him in the midst of your day, praying to Him while you’re driving in the car, singing about Him when you’re in the shower or calling out to Him while you’re lying in your bed. Yea, I know you have the facts about the Father but do you have the fire? That kind of fire that makes you cry when everything is going right, dance without caring whose watching, laugh when folks say you should be sad or feel like running when no one is chasing you. Have you ever felt that fire on the inside of you? You got the facts but where is your fire? Oh, you have it because the bible says in Luke 3:16, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” The fire is there, you just need to add some fuel to it! You have the facts but where is the fire?