Daily Devotional – 8/10/12 “God doesn’t anoint just to disappoint!”

When I say God is good, God is awesome, God will see you through, God will be there for you, God doesn’t ordain you with nothing that he won’t maintain or God won’t anoint you simply to disappoint you; I’m speaking from experience. See, this devotional started out simply by me posting my feelings on Facebook and when I would skip a day, I would get emails or text from folks asking where their daily encouragement was because I had no idea that simple thoughts from me, a nobody whose trying to tell everybody about somebody who can save anybody; was encouraging to them. Yet, through all of it God knew exactly what was happening to me because He was the only one that anointed me. Are there days I want to give up, yes, but I don’t because somebody; probably somebody I don’t even know, is counting on me to encourage them. Are there days when I don’t feel worthy enough to have this gift, yes, but that’s just my flesh trying to take over but it won’t win. I believe; I truly believe that God won’t anoint us with things that are meant to disappoint us. No, this doesn’t mean all the days on our journey will be great but it means that after all the dust has settled, our gifts will make room for us. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” It’s like being summoned to the King’s palace, a unfamiliar place, and you’re scared but when you walk into the room the King is excited to have you there because he needs you AND your gift.

See, when God says your gift will make room for you, He means that. You don’t have to have a college degree to do the job you’ve been doing for years because when God is ready to elevate you; He’ll allow your work, your gift to speak for you. You’re wondering why your name is always being called to fix the problems other folks should be fixing, your gift went before you. You’re wondering how you were able to get an interview for a position you didn’t have all of the qualifications for, your gift was your resume. You’re wondering how your reviews are always in the top, your gift spoke up for you. This is why the bible says in Proverbs 27:2, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” When you allow others to speak of your work, folks are more likely to believe them before they believe you. Don’t believe me? Why do you think jobs, stores, car lots, etc., ask for references? They want to verify the information that you’ve provided them because they know that calling your old boss will get them the answers they require. This is why you shouldn’t do things for a show from folk. Matthew 6:1 says, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” When you work for God, He’ll work for you but when you put on a show for folk the only one who won’t be in attendance is God. Stop trying to please folk because there will always be somebody who isn’t accepting to what you’re offering, somebody who still isn’t satisfied and somebody who will still complains. Do what you’ve been ordained to do, be who you’ve been ordained to be and stop with the worldly act. Ordain means to order or establish something formally, especially by law or by some other authority; so if God, the ultimate authority, has ordered you to be just who he has made you; what’s the problem? Stop allowing what others say about you, how they try to speak negative stuff over your life, tear down what you’re building and walk over what you’ve placed down to detour your path because God wouldn’t have anointed you with it just so you’d be disappointed by it. James 2:24 says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” If that isn’t enough for you, I don’t know what will be.

Yes, you are worthy! Yes, you have a gift! Yes, you have a purpose! Yes, you are chosen! Yes, you will have bad days but you’ll have more good ones. Yes, there will be days you’d want to give up but it doesn’t mean you have too. God has ordained you and He has anointed you from the crown of your head to the bottom of your feet, so you’re not alone. Would I have thought that God would have taken me; raised in the ghetto by a single mom, surrounded with a family big enough to fill a gym; sent me to schools in the north side of town, never could get all I wanted but got all I needed; lied, sometimes cheated & stole, hurt folk, cursed folk and fell more times than I should; and allowed me to share with you His word, no but LOOK AT GOD WORKING THIS THANG OUT! Please note, I am not perfect by any means and I won’t ever claim to be because I still make mistakes but I am who God has chosen for this. No, I am not claiming to have been called to preach but I have been called to minister God’s word through sharing a devotional with you. I don’t have to stand in a pulpit on Sunday, in front of the congregation teaching bible study on Monday and I don’t have to lead prayer service on Wednesday in order to be considered “called” because all I have to do is exactly what God has told me to do; that’s all! My next step is God’s direction and wherever that takes me, I shall surely go! God has taken my postings and turned them into a devotional blog and now it has manifested into a book that can be downloaded from Amazon and soon it will be printed for you to buy! Oh, bay-bee; when I tell you that God’s gifts will make room for you, I know it will! I know this is just the beginning for me and I am ready for the ride that God is about to take me on, so I’ll sit back and enjoy the scenery. God doesn’t anoint simply to disappoint us but He does it because he knows what He has set for us! Go get yours, will you??

Daily Devotional – 8/8/12 “T.E.S.T. – Taking Everything Satan Took!”

I just had to let you know today that the test you’ve taken, the one you’re taking now or the one you’re getting ready to take is simply God’s way of giving you everything back the devil has stolen. Stop trying to figure out why your storm is lasting longer than other folks when it because you got more stuff to get back than they do. Yea; I know you’re tired of being tired, tired of robbing MLGW to pay rent; tired of taking ibuprofen because you can’t afford your real pain medicine; tired of eating cheap hamburger meat when you want a steak; tired of wearing the same pair of shoes & pants; tired of having to limit your drive to save gas money but just wait, will you? God isn’t punishing you by placing you under that storm cloud but he’s giving you time to clear some space for all the things he’s about to give to you. Haven’t you read the story of Job? When God allowed (yes, the devil had to have permission) the devil to attack Job, He gave him permission to take all that Job had; everything but his life because God was simply setting Job up to receive an overflow of blessings. Yet, even when Job questioned God’s test; God asked him in Job 40:8-10, “Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint? Do you have an arm like my arm? Can you shout in thunder the way I can? Go ahead, show your stuff. Let’s see what you’re made of, what you can do.” See, we sometimes get this thang twisted in wanting to question God when we think that things should be a certain way but don’t you realize that God has our best interest in mind when he allows these things to happen? He had to allow you a few months off with no job in order for you to appreciate the one that He’s sending to you. He is allowing you sick days in order for you to appreciate the well ones. He is allowing you to struggle in your finances so that you’ll appreciate saving. He’s allowing the rain to come so that you’ll appreciate the sun. He’s allowing you to be restless so that you’ll appreciate the sleep he gives.


So, stop acting like you are too good for a test because we all have to go through them. The only thing that is different from one person to tthe next person is how you go through them and if you’ve studied and prepared for the test then you won’t have a problem when test taking time comes. If you’ve stored up your praises and prayers, beforehand, they’ll carry you through the test. If you’re obedient to God’s word and repent when you’re not, He’ll protect you during the test. And once the test is over, you’ll be rewarded for a job well done by receiving all that was taken from you and more. Don’t believe me, read Job 42:10 which say “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD gave him success again. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had owned before.” See, even during his test when Job questioned God, he asked for forgiveness and he continued to pray, not only for himself but for his friends even though they told him to give up and because he did; God restored all that he lost two times over. So don’t think of your test as being a way to knock you down but it’s a way to bring you up. Your test isn’t to take you out but it’s a way to take you higher. Your test isn’t to make you fail but it’s simply taking everything Satan took to begin with. So go through your test with God because with all the stress the world has to offer, He’s a better stress reliever and cheaper than a massage. When your body is aching with pain, He’s better than Tylenol because He doesn’t take hours to take effect. When your mind is racing, you can’t fall asleep because you’re pacing the floor; try the best sleep aid that won’t give you side effects like Ambien. Yes, you will have trials and tests; yes there will be days and nights you want to give up and throw in the towel; yes there will be days and nights you’ll want to let go of the rope, days and nights when your legs just want walk any farther, days and nights when you have no more cheeks to turn, days and nights when your flesh won’t be as strong as it should be and days and nights will your all just isn’t enough anymore but they won’t last. Believe me when I say, the test won’t last! This test is just a teacher teaching us that these trials are simply a temporary trouble that we have to trespass through in order for us to be thankful for and to be able to testify about our testimony so that we are able to teach those who are thinking about throwing in the towel that if they tarry today, God will carry us tomorrow! The test is just a tower over your transgression. This test is a track over that trap that was set. This test is the ticket out of your trouble. This test is simply Taking Everything Satan Took! So don’t allow it to consume you because, baby, what the devil meant for your bad, God will turn it around for your good. Just hold on!

Daily Devotional – 8/7/12 “Take me to the King”

I’ve been listening to this song by Tamela Mann entitled “Take me to the King,” and this song just speaks to my spirit. See, this song was sang at granddaddy’s home-going and although I didn’t hear the words then, I’ve listened to them now and it’s simply saying take my broken heart and soul to the King as my offering to him because at this point it’s all I have to offer. When I had cried out, when I didn’t have any more strength to move even though I had to move; when I had to open my eyes even when I didn’t want to; when I had to go and I didn’t know my location; my soul, my broken soul was saying Take Me to the King. When granddaddy’s body was restless and his soul was tired, I can imagine him telling the death angel to Take Me to the King. When you’re tired of being tired, you have no more options to choose from, seems like praying isn’t working and church is just becoming a repetitive thing with no change; all that is left is the broken pieces that now need mending; I can hear you singing; Take Me to the King. Yea, see; this King is a mender of broken hearts, He is a repairer of broken souls and a fixer of broken spirits because Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” so I know He can make us whole. This King is a Man who can restore the joy even when it looks like all the joy is gone, if we ask because John 16:24 says, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” This King is a Man who can renew your strength even after it’s passed its renewal date because 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.” This King! Oh, a Man who don’t mind coming to see about you in the wee hours of the morning or the pitch black darkness of the night. This Man doesn’t mind coming into gang infested neighborhoods or drug ridden alleys to bring your healing. This Man doesn’t care about whose around you when he enters your heart because it doesn’t matter that it’s Tuesday morning because He’ll still put a shout in your mouth and dancing in your feet.

Yes, I’m saying Take Me to the King for I know that one touch from Him will save my life because even when my flesh wants to die my soul refuses too! Even when my legs want to give out, my soul keeps walking and when my eyes want to close; my soul keeps looking. I need a touch from the King. So I’m taking all of my broken pieces to a Man who doesn’t have initials in front of or behind his name; yet He can perform surgery on me. I’m taking my broken pieces to a Man who doesn’t have a couch for me to lie on yet he hears all my problems because Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit,” so I know I’m not alone and He is near. I know that God will come and see about little ole me. See, we need to take some “me” time and go before the King in order for Him to hear our pleas. We have to have some one on one fellowship time with God in order for Him to be able to know our voice. It doesn’t matter because you don’t have much and it feels like your spirit is running on empty because Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

So when you get to a point where it feels like giving up is your only option and giving in is the easiest way out; take your burdens to the King. When looking up is your only choice because you’ve fallen to the lowest part of the ground, cast your worries on the only King who can reach that far down to get you. When you are sick and tired of being plain ole sick and tired, reach out for the only King who won’t push you away. When you have nothing left to give and nothing more to offer; take your broken pieces to the King and let Him fix it.

Daily Devotional – 8/6/12 “Have you ever?”

Have you ever had an unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach and couldn’t really explain why? You may feel like crying, shouting or like something bad is about to happen? Well, I have that feeling today and I just don’t know why. I’m not worried about anything or anyone in particular and I don’t think there is anything negatively happening around me but I still have this feeling. Don’t get me wrong, there is no doubt within me because I believe that everything that happens is in God’s plan so I have no reason to doubt because Psalm 34:17-20 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” So, I’m going to take this unsettling feeling as a way that God is using to speak through me and I shall listen. See, I didn’t have a clue about a devotional topic today and I was going to skip writing one but then my husband text to see where the devotional was and when I said I may not do one he asked, “What’s troubling you?” I, then, realized that this isn’t about me because although I write these devotionals as my release; they are much more to those who read them so I couldn’t and wouldn’t be selfish. No matter what happens and no matter what the reason is behind this feeling that I have, I have work to do. I have to push through in order to see what it is God is trying to get me to see because had I wallowed in this feeling, then the enemy would have succeeded in what he sat out to do today which was to keep me from sharing God’s word. Well, the devil is a lie because I woke up with the use of every one of my limbs and in my right mind; so I will do just what God has ordained me to do. I don’t have to have a specific topic to tell you how good God is; how he’ll be there for you through the dark nights; how he’ll provide sleep when it just doesn’t want to come; how he’ll send peace when all hell is breaking loose in your life or how he’ll provide for you when you’re down to your last and it seems like there is no help coming.

Baby, I just stopped long enough to tell you that no matter what you’re facing, going through, just came out off, got away from, need to get away from, whatever you’re running from or whatever has you bound; God is able to fix it for you. Yea, I know that you’ve called on Him and it seems like He isn’t hearing your pleas, but He is. I know it seems like every time you get to see over the water you’re drowning in, something comes along to pull you down but just hold on. I know it seems like every time you reach for a glass of water, you’re tears are filling the glass but just don’t give up. Yea, momma may be gone; daddy may be a deadbeat; sister is doing you wrong because of jealousy; brother is hindering you instead of helping; church folks pushing you instead of praying for you; folks on the job is throwing rocks and hiding their hands but God hasn’t changed. So just wait, don’t give up or give in! I don’t have all the answers for you and I can’t tell you how long you’ll be in your storm but I do know that everything that starts will eventually have to end, so just please hold on a little while longer. I’ve shared this on Facebook for 2 days and I feel the need to share it with you today because I want, no I need you to know that you are capable of doing all things through Christ because He is your strength. Baby, get you some God and then keep you some God. Keep God with you like you do your cigarettes & lighter. Keep God with you like you do that chapstick in your pocket. Keep God with you like your driver’s license. Keep God with you like you do your badge for work or your car keys. Keep God with you like you do that $1.25 for daily Coca-Cola habit. All I am saying is keep God with you because He’s better than bread, he won’t mold, he’s better than milk, he won’t spoil, he’s better than insurance because he won’t drop your coverage and he doesn’t lapse, he’s better than the sun because he never goes down, He’s better than the moon because he doesn’t have to wait until nightfall to show himself and he’s much better than so called friends because he won’t stab you in the back. Child, get some God in your life and you’ll be glad you did! Yea, I just thought I stop by to let you know that no matter how you feel and no matter what is going on around you, God never changes. Have you ever tried Him? Have you ever trusted Him? Have you ever tasted His goodness? Have you ever allowed Him to see you through? Try my God because He’ll never let you down.

Daily Devotional – 8/3/12 “Just thought I’d tell you!”

Sometimes we think the devil is busy but couldn’t it be God clearing out the mess in order for you to hear the message so that you can take it to others in order to bless them out their mess? (I know, go back and read that sentence again so that it can marinate in you!) See, God removes folks who are hindering our work for him, so don’t think you’re being punished when she or he leaves because most times they weren’t yours to begin with. Yea, you lost your job but all you have to do is wait upon the Lord and he’ll send you the right one that you couldn’t see from all the hours you spent at the last one. I know that you’ve lost a family member and it’s hard (I’m talking from experience) but that was just your wake up call to get YOU together. Chile, the dead don’t have worries anymore but you do so why are you stressing over their passing when you need to be getting yourself together in order to one day see them again? Church isn’t any different. I’ve been sitting back watching the changes that have been taking place in our church, from needing a musician to the final stages of the renovations and if you’re looking through natural eyes, you might say they devil is surely busy down in Hollywood, MS; but if you’re looking through spiritual eyes then you’ll know that it’s ALL GOD! I am a firm believer that God is simply taking us through the changing process so that we come out fresh and renewed and just like I told Uncle Larry, we won’t have to go looking for a musician because God will send us who we need to have. Plus, (I’ll throw this in for free), we had a great rehearsal on last night with NO music and praises still went up. Don’t tell me that you have to have music and instruments to get your praise on because you don’t.

Baby, when it seems like one moment you’re walking on top of the world and the next the world is on top of you, it’s simply your season changing. Don’t believe me? Then you need to read Ecclesiastes 3:1 which says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” See, God works in seasons in our life, why do you think we have 4 seasons of weather? The same way we experience the season of winter, spring, summer and fall; we experience seasons in our Christian life. We experience winter when the storms that are raging in our lives that leaves ice on the ground which causes us to slip and fall back into worldly desires and it causes power outages, which is the light of God, from shining in our lives to keep us from doing right. During the spring season, the storms are still there but they aren’t as bad as winter. Yea, you’ll experience a lot of rain but you’ve gotten used to it now, so you’re prepared with your rain boots and umbrella. You’ve started to pray a little now because you don’t feel like all hell is breaking loose in your world and you’ve started to see a little sun shining through the clouds. During the summer season, the storm clouds are few and far between & during this season, your praise is more real than it has ever been, your marriage/relationship seems to be going good, the kids are acting right, you got a little money left after paying bills, you got the job you applied for (the one you wanted) and all seems to be well. But then the wind picks up and it has blown the death angel into your home and he took momma with him. The leaves are falling outside and the tears are falling on the inside because the doctor says cancer. The weather is starting to get a little chilly and so is the relationship between you and your spouse because it seems like things were just going good, now you’re asking, “What’s happening?” The kids are acting up in school, job is stressful and the car keeps cutting off. This isn’t God taking his hands off of you; it’s simply you going into your fall season. See, during this season, the devil is trying to get you to fall so he’s keeping his hands on your back, pushing, but keep reading God’s word that says, “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand (Psalm 37:24).” Then if you do happen to fall, read Psalm 20:8 that says, “They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” God didn’t say you wouldn’t have moments of falling as long as you get back up. Don’t allow the fall season to take you out because it’s just getting you ready to go into your next season. There isn’t a certain way our seasons appear and it really doesn’t matter how they come as long as you trust God through them. God hasn’t given up on you when hard times come, it simply your season changing. Hold on!