Daily Devotional – 1/31/13 “Where are those resolutions?”

Well, you’ve made it to the last day of the first month of the New Year? Have you accomplished any of the resolutions you swore to God, this time last month? Are you still smoking, drinking, gambling, lying, stealing, judging folks and back biting? Have you still not found anything to wear to attend church? Are you still saying that God knows your heart? Are you still shopping even though you said you’d stop until you got your bills paid? Are you still getting wasted even though you said you were done acting a fool? Are you still gossiping even though you said you were leaving the drama in 2012? Are you still tipping through the rose bushes into your neighbor’s yard even though you said you were working on doing better? Like my uncle Larry says, you may be getting away with the tipping for now but one day it’ll rain and your footprints will be caught in the mud. (You’ll get that later) Oh, are you still throwing rocks and hiding your hands, throwing salt into other people’s Kool-Aid because you don’t like their flavor or spreading hate on their blessings because you’re jealous of their favor? Didn’t you say you were changing for this New Year? What happened baby? You’ve had 30 days (I’ll give you New Year’s Day). I don’t have to tell you that you need to get it together, you know this already. You know that the death angel is taking more and more young folks than ever before, trouble is knocking on everybody’s door, storms are lasting longer because we aren’t learning our lesson and times are harder to deal with because we keep missing our blessings. Yea, God is trying to bless us but we’re too busy gossiping with our neighbor instead of staying at home, when you should be raising those kids that keep posting on Facebook, “I’m too grown” yet they come running home when the cold world is smacking them in their face when they should have been learning how to be covered by God’s grace. Can’t you see that it is time out for playing with God? When will you get yourself together? If you live to see tomorrow, you will see the beginning of a new month with another opportunity to keep the promises that you made to God. He didn’t ask you for those lies; you volunteered them; so now get to work on making them come true. In Ephesians 4 Paul is talking while being locked up in jail and in verses 17-24 he says, (now this is The Message bible version but it means the same); “And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion. But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”

If you want to get the full understanding, read the full chapter. Simply saying, stopping putting off your greatness until tomorrow because although tomorrow is promised, you aren’t promised to see it!

Daily Devotional – 1/30/13 “The last shall be first!”

On last night we watched this movie called Courageous and there was a man named Javier who, throughout the movie, had his faith in God tested yet he never wavered. Now, one part of the movie he had finally gotten a decent job to support his family and after being there a month, his boss called him into the office to offer him a manager position with more duties but better pay. However, there was a catch. He wanted Javier to receive a shipment of 17 crates but wanted him to say that only 16 came in. Well, he went home and talked to his wife who he told he just couldn’t do it because his faith wouldn’t allow him too. She cried at the thought of him losing his job and them being hungry again but then she said God will take care of us. The next morning he went into his boss’ office and when he asked what his decision was Javier told him that he just couldn’t do it. When he asked why, he simply replied because it is wrong and will dishonor my God and my family. Afterwards he bowed his head because he knew he would lose his job but his boss stood up and held out his hands and said, “Javier, you have given me the right answer because this was a test and you passed. See, I’ve been looking for someone to manage this area and truthfully you were the last one on my list but I need someone I can trust and I now know that it’s you. Would you accept this offer?”


Isn’t that amazing? See, it made me think about God’s promise in Mark 10:31 which reads, “But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” See, in Mark 10:28, Peter said to Jesus that they had given up everything to follow Him. And Jesus simply replied in Mark 10:29-30, “Yes, and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property–along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”


Now, get this … in choosing God, you lose so-called friends, some family and even some material things but if you hold on; you get it all back greater than it was before but in your getting, you also get a little hell on your back but hold on. You may get pushed to the back of the line but that’s alright because the last shall be first. You may be the last one on the list but that’s ok because the last shall be first. You may get knocked down and be the last one to get up but baby that’s alright too because the last shall be first. You may even get tested with some things that make you want to throw in the towel but hold on because the last shall be first. So, don’t worry about always being the first to get this, the first to try that, the first to go there and the first to finish because God isn’t really concerned about the starters because most of them drop out anyway but He rewards those who endure until the end. Don’t believe me, then read His word for yourself because it’s in there.

Daily Devotional – 1/29/13 “Father, please forgive me!”

Father, please forgive me, I didn’t mean to question your will because I know that you’d take care of me if I would just keep still. Father, please forgive me for even doubting your love for me when you didn’t have to let me open my eyes this morning to even see. Father, please forgive me for the times I don’t thank you for the things you’ve already done when you sacrificed your all by sending your only Son. Father, please forgive me for the momentary moments when I don’t offer you my praise, when you’ve removed my filthy rags, cleaned my dirty body and my bowed down head you raised. Father, please forgive me for thinking I could do this thang alone, when you’ve said that I could come to you and lay my burdens at your throne. Father, please forgive me for not trusting you when you blessed me with my gift, when you said that you would catch me if I fall over man made cliffs. Father, please forgive me for being afraid to step out on my faith when you’ve always had me covered by your Mercy and your Grace. Father, please forgive me for running from you and for turning to so called friends when you are the only one who keeps forgiving me when I continue to sin. Father, please forgive me for being ungrateful on this journey you’ve paved and please forgive me for taking advantage of the blessings you’ve gave. Father, please forgive me for not accepting my purpose and for ignoring your call and please forgive me for not accepting your hand after the times that I fall. Father please forgive me, I didn’t mean to act this way, it’s just that times sometimes get too hard for me to hear what you have to say. Father, please forgive me in advance for the moments that I may doubt and please forgive me for the times I may need to cry, scream or shout. Father, please forgive me; please forgive your child; I’m learning, I’ll do better, I can’t lose your love; I just want to be the person that you’ll be proud of.

Daily Devotional – 1/28/13 “God’s response!”

On Friday, I asked the question; “Father, can you hear me?” And God simply answered:

Yes, my child I’ve heard you but have you been listening to me? You say you’re at your witts end yet you won’t let things be! You bring your problems to the altar and then take them right back with you, when I’ve asked you to stop worrying and let Me help you through. I tell you to rest and let Me work it out but you still pace the floor at night with your mind full of doubt. I tell you to stop crying tears of pity when I should be your joy every day, yet you don’t stop long enough to hear what I even have to say. You keep your life so occupied with mess and gossip, that you miss my message and you don’t take time to study My word so you’re also failing my lesson! You cry out “Where am I?” when I’m standing outside your door, you’d notice if you stop looking at your past or raise your eyes from the floor. Yes, I hear you calling and I’m trying to get in but your life is too busy because you’re trying to keep up with your friends.

You say you’re tired of having hell on your back or looking the devil in his face, when you wouldn’t have to if you’d stay under my grace. You say you’re tired of turning the others cheek when folks do you wrong but aren’t you the one that wouldn’t listen when you said you were too grown? You say you’re tired of struggling, tired of trying to make ends meet; when baby, I’ve given you all you need to stand up on your feet. No, life isn’t easy; I didn’t tell you it would be but your tests make you stronger, just read James 1:3. For it says, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow,” And you also know that in this life you’ll reap what you sow. Which means if you hold out through your test you’ll be rewarded with a greater something because James 1:4 says, “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” So, yes my child I hear you, I hear you loud and clear; please know that I’m holding you close but I simply need you to hear. Listen when I talk to you because I won’t steer you wrong and just hold on through your storm even though it seems long. You have to know that I haven’t left you and I’m only a prayer away and please know that I’m listening to everything you have to say. Yea, you’ll have some more bad days they won’t just automatically stop because you’ve got to hit a few snags on your way up to the top. But that’ll make you appreciate it more when you finally make it; when your breakthrough is granted; so, hold on my child; I’m listening so keep your feet in my word firmly planted.

Daily Devotional – 1/25/13 “Father, can you hear me?”

Sometimes in this life, your journey gets to be too hard to bear. You keep a smile on your face because if you don’t you may just burst into tears. You rather text than call somebody because they may hear the pain in your voice. You keep skipping church because you don’t want anyone to see the hurt in your eyes. You don’t even hang out with your family and friends because you’re trying to hide the fact that you need a few more drinks or a few pills at night to put you to sleep. Yea, I know this thing called life is getting hard and you are tired of hearing, “God will take care of you,” “Hold on until your change come,” “God hasn’t given up on you,” “It’ll be ok in the morning,” “Your storm won’t last always,” because you’re standing in the need of a blessing right now. Sickness is attacking more young folk, cancer is everywhere you turn, death has quit knocking on the door and has started letting himself in, hurt comes from folks you know more than folks you don’t know, hours on the job is going up and pay is going down, violence can be found in the hands of babies, bullying at the hands of so-called friends and even your own family hating. And you’re asking, God, are you listening? See, times have become now that the devil doesn’t even have to work as hard to get Christians on his side because they are becoming devils themselves. They lie when the truth will do, use and hurt folk because they think they can, kill folk because they feel powerful and even steal from folks because it’s easier than working for it. What in the hell is going on? Father, can you hear me? Is this the type of trouble that you promised us, is it supposed to be this hard? Yea, I know you made me in your image but sometimes it feels like I’m made of jelly instead of steel. Yea, I know I am supposed to turn the other cheek but what happens when I’m tired of them both being hit? I know that I shouldn’t seek revenge when folks talk about me but how much more can I take? I don’t know how much longer I can stand with my back up against this wall before I fall. I don’t know how much longer I can stand in this rain without drowning in the water. I don’t know how much longer I can take the sleepless and pacing nights because my body is tired. Father, can you hear me? I’m calling out to you! I need you to come and see about me. I’m trying to be strong, I’m trying to hold on, I’m doing the very best I can but I need to know if you’re listening. Yea, I read my bible and I even memorize a few scriptures but they don’t help pay the light bill. Yea, I go to bible study sometimes but it’s not helping with this broken heart. Yea, I even get into the worship service but it hasn’t stopped my tears from flowing. What am I to doo, now? Father, I’m not giving up but I’m simply giving in to you. I’m not throwing in the towel but I’m waving my white flag. I’m not quitting the race but I’m giving you the baton. I refused to be knocked out in this round so I’m tagging you in. I’m not jumping over this cliff, I’m simply letting go by your command. I’m not going right because you told me to go left. I’m not losing my faith in you because that’s what is getting me through. God, I just needed you to know that I need you and your presence and I need it right now!