Daily Devotional – 2/17/12 “What will your dash say?”

If you died today, will you leave a legacy behind worth following? Will you leave something that your family can be proud of? Would the dash that sits in between your date of birth and date of death speak on the valuable things and the gifts you’ve shared with others? Will the dash be justified in the story that it tells? See, I’ve lived long enough to know that it really doesn’t matter about the birth date or even about the death date because all most folks will remember and talk about is the things you did while you lived. Would you be willing to stand around and listen to what folks had to say about you because you know that even though you made some mistakes, in your life, you learned from them and became the person that God destined you to be? Or will you be too ashamed to hear people call you a liar, backstabber, gossiper, ditch digger and unfriendly? The bible tells us in Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God didn’t create us to be anything other than a righteous person who strives to be like him. No, he didn’t say we wouldn’t make mistakes because he promised us trouble and with trouble come bad choices/mistakes, but he expects us to repent and learn from the mistakes we make so that we don’t make them again. Psalm 34:19 says, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” So, there is no excuse for not making your dash count. What will your dash say?

Somebody can say, “My dash will represent the new me because even though I used to be a drug addict, I committed myself back to God and he dipped my broken body in his blood and I came out clean and whole.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”) Someone can say, “My dash will represent the new me because even though I used to lie and steal, God came into my life when I invited him and now I lie with him during the good and the bad and I only steal away when I need to pray.” (Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”) Somebody can say, “My dash will show that even though I made mistakes, God forgave me for them over and over, if I asked. (1 John 1:9. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”) Someone can say, “I was once afraid to acknowledge God before folks that I knew but when I realized the power that he can place over my life, how he can bring me through storms, comfort me when friends are gone, heal me when sickness comes and send rest when I toss and turn, I proudly proclaim to be a child of the king! (Luke 12:8, “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.)

Yea, some of our dashes will be longer than others, depending on the years that we are given by God, but it doesn’t mean we work any less. Even Jesus said in Mark 10:14 and Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” See, it doesn’t matter about age to God because it only matters if you let him in. Who am I to say a child has to be a certain age to truly understand the magnitude of God’s grace? There are children going through cancer at a young age and I know that God is the only thing giving them the strength to do it, so how can I say they don’t know him? There are young children homeless and struggling to survive on their own, but they do and it can only be through God’s guidance, so how can I honestly say they’ve never talked to him? During this time, in this life, when peer pressure and bullying is on the rise, our youth need to know about the goodness of God. With suicide rates increasing day after day, in our youth, they need to know that even though they are facing a hard time, it’ll get better if they hold on. With teen pregnancy, drug/alcohol abuse, sexual assaults, HIV and STDs on the rise, we need to tell our youth that God is a healer and a redeemer and that he forgives us of our sins. We are losing too many of our youth without their dashes having meaning. It’s time now for us to show them that their life has a meaning and no matter what age they are, they still have a date with death and because of this, they have to work every day to make sure they leave a dash worth speaking about.

I am not perfect but that means I am a work in progress, so I’ll make my dash count. When we mess up, it’s simply God, the potter, taking the clay off the wheel, reshaping it and placing it back on the wheel in order for us to be able to withstand the heat that will seal in our shine. God is giving us the opportunity to make our dash count. Every time he remolds us, when we ask for forgiveness, he is allowing us time to make our dash count. Every time we go in the fire and come out with burns, he is giving us the chance to make our dash count. Every time we fall and he allows us to get up, he is giving us a chance to make our dash count. Every time he heals our bodies, he is giving us a chance to make our dash count. Don’t allow your living to be in vain. Just because you made a mistake or committed a sin on yesterday, repent for it, be forgiven and learn from it. Just because you feel the best you have in years, doesn’t mean today won’t be your last day because even on your well days, you are sick enough to die. Don’t wait until tomorrow to talk to God, start today. Don’t wait until Monday to start cleaning your life up, start today. Don’t wait until Sunday to talk to God, start today. Don’t wait until you’re lying on your death bed to confess your wrongs, start today. Forgive those who have hurt you, forget those who have walked away and not looked back, love those that are in your life, help those who hands are out asking, pray for those who need it even if they never ask and tell all about the love of God. Your life has a meaning; the kind of meaning that it has, well that depends on you. Make it count! What will your dash say?

Daily Devotional – 2/16/12 “It’s just a season change!”

I know that today somebody might be feeling like God isn’t hearing their prayers, but I am here to tell you that he is. When it seems like one moment you’re walking on top of the world and the next the world is on top of you, it’s simply your season changing. Don’t believe me? Then you need to read Ecclesiastes 3:1 which says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” See, God works in seasons in our life, why do you think we have 4 seasons of weather? The same way we experience the season of winter, spring, summer and fall; we experience seasons in our Christian life. We experience winter when the storms that are raging in our lives cause ice to be on the ground which causes us to slip and fall back into worldly desires. The storm causes power outages, which is the light of God, from shining in our lives to keep us from doing right. The wind blows hard which causes us to turn back to some of the old things we use to do when we weren’t fit to live and too mean to die and the rain causes us to run and hide indoors instead of going to worship service and out into the world to tell folks about the goodness and the mercy of God. Yea, we experience a winter season, in our life, but it’s not meant to take us out it is simply preparing us for the next season, spring.

During the spring season, the storms are still there but they aren’t as bad as winter. Yea, you’ll experience a lot of rain but you’ve got used to it now, so you’re prepared with your rain boots and umbrella. Yea, you still have moments that cause you to hide inside when the thunder is so loud, it rattles the windows but you’re a little more capable of handling it, better than you were in the previous season. See, now when the rain falls in ways of more bills than money, a slight cold, a few gossiping friends and messy family members, you’re able to withstand because your light of God, is no longer out. It may not be shining as bright as it should but it’s still on and you even go to church a few Sunday’s during this season. You’ve started to pray a little now because you don’t feel like all hell is breaking loose in your world and you’ve started to see a little sun shining through the clouds because you read in the bible in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” You realize that even though the rain is falling, it’s still not meant to take you out, just making you a little stronger and preparing you for the next season, summer.

During the summer season, the storm clouds are few and far between and some days you wish for a few just so you can get a little shade from the sun that is shining constantly. You’re no longer hiding on the inside from the rain because you’re going to church more, bible study and Sunday school, you pray more for yourself and others and you even find yourself helping more. You realize that God wasn’t ignoring your requests; he was getting you ready to be able to handle the blessings that he was sending your way. During this season, your praise is more real than it has ever been, your marriage/relationship seems to be going good, the kids are acting right, you got a little money left after paying bills, you got the job you applied for (the one you wanted) and all seems to be well. You’ve had an occasional set-back but you realize that it’s just a set-up for what God has for you, so you don’t allow it to stop your praise. You are really enjoying this season in your life but soon, things start happening. The wind is picking up and it has blown the death angel into your home and he took momma with him. The leaves are falling outside and the tears are falling on the inside because the doctor says cancer. The weather is starting to get a little chilly and so is the relationship between you and your spouse because it seems like things were just going good, now you’re asking, “What’s happening?” The kids are acting up in school, job is stressful and the car keeps cutting off. This isn’t God taking his hands off of you; it’s simply you going into your fall season. See, during this season, the devil is trying to get you to fall so he’s keeping his hands on your back, pushing, but keep reading God’s word that says, “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand (Psalm 37:24).” Then if you do happen to fall, read Psalm 20:8 that says, “They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” God didn’t say you wouldn’t have moments of falling as long as you get back up. Don’t allow the fall season to take you out because it’s just getting you ready to go into your next season.

There isn’t a certain way our seasons appear and it really doesn’t matter how they come as long as you trust God through them. Don’t give up just because the weight on your shoulders seems to be getting heavier, hold on! Just because the sun isn’t shining all day like it was before, hold on! You weren’t meant to experience a summer of fun all of your life because how would you appreciate the sun without the rain? How would you appreciate not living paycheck to paycheck if you had all you needed all the time? How would you appreciate being well if you were never sick and how can you appreciate having when you’ve never been without? We all experience the different seasons of change but they are not meant to take us out, simply preparing us to face the next one. We don’t all experience them together like we do the seasons of weather but we still experience them. Just know, praise God in and out of your seasons because the SON can still shine when it’s raining! Haven’t you seen the rain falling and the sun shining at the same time, that’s God working. When the weather man says we will experience scattered showers, you can usually drive down the street and it’s raining, but if you keep driving through, the rain stops. Well, it’s the same way with God. If you keep driving through your storm, you’ll eventually drive out onto drive land and although you might not experience the sun because it’s still cloudy, you’re able to see better. Isn’t that good news? All you have to do to experience better visibility and sometimes even the sun, is to keep driving through your storm! God hasn’t given up on you when hard times come, it simply your season changing. Hold on!

Daily Devotional – 2/15/12 “A little stress is sometimes necessary!”

I know that this title sounds crazy but let me explain. If your life was always easy what would you work hard for? If you woke up without needing anything, would you try hard to get more? See, sometimes having a little stress gives you a lot of reasons to relax. Stress makes you better because it makes you stronger and in your strength you are more determined to do and be better at whatever you strive for. When you have stress, you’ll thank God for being able to make a meal out of the few things you have in the refrigerator because you don’t want your family hungry. When you have stress about making it home with no gas and no money, you’ll thank God for letting you make it because you get paid the next day. When you have stress over your car not starting or not having a way here and there, it’ll make you appreciate the car you eventually get. Sometimes a little stress comes at the right time to let you know that all you have can be gone if you don’t appreciate and work hard for it.

Is all stress good, no because a lot of stress can lead to depression and/or suicide but I didn’t say you need a lot, just a little every now and then. See, when you work hard for the things you got/get, it makes you appreciate them more. When you work hard for your marriage you appreciate your spouse more for the small things and not just the big ones. When you hard work to get and keep the house you got, then you appreciate it by decorating and keeping it looking good. When you work hard on staying healthy and keeping your temple (your body) clean, then you’ll appreciate when you don’t get sick. See, when you work hard for things you have, you have a better chance of keeping them because whose willing to lose something they’ve invested years in or gained with their sweat and tears?

Now, don’t get me wrong I am not wishing stress on anyone because Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” but what I am saying is sometimes a little stress doesn’t hurt. See, its those times that you’re stressed that makes you talk to God more. Its those times that you’re stressed that makes you pray more and its those times that you’re stressed that makes you praise more. Having a little stress even makes you study God’s word more, so yea, sometimes a little stress is needed. Stress comes when you’re tired because you have a lot of stuff running through your mind about things you’ve got to do tomorrow but the bible says in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” so make a list of things to do and go to bed. Stress comes at the moment you’re running late for an important meeting or doctors appointment, but it’ll teach you to get up a little earlier so you won’t have this problem again. Stress is present when you’re going through a sickness but it’ll make you appreciate your well days. Stress, also, shows up when you’re dealing with the death of a loved one but it’ll make you cherish the times and memories of them so much more.

A little stress makes you tough enough to endure the storms you’ll face in this life. With that little stress that you face you’re able to stand and look the devil and his followers in their face when they try to attack your life. Stress makes you strong and in your strength you gain salvation from the holy spirit who resides with you daily and in those moments when it seems like the stress is winning, the Holy Spirit intercedes on your behalf. The bible says in Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” So, see dealing with and handling the little bit of stress that comes your way makes you capable of then handling the blessings that God is about to send your way. Think of it like this, stress leads to blessings because if you stress a little, you work harder to not endure the same stress again which makes you appreciate the blessings that God has in store for you! When all else fails, stressed spelled backwards is desserts, so have a few and let it go! Put it in God’s hands and let him work it out. Everything that you have or that you’ll get won’t come easily but it makes keeping them that much better!

Daily Devotional – 2/13/12 “We all have a time!”

It’s amazing how folks can condemn someone else to Heaven or Hell, when they are barely living right themselves. James 4:12 says, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you–who are you to judge your neighbor?” You speculate over where I will go once the death angel comes, but it isn’t your place to know. It doesn’t matter how Whitney Houston died because the fact still remains that God sent the death angel to kiss her to sleep and when it’s time, she will stand in judgment in front of God and not man. Ecclesiastes 3:17 says, “I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.” See, God is the only one that determines where we spend eternity but we’ve gotten so caught up in worldly mess that we are missing God’s message because he states in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” We all have to die; we just don’t know the date or time and it don’t matter how as long as we have a place to rest in afterwards. If we spent as much time focusing on making preparations to spend eternity with God as we do with mess, our lives will be better. We have to stop focusing on arguing with this person or fighting with that person because you may not have as much time here as you think. If you don’t believe me, read the obituaries in the paper and you’ll soon realize the ages of those dying are getting younger by the day at the hands of violence or suicide from peer pressure. We, as Christians, have to get it together. Spend time teaching the young folks how to pray and praise God instead of dancing and rapping. Teach them what it means to dance in church instead of a club on Saturday. Teach them what it means to shout Jesus when trouble comes instead of texting their gang for help. Teach the young and the old about the power of God and how he can give you rest when you’ve tossed and turned all night. Teach them how the goodness of God will allow $20 to stretch for 3 days when you didn’t think it would. Teach them how it’s wrong to sin and because they do sin, they have consequences to face. How can we expect our youth and young adults to be respectful and fearful of God if we never tell them what it means to be?

Yes, we all have an appointed time with death which is why you live your funeral daily. It doesn’t really matter about the ending date on your headstone but it’s about what you did while you lived, so live a life that’s worth the words that folks will speak over you in death. Don’t live a meaningless life and then have folks to lie over your casket. Leave a life that is worth speaking about so that when you leave this world, we can gladly say, “Take you rest until it is time to rejoice in Heaven.” Just because you write Rest in Peace, doesn’t mean this will actually happen if you’ve served the devil all your life. If you are not able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8),” then you have some work to do. Start today.

  • First step, invite God into your life; Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
  • Second step, repent for your sins because the bible tells us in Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
  • Third step, keep God’s commandments, for John 15:10 says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
  • Fourth step, love your neighbor, help those in need, pray for those who are afflicted, study God’s word and humble yourself. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
  • Fifth step, tell the world about God because you are responsible for bringing other souls to Christ to be redeemed because James 5:20 says, “ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” It is up to us, as Christians, to save others. I don’t mean beating them down when you catch them doing wrong, but if you live a life that is pleasing to God every time they see you, and then they will want to get to know God for themselves.

    • We have to get back to doing God’s business. Will the road always be easy to travel, no but the reward that awaits you is worth enduring the bumps. Will all your days be sunny and full of happiness, no but God has equipped you with the things needed to handle the storm and God is your joy. Will you always get what you ask for no matter how big or small, no but when God shows up he is always on time. Will the enemy stop his attacks the moment you let God in, no because then his attacks gets harder, but God is your strength and I know it to be true that what Gods ordains, he gives you the means to maintain. We all have a time to die from this world but it’ll be alright if you’re on the Lord’s side because to be absent from this body means you are present with the Lord. It’s time to get ourselves right because no matter how/when we die, we all have to stand in the judgment line before God and it is then and only then will our destination be decided. Man can’t send you to Heaven or Hell because Man didn’t create it, only God has the power. Isaiah 33:22 says, <strong>“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.” God is the only one with the final say and I just pray that when the train to Glory is getting ready to leave, you’re on board!

    Daily Devotional – 2/10/12 “Keep Living!”

    There was a man, an attorney, who was always in a rush. He got up in the morning rushing to shower, brush his teeth, dress, and eat breakfast only to rush to the car. He drove fast to whatever destination always blowing the horn when someone wasn’t driving fast enough in front of him. He would always rush to get to his desk so that he could check email messages, voicemails and to get a jump start before his co-workers arrived because he was the top attorney in the office and he felt like nothing could stop him. One day he received a memo about the upcoming changes in the law firm because of the death of the owner but he didn’t care because he had heard about the owner’s wife and she was “godly” and this was something he didn’t believe in. So, a few days later, while rushing off the elevator, he bumped into this woman who was waiting to get on and not having the time to even see if she was alright, he said sorry and kept on running. She tried to stop him to talk but he didn’t have the time. The next morning, the same woman was in the office at the exact same spot as yesterday and again she tried speaking to him but he was in too much of a rush to even notice, but she did. See, that memo that he received talk about the new owner of the law firm and how she would be in the office every morning to meet the members of her staff but he had thrown it away without reading it completely. She was recently widowed and her husband was the owner of the firm and since he was no longer alive, the ownership shifted to her. Now, on the 3rd day of her being at the elevator when he got off, she finally stopped him. She went to introduce herself but he told her he didn’t have time at the moment and if she needed anything to see the receptionist but again she tried to talk. Now, he was really frustrated and finally asked, with his voice raised, what he could do for her? She looked him in the eye and told him simply, “Get your stuff out of your office because your services are no longer needed here!” He couldn’t believe it but then he realized who it was that he had been passing the last 3 days and his cockiness kicked in full gear. He asked, “Do you know who I am? I am the top performer at this law firm because I don’t lose cases. I don’t call in sick because I am healthy and I don’t have issues that keep me from doing my job and if you don’t believe me check my numbers! How can you fire me? You surely must be mistaken!” She then interrupted him to say, “Yea, I know who you are but do you know who I am? While you are pushing pass folks running to get here and there, you were passing your blessing. Yea, I understand that you think you are the top performer at this office but I beg to differ. See, just because you don’t call in sick now, keep living. Just because you don’t face issues like the others right now, keep living. Just because you think you have it all figured out right now, keep living.” He replied with a smirk saying, “I am living and I have a very good life one that I’ve built for myself without the help of your God and if you want to throw it all away by firing me, go ahead because I won’t be out of work long and it’ll be your lost.” She replied, “Yea, it may be my lost but that’s a chance I am willing to take. While you are busy fighting the world and paying the devil for the blessings he’s giving you, they’ll run out and you’ll be back walking in a slower pace trying to get to know my God but until then you keep living and do it well!” See, it’s easy to brush people off, not answer phone/text because you don’t want to be bothered or act a fool when someone is not doing things your way but have you ever stopped to think that maybe they are going through something or trying to give you something? That person you waved off could be the blessing you’ve been waiting for, but how would you know? You go to get your car tags renewed and never even ask the lady at the counter how her day is because you want her to hurry up and serve you but did you know that maybe she recently had a death in the family? Or you’re driving on the interstate and a car swerves into your lane and there you go cursing, throwing finger signs and waving your hand like crazy but that person could have spent all night at the ER with a sick child, did that cross your mind? Maybe the person that is asking you for spare change is an angel that God has sent into your path to see if you would actually be a blessing. The bible states in Hebrews 13:6 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” See, when you take the time to be a blessing, God will take the time to return the favor. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Yea, I know that you may not have but a few dollars in your pocket but the person asking don’t have any and if you share the little that you have God will increase what you have left. Don’t be quick to say that the folks standing at the liquor stores or sleeping outside should go and get a job because at one point they were just like you and one illness or death turned their world upside down and now they have to beg to eat and if you don’t think it can happen to you, keep living! If you think you’ll never be the one asking somebody for food, keep living. If you don’t think one day you can end up in the hospital or in a grave just as quick as you blink, keep living. Grandma always say, even on your well days you are sick enough to die, so just keep living! Stop acting like folks owe you anything! Yea, I know your time is precious but if you can spend all day getting your hair done or cut and sit in the nail shop for hours, you can surely give folks a few extra minutes. You go out to eat because you’re too lazy to cook and then you get impatient with the waiter/waitress because your food is taking longer than you thought but it’s not their fault because they aren’t cooking it. You get mad when the kids get home a few minutes later from school but they don’t drive the bus. You get upset at the doctor because you had to wait but I know you saw the waiting room full of people when you walked in, so you should have known you would have to wait! If you are living in this world, whether you are a Christian or not, you will have trouble because the bible says in Job 14:1, “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.” This scripture didn’t say a Christian born of a woman but it says a person, so it doesn’t matter who you believe in because trouble is still promised. Stop acting like you’ve never ate roman noodles, potted meat, Vienna sausages or cold-cuts because if you haven’t keep living. If you never ran out of gas because the money ran out before payday, keep living. If you’ve never been scared that MLGW was going to cut your lights off, keep living. If you’ve never received a bad report from the doctor, keep living. If your child never does anything wrong, in your eyes, keep living. Smile when folks walk by, say a simple hello when you walk in the room or goodbye when you leave out, offer prayer instead of always gossiping, share the message from Sunday instead of entertaining mess, help somebody in need instead of hindering progress and lead, don’t follow. When you bless someone, God blesses you. Don’t act like you got it all together when you see folks in need because you’ll need somebody else too. Just because today isn’t the day you have to go through a storm, keep living because either you’re going through a storm now, getting ready to go through one or just coming out of one so don’t be quick to talk about others!