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!

Daily Devotional – 1/11/13 “God is waiting!”

Why are you waiting on somebody to encourage you when you should be encouraging yourself? Why are you waiting on your Pastor to preach to you when you should be preaching to yourself? Why are you waiting on Sunday morning to open your bible when it will open the same way on Monday? Baby, don’t you know that while you’re waiting on folks to change and time to come, you’re allowing your blessing to pass you by? Yea, you keep saying that you’re getting yourself together before you go to church but if you haven’t realized it yet, you aren’t doing a very good job by yourself so why don’t you let God help? You keep saying, “Girl, when I get some clothes Ima go to church,” but don’t you know that God will take the filthiest rag and turn it into the finest garment? Why, because He isn’t concerned about your outside appearance but you keep doing you boo because the next time you get to church it may be rolling on 4 wheels in the beautiful casket your family picked out and then your choice in clothes won’t matter. Let me put a pin here and make something clear … I am in no way saying that you’re going to hell if you don’t go to church but if you aren’t studying the word for yourself outside of church, then yes, church is where you need to be. But if things aren’t going right for you no matter what you try and what you do; then you need to try someone else – God is waiting. Church isn’t the 4 walls that we worship in but church is us and in order for us to be the church we need God dwelling on the inside in order for us to show Him on the outside. This comes by studying the word, applying the word to your life and fellowshipping with others who share your same belief. This is why we have church.

We are living in terrifying times when innocent children are killed while they are studying at school, you can’t even go to a movie because you’ll lose your life at the hands of a fool, kids are finding joy being a bully because it seems to be the cool thing to do and they are even trying drugs because “everybody” is doing it too; folk would rather rob than get a job at the same store or kill their spouse because they don’t want them anymore more, they broadcast their personal lives on TV for a few minutes of fame, sell their soul to the devil so that the world would know their name; they’d rather drown their sorrows in a bottle of alcohol rather than admitting their mistakes and getting up after they fall or they’d rather shoot dope in their veins or swallow pills to hide the pain. Baby, your life can be changed, your condition can be healed but God can’t take away the issues unless you give them to Him because God does not steal. Yea, just give Him your addiction, your sickness, your pain and whatever has you bound because He is waiting to take over your fight but you have to tag Him into this round!