Daily Devotional – 1/18/13 “This may be just for me!”

But if you’re still hanging on to yesterday’s devotional because today seems even harder, still hold on. Yea, I know you probably got paid this week and you still don’t have any money in the bank, bill collectors still calling, children still begging, cable still off, car note still late and cell phone bill is hanging on by God’s grace but be still! I know you’re asking, “How can I possibly be still when all the crap is hitting the fan,” but didn’t I tell you that your darkest period is just before your day break? Well let me rephrase that so that you’ll understand it better … Your darkest time is just before your breakthrough. (I’ll give you a minute to shout). See, just when you feel like things can’t get worse, they might. Just when you think that bad luck is all you got, something else happens. Just when you feel like you’re at your wits end, it extends. And just when you think you’ve taken all you can take something else is added to you. However, you’re still standing which means all of the hell you’re going through is just a test of God’s faith and trust system (FATS). Yea! See, when God tested Job, He tested Job’s faith in Him. When He allowed the woman with an issue of blood to deal with her illness 12 years, He tested her faith. When He allowed Lazarus to die, He tested Mary’s faith in Him. When He told the blind man to go and wash his eyes in order to see again, He tested his faith in Him. So, you aren’t alone in this thang, you’re simply being tested. Oh and believe me when I say, I know exactly how hard the test is because I’m taking mine now. So, in the midst of my test I stopped by today to give you some pointers while taking yours.

  1. Pray
  2. Get a good night’s sleep
  3. Wake up and be thankful that you did
  4. Pray
  5. Be prepared with your supplies (Bible, pen and paper)
  6. Pray
  7. Trust God
  8. Pray
  9. Be still and listen to God’s commands
  10. Pray
  11. Stop questioning God’s commands
  12. Pray
  13. Follow God’s commands
  14. Pray
  15. Step out on Faith (That’s trusting God’s commands)

It doesn’t take much to get through your storm but you’ve got to stop complaining, whining, and being angry. Yea, I know you want to go and get your hair and nails done, grab a bite to eat with your friends, pay your bills on time or maybe even shop a little but you might not be able to right now but just hold on. Get yourself back on track by setting guidelines and a budget until you are able to do all those things but don’t feel sorry about yourself because you can’t. And please don’t think that I’m able to tell you all these things because I got it all together because baby I’m struggling too; I just don’t look like my problem. Why, because I refuse to be defeated. So, I’ll wash my own hair, paint my own nails and dust off a few of the clothes I haven’t worn in a while and keep it pushing until my change comes and my storm ends. Don’t give up, just hold on! God hasn’t left you, He’s simply waiting until your test is over and in doing so He placed people, like me, around you to give you some assistance when you may need a little help. So, take this small dose of devotion and walk on. Your breakthrough is coming and this is your study time, so stop rushing it because you may not be prepared for it yet.

Daily Devotional – 1/17/13 “It’s dark now but keep walking!”

I’m speaking to you on this morning. Yes, you, the one who is feeling hopeless because your situation looks dark. You, who feels all alone even though you’re surrounded by folk. You, who seem to be drowning even though the water you’re standing in isn’t very deep. You, who keeps going to church Sunday after Sunday and it seems like your storm may never end. You, who always pray for folk but it seems like your prayers aren’t getting through for yourself. You, who work every day and you still can’t seem to make A meet Z. You, who are trying to keep the faith but it seem to be growing thin. You, who are trying to tag God into your fight but you still feel the punches by your enemy. You, who do what the doctor say to do but sickness keeps attacking your body. You, who are trying to make your marriage work but you feel like a stranger in your own home. You, who are trying to deal with the grief of losing a loved one but death keeps beating you home. You, who keeps standing but keeps getting knocked down. You, who keeps going right but it still doesn’t work out. I simply stopped by during your day to let you know that although it looks dark now, you’ve got to keep going. Yea, I know you can’t see your way but feel your way through and keep walking. I know you may be stumbling over things but keep walking. You may even end up with a few bumps and bruises when it’s all over with but they won’t matter, so keep walking. Yea, I know that 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever,” but you’re asking what about now? Keep walking! I know that God has prepared a place for us in glory yet you need a blessing now but keep walking. Why should you keep walking when you’re tired of being tired, sick of being sick, fed up with going to hell and back every day, angry enough to hit something because every time you get your bucket filled the bottom falls out or just plain sick and tired? Because I am declaring, right now, that our break of day is on the way! Yes ma’am, yes sir; I am declaring victory over finances, sickness, hurt, anger, pain, trials and tribulations. And if you don’t believe it, then excuse me while I talk to myself because I am decreeing on today that whatever tactics, games and temptations that the devil sends will not prosper against me! I am decreeing that whatever debt I have will be erased because I shall be the lender and not the borrower. I am decreeing that whatever sickness or disease that may try to attack my body won’t succeed. I am declaring that I will be victorious on MY journey. I am declaring that nothing, no not one thing that my enemies will even try to do to me will come to past. Yea, my night has lasted a while now but I’m not giving up. My storm may have even gotten stronger but I’m not giving up. I will, I shall and I must keep walking because I can see the day light peeking through the darkness. Oh, I feel this thang this morning because somebody is on the verge of giving up but you can’t because you’re almost there. Somebody is on the end of their cliff but hold on because your breakthrough is coming. Somebody is even thinking about ending it all but put an end to the foolishness and hold on because your change is coming. Yea, I simply stop by to interrupt you for just a few minutes to let you know that even though it seems like this is your darkest hour, you’ve got to keep walking because day is on the way!

Daily Devotional – 1/16/13 “Surrender something to get something greater!”

I know you’ve been praying to God for something that you’ve yet to receive, you’ve been fasting for an answer and it hasn’t come and you’ve even been to church twice this New Year and still nothing but have you stopped to think that maybe you haven’t received because you’re still holding on to something unnecessary? Let me break this thang down. You’ve been praying for a spouse yet you’re still secretly holding the hand of your past relationship. (God sees) You’re still texting and calling, checking their facebook, twitter and instagram pages, going by their momma’s house on Sunday afternoon and you’re still worried about who they are fooling with. Baby, God wouldn’t send somebody else in the middle of that foolishness. You’ve got to let go and surrender the past hurt to get your husband or heal your past wounds to get your wife. You’ve been begging God for a new job every time you go to the altar, say your prayers at night or even walk into the current job you have; however you’ve yet to appreciate the one you got. You come in late almost every day and when you get there you complain and you barely work like you know you should; so why would God bless you with a job with more responsibilities? Child; you’ve got to surrender that lazy attitude, that complaining tongue and this ain’t me mindset before your blessing comes. Yea, you can’t afford to get a new car if you keep dumping money into the old one. You can’t get a new place to stay if you are still tied to the old one. And you definitely can’t receive a blessing from the Lord when you’re still attached to the world. See, the word surrender has a lot of meanings but the only one that matters here is the one that says to give up or abandon rights to something. Yea, so you’ve got to surrender or give up the rights to the things that are keeping you from getting the “something” you need! That addiction to the pain pills, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, sex, alcohol, shopping, lying, back biting, hurting folk, stealing, having someone else’s spouse, etc., you’ve got to give up the rights to it so surrender it. That depression, sense of being lost, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts; you’ve got to give up the rights to it so surrender it. The bullying that you do to folk, you’ve got to give up the rights to it so surrender it. That woe is me mentality, you’ve got to give up the rights to it so surrender it. That my stuff don’t stink thinking you have, you’ve got to give up the rights to it so surrender it. The only way to pick up something that you need, you first have to put down the mess you’re holding.

James 4:7-10 (The Message Bible) says, “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

Daily Devotional – 1/15/13 “Just wait!”

Yea, you always got something to say about how someone does this or handles that but just wait. You’re always the expert on how she should raise her son, who may have went to jail or her daughter who may be in an abusive relationship but if you’ve never walked in their shoes quit trying them on. You’re always commenting on how someone should handle the issues in their marriage but if you’ve never put your foot in her pool then you don’t know the temperature of the water. Yea, you’re quick to put your mouth on Pastor So and So when they make a mistake but if you’ve never stood before a congregation of folk who face look like they’ve ate lemons for breakfast, shepherd a flock of folks who would rather fight a wolf than follow his/her guidance, deal with the attitudes of those who know it all and depend on folks who can’t be trusted as far as you can see them; then stop trying to wear their robe because it won’t fit.

What I’m saying is, if you think your stuff don’t stank now just wait. If you think your storm won’t come, just wait. If you think you’ll never get sick, just wait. If you think your marriage won’t have trouble, just wait. If you think your kids will never do wrong, just wait. If you think you’ll never fall, sometimes, just wait. If you think you’ll always have the answer, just wait. If you think your checking account will never be in the negative, just wait. If you think trouble won’t call your name sometimes, just wait. If you think death won’t visit your family, just wait. If you think folk won’t talk about you, just wait. If you think folk won’t judge and hate on you, just wait. If you think that every day will be sunny on this side of the dirt, just wait. Baby if you think that your day won’t come when you’ll have to shed some tears, pace the floor from aches and pain, toss and turn from worries and stress, rob Peter and Paul to pay Saul, miss a meal to make sure the kids eat, work more than one job to make ends meet, give up some things so that you can have some things or do without so that you can do with … Just keep on living!

Daily Devotional – 1/14/13 “Cut the umbilical cord!”

An umbilical cord is defined as a cable, tube, or pipe attaching somebody or something to an essential supply. You know like a mother supplying the necessary nutrients to her unborn child who is in the womb or an oxygen tank to a diver. However, in this text an umbilical cord will be defined as anything that is sucking the life out of you! Let me say it again for somebody who missed it. An umbilical cord in this context simply means anything that is sucking the life out of you. See, so many times we allow people and things to attach themselves to us and before long they are sucking us dry. Your grown daughter or son has attached themselves to your checking account and now you can’t make ends meet because you’re supporting them and their household yet you won’t cut them off. Your job has attached itself to you and you can barely stay woke long enough to hear about the kids day at school but you won’t cut them off. That no good man or woman has attached themselves to you and now you can’t even hang out with your friends without them calling or texting every 2 minutes yet you won’t cut them off. That drug addiction has attached itself to your veins and it’s ruining your life yet you won’t cut it off. That bottle of alcohol has attached itself to your lips and it’s turning your world upside down yet you won’t cut it off. Facebook and social networking has attached itself to your life and now you can’t move without posting where you are, what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with yet you won’t cut it off. Baby, you need to cut the umbilical cord before it drains the little life you have left. Yea, those so-called friends who only call when they need a ride somewhere needs to be cut off. That boo who only shows up between December 28 and February 13 long enough to get your income tax but is gone before Valentine’s Day needs to be cut off. That family member who only calls to keep up mess between you and other family members need to be cut off. That church member who calls and starts with, “Child did you hear …” needs to be cut off. All the things and folks who you know are sucking the necessary nutrients from you that you need to survive needs to be cut off because they are the thing that’s blocking your blessing. Yea, God can’t even drop a blessing in your lap because they are always sitting in it. God is trying to send you somewhere to get your blessing but you’re too busy taking folks along with who keeps getting what is meant for you. It’s time now that you cut off what is hindering your progress. If it’s bills, addiction, stress, back stabbing friends, worldly mess, other folks problems, etc., cut it off. You know that you stood on 12/31 declaring your resolutions to God and you’ve yet to keep your promise but Ecclesiastes 5:4 says, “When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” You still have time to get it right because you’re living and reading this. The time it takes to do it depends on you so why don’t you start now by cutting off that umbilical cord!