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!
Daily Devotional – 2/27/13 “Stay in your struggle!”
Why, because you might just be missing the blessing in it. Yea, I know it sounds crazy for me to tell you to stop rushing your storm but I’m only saying this because I know. See, we have to go through times of being without in order to appreciate the times we have; that’s your struggle. We have to go through hell sometimes in order to appreciate the prospect of getting to Heaven; that’s your struggle. You have to go through heartbreak in order to know what a mended heart feels like; that’s your struggle. You have to sometimes go through sickness in order to appreciate the days when you don’t feel pain; that’s your struggle. You have to sometimes get knocked down to your lowest point in order to get back up and appreciate the climb; that’s your struggle. I’ve said this before but I don’t mind saying it again; if your climb to the top is easy, you wouldn’t appreciate the reward because every time you fall, you’d have an easy way to get back up. Oh, but when you have to go through the pit fire of hell, climb over rocks that scar your hands and knees, meet friends who are really enemies, be lied on when you’re doing right, be talked about when you need help, hungry with no food, places to go with no gas, things to do with no energy, need to pray but no words, cry and the tears won’t stop, pace when you need to be sleep and sick and can’t get well; you’ll appreciate the struggle that seasoned you for your shout, snatched you from sin, sprinkled you with the Spirit, made your legs steady to keep you from stumbling, saved you from the enemy’s snares and has now sanctified you for service! Oh, when you stay in your struggle and wait until God says it’s over, you’ll get the blessing that He has waiting. Don’t rush the test because you may not be ready to pass it. Don’t rush your storm because you might not be able to handle the sun. Don’t rush your struggle because you might not be ready to serve like you know you should. Stay in your struggle because you just might be missing your blessing!
Daily Devotional – 2/25/13 “It may be you!”
You’re wondering why everybody is always hating on you, it might just be you. Yea, it might be. Everybody don’t hate on you when they all have the same issue with you. If you’re always gossiping, lying, backbiting, think you know everything, stay meddling in folks business and just plain ole rude; you maybe the problem. No, they ain’t your enemy and God didn’t remove them from your life but they removed themselves because they are tired of hearing you complain about any and everything. You can’t even go eat without you sending your food back 3 times or complaining about the drink and then you have the nerve to be on your cell phone talking loud and cursing. That’s why folks are ignoring your call.
You’re wondering why your gift hasn’t made room for you, it might be you. Oh but you think it can’t be, right? Well, if you never use your gift it won’t make room for you. If you’re never thankful for your gift, it won’t make room for you. If you keep dipping your hands in worldly mess, it won’t make room for you. You want God to open doors for you but in your mind you’re too scared to walk through them or you still have a little doubt about your abilities, it won’t make room for you. No, there is nothing wrong with being nervous but there is everything wrong with being afraid of the gift that God has given you. Stop being scared, stop doubting and allow your gift to take you places man can’t. (I may just be talking to myself!)
You’re wondering why your prayers aren’t being heard, it might be you. Yea, you got the nerve to wonder why your prayers are stalled when you just used that same mouth to curse out your husband and then turn around as ask God to bless you. You were just on the phone talking about the same person who clicked in and asked you to pray for them and you’re wondering why your prayers aren’t being heard. Baby, God doesn’t deal in messy folk. Start by helping yourself and then you’ll be able to help others. The bible says in James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective which means those who act in accordance with God’s word.
So, if you’re having any doubt about the things that are going on around you, look at yourself first. No, God isn’t punishing you for what you did in your past, what you did on last night or even what you’re thinking about doing on lunch because He doesn’t work that way. Yes, you will have trouble but that was promised before you were even born so it didn’t just start with you. The mess you’re in may just be because of the mess you’re in. Look at self first because it may be you.
Daily Devotional – 2/22/13 “There’s a praise on the inside …”
That I can’t keep to myself, a holler stirring up from the depths of my soul. So excuse me if I seem a little giddy or maybe even strange but praise is the way I say thanks!
Yes sah! See, there’s a praise on the inside because my body could have been cold when my husband rolled over this morning but it wasn’t. I could have found his body cold when I rolled over but I didn’t. I could have a child missing or longing for the streets but I don’t. I could have slept in a homeless shelter last night but I didn’t. I could have to get my next meal from somebody’s garbage but I don’t. I could be standing in the unemployment line but I’m not. I could be preparing my mother’s funeral but I’m not. I could be holding one of my sister’s hands while she goes through chemo but I’m not. I could be on the transplant list waiting for a heart or a kidney but I’m not. Why do I have praise on the inside that makes me feel like hollering? Because I could be worse than I am but I’m not. I could look for the answer in the bottom of a bottle but I don’t. I could shoot momentary joy through my veins or up my nose but I don’t. I could find pleasure walking the streets or selling my body but I don’t. I could be abused at the hands of a man but I’m not. I could be contemplating suicide but I’m not. Why do I praise? To say thank you God for loving me when I wasn’t fit to live but not ready to die, for forgiving me every time I dip in sin, for picking me up every time I fall into temptation, for propping me up every time I lean the wrong way, for lifting me up when folk keep pushing me down, for believing in me when I want to give up on myself, for healing me when sickness should have snatched my life, for protecting me even after I’ve done what I know I shouldn’t and for instilling in me your Holy Spirit when I feel like I’m all alone. Thank you God! So when you see me and I don’t act the same, it’s the God in me. When I don’t look the same, it’s the God in me. When I don’t talk the same, it’s the God in me. So excuse me if I seem a little giddy or maybe even strange but praise is the way I say thanks!
Psalm 150:1-6 says, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
Lakisha, the Author 