Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 8/22/12 “There’s joy in your journey”

Yea, I know you’re tired of hearing folks say you’ll be alright, you’ll get through this, just hold on, God is able, you’ve got to have faith and yadda yadda! But I’m here to tell you that even when your walk gets tiresome and it seems like it’s not worth going on, there is joy in your journey. See, God didn’t place us on this path for us to give up but he placed us on this journey in order to get us to where we need to be. I know the days seems to be getting short and your suffering nights seems to be getting longer but they aren’t, God is simply putting you through so that you can be stronger. This is why in Jeremiah 29:11 it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” If God meant for this journey to harm you, why would He promise you a future and not just any future but a future with hope? Don’t you know by now that in order to get from one place to the next you have to move? Then why are you complaining about this journey? Obviously, God is moving you from the place you’re in into something better or He would have allowed you stay right where you were. See, Isaiah 55:12 says, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Can’t you imagine being pushed out into the wilderness because folks have wished badly on your life, yet as you’re walking this journey your faith shows you that God is right there with you and now, you hear singing yet you don’t know where it’s coming from but it makes your heart happy; you hear clapping and although you don’t see the hands it makes you hold your head up high and you hear rejoicing but you don’t see the lips it’s coming from yet your soul rejoices, doesn’t it make you feel good? See, there is joy in your journey, can’t you see it? No, then you aren’t looking! You may not see the sun when it’s raining but you know it’ll be back, right? This is the same with your joy as long as you don’t give it away. No, folks can’t take or steal your joy because joy is God and He should be on the inside of you so they only way folks get your joy; you have to give it to them.

Stop giving away, so easily, the joy that God has given you. You walk into the job humming your favorite song, feeling good but as soon as Dorothy Downer comes along, you hand her the joy you just had because you’ve allowed her to ruin your day. You allow folks who like to see you act a fool cause you to act a fool when you should have smiled and walked away. So what, they were talking about you; that means you’re on their mind! So what, they’re always whispering when you walk into a room; that means you’re worth talking about! So what, they always hate on you; that means you’re doing something right! Don’t you know by now that misery loves company because it’s no fun being alone? Then why are you keeping her company when you should have told her to get the hell on? Baby, there will always be somebody talking about something you used to do, something you’re doing now or thinking about something you might do; so what? Let them talk, child! The more they say your name, the more God hears and if your name is constantly in God’s ears then He’ll know who you are over those whose name He never hears which means He’ll come and see about you when you call him. So let your haters talk, let you enemies wish bad over your life, let the folks push you down because when it’s all said and done, God will still be right there so walk on!

I get it; death has come more times than you would like in your family, sickness seems to be a constant, disrespect is always on the lips of your children, abuse seems to always find it’s way into your job, bills seems to always outweigh your paycheck, hard times always fall when the time isn’t right and it seems like the more you pray; the worse your situation gets but just hold up! I mean, hold up your arms and say to the Lord; “Here I am, Lord; use me because I won’t be giving up anytime soon!” See, when you proclaim before the Lord that giving up on this journey isn’t an option, the devil hears it too. Yea, he hears it because he watches you just as much as God does and when you let him know that you aren’t giving in under the pressure of the storm, he backs off. When you’re weak the devil is strong because he gains strength from your weakness so when he see your knees buckling, he adds extra pressure so that you’ll finally cave in to falling because he knows eventually you’ll get tired of being down which may mean you’ll curse God. But baby, when you fall while you’re in Christ, fall gracefully so that you bounce back up, dust off your clothes and shout in the devil’s face, “That’s all you got?” See, in John 15:4, Jesus says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” When you become a Christian, you accept the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit; therefore you are planted in great soil and in order for you to continue to grow in this soil you have to stay in this soil. Yea, the winds of time, disappointments and setbacks come and can sometimes try to blow you out of it, but just replant yourself by repenting, believing and studying for yourself.

No one ever said your journey would be easy but what is? If it’s worth having then it should be worth working for, right? You can put in 60 hours a week at work but you can’t even give God 3 hours on Sunday. You can stay at the club until they make the last call for alcohol yet you complain when worship service runs over 10 minutes. Child, if you put in time with God, He’ll put in time with you. Well, James 4:8 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Be loyal to God and He’ll be loyal to you. Listen to God and He’ll listen to you! Walk with God and He’ll walk with you! God has already went ahead of you on this journey because he laid it out, so he knows what is waiting for you behind the curves and over the bumps but He has already prepared you for it, so walk your journey because even when it doesn’t seem like it, there is joy in your journey! No, I didn’t say walk just any journey but I said walk YOUR journey because it was prepared for you and you were made strong to endure what God has for you. Stop allowing folks to skip you or take the place the God has made rightfully yours and stop walking down someone else’s journey because it looks easy. Stop wishing for my blessings because baby your legs may not be strong enough to endure what mine has to get what belongs to me so get your own!

Daily Devotional – 8/16/12 “Don’t tarry too long!”

This simply means don’t stay, remain, linger, stay put or get comfortable in the position you’re in because although it’s ok to have a pity moment, don’t tarry in it too long. Yea, you can get sick and tired of being sick and tired; you can get frustrated about never ending bills, the sickness that won’t leave your body and you can even get mad about never having enough even though you’re working like a dog but just take your moment then get up and smile. See, if you stay in your funk to long you get funky and once you’re funky no one will want to be around you. I know that’s it’s easy for me to say because I may look like I have it together but baby, I’m still human with issues too and although I may look like it’s all good it’s really all God so I’m just simply not looking like my problems because once I do the devil wins and he won’t get a free pass on my watch. No ma’am, no sir; so he can just get on out!

Yea see, the devil thought he would get me when granddaddy died but he was a lie because granddaddy had already prepared me for his leaving, so I overcome daily. The devil thought he had me when it looked like the money would run out before the bills but nawl, didn’t work either because I can’t stress over what I don’t have; I’ll pay what I can and the rest will wait. Oh, he thought he could get me by putting stress on my shoulders but it didn’t work either because me and stress don’t work well together which means one of us would have to go and I’m still here! Hmph, you have to claim yourself victorious every once in a while or you’ll eventually be defeated! Don’t allow worldly mess to send you hiding in a corner but once it backs you up against the wall, come out swinging. So what if your cable bill is due and your money is few; let it get cut off and then go rent some $1 movies from Redbox. So what if you don’t have the money to do your hair, wash it yourself and make it work. Your nails look a mess and you don’t have the money, polish them yourself. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses because they are struggling too but they’ve learned to cover it well.

Child, haven’t I told you before that even folks with money have problems? Their problems might not be the same as yours but they still got them so before you go wishing for the lives of the Atlanta Housewives, the Basketball Wives or the Love & Hip Hop wannabes, you’d better pray for your own. You see all the glitz and the glamour but you’re not seeing the real behind the scenes stuff. Yea, you wished for Evelyn’s life but now you see she’s a victim of domestic violence … Why, because everything is not what it seems. While they are allowing cameras to follow them around showing the high life, their real life is lower than the ground they’re walking on. Money doesn’t make problems go away, oh it makes it looks easier but most times it brings a lot more problems with them. Why do you think the bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (pain)?” I know, Lord don’t I know, how easy it would be to not have bills, past due bills, bill collectors calling and the inability to buy what you want but what else comes with it? You have a husband who makes all the money to give you the lavish lifestyle that you want when all you really want is a little more time with him. You have a job that pays you well that also provides for the lifestyle you live but when do you have time to enjoy it? Having money may make your problem easier to deal with but it won’t erase it.

So, whatever it is that you’re facing don’t let it win today, tomorrow or any of the days to come. If it’s money problems, Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” If it’s sickness, know that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison; 2 Corinthians 4:17.” If it’s heartache, Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” If its depression, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If it’s fear; Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” If its children with their rude attitudes and careless behavior, Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it,” and Proverbs 23:13 says, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” You’re better than your current circumstance; you’re greater than the stress, you’re more than the battle that is trying to win, so hold on. God didn’t make you a wimp but he made you a winner so declare this as your victory and let it be known. God didn’t make you the tail but he made you the head, so hold your head up high. God didn’t make you the borrower but he made you the lender, so take what’s yours. It’s ok to have a moment of weakness but don’t tarry in it for too long! Cry if you must, scream if you wish, take a walk if it’ll help, clean if it clears your mind, sing if it covers your sadness, have a glass of wine to ease the sorrow; do whatever you have to but don’t allow the lowness of your situation to overtake you because you are strong enough to get through it. You are but you have to believe it! Yes, you can do it so get up out of that dusty hole you’ve dug for yourself and make it happen. You’re the captain of your ship so if it’s heading for disaster, you’re the only one that can steer it to avoid it. You’re capable of getting over this mess, so act like it because God has made you strong because he made you in His image.

Doses of Devotion

For all my book readers, I’ve taken a few of my devotionals and put them into a book that can be purchased on Amazon.com for your Kindle for $4.99. If you have a IPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry device; you can also download the kindle app and purchase it.

I am working to print the book in hard copy also. I will keep you updated on the process.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I pray that they are an encouragement to you. Please share them with others!! Thank you and God bless!!

Daily Devotional – 8/14/12 “Obedience is better than …”

Well, everything because wouldn’t you rather be obedient than disobedient? I would think the latter would probably land you in trouble anyway, right? Yea, I know you’ve done some stuff that you thought you’d got away with, but baby the saying is true, “You may not reap where you’ve sown but you’re surely reap what you’ve sown.” It’s like stealing a pack of gum from the convenience store, not when you mistakenly take it while you’re holding it in your hand, but when you purposely walk in with the intentions of taking something without paying for it. Now, 2 days later, you’re looking for your wallet and guess what, someone stole it from you. You sowed the seed of theft, didn’t you? You didn’t get it back when you sowed it because you didn’t get caught but you’re reaping the consequences of your actions now because something has been taken from you. Doesn’t feel good, does it? Being disobedient never does. It’s like being told by your parent to be home at a certain time yet you choose not too and now when you ask to go out again, your disobedience from the last time is called into play and the answer will probably be no; when you should have followed the rules the first time. And it doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 81 because if you’re disobedient, you’re just plain disobedient. Take a moment and think back over your life. Now, visit some of the times you’ve been disobedient and decided to do things your way. It probably didn’t work out exactly like you thought, huh? You know how you have this gut feeling to do it the right way yet temptation is whispering in your ear to do the wrong way and now you’re in a bowl of trouble that you can’t get out of. Oh, please don’t say it’s God testing you because James 1:13-14 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” See, God won’t tell you to keep his commandments and then tempt you into breaking them; He just doesn’t work that way. Yes, God sends us through tests but not through temptations. Come on, you know it wasn’t God that told you to steal from Wal-Mart and it surely wasn’t God that told you to sneak off at lunch for an afternoon snack with your coworker, so stop that foolishness. Temptations are fleshly desires that the enemy uses against us. It’s like when you want to stop smoking, he’ll make your urge for nicotine stronger or when you try to stop cursing and he’ll put the one person who knows how to get under your skin close enough to you to make you curse worse than a sailor.

However, being obedient is still a choice because it’s either you’re obedient or you aren’t. It’s like you being in the car heading to a place you know you have no business going and when you get to the red light, God tells you to go left to go home but you want to go right, into sin. You have a choice. Being disobedient isn’t something you slip into because you decide to walk in its direction which is why God is asking in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Don’t you know that God has promised a great reward if we are obedient? Don’t believe me? Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” Now, eating in this scripture doesn’t necessarily mean food because it can also mean you’ll eat worthiness, wealth, good health, knowledge and wisdom and if you’re obedient, imagine the doors that can be opened for you; just imagine the kind of protection you’ll receive and the gifts that will be placed on your hands. For Deuteronomy 28:1 says, “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth,” and Exodus 23:22, Jesus says, “If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.” Isn’t that something? If you’re obedient to God’s words, you won’t have to worry about your enemies because God will handle them all, He’ll place you high enough to rule over folks and He’ll feed you real good. What more do you need? Please don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect by far because I still make mistakes but we all have to learn, don’t we? What I am trying to do is teach you and myself why we should be obedient and the reward we’ll get when we are. I am not trying to tell you that I am better than my neighbor or that I keep all of God’s commandments but when we know better, we should do better.

Because Isaiah 1:20 says, “But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken.” This means when I am disobedient I take myself from under the protection of God and the attacks that are cast against me by my enemies succeed. When I’m disobedient, all the mean things folk say about me reaches my ears, all the hurt sent reaches my heart, all the mud they sling reaches my feet, all the knives they throw reaches my back and all the snares/traps set for me, I fall in. All of these things hinder our work, for God, simply because we choose to be disobedient. Again, this doesn’t mean that God isn’t there because Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” but verse 24 picks up and says, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” See, even though we sin and make mistakes, God is still forgiving but we can’t keep falling into the same pit every time because at some point you should know not to take the same route that has a pot hole in the middle. Being obedient to God’s commandments is better than being disobedient with man. When you’re obedient you gain better opportunities, more open doors and you can overcome obstacles because God rewards those who work righteously for Him. Will you always be obedient, probably not, but it doesn’t mean you continue to be disobedient. Repent for the times you’re disobedient or dishonest but don’t wallow in it. The only way for you to guarantee a ticket to hell is by continuing to be disobedient instead of confessing your sin and then asking for forgiveness. God would rather have an obedient follower who diligently seeks him over a disobedient worker who always offers him a sacrificial praise. Yea, you pay your tithes ever Sunday but you’re lying to God because your heart is harder than concrete. Mark 12:33 says, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” God wants you to keep his commandments because in doing so, you get closer to having your ticket stamped and approved for the journey home. Don’t allow disobedience to send you to a home that filled with the kind of heat you can’t endure nor turn off. You decide, today whether obedience is better than disobedience because it is your choice, after all.

Daily Devotional – 8/13/12 “A rejuvenated praise!”

I thought I’d revisit a devotional I did a while back entitled “A Jubilated Praise,” because lately I’ve been noticing that we don’t get into worship service like we used too. No, we don’t because we’ve gotten so caught up in wearing the latest fashion trying to outdo the choir director, sing the loudest to overshadow the piano player, see who can get Deacon or Pastor to notice you when you walk by or see whose hair can have the loudest color; that we’ve forgotten the real reason for our worship. Child, you’d better realize, before it’s too late, that it’s time out for playing church. I’ve noticed the last few times we’ve visited other churches and even at my own church that folk just don’t praise God like they used too or even like they should. Yea, I know that money is tight and you’re barely making it but where is your praise? Yea, ok, your baby daddy left you for someone else but where is your praise? Oh, are you sick or sad or sick and sad? Still, where is your praise? Don’t you know that your praise is a thanksgiving to God for all the things he’s already done, for the things he may do and even those things he won’t do? Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” See, your praise is for God because he never changes. Yes, your luck may change but God doesn’t and even if He never does anything else for you, you still have enough reasons to praise Him. So what if your current situation is jacked up, some of the problems that you’re probably facing aren’t from God anyway but you still choose to take it out on Him, so learn how to go from being jacked up to jubilated.

Now, jubilation means an uninhibited (which means open, unrestrained, not held back) rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success. You’re asking, “What do I have to celebrate when most of my bills are behind, I’m working a dead end job, marriage is on the rocks, kids acting like strangers to me, friends messy and family got me stressing?” But baby, all you have to do is think back on some of the times you should have been dead when you were in places you shouldn’t have been, how God delivered you safely home, after hours of drinking, even though you don’t remember how you got there and how you walked away from that accident, was healed from the cancer or delivered from the dialysis that should have killed you. Think back on the bills that God is allowing you to pay, that car you were approved for after being turned down 3 times, the food and the appetite you have, the feet you walked on, the arms & hands that are moving, the mouth that opens to breath, the nose that can smell, the eyes that can see, ears that can hear, a brain that works … shall I continue? If you don’t think you have a reason to have a jubilated celebration … Read the obituaries in commercial appeal, visit Lebonheur/St. Jude, visit the prisons or youth detention centers, visit the homeless shelters, the missions, visit the ICU floor of your local hospital and see the mother crying over her only son who was hit by a drunk driver or visit the nearest military base and visit the young mother whose husband won’t return from war. If you don’t think you have a valid reason to give God a jubilated praise, keep living!

Stop allowing the world and folks to hinder your praise when the bible says in Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” You’re scared to shout because you don’t want anybody to put it on Facebook or tell others but if parents would shout more, then maybe our children will stop going to church playing church. John 5:19 says “So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” We have no problem with them seeing us shake our butt to the music on the radio, but when it’s time to worship God, we get shy and lazy. Isn’t God worth a jubilated praise when he sends new mercies to you every day? If we don’t teach our children the real meaning of praise who will? If they see us texting and playing with our cellphones during worship service, won’t they do the same? Yea, I know, you’re bible is an app on your phone but the truth of the matter is you need to get a real bible, one that you can study at all times and not just when you have a signal. If we, as adults, would stop playing church, then maybe our children would. How can we expect them to get God on the inside of them when we act, 80% of the time, like he’s not on the inside of us. In Luke 17 starting at verse 11, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he was approached by 10 (ten) men who were referred to as lepers or folks who were shunned or had leprosy. Now, all of the men begged Jesus to have mercy on them, so Jesus sent them to the priest but on their way, they’re bodies were cleansed. Now, out of the 10, only one who realized he was cleaned, turned and went back to Jesus and offered him a jubilated praise for his healing. The bible says in verse 16 this man came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God and he kneeled at Jesus’ feet, because he was so grateful but then Jesus asked in Luke 17: 17-18, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” God is asking the same thing of us. When he healed you from the cancer, do you offer God a jubilated praise every time you think about all the chemo and surgeries you had to overcome? When you get in your new car and think about all the times you had to walk or beg folks for rides here and there, do you offer God a jubilated praise? Each time you come home to a loving spouse and it makes you grateful because he/she doesn’t treat you like dirt like the last one did, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When you leave the house a little late and pass the car wreck that should have been you, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When your name wasn’t called to receive a pink slip when your other co-workers weren’t so lucky, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When you walk past the alleys and see the folks strung out on drugs, when you visit the hospital and it could have been you or your child or when you drive under an overpass and see the folks sleeping outside and you know that God is surely keeping you, do you offer him a jubilated praise? If not, you’d better start.

We have to give God more jubilated praises because we never know when we won’t have the chance too. You’d better store up your praises now so that you’ll be in God’s number on the day he returns instead of being sent to a never ending Hell! John 4:23 says, “But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” God doesn’t need folk playing with him but he wants folks praying to him. He doesn’t need praise only when the sun is shining but he wants to see you dancing in the rain when the storm is raging. He doesn’t need you screaming his name when you’ve been pushed down in the pits and valleys but he wants to hear his name in rejoicing when you’ve made it to the top of the mountain. You don’t have to wait until the storm comes, when death sneaks into your home or sickness attacks your body to give God an uninhibited praise because you can do it now! While you are trying to see whose watching you, the devil is watching you so you need to show him that you’re worthy of all the blessings God sends whether they are big or small. God deserves a jubilated praise every time our eyes open because He doesn’t have to do anything else for us but he does even when we don’t deserve it. I’d rather be dancing to the beat of rejoicing instead of jumping around the hot coals on the floor of hell! Rejuvenate, refresh and renew your praise while you have a chance too and watch how your life is changed.