Daily Devotional – 3/21/12 “In God’s time!”

Somebody woke up this morning in a rush for God to send them a confirmation or an answer to their prayer. Somebody paced all night long crying out to God for him to come and to come now. Somebody worried all day yesterday about a situation that they supposedly turned over to God but took it back when he didn’t come fast enough. Well, I stopped by for a moment to let you know that everything works in God’s time and not yours. Yea, you know that you should have died a long time ago but God keeps sparing your life trying to give you time to get it together. You know that car wreck was supposed to kill you but instead God allowed you to walk away with just a few scrapes and bruises because he is trying to give you time to get it right. You know that bullet that went into your chest was supposed to kill you instantly but God turned that thang around so that it missed your main artery because he’s trying to give you time to forgive folks who hurt you. Baby, you’d better wake up and realize that God won’t keep sparing you when you keep not caring. You want God to show up as soon as you open your eyes from praying with the answer to your question, but it doesn’t work like that. Why, because God moves at his own pace and at his own time. When Mary and Martha called for Jesus to come heal their brother Lazarus, he tarried for 2 more days because he had to wait for his Father to give him the power that he needed in order to wake him from his sleep. So when he finally came Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days but Jesus simply prayed “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. And I know that you always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that you sent me,” (John 11:41-42) Even Jesus had to wait for God’s time.

So stop rushing God when he is trying to do his will. I know you are trying to see if you should take this job but if it is meant for you, they’ll wait. I know you need to decide if this car loan is the one for you, but it is meant for you, they’ll wait. Philippians 4:6 say “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God has a specific reason and time for everything that he does. That’s why Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” See, if God showed up every time you snapped your fingers, you’d be too busy counting your blessings instead of thanking God for them. If God came to get you out of trouble as fast and you got in it, you’d never learn from your mistakes. Sometimes God has to allow us to wallow in our mess in order for us to learn the error of our ways because if he snatched us out of every bad situation right when they happened, how would you stop making that mistake? You know how you’ve had too much to drink but you still get behind the wheel, swerving while you driving and as soon as the police get behind you with their lights on you start praying to God expecting him to change your blood alcohol level before the cops get to your window. You get caught stealing and now you want God to make the shirt disappear from your bag before the security guards checks it when you know you shouldn’t have been stealing in the first place. No, God doesn’t work that way. He allows you to go through the consequences for your actions in order to learn from them.

Don’t you know that a baby will continue trying to touch the hot stove even after you’ve told them 4 times not too, until they touch it and get burned? Well, God is the parent telling you not to do certain things and even though he’s told you over and over, you do it anyway until you get burned and now you expect God to drop everything he’s doing to come and see about you. No ma’am, no sir, it doesn’t work that way! He told you not to rob and steal, yet you do and as soon as you get caught and go to jail, you become a jail house preacher when you could have been one outside the bars. God says don’t commit adultery but you do until that person’s spouse catches you and all the crap has hit the fan and now you’re at the altar crying your eyes out. God says don’t lie but you do until it catches up to you and now you’re trying to back paddle out of it by quoting scriptures. Child cut it out! God’s word says in Ecclesiastes 8:5-6, “Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.” If you’ve done wrong there will be a time to pay for your actions and although it may not come at the time the wrong is done, it will come. If you’ve been blamed for something that you haven’t done, the time will come for your wrong to be made right as well. That’s why Proverbs 12:21 says, “No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.”

Stop rushing God and stop rushing time. If it’s meant for you to have a new job, car, house, spouse, baby or friends; they’ll come when the time is right. Haven’t you notice that things seems to fall into place when you least expect it? That’s because God is working on his time and not ours. If he worked on our schedule some of us would be worse off. You know this to be true when some of us will sleep the day away, some of us are never on time and then when we do show up we complaining, some never stay the entire time and then when you do you complain and some just don’t have a care in the world about nothing or nobody so they move when they say move. You know that your sister asked you last night to drop her off at work this morning at 8AM and although you agreed and charged gas money, you still didn’t show up to 8. What if God treated us the same way? You’d better stop taking God for granted because when you need him the most he won’t be there. Stop taking time for granted because when you need it most, it won’t be there and stop taking folk for granted because when you need them most they may not be there. God moves at his time because he knows what you need, when you need it, how you need and where you need it to be. Take him at his word and let him do his part, concentrate on yours!

Daily Devotional – 3/20/12 “He’s preparing you!”

God has placed you into whatever situation that you’re in, not be torn down, abused, cast out or accused but to overcome it with strength and dignity because he’s already prepared you for it and he knows you can handle it. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11. See, God knows what you can handle before he even sends it your way because he made you who you are and because he knows you belong to him! He prepared you for the surgery and the chemo that came along with the breast cancer, why do you think you started working out again and eating healthier? He prepared you for the downsizing at your job, why do you think you updated your resume and started checking out the career sites and job fairs? God prepared you for momma/daddy leaving, why do you think you started spending more time at their house talking about all the things they wanted you to know? God was even preparing you for that car that ran the red light and almost took you out, why do you think you had your brakes changed earlier when you normally ride them until they squeal? Yes, God knows the trouble that will present itself in your life because he promised it in the Garden of Eden for Genesis 3:17 says, “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”

See, just because you’re a child of God, it doesn’t mean all you’ll face will be trouble but it means that trouble will come and you have to work harder to overcome it. Stop thinking that trouble started when he made you because we’ve all been bound to it for Job 14:1 says, “ Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.” Stop acting like you’re the only one going through a situation because we all have to face them for Job 5:7 say, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” So, why do you think you’re the only one facing a storm or have a dark cloud over your head? Baby, I’m here to tell you that we all have a storm to face because either we’re going through one, coming out of one or getting ready to go through one! The only difference between you and I is how we choose to handle it and when it comes. God has already prepared us for the storms and trouble but sometimes we forgot all the things we’ve been taught. We don’t read our bible like we should, we don’t pray when we know we could and we don’t treat folks the way God would, so when trouble comes it catches us off guard and now we act like we can’t make it through. But God gives us everything we need, daily; to overcome whatever obstacle we have in our way. He gives us the necessary weapons to fight against the stress, temptations, turmoil, strife, dead end streets and closed doors that we will have to face. If you don’t believe me, then follow this checklist to see if you have what you need to overcome trouble.


1.    If you’re living and breathing, check it off!
2.    If you’re able to hear, see, smell, taste and touch, check it off!
3.    If you can move your arms, legs, head, hands, feet, mouth and eyes, check it off!
4.    If you can feed and clothe yourself, comb your own hair, wash your own body and brush your own teeth, check it off!
5.    If you can remember what you did yesterday, what you have to do today and make plans for tomorrow, then you’re in your right mind so check it off!
6.    If you can bend your knees, then you can pray so check it off!
7.    If you have God on the inside of you, then you have the strength you need, so check it off!
8.    If you believe and take God at his word that says “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8), check it off!
9.    If you believe that God never fails, check it off!
10.    And if you believe that God hears and answer prayers, then check it off!

If you have more than one checked, then you have what you need to win against trouble. 2 Chronicles 20:17 says, “You won’t fight this battle. [Instead,] take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the LORD for you. Don’t be frightened or terrified. Tomorrow go out to face them. The LORD is with you.” Even though this scripture was talking to Judah and Jerusalem, then, it’s speaking to you now. When trouble comes, God has already prepared you so take your position, stand firm on God word, stand still in your faith and see the victory that God is about to give you. Don’t waver in the battle when it seems like the enemy is winning because it isn’t over until God says it’s over. Just hold on because he’s simply preparing you for something and although you may not be able to see it yet, just hold on and stay the course because you’re strong, capable and tough enough to get through it!

Daily Devotional – 3/19/12 “Junk the junk!”

If you’ve ever watched the show hoarders or even seen folks who hold on to any and everything, then you know that harboring junk can kill you, right? When you have your life so clustered with junk it can ultimately smother you which cuts off your breath and kills you. So why are you still holding on to the stuff that you should have thrown away a long time ago? You know that old car hasn’t worked in years, so why not junk it? Those old clothes that you have in the closet in the spare bedroom that you haven’t worn since the 80’s, junk them. Those old boxes in the attic that you said you were going to go through when you moved in the house 10 years ago, junk it. That old boyfriend/girlfriend who only comes around when they need something and then run when the something runs out, junk them too. There isn’t any reason why you need to go through stuff you haven’t seen in years because I can guarantee that if you haven’t needed it in all this time you won’t. You still got receipts from 92, for what because whatever the receipt is for you can’t return it now, junk it! Isaiah 43:18 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” See, if something is in the past then it’s where it needs to be. That’s why I always say that you should think back over your past life but don’t look back because if you look back then you’ll want to turn back.

It’s like being a recovering drug addict but you’ve decided to keep the old needles and crack pipes around so that you’d remember the things you used to do but how could that possibly make sense? You’re recovering from an abusive spouse but you decided to keep all his stuff in the house or you’re a recovering alcoholic and you keep the bar stocked with old bottles filled with water so that you can remember. No, that’s just plain crazy because those aren’t memories, that’s junk! See, there is a huge difference between memories and junk. Saving pictures from your marriage is memories but saving a letter your husband wrote when he left you 7 years ago is junk. Yea, I know you say you’ve moved on but if you still read it occasionally, then you haven’t. Let it go so that you can move on. Junk it! Saving items from your son when he was a baby are memories but saving the receipt from when he went to jail 12 years ago is junk. Yea, I know you saved it so that you could remind him of the mistake he made but if he has learned from the mistake, went to college, got a decent job and has a family of his own now, you need to let it go. Stop holding that over his head because it you keep bringing that up from time to time, he’ll eventually resent you for it. Junk it! Stop holding on to things and folk that should have been thrown out a long time ago. If the things you all used to do together isn’t tickling your fancy anymore then make a change. If you and best friend partied every weekend together but now it’s not your scene, then she should respect it and if she can’t then she needs to be junked. If you and your husband spent Sunday’s at the house or out shopping but now you want to spend it at church and he can’t understand that after months of you going, then he needs to deal with it. Now, I could say junk him but that wouldn’t be fair or right because if you and your spouse are unequally yoked (which means spiritually) then it’s up to you to show him God by the way you carry yourself because eventually he’ll want to get to know your God because 1 Corinthians 7:14 says, “For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.” Now, if your husband or wife chooses not to get to know your God then 1 Corinthians 7:15 says, “But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.”

See, God didn’t place us here on Earth to live in turmoil. He said that we would face trouble but not in our own home. Your home should be a place of peace where the outside world doesn’t have a place, where you find comfort on those days the job has been stressful, a place of protection when it seems like your enemies are everywhere you turn, a place of forgiveness when you’ve made a mistake, a place where love abides when you can’t find it anywhere else, a place where there’s joy when you’ve cried all day long from the burdens you’ve had to carry and a place where you find rest when your soul is weary from fighting worldly battles. Your home should be your home and not a battleground. That’s why you have to junk the junk because as long as you hold on to mess, there is no way you can be blessed! Box up all the anger, hostility, hatred, resentment, un-forgiveness, selfishness, bitterness and plain old meanness and JUNK IT! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God has plans for you, for your life but he can’t show them to you or even bless you with it when you can’t hear what he is saying. Unblock your way by removing all of the junk! In order to receive a blessing you have to make room for your blessing. Junk the junk and do it starting today. Say I apologize, I forgive you, I love you, I’ll pray for you, let’s pray together, let’s start over, let’s work on this thing or even better, let’s let God work this thang! All of these make room for your growth by removing all the things that are/were hindering you. Junk the junk because it doesn’t look good on you anyway!

Daily Devotional – 3/17/12 “Just be satisfied!”

Why are you never satisfied with the way things go, the way things or folks look or even the way things turned out? You do know that things could be worse, right? Yea, while you’re constantly putting your husband down because he leaves the toilet seat up, be thankful that he’s not going up against your head. While you are constantly putting your wife down about how she looks, you’d better be thankful she isn’t looking for someone else. While you’re constantly nagging your kids about the C they got in their class, be thankful they aren’t smoking the C, cocaine. While you’re complaining about their rooms being dirty, they could be in a dark alley using some dirty needles while shooting up. While you’re complaining about the way you look in the mirror, you ought to be glad to have eyes to see, a mouth to complain with, a body that you can look at and health and strength. You ought to just be satisfied with what you have! Just be plain ole satisfied because while you’re taking these blessings for granted someone is begging for them. You complain about the free, clean water you have when other folks have to fight for theirs. You complain about a free education, when folks have to die for theirs. You complain about the dirt on your floor when some folks are thankful to have a floor to sleep on. Child, you’d better wake up and be satisfied with what you got! Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Somebody is praying for a day with no sickness and you’re well and still complaining. Somebody is praying for a car that won’t keep cutting off in the middle of rush hour traffic, yet your car is brand new and you still want more. Somebody is grieving from the loss of a loved one, yet you got your family and you still complain. Baby, you’d better be thankful for what you got and satisfied because it could all be gone in the blink of an eye. Your life could be worse because you could be sleeping under an overpass or in an overcrowded shelter but you’re not. You could be getting up at 4AM to catch a bus to work that takes you and hour and a half to get there but you don’t. You could be standing for hours in the unemployment office each week but you’re not. You could have a child at Lebonheur who the doctors have given up on but you don’t. You could be burying your husband/wife today, but you aren’t. You could be doing chemo, radiation or dialysis 5 days per week but you’re not, so be satisfied with what you have. Yea, I know you may have migraines but it could be a tumor. Yea, I know your daughter works your nerves but she could be working the streets. I know your son talks slang like he doesn’t have any good sense but he could slang drugs. Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

See, God has placed you into whatever situation that you’re in, not be torn down or cast out but for you to be stronger. God knows what you can handle because he made you who you are. Look at the test he put Job through! So be satisfied with the Saturday nights you spend at home with your family when you don’t have the money to go out because God may have spared your life from a drunk driver. Be satisfied with being able to look upon the face of your family even though they only come over to borrow because they could be stealing to get what they need. Be satisfied with the rain that falls because it could be fire from God for all the sins we commit. Be satisfied with the friends you have because they could be enemies wishing death over your life. Just be satisfied for 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” Be satisfied with what you have because you could wake up tomorrow with nothing. Be satisfied with who you have because they could be gone today. Be satisfied with whose you are because you’d be far worse off without him.

Daily Devotional – 3/15/12 “Borrowing when you should be buying!”

Don’t you know that God has made us the lender and not the borrower because he has all that we need? Well, he also made us the lender because when you borrow from folks they have a hold over you and this hold can drain you of the life that God has destined for you to live. If you don’t believe me, go borrow something from somebody and see how things play out. Call your sister or brother and borrow $20, if he or she is the type that never let things die, you’ll forever hear about it until you either pay or die. It’s sad, right? This is why God says in Proverbs 22:7, “The rich rules over the poor and the borrower are the slave of the lender.” Now, just think about the house you’re currently borrowing from the bank (yea you’re borrowing until it is paid in full), don’t you get up every day to go to a job that you really don’t like, to pay them their monthly payment? See, they have this hold over you because as soon as you miss paying them, they start calling to get their merchandise back. I know that in order to get a house or car you have to borrow from the banks and mortgage companies but God didn’t make it so that you would have to work forever paying off debt. If you know that house is not something you can afford, rent. If you know that car note will push you farther into debt and even further behind, then save to buy you a car for cash and ride the bus. Romans 13:8 says “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” Live within your means and then mean to live. If you spend every day of your life working the only rest you’ll find is in death and this is not what God wants for us because Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.” When you enjoy life it shows in EVERY part of your life including your work. Don’t get so caught up in trying to live in the biggest house and trying to drive the flashy cars because those might just be the death of you.

Now that this has been said, let me drop something in the spirit of folks whose borrowing other folks husbands or wives, they are not yours! Yea, I know you think because you are dipping and hiding from other folks that God isn’t seeing, but he is. Why are you so complacent (that’s satisfied) with borrowing when you should be buying your own? I don’t mean buying with money but I mean with prayers, fasting and preparing yourself to receive the blessing that God has for you in the form of YOUR husband or wife. You do know that when you borrow you’ll have to eventually give them back to their rightful owner, right? While you’re sleeping in a cold bed all alone, they’re at home snuggling on the couch watching a movie. While you are settling for celebrating Valentine’s Day on 2/15, they’re at home enjoying their. You do know that no matter how many times they tell you they are leaving, they don’t actually mean it and even if they do leave, what makes you think you’ll have something that’ll stop him from leaving you? You settle for second best because you feel like that’s all you’re worth when God has made you in his image which makes you an heir to his kingdom and that makes you worthy for more than a late night booty call. And just to throw this in for free, God says in Proverbs 6:29, “So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.” Women, please don’t think that leaves you out because it holds true to you too because the commandment say in Exodus 20:14, “Do not commit adultery.” Stop borrowing other folks stuff and buy your own. Wait for God to send your blessing and you do have one because God made a woman for every man and when you join together as husband and wife, you become one flesh.

Plus, I’ve never found it to be worth it to borrow something you actually need anyway. It’s like borrowing air when you need air to live. I don’t mean big things like houses and cars, I mean small things. It’s like you borrowing a pen or pencil every time you need one, buy some to keep for yourself. If you need something you don’t have and you’re able to, buy it! God has given us all we need to be the best at whatever we do. He has given us a gift and Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.” See, the God given gift that you have, if it is used, will open doors for you that you didn’t know existed. Look at Tyler Perry who went from being homeless and sleeping in his car to now hosting parties for the President, owning his own plane and one of the richest men in the world. His gift of writing and making folks laugh made room for him to grow. Look at Oprah Winfrey, who gifts of talking made her into one of the richest women today. Look at the many singers and actresses who were discovered because their gifts made room for them. God has given you a gift but you have to decide to use it. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” I know that you are now wondering if you have been blessed with a gift and your answer is in 2nd Timothy 1:6 which say “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, God chose you to be blessed with whatever gift he has given you because he knows you can handle it. I know at times the going might get hard and you may want to give up, but hold on. I know that sometime you want to throw in the towel, but baby take that towel, wipe the sweat from your forehead and stick it back in your pocket and walk on because even when you’ve been knocked down and the counter is almost to 10 all you have to do is tag God in and he’ll finish the fight for you. If you are still not convinced that you are worthy of the gift that he has given you, read Romans 11:29 that says “God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.” Why, because he made you worthy of your calling and you are worthy because you are God’s child. You don’t have to settle for the scraps and the leftovers because God has made you the lender and not the borrower. Just because you have a little debt and you may be living paycheck to paycheck now, it doesn’t mean that’s the way it has to be. Sit down and make a budget and stick to it. Stop acting like you have something to prove to folk who are also struggling. The only reason why you can’t see their struggle is because they know how to cover it up. Yea, I may dress like I got money and I may even walk like it but that’s because I don’t have to look like my circumstance. I may have cancer in my body but I don’t have to wear a shirt to broadcast it. I may not have a job but that doesn’t mean I have to post it on Facebook every day. I may even be without food but it doesn’t mean I have to look like it. I’ve come to realize that God will send a blessing when you least expect it and God says you have not because you ask not. Stop borrowing the things you should be buying by now. You are worthy of all you think you deserve, so go get it. Because borrowing leads to begging and begging leads to backbiting and backbiting leads to backsliding and backsliding leads to bad choices and bad choices leads to you being battered with bruises by those who you borrowed from that now have you bound.