Daily Devotional – 3/15/12 “Shed the old!”

Have you ever wondered why a snake shed his skin? I’ve thought about it but never looked it up until this morning and this is what I found. Now, before you read this I must let you know that it speaks right to my spirit and the way God was taking me this morning with this devotional. See, I had already given it a title before I even started writing and then he dropped, snake, in my spirit. Please don’t get me wrong thinking that I am referring to anyone as a snake but I’m sure there were some things you did in the past that made you feel as low and dirty as one, but who am I to judge? But this is what God is given me and I must be obedient. For in my searching, I found that a snake shed their skin to allow for growth, as well as to remove parasites along with their old skin. Isn’t that something? I know you’re wondering how this ties into a devotional, but go with me. When you accepted Christ into your life, you become a new creature because he took all of the old stuff you used to do, all the old things you used to be and all the bad places you used to go and threw them into the sea of forgetfulness – thus shedding your old skin. All the dirt folks threw on you, God removed when he shed your old skin. All of the scars you got from being drug through hurt and pain by family and friends, God removed when he shed your old skin. All the hate folks spoke over your life; God removed it when he shed your old skin. All the tear stains, on your skin, from crying yourself to sleep at night; God removed it when he shed your old skin. (I don’t know about you but I feel something stirring in my spirit) See, when you shed your old skin you’re taking off all the things folks thought about you, you’re taking off all the old stuff you used to think about yourself and you’re stepping into the new skin that has no scars, no bruises and it shines like gold. The new skin fits you perfectly because it was made just for you. Yea, you used to be a drug dealer, so what, now deal in the works of the Lord. Yea, you used to be an alcoholic and drug addict, so what, now you’re addicted to being a better Christian. You used to lie on folks and with anybody who smiled at you, so what, now you lie at the feet of Jesus because he promised to give you all you need. You used to steal from folks, stores and whatever you could get your hands on, so what, now you steal away to study God’s word. This means you’ve shed the old skin and stepped into the new skin that’s free from all the mess. In the bible, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” But it’s when you’ve accepted Christ! See, it doesn’t matter that folks don’t believe that you’ve changed because your actions will show it. Once you’ve put on the new skin, your walk isn’t the same because you no longer walk with a limp. Your talk isn’t the same because you no longer talk like you don’t have sense. Your living isn’t the same because you no longer live like you have no place to go. Your giving isn’t the same because you no longer walk pass folks that are begging on the street. Yea, when you put on the new skin, everything about you looks new. You don’t have to change the color of your hair for folks to see the change because they’ll see the glow from your new skin. This glow is the light of God shining from your heart. God said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” You’ll have the light of God shining through you! Humph! I find this as great news because as I kept reading about the snake it says when the old skin is shed, however, it doesn’t look exactly the same as its replacement. It takes on a nearly transparent appearance. This goes back to what I said before, the light of God shines through you, for all to see, when you put on your new skin.

So why are you holding on to the old skin? You know that it’s time for you to shed it because it’s dry and cracked all up yet you’re still trying to make it look new but you can add all the lotion to it you want, it’s still old. You know that you’ve outgrown the club scene but your friends keep calling you to go and instead of being honest with them you keep going. You know you want to go to church on Sunday’s but you’re too afraid of what others will think, so you stay home. You don’t want to drink and smoke any more but you keep hanging out with the same crowd and every time they pass a bottle or joint around, you take it. But child, if you want to make it to the place that God has prepared for you, you’d better let the world go. See, when you shed the old skin (the world), you get the new skin (God) and he promises in Genesis 28:15, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” When you shed the old skin, you get strength and protection because Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” When you shed the old skin, you get joy. Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” When you shed the old skin, you get the Holy Spirit and with the Holy Spirit you have direct communication with God even if you never mumble a word because Romans 8:26 says, “At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.” This alone is reason enough to shed the old. You have to stop holding on to messy things, messy folks and messy situations that keeps you from doing the will of God. You’ve got to get out of the old patterns that you’re in that keep pulling you back into the world. You’ve got to stop trying to hold on to the old skin in order to receive your new skin. If the person you’re with isn’t down for your change, that’s ok because you can’t change folks but you can allow them to see the change in you and once they see the change, they’ll have to make the choice of changing to match you or leaving and if they leave they weren’t yours to begin with. Let go of folks or things that you’ve borrowed because if you have someone blocking the true blessing God is trying to send you, how would you get it?

Daily Devotional – 3/14/12 “Oh, it’s just Wednesday!”


Oh Lord it’s Wednesday, the middle of the week and it’s your loving kindness and guidance that I seek.

See, I’m patiently waiting for Friday but its taking it’s time because, Lord, I need a break before I seriously commit a crime.

Dealing with lazy children who gets a vacation from school, which means I leave them, sleeping in my house and they’re eating all my food.

Why couldn’t I be a teacher so I can have a break & sit on my tail? Oh, maybe because God was trying to spare my life from a jail cell.

Humph! Now I have to get up early and drag around quiet as a mouse, trying to keeping from making a lot of noise and waking the entire house!

Don’t you sometimes want to pout like you’re a child’s age because then you have to drive in heavy traffic while controlling your road rage?

Only to make it to work to find co-workers with frowns on their face, like they didn’t just experience God’s mercy and his grace.

When he woke their butt up and put air in their lungs and even gave them a brand new day with the Sun that he hung.

But, no, oh no, they take it for granted and don’t even thank the Man, when he could have allowed them to be buried under 6 feet of dirt and sand.

They walk around all day with their face stuck like they have sour candy in their jaw and heart as cold as a block of ice that you have the hardest time to thaw!

But why are grown folks so rude and mean when God is blessing them, didn’t they read Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says there is a time for everything?

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,” because if you keep your heart happy now you’ll stay happy when the crap hits the fan.

Oh 5PM where art thou when I need you so, so bad so I can shut off this computer, get my keys and grab my bag.

So, I can go home drop my bags and kick off these shoes; grab the remote, a blanket and a bottle of wine to relax away my blues.

I guess since it’s just 10AM, I’d better do some work maybe the time will move on, oh who am I kidding it’ll creep by so I’d better get on this phone.

You do know that you can laugh; yes Christians can have fun too; so stop acting like because you’ve accepted God into your life there isn’t anything you can do.

God wants you happy with a smile on your face and in your heart because it allows others to see his works in you and that’s a great start.

So enjoy the day, the week, the month and even enjoy the year before you’re not able too. Laugh, love, live and dance like there’s no one watching you.

Happy Hump Day my friends, may it be blessed and filled with laughter, joy and peace and may all of the pettiness, hate, back stabbing folks mean for your life cease.

God has given you a gift and he woke you today to use it, so get up and hold your head up high and do as he sees fit!

I’ll pray for you and I’ll hope you’ll pray for me; and stop stressing so much just get the blessings God is sending and be all that you can be!

Daily Devotional – 3/13/12 “Stop hiding!”

Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Lacy Ackright are a couple who have been married for about 8 years and they seem very happy; they have a house, 2 children, 2 cars, jobs, money in their retirement accounts and even in their savings. They go to church every Sunday, she is on the Usher Board and he serves as a deacon and is always willing to help. When the Pastor started the Couple’s Ministry at the church he asked them to be apart because everybody wanted to know the secret behind the “great marriage” they portrayed. He is always a gentleman; opening doors, pulling out chairs and helping her with her jacket, providing for his family and can always be counted on – you know things like that. She is the type of wife every guy wants; she never complains when he watch sports or has his boys over, she cooks dinner regularly, fixes his plate and keeps the house up – all the things a woman is supposed to do. Their kids are well-behaved, do well in school, play all types of sports and really involved in the church. They seem to have it all together and even folks who weren’t married were a little jealous. One particular Saturday afternoon, the news broke a Breaking News story about a shooting in this upscale neighborhood. The news reporters didn’t release any names nor had a lot of information only to say that the house belonged to the Ackright’s. Now, the folks in the town are asking questions, “Was it a robbery or home invasion” or “Who would hurt such loving people?” However, by the 10PM news, the story was out that Mrs. Ackright had actually killed Mr. Ackright. Wow! No one, not one person, ever expected this but the children did. Why? Because their father was a monster behind closed doors. Yea, he was perfect to all those who he came in contact with but too his family, they barely recognized the man he used to be because the man he’d become was far worse than words could describe. No one knew what caused the sudden change but it happened and it was bad, worse even! See, folks only got to see what the family wanted them to see. They didn’t see the bruises under their clothes or the small limp the son had from being kicked down the stairs. They didn’t notice the pain behind the smiles of the daughter when they spoke to her. They never saw the fear in the eyes of Mrs. Ackright when they asked how she was doing or how she flinched when someone grabbed her arm. No, all the world saw was the perfect picture that was painted because they wanted to conform to the world. They did all they could to keep the war inside of their home instead of asking for help because folks had labeled them as perfect and no one wanted to ruin the image of the “perfect family” but the image ruined them. They lost themselves by trying to please everybody else.

We’ve become so good at putting up fronts that we don’t realize that they are slowly killing us. We’d rather go hungry than to admit we don’t have money in our pocket. We’d rather run out of gas instead of asking a friend to borrow $20 until pay-day. We’d rather allow ourselves to be killed at the hands of an abusive spouse rather than ask for help because we don’t want the world to know we’re suffering. But I’m here to tell you, right now, at this very moment that everybody is struggling in some kind of way. While you are so busy trying to keep your co-workers from knowing they are busy trying to hide it from you too. But, as Christians, if we never stumble how can we show someone who hasn’t accepted Christ that this world won’t sometimes get crazy and hard? How can I tell a sinner that he can repent and God will forgive them if I act like I never sin? How can I show a doubter that God is truly real if I never show them how he changed me? Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” I don’t have to go around bragging about being broke but that doesn’t mean I have to look like it either. If God says he will supply all my needs according to his riches and glory (Philippians 4:19), then why should I doubt that?

Isn’t it crazy how we tend to put on blinders to certain things until something really bad happens? You know your friend is in a dangerous situation but you’d rather not say anything because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. But baby, the bible says in Proverbs 27:6 “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” See, sometimes the truth can hurt, especially from a friend, but like any wound, it’ll heal. Stop trying to sugar coat the fact that her husband is a cheater or an abuser. Stop beating around the bush when you need to tell your friend you saw his girl out with somebody else. Proverbs 12:22 says “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” When you act faithfully in your telling, God won’t allow you to be hurt. Now, I didn’t say that your feelings wouldn’t be hurt but I said you. When you tell lies, you may be able to get away with it momentarily but the truth will eventually come out. Don’t believe me? Read Luke 8:17 which says “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” When you buy a gift for someone don’t you eventually get it from its hiding place in order for it to be given? Well, it’s the same with lies because the truth will have to one day be given to the person you’ve been lying too, so why even lie to begin with? I know that sometimes you tell a little lie to keep from hurting folks feelings but it’ll come back to bite you. You know how you allow your friend to go out looking like rainbow bright instead of telling her the truth when she asked or how you let your boy leave the house and you knew his pants were too tight. Yea, you’ve done it before to keep from hurting folks feelings but you’d rather lie when the truth would do. Stop it!

Stop hiding behind the truth and take off those shades so that you can truly see. Be honest with yourself and then be honest with those around you. This doesn’t mean be rude but just be honest. I don’t expect you to act like a therapist solving everyone’s problems but you should be able to listen to a friend without being judgmental and then giving them advice without being harsh. You can’t be mean, rude and unapproachable and expect to have friends because in order to be a friend you have to show that you are also friendly. God didn’t create us so that we would be alone. Why do you think he created Eve for Adam or a mate for even the smallest of animals? Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” See, we were made to be companions and friends for one another to be there during the good and the bad, when you’re broke and when you strike it rich, when you’re sick and when you’re well and when you’re up or trying to get back up. With true friends, it doesn’t matter about the time in between or the months we may go without speaking because it’ll pick back up right where we left off. True friends don’t have to wait for an invitation to come over or even have to ask for permission to open the refrigerator. True friends know when your voice doesn’t sound right or your walk doesn’t look right. True friends can read between the lines and can even tell when your day is off through a text message or email. True friends know how to keep secrets and give real advice when it’s warranted. True friends are gifts from God and I cherish and I thank you God for my companion and for my friends, my true friends.

“I may not have the strongest back, but I’ll surely pull you up when you fall. I may not have all of the answers but I’ll answer when you call. I may not be rich but if I got it and you need it, I’ll share. If you need a shoulder to cry on, ears to listen and arms to hold you, I’ll be right there. I’ll be your leaning post for those days that make you stumble and I’ll be there to catch you when life makes you fumble. I’ll bring you medicine and juice on those days you may be sick and I’ll be right there through the thin and when the going gets thick. Even if you don’t see me on your worst day, I’ll be standing behind you; I’ll be the one whispering “God got you covered” and “he’ll see you through.” I’ll stand in front of you so you can use my shirt to wipe your tears and I’ll be right there with you calming all of your fears. I’ll go to the doctor with you and if you want to be alone, that’s ok because I won’t go far; I just go outside to pray so I’ll be waiting in the car. On those nights you have to pace because you may feel all alone, just call me and we’ll talk until you fall asleep on the phone. On the days when you feel like your cross is too heavy to bear, just know that I’ll always say I’ll be right there. I may not be a perfect Christian because I’m an unfinished work of art so if I do something wrong, charge it to my head and not my heart. See, God has made me who I am and he adds favor to me every day so I’m just trying to be acceptable to him by what I do and say. Love me for who I am and for whose I am because I can’t be anyone else so I’ll continue to be me and always be yourself!”
                                      Lakisha

Daily Devotional – 3/12/12 “Get in God’s way!”

I know that you’ve been praying for your deliverance from drugs, alcohol, depression or suicidal thoughts and it seems like it just won’t come. You’ve been praying for healing from your sickness or disease and it seems like it just won’t come. You’ve been praying for confirmation and it seems like it just won’t come but baby, I’m here to tell you that sometimes you’ve to get in God’s way. Yea, I know that you’re waiting for God to send you a word that confirms the answer to your question but God has already sent you the confirmation; he’s just waiting for you to move. You’re waiting for a sign that the person you’re with is your soul mate but he’s showed you the signs that man isn’t husband or that girl isn’t wife material, but you keep holding on to them. You may even be waiting for God to change you before you go back to church but have you stopped to think that God might just be waiting on you to go to church before he sends a change? The man with the infirmity in his hand (Luke 6:6-10) and the woman who was bent over for 18 years (Luke 13:11), didn’t wait for God to heal them but they were in the church on Sunday when they received their healing, so why are you waiting? Stop waiting for God to come to you but get in his way, sometimes, which lets him know that your faith is strong and you’re ready to receive that which you ask for. When Jesus healed folk in the bible days some were in his way. The woman with an issue of blood who toiled for 12 long years (Mark 5:25-34), the man at the pool of Bethesda who was laid on his bed of affliction for 38 years (John 5:1-8), Blind Bartimaeus had no sight but he heard Jesus coming through Jericho (Mark 10:46-52) and he asked for healing and it was received – they were in God’s way and they received what they asked for. They didn’t wait for God to come to them because they knew what they needed, which was healing. So many times we wait for stuff to be dropped into our laps, that we miss out on our blessings. It’s like needing to ask momma or daddy for gas money but you keep saying they are busy and now each time they come in, you’re too scared to get in their way to ask, so now you’re stuck in the house with no gas and nothing to do when you should have stopped them to ask.

On yesterday my uncle preached on when “Sunday Comes” and he made some interesting points. Did you know that although God said to remember his Sabbath, keep it Holy and that it should be a day of rest, Jesus did most of his work on a Sunday? Interesting, huh? Then it made me understand that if you go to church for the right reason even when you’re not feeling your best, you can leave feeling renewed. Yea, you can shout away sickness, dance away drama and depression, sing away situations, pray away pain and the word can wipe out worldly mess. See, on Sunday morning you can be refreshed when you worship in Spirit and in Truth because when you worship with your whole heart the Holy Spirit abides in you and all of the Hell you’ve been through during the week doesn’t matter anymore and now you’re stronger to face the turmoil of the coming week. Don’t you know that God is a spirit and he is seeking all true worshippers? John 4:23 says “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Isn’t God worth a few hours of your time on a Sunday Morning? I don’t know about you but after worship service on Sunday, I’m ready to face whatever the week holds for me because I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I’ve learned that you get out of worship what you put into worship. If you come in already defeated, then you lose. If you come in with your head hanging low, then how can you look up to the Heavens from which your help comes? If you come in with your feet already hurting then how can you stand on God’s word? If you come in with your eyes swollen from crying all night then how can you see the goodness of God? If you come in with your hands tired from rubbing them all night trying to figure out this and that then how can you raise them to offer up praise? If your voice is gone from hollering and cursing all night how can you offer up praise with your mouth? For Exodus 15:2 says “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him–my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”

When you praise you are putting yourself in God’s way. When you give thanks you are putting yourself in God’s way. When you have faith, unwavering faith, you are putting yourself in God’s way. When you stand even though folks are trying to push you down, you are putting yourself in God’s way. When you get up after being knocked down, you’re putting yourself in God’s way. When you clean the wounds from being stabbed in the front and back from so called friends and you keep going, you are putting yourself in God’s way. And when you’re in God’s way you receive healing even after the doctor has said there’s no help left to give. When you’re in God’s way you receive grace and mercy when folk said you won’t amount to nothing. When you’re in God’s way you receive love when all others gave hate. When you’re in God’s way you receive strength when folks counted you out. When you’re in God’s way you receive joy when the world said you should be crying. When you’re in God’s way he sees your willpower that leads to your willingness to work and when you work you receive workman’s wages that allows you to walk worthily in wealth while withstanding wickedness. Oh, when you’re in God’s way your favor never weakens and your blessings never waver. When you’re in God’s way the devil in hell can’t stop what God has for you. When you’re in God’s way the world can’t pull you down from your elevated platform. When you’re in God’s way! Don’t be afraid to get in God’s way because I’d rather be in God’s way than in the way of a speeding car.

Today, somebody reading this has been afraid, for a long time, to step out on faith but God is saying “Oh yea of little faith, why are you afraid?” Get in God’s way and allow him direct you into the direction you should be going because I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that he’ll never steer you wrong. Believe in your heart for that which you ask for and speak as if it is already done. In Matthew 9, it speaks about some of the works and healing that Jesus did because of the faith that those receiving this healing had. Verses 28-29 say “And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”” By your faith!

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Daily Devotional – 3/10/12 “Saturday Encouragement”

I usually only write a short devotional on Facebook on the weekend, but somebody needs a little encouragement on today. I don’t know, maybe it’s me because sometimes even the encourager needs to be encouraged and even if it’s the words I’m writing, they are from God so that’s good enough for me. So I encourage you to hold on! Don’t give up just get because God still has some work for you here. Hold on because although the death train is about to leave the station, somewhere, your ticket hasn’t been stamped! Yea, I know that it’s Saturday Morning but somebody, maybe you, is in need of prayer right now. I don’t know your name or what has your head down, tears flowing and you crying out for help but God does. So I stand in the gap for you this morning my sister and my brother. I stand flat footed with my arms outstretched and my head turned up towards heaven speaking life over your circumstance right now. All those areas of creativity that you think have dried up I’m blowing life to them now because God has given me that authority. For the sickness in your body, I’m sending healing. For that relationship that doesn’t seem to be going right I’m asking God to send his guidance. For the person without a job or one whose been trying to get into their field of work but can’t get a foot in, I’m speaking that for you this morning. For the doubters of God, just keep looking at me and although I may not be perfect you’ll still be able to see him in my walk, my talk, my living and my giving. For the back sliders, come on home, God is waiting with open arms and for those who haven’t accepted him yet, all you have to do is open the door, he’s there.

God doesn’t care that your hair and nails aren’t done. He doesn’t care that your clothes aren’t brand new or that you paid $20 for your shoes, all he cares about is what’s on the inside of you! Trust God for what you need on today and then ask as if he’s already given it to you. If you believe that healing is yours, it is. If you believe that house is yours, it is. If you believe that car is yours, it is. If you believe that job or that raise is yours, it is. Have faith that God is who he say he is and that he will do what he say he will because after you’ve tried everything else, God will still be waiting. After you’ve cried out, God is still waiting. After you paced the floor for long enough, God is still waiting. After you’ve had the suicidal thoughts, God is still waiting. After you given up on yourself, God is still waiting. See, God knew you would go through all these things because he promised trouble, on this side and because he knew you before you were formed in your mom’s belly so he’s just waiting for you to let him handle it. God knew that you’d be at the end of your rope at this appointed time because he ordained it to happen but you’ve got to believe that he won’t leave you now. God has the power to be where you are at all times, just call out for him and if you can’t say a word, just raise your hands because the Holy Spirit abides in you and if you let the Holy Spirit have its way, it’ll intercede on your behalf. Stop trying to fight this battle because it isn’t yours to win. Let God do it. Be encouraged on this morning. God hasn’t left you, you just need to go back and get him from where you left him when you figured you could do things on your own.