Daily Devotional – 4/20/12 “Favor for your labor!”

There was this young man who was in his last semester in college which was ironic because he never thought he’d be able to go because he knew his mom couldn’t afford it when she was barely making ends meet. But he worked hard through high school and as a result he was awarded a full scholarship to the college he always dreamed about. While there, his mom became ill so he had to take on a job to be able to send money home to help out. He worked full time at this small family owned restaurant near campus and he put in all the hours he could and he was a dependable. As he sat in his dorm room filling out his graduation packet he began to worry about finding a job that could support him, his mom and 2 sisters. He knew he would have to move back home, it seemed like his only option. So he bowed his head and as tears begin to stream down his face he prayed,

“Father God, I bow my head before you tonight first to thank you. I thank you for giving me your mercy that has sustained me on my rough nights which have been many. I thank you for giving me the wisdom and knowledge to excel through high school that has allowed me to become now a college graduate. I thank you for giving me the strength to be able to work to provide for my family and for always being a provider for them when I am not able. Now Lord, I ask that you guide me down the right path so that I can continue to be a worker for you and a provider for my family. I don’t know what you have planned for me but Lord, I’m ready to see it because I know that you won’t leave me after bringing me this far. Continue to cover me Lord and continue to crown my head with wisdom and my feet with strength to walk. Lord God, I trust you because you have never failed me and as long as you cover me, I’ll never fail you. In your name I pray. Amen.”

He got up from his desk, wiped his face and went to bed.

A few weeks later, as he stood in the place where his graduation would take place he zipped up his robe and place the cap on his head. He spun around in awe of the many blessings that God had already given him. His mom and sisters were able to travel and he was so happy to see the proudness in their eyes and the smiles on their lips. He smiled hard trying to cover up the worries in his eyes for the “what next” part of his life. As the ceremony went on and his name was finally called to receive his Bachelor Degree in Computer Technology, he was overcome with emotion. After the ceremony, while he waited for his family the owner from the restaurant he worked grabbed him and gave him the biggest hug. She told him how proud she was of him and she handed him an envelope and asked him to open it. When he did, he found a check for $10,000.00 and he gasped. She explained that she knew from the moment he came into the restaurant the favor God has placed on his life and because of that she had begun a savings account for him. As his graduation time drew near, the many customers and members of her family match what she had saved and it allowed her to present it to him on today. He grabbed her this time and gave her the biggest hug and he whispered, thank God for you. As she walked off, she told him to make her proud. As he wipes the tears that escaped from his eyes, a young woman approached him. She introduced herself as the head of the local FBI in the city and they were in need of his computer expertise. She explained that she had followed his college career and she was in awe of his strength. She also told him that all of his professors spoke highly of him and all gave outstanding recommendations. She went on to say the job would be local and it would pay him a substantial amount of money and benefits which included a housing allowance that would allow him to move his mother and sisters here as well. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. She gently patted his hands and told him, no words were necessary because his worked spoke for him. She handed him the packet of information and told him to take a 2 week vacation and report to work immediately afterwards. As she walked off, he simply said, “Only God!”

After he got back to his mom’s house, he went to bed early. He was shaken in the middle of the night and when he sat up; he found an envelope on the end of the bed. He picked it up and began to read. It said,

“My child, I heard your plea to me so I had to come and let you know that I would never leave you nor forsake you. See, when you started on this journey so long ago I knew how hard it would become but I knew that you were stronger and no matter what obstacles you faced, you took them all without every wavering in your faith and because of that I had to give you favor for your labor. I know that your mom’s sickness is hard but it’s just a test. I know that college was hard, but it was just a test. I know that providing for your family was hard, but it was just a test and although you were able to pass them all, it doesn’t mean your tests stop because they won’t and sometimes they will seem harder but you’ll be fine. You are made in my image and because of this you are capable of handling the fire that you’ll have to walk through but you won’t get burned, you’re be able to handle the unfriendly people you’ll meet without it knocking you off your path and you’ll be able to handle the rain when it pours but it won’t drown you. I know that you think the job offer is too good to be true but it is and it’s yours and because you have been faithful in your work for me, I’m giving you favor for your labor! God”

See, although you think that the work you doing won’t pay off, God is saying hold on just a little while longer because you’ll get favor for your labor. Just because you think that working 14 hour days, 6 days a week will kill you; hold on because you’ll soon get favor for your labor. Don’t you know when things happen to you out of nowhere, that’s God’s favor? When you receive a call from a job you applied for 8 months ago and had forgot about, that’s God’s favor. When your boss calls you into his office to promote you to a job you hadn’t even applied for and you think you aren’t qualified for, that’s God’s favor. When you get a bonus on your job for doing the work others complain about, that’s God’s favor. See, if you work for God he’ll work for you. Psalm 5:12 says, “For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” See, when you have God’s favor, it blocks the attacks of the enemy. When you have God’s favor, those folks on your job who have been trying to get you fired will be fired first. When you have God’s favor the stress that’s causing others on the job to bail, it won’t even affect you. Oh, when you have God’s favor you have protection and with God’s protection you have peace and with that peace come power and with this power you’ll be able to praise while others pity. With God’s favor, you’ll be rewarded for your labor for Psalm 90:17 says, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” When you have favor from God everything your hands touch will be blessed. When you touch the paycheck and it seems small to you, God will make it just enough to make all your ends meet. Don’t believe me, read Ephesians 1:11 which say, “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” See; even though it may not be clear to you, it’s surely clear enough to God, so hold on. You might be laboring in a situation and you’ve had thoughts of giving up and throwing in the towel, just hold on. It might not seem like you’re being blessed and your prayers are not being heard, but God is listening and he’s saying hold on because you’ll soon get favor for your labor.

Daily Devotional – 4/19/12 “It was already a mess!”

Now you know, yea you know that God isn’t in that mess that you’re in. While you’re praying for God to fix your relationship, it’s with someone else’s husband or wife. While you’re fasting for God to bless the new job you got by throwing your other coworker under the bus, he isn’t listening. You’re at the altar begging God to give you an increase on the tithe you just paid with money you stole from someone else, baby God won’t do that. See, if you are doing dirty things you are hesitant about doing Godly things because you’re scared that God will reveal it. John 3:20 says, “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed?” You know how you’re messing with Deacon Smoking Hot, so you start to distant yourself from church functions or how you can’t keep your eyes off Usher Jeans Tight, so you start going in through the back of the church? Yea, you don’t realize that why you’re in sin you’re out of salvation, do you? Well you are. There’s no way you can actually have your prayers heard when you’re not doing things decent and in order. God is in the blessing business and not the business of mess. You know the situation you’re in is messy and that’s why you enjoy it so much but don’t get mad when folks are talking about you. You have the nerve to get an attitude when you hear that folks have been talking about that mess of a relationship when you knew it was a mess to begin with. You knew that man was married with children before you started allowing him to slip in after your kids went to bed and out before they get up. You knew that she had a husband at home that’s why you were tipping at the pay by hour motels instead of going to her house. Then you have the nerve to bring them to church with you while you sing in the choir or serve on the deacon board. It doesn’t matter how great of a servant you are in God’s house because if you aren’t living by God’s word, on the outside of worship, then you aren’t actually serving God. Yea, you may be one of the city’s greatest choir directors but that’s doesn’t mean your ticket is stamped to Heaven. You may even be one of the smoothest Ushers but that doesn’t mean you’re ushering your way to God’s good side.

See, if you’ve taken the reins of being a teacher of God’s word then you also took the reins of being judged more harshly. Why, because you are supposed to be teaching to bring Souls to Christ and not reaching to bring satisfaction to yourself. Please don’t get me wrong, I am also judged harshly because I chose to accept the calling that God put on me when he gave me the task of writing a devotional for you to read each day. So in order for me to tell you, my views, on right vs. wrong, I have to be living right. Am I perfect, no but I’m striving every day to be better. Will I fall and make mistakes, yes but that’s why God forgives me but I shouldn’t make the same mistake twice. See, not all of the 524 friends I have on Facebook are Christians, so it’s my goal to show the God in me so that they would want to get to know him but I can’t do that shaking my tail in a club every Friday/Saturday night, sleeping with Tom, Dick, Harry and Sue, lying and stealing just because it feels good. I’ve got to live so that my light shines bright enough for you to see when it’s dark in your life. When a nonbeliever sees me, it’s my duty to let them see the God in me. When a sinner sees me, it’s my duty to show them that God can forgive. When a backslider sees me, it’s my duty to grab their hand to bring them back on the right side. It’s not my duty to knock you over the head with your wrongdoings but I am supposed to pray with you. It’s not my place to chastise you about the choices that you make but I am supposed to show you a better choice. If every time you see me and I’m dirty you won’t recognize me when I’m clean. If every time I talk to you and I’m cursing, why would you listen to me read a scripture?

We’ve got to stop with the mess and that way we won’t be mad when folks are talking about us because then they won’t have anything bad to talk about. Plus if you’re doing wrong, you have no reason to be mad when you knew the situation was messy to begin with. Women and men, stop settling for being someone’s sloppy seconds. If he/she can only text you, they have someone at home. If they don’t ever take you to their house, they have someone at home. If you get your Valentine’s gift the night before, they have someone at home. If they always get sick on Christmas, they have someone at home. If the only place y’all go is the movies or a restaurant in the back parts of MS, they have someone at home. Oh, please don’t think they are your soul mate and they are only in their marriage for the kids because that’s a lie and you know it. You are worthy of being more than hidden behind closed doors, dark tinted windows and in cheap motel rooms. Value yourself first so that you’re valued by others. Be who you are destined to be and not what you’re desired for because the question will be asked, “What makes you think that if someone cheats with you, they’ll be faithful to you once you got them?” It’s amazes me the things folks go through to get a man or woman and then stand in a church, at the altar, in a white dress/tuxedo proclaiming to love each other for better/worse, sickness/health, forsaking ALL others unto death do you part when they divorced the person they were with in order to marry you. How can you honestly expect God to bless a union he had no parts in? Oh, he/she is your soul mate? Child, please! Your soul mate isn’t cheating on his wife to be with you. Your soul mate isn’t lying to her husband to be with you. Your soul mate is all yours and you’ll know it. How will you know because a woman is made from the rib of HER man, she’ll know and man gives his rib, so he’ll know? The bible says in Genesis 2:22, “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man,” and 1 Corinthians 11:9 says, “for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” See, God brings you to the man and the woman who is all you need but you have to let God do it.

Don’t settle for being second best because you are worth more than that. This isn’t only for women but for men as well. God didn’t sanctify marriage so that it could be used loosely but he made 1 man for 1 woman and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Will marriage always be easy? No, not by any means! However, if you have the right relationship with the person you’re with, the bad times won’t be so bad because you’re in it together. Oh and don’t think that because you’re sleeping with a pastor and calling on God in the midst of your mess that you’ll be blessed because you’re not. The Pastor that has the nerve to be sleeping with you will get a far worse punishment from God. Let me say this, I don’t put my mouth on NOBODY because I don’t have the power or a reason to judge them. As for any Pastor, Missionary, Evangelist, sanctified musician, Usher, Sunday School teacher, deacon and/or pew member – if you stand and proclaim to teach God’s word and you’re not doing what you should be doing, my judgment won’t matter anyway compared to God’s because the word says in James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” So you being worried about what other folks are saying don’t hold a light to the judgment God will give. Don’t put yourself in a messy situation because it’ll only leave you messy. Place yourself at the foot of God so that all that rains down will be blessings from him and the blessings of God can’t be taken away by man of the world. If there is anything in your life that makes you worry about the wrath of God, it’s messy and needs to be removed. Surround yourself with God things and good things follows. If you’re in the midst of crap, then expect to get covered in it when the crap hits the fan. Then, don’t blame others because you have a mind of your own. If it is a messy situation from the start, it’ll be messy when you leave!

Daily Devotional – 4/18/12 “It may not be all good but it all God!”

This morning I woke up like any other day, thankful just to be alive! Thankful because God gave me back everything that I had on yesterday even if I didn’t thank him for it. Thankful that in spite my doing, God still gave me a fresh anointing. Even feeling extra tired and with a pain in my arm, I’m still thankful. I had no intentions of having a bad morning but that doesn’t mean I was not intended to have one. See, it started with a letter about summer school for my daughter, which really put me in a bad mood because what makes her think I’d pay $200 for summer school when she had months of free education and didn’t take advantage of it. Then I had to be at work at 8:30 because of this breakfast meeting (I am our group’s top performer for the month) but traffic was backed up on the expressway. Then, I got almost to work and realized I’d left my badge at home. If anyone knows about FedEx you know that you can’t get in, around or through our buildings without your badge and it’s an act of Congress to get through security, just to work! Geesh! Needless to say, I got through security and even through the door and as I was walking up the stairs, a coworker passed and said Good Morning. Now, my first response was to ask her what’s so good about it but I didn’t because in those few seconds of her speaking it dawned on me, I didn’t have to ask what is good about today because that didn’t matter. What matters is what’s God about it because even though my day wasn’t good, it was God’s so I shouldn’t complain.

See, I never stopped to realize that all the things that happened were of God’s doing and not the enemy. Being tired means nothing because I’m alive. Having a pain in my arm means I can feel and yet tolerate it. The letter came as a way to spark a fire under this child of mine before school is out, giving her a heads up to get back on track. The traffic was a way of slowing me down or even to stop me from going into a trap that was set for me by the enemy. Leaving my badge was simply God saying even though the doors may be locked, I can still get you through them! Let me show you what God means. At our security gate, you have to scan your badge that then allows the arm to rise to let you through the gate but when I pulled in this morning, the arm was already up and all I had to do was drive through it. Then when I got to the door to the building, a young lady was right behind me to let me in and when I got to the door to our floor, the Admin was there and all I had to do was knock and she pushed a button that let me in. God is saying, “Keep walking because I got you!” Isn’t that amazing? When I think that a locked door means for me to stop, God is saying just wait until I open it because when God opens it, there’s not a man on Earth that can close them. (I’m inputting a shout here!) It may not be all good but it’s surely all God! I don’t have a reason to frown because the word says in Romans 8:28,“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I have a purpose for this journey that I’m on, just like you have a purpose. I don’t know your purpose but I know that God has given you a gift because Romans 12:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” And that gift will make room for you but you have to use it because 2 Timothy 1:6 says, “You received a gift from God when I placed my hands on you [to ordain you]. Now I’m reminding you to fan that gift into flames.”

See, your gift is specific to you just like a custom made suit, which will only fit the person that it’s made for. Yea, someone else may be the same size as you but that doesn’t mean the suit that is made for you will fit them the way it fits you. That why your gift and your purpose is meant for you but you have to work and use your gift in order to find your purpose! No, not all the days that you’re on this Christian walk will be good but that’s ok because it’s all God. Don’t you know that no matter what you face, you can get through it? Don’t you know that no matter how bad your day seems, it can get better? Don’t you know that although you’re crying now, you won’t cry always and even though you’re hurting now, you won’t hurt always? Don’t you allow one bad day to turn into a bad week because that’ll only lead to a bad month which then turns into a bad year and before you know it, your attitude is bad and then what will you have? No one wants to be around someone whose attitude is always bad, whose mouth is always saying something bad and whose heart only carries bad love. Just because things didn’t start out great this morning, it doesn’t mean you can’t turn it around. Stop for a minute and simply say “Lord, do it!” but when you say it, say it with meaning and like he has already fixed the situation. Say it like you know that God knows because he does.

Your life may not be going good but you’re living so it’s all God! Your job may not be as good as you want but you have a check coming in and benefits so it’s all God! Your health may not be as good as you want it to be, but you’re walking on top of the dirt instead of the dirt being on top of you, so it’s all God! Your spouse may not rich but he provides, he may not be a mechanic but he fixes what’s broke and he may not be a GQ model but he is yours so it makes him God’s. Your wife may not be Rachel Ray but she can fix her family a meal, she may not be an accountant but she manages the bills, she may not be a race car driver but she can get off work, pick up the kids, take them to the doctor, go by the grocery store, cleaners, drop them off at practice and still get home to have dinner cooked before you get there and she may not be the Queen but she is the daughter of a King, so that makes her God’s. Don’t be too quick to count yourself out when you’re not having a good day because no matter how stressful life gets, it’s still all God. God can take the test that’s meant to knock you out and turn it into a testimony. He can take the hell that’s meant to kill you and turn it into your highway to heaven. He can take the stress that’s meant to push you down and turn it into a blessing to elevate you up. He can take the words from folk who spoke evil over your life and turn them into a bestselling book. He can take the scars from the knives that were stuck in your back from so called friends and the burns on your knees from steady prayer and turn you into a walking billboard showing God’s grace. See, your life may not be all good all the time but that’s alright because it’s all God. Your bad days may seem to outweigh your good days, but that’s alright because it’s all God. Your complaining may sometime get in the way of your praise, but that’s alright because it’s all God. You may not be where you think you ought to be but that’s alright because it’s all God. When it’s all over and done and your work down here is done, when your eyes are closed and the blood in your veins is cold, when your mouth no longer talks, your arms and legs won’t move and when all that will speak for you will be the memories of your living, take comfort in knowing that it’s still all God!

Daily Devotional – 4/17/12 “Faith won’t let you down!”

For you whose faith is wavering on today because you think God has forgotten about you, hold on because God hasn’t left, you just need to put your focus back on him in order to see what he is trying to show you. Don’t you know that God has already sent you the answer to your prayers, the confirmation to your request or the solution to the problem? Yes, he has already done his part now you need to clean off your glasses, refocus your eyes and move away some of the stuff that’s blocking your view before you let it pass you by. 2 Corinthians 5:7, says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” See, many times on this Christian walk we have to walk down paths that we can’t see the end too or we have to journey to a place before we even know the destination but that’s why we have faith. If you have faith in God then you should know that he won’t ever send you to a place that can harm you. Yea, I know that you can’t understand why God allowed you to be a drug addict or alcoholic but it wasn’t God’s choice for you to put a crack pipe or bottle to your lips but it was yours. Now, God is allowing you to walk that path because once you get to the end and he cleans you up, the struggle you had to go through will make you stronger and wiser to now stand and proclaim to the world that God can do anything but fail. He has allowed you to be a living testimony in order to help all the others that are thinking about trying drugs and/or alcohol. So you see, God hasn’t forgotten you but you need to stop forgetting him. Thank him for your struggles because without them you wouldn’t have known how powerful God really is.

For you my brother or sister whose faith is slipping away because you tossed and turned all night and God still hasn’t come even though you keep calling but have you checked the number you dialed? Many times God isn’t answering because we are too busy calling other folks with our problems and then expecting God to eavesdrop or overhear. If you want an answer to your prayer tell God directly. Why should he have to hear about your problems from somebody else? It’s like you sending your husband to the doctor for your back pain, it doesn’t make sense. You ask folk to pray for you and then they go before God with the situation that you should have brought before him yourself. Yea, I know that God is aware of what’s happening to you but the only way for you to get the right way out, YOU have to ask. Stop relying on other folks to solve the problem for you. See, you have to put in knee time to pray. You have to put in study time to know God’s word and you have to sometimes put in face time, in order for God to hear you. I don’t mean talking to God face to face because that’s not possible but that means lying on your face during your time of fasting and praying. God doesn’t press ignore when he sees you calling and he doesn’t let you go to voicemail because he is on the other line. Just because he hasn’t answered, leave a message (that’s a prayer) and see if he won’t return the call because Psalm 50:15 says, “Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

For the sleepless husband or wife whose faith is on the back burner because you’re still mad at God for not healing your spouse of their disease although you constantly prayed, don’t give up now. I know that it’s hard to bury the person you’ve slept next too for years but have you stopped to think that maybe their prayer to God was for rest? Yea, I know that you need them here and that it’s hard for you to sleep without them but isn’t it selfish of you to want them here while they suffer? Most times we don’t take the feelings of those into account that are actually going through the struggle because we are only praying for what we think they need when in actuality they have already had the conversation with God and they are ready to go. See, while we are praying for healing, after the doctors have given up they are praying for rest. I’ve never been in a situation with having to deal with a major illness with my spouse but I pray then if this time ever comes we are on the same page because I wouldn’t ever want him to suffer on this side because I’m selfish enough to want to keep him here. If he has made peace with God, who am I to question that? Would I stop praying for God’s intervention, never but would my prayer be different from my husband’s, no. We don’t know the pain and the suffering that others have to go through when dealing with cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes or kidney disease because we aren’t the ones dealing with the hospital stays, radiation, chemo, dialysis and daily pills. They aren’t alone in their struggle because they have folks here with them but we cannot begin to share the pain. So hold on to your faith during this trying time, whoever you maybe, because God will show you exactly what his plan is, if you are open to receiving it. Don’t be mad at God but be happy that he hears you because when suffering is over on this side, there is rest for the weary over there. When their eyes are closed never to open again on this side, they’ve received the rest that their tired body so desperately needed. When the blood is no longer flowing through their veins, on this side, it just means God’s blood has taken its place. Romans 8:18 says “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Faith allows you to fall knowing that you’re able to get back up. Faith fills your tank even though you seem to be riding on fumes. Faith gives you favor although you seem to have lost your flavor. Faith paves the way for your fear to be faint and your fights to be few. With faith you get a solid foundation on which to stand and with this foundation you’re able to forgive and through forgiveness you gain favor and with favor you’re fulfilled and with fulfillment you’re fruitful which means everything you touch is flowing with God’s fire and with this fire there is no fault because the Father has filled you with a fresh anointing that makes you feel like running when no one is chasing you, dance when it doesn’t matter who’s watching, sing even if it’s out of tune and shout because God is just that good. Yea, faith is all you need. Even when you can’t see the end walk like you know where it is because faith will be your guide!

Daily Devotional – 4/16/12 “Sad but not sick!”

What’s wrong, honey? You got a frown on your face, what’s hurting you? You’re sad, are you sick? No, then what’s with the face? Oh, is it because the world has beaten you down, folks are talking about you, you don’t have dependable friends, you don’t have money to go clubbing or drinking all weekend or your car won’t start? But you do know that these things are just temporary, right? Then why is it so easy for you to lose, no, why is it so easy for you to give your joy away? You do know the enemy only has the power and folks can only talk about the information you give them, right? How’d they know you went partying Friday and Saturday night if you didn’t post it on Facebook? How do they know your baby daddy is a liar and cheater if you didn’t tweet about it? How could they possibly know your lights got cut off if you didn’t run your mouth so much? Yea, it’s alright to vent to folks sometime but that doesn’t mean you have to spread your business like True Green spreading grass seeds. See, there are folks in the world that rejoices in your misery because they are miserable and misery loves company. They hate on you when you’re doing good but they are ready to cry with you when you’re down and out and you haven’t even realized it yet. One sure way to know if the folks that are around you are for you be happy. If they are around you in your happiness with the sass in their voice, saying stuff like, “Girl, why he buy you flowers, he must be in the dog house?” or will only go out with you if you’re paying; they aren’t for you. But, if they can honestly celebrate your happiness with you, encourage you to stay happy and are even happier for you; then they are for you. You’ve got to stop letting the fun snatchers into your circle because not only will they snatch the fun but they’ll also snatch the joy and once they’ve snatched your joy they’ve taken your God away because to have God is to have joy, you see.

Yea, see Nehemiah 2:2 says, “The king asked me, “Why do you look so sad? You aren’t sick, are you? You must be troubled about something.” Now, this scripture was the king talking to Nehemiah but it can also be applied here because God has to ask us on a daily basis, “Why are you sad,” when you have no reason to be. He’s asking, didn’t I wake you up in your right mind, didn’t I give you a fresh anointing on this morning, didn’t I come to your rescue when you called me, didn’t I show up in the hospital room, court room or on your job when you needed me there, didn’t I make ends meet when you couldn’t see the way how to, didn’t I satisfy your hunger even though you never took a bite of food, didn’t I dry your tears although you never saw my hand, didn’t I heal your broken hurt without cutting open your chest, didn’t I turn you around when you were heading down the wrong path, didn’t I stop you from being hit by that car and didn’t I do just what I said I would? Then why are you sad? Proverbs 15:13 says, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” You have to make your heart happy and once you complete this, happiness will show by the glide in your walk, it’ll show in the words that you talk, it show in the generous way you give and it’ll show by the Godly way you live. Yes, when you are happy the devil in hell flinches but God above rejoices. When you are happy, your enemy falls but God answers every call because it’s then that your prayers are getting through. Don’t allow folks, whether Christian or not, to steal your joy. After all they didn’t give it to you so stop giving it away for free.

Don’t get me wrong, just because I write this word every day it doesn’t mean I don’t need a reality check from time to time because I did this exact thing on yesterday, in church, believe it or not and it took my husband to point it out to me and once he did, I had to pray and ask for forgiveness. Why, because I was wrong. Even though things happened, I still shouldn’t have allowed it to put a frown on my face because after it’s all said and done God will fight my battles. See, we spend so much time fighting that we haven’t even stopped to realize the battles that were fighting so hard in isn’t even ours. No, we take on other folk’s issues and soon they are gone and we are still in the middle of somebody else’s mess. Isn’t that crazy? Take for an example, your daughter and this other young lady don’t like each other. They have words every day at school and on Facebook and you’ve had enough. Now you spend months sending emails and calling the school because you want something done when they’ve made up 2 weeks back. Teenagers will be teenagers and kids will be kids, so don’t get so caught up in fighting their battles (unless their safety is involved) when they don’t last past the school day. This is also true in grown folk battles. Stop trying to get your sister to leave her deadbeat husband because in the end, she has to make the decision and if you keep pushing, she’ll leave you before she leaves him. Let her fight her own battle. Stop trying to push your brother to get off those drugs because the harder you push him, the harder he’ll push the drugs in his veins. Let him decide when enough is enough because when he decides, he’ll leave them alone for good and not just to appease you.

It’s alright to have your moments but do so to yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be knocked down and then let the person who knocked you down to see you cry. Yea, you may have hurt me but I won’t give you the satisfaction of seeing me hurt. Yea, you may have broken my heart but I won’t wear it on my sleeves for you to continue to throw darts at. Yea, you may have wished death over my life but I won’t allow you to be happy by burying me. So, on today, take back your joy and your peace. Take back all those things you’ve given to the devil. No, the devil didn’t steal it because when folks steal, they usually break in to take it without your knowledge and seeing that the devil doesn’t possess legs and arms you had to bring him in and then give him whatever it is he has of yours, so take it back and do it NOW! You deserve to be happy and when you’re happy those around you are happy. Try smiling today, even through your hurt and pain and then look how much better you look. Then folks won’t look passed you because of your bad attitude but they’ll be looking at you to see the beautiful smile that you’ve hidden for so long. Yes, you do look better when you smile so be happy and let the world know it.