Daily Devotional – 9/23/11 “To live is Christ, but to die is gain”

Phillipians 1:21 states, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” As I read this scripture I can’t help but think of granddaddy who has been on his bed of affliction for over 2 years now. For it was then the doctors counted him out. They told the family to prepare ourselves because it wouldn’t be long. But as the days, months & years passed by, we saw granddaddy celebrate birthdays & anniversaries, smile at the grandchildren whose names he can still call and even tell you a thing or two when you weren’t acting right.

Even as he lay in that hospital bed and his body was becoming weaker as time went on, he remained granddaddy. Every time I walked in the room he called my name, asked me how I was doing when I should have been asking him. Even as I look upon his face now, which may be his final days, I know that it is well with my soul. For God promised us, in Psalm 90:10, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Granddaddy has lived the time God has promised. He has seen his ten children grow into adults, have families and even become grandparents themselves. He has seen his grandchildren grow and have families of their own. He has even been a part of the great-grandchildren’s lives, so who am I to be selfish now when it is his time to go? Who am I that I shall question God when he has allowed me 34 years with granddaddy? Who are we to want him to stay here suffering?

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” This is our season but it doesn’t mean it’s the end, because seasons have to end too.

See granddaddy will soon receive the rest his weary body needs. He will soon sleep away to that place where he’ll be until God calls his name for him to be caught up in the rapture. Where he will receive his mansion, that man’s hands didn’t build. Where he will be able to walk around without pain, sing and it’s not Sunday morning, shout and he is not in church. In this place, he don’t have to worry about the stress & worries of this world, folk talking about him, wishing bad for his life or having more bills than money. In this place, there is no more sickness. In this place, there is no more judgment. For in this place! Thank you Jesus! Psalm 30:5 “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Dear God,
I thank you now for your word because your word gives comfort for times such as these. I thank you now for my granddaddy. God I thank you for his 83 years, for him still being in his right mind, for his love & caring that he has showed his family. God I ask that you send rest to his feeble body when you’re ready. God I ask that you send peace to his mind to know that grandmother will be alright. God I ask that you strengthen my grandmother now as she prepares herself for this transition. God I ask that you send strength and comfort to his 10 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, & friends. God I want you to show up in that room that has my granddaddy confined and have your way. God, do it for me. For I know that when granddaddy’s life is over, it won’t be goodbye but simply goodnight. I thank you on today at this very moment for keeping my mind. God I know all the days won’t be easy and tears will fall but I ask that you wrap your arms around us, don’t let one fall for the other and let us come together and not pull apart. God keep our minds stayed on you. Lord, I humbly ask all these things in your name.
Amen

Daily Devotional – 9/22/11 “Shut up sometime!”

Close your mouth sometime! You’re so busy bragging about yourself that you don’t even see when you’re blocking your blessing. John 5:31 says, “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” You’re so busy raising yourself up that you don’t even allow God the opportunity and then you get mad when man knock you down so easily.

Haven’t you heard that you should let your work speak for you? You get a position on your job that gives you a little authority and you act like no one can touch you. You’re so busy looking down on others that you don’t see your own self falling. You fix a problem or issue that nobody else could and now you want everybody to know and then you wonder why no one asks for your help anymore. You got a little extra money in your pocket and when someone ask to borrow something, you tell everybody and their momma and now you wondering why your money is funny & change is strange. Child, shut up sometime!

John 5:31 says, “There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.” When you brag and boast on yourself who know this to be true, really? How do we know that you can do all you say you can do? All we know is that you like the way your voice sounds because you’re always talking. But if you let others boast of your good work, then we know that what they say is true. The bible says in James 4:16, “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” Child, shut up sometime!

If the work that you do is of great standing then it will speak for itself. When you are doing all that you should be doing, then it catches the eye of those that need to see it. You won’t have to say a thing when your boss comes with the promotion that you didn’t even apply for because your work has already claimed it for you. You won’t have to say a word when God starts to open up the doors for the career you always wanted because your work is speaking for you. You won’t have to say one thing when you realize that your raise was double what it should have been, but because you allowed your work to speak for you God has already worked it out.

If you learn how to shut up sometime, then you’ll give someone else the opportunity to brag on your talents and good works. If you learn how to keep your mouth sometime maybe you can keep your foot out of it when you’re bragging about yourself to the wrong person. Most times you are bragging to folk who want to see you fail, knocked down and being drug to hell and back but you’re so busy talking that you don’t even see it. Then you are surprised when your job is phased out and they are still working.

If you are as good as you think you are, someone is noticing and you don’t have to say a word. You wonder how the VP of the company knows your name out of 500+ employees when you’ve never met – Your work introduced you. You’re wondering how the HR person at another company knew about the talents that you have – you work spoke for you! You’re wondering how you got the interview when there were 3 other people who had degrees and more years of experience – your work spoke up for you!

Stop putting yourself so far up that you’re too far to reach when you need help. Stop having your nose so far in the air that you can’t even smell when stuff starts to stink around your own house. God has a way of bringing you down even if he has to lay you on your back to do it. Shut up sometime and listen!

Jeremiah 9:23-24: “Don’t let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don’t let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don’t let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I’m God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what’s right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.”
God’s Decree.

Daily Devotional – 9/21/11 “Daily Prayer”

Our Father which art in Heaven, hollow would be thy name, thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Father, as I petition your throne this morning I must first say thank you. God, I’m thanking you for your blessings, the big and the small. Thank you for blessing me with the gifts that allows me to be a vessel to deliver your message day after day.

God, now, I ask you to bless the person reading this. God crown their head with the wisdom and the knowledge to be the great person you have destined them to be. God release the strongholds that have them bound. Release the chains that keep them held down today. God where there is sickness, send healing. Where there is heartache, God send relief. Where there is trouble, send deliverance. God, someone is dealing with something right now and even though I don’t know the situation I know that you’re able to fix it. God do it now!

For that depressed mother, God, send your mercy. For the father who has been laid off, God, send your grace. For that wayward child, God, send guidance. For that person that feels like there is no hope, I am here to tell you that God is hope. He hasn’t left you because he promised to always be there. Oh God, someone is struggling in a situation and don’t know where to go, but the best direction is down on their knees because prayer with faith works every time. God your word says if I ask it shall be given. If you pray for guidance, guidance will come. God, do it now! Do it like only you can, father! Bless like only you can! Heal like only you can! Deliver like only you can. God I know that all things work together for the good of them that love you, I love you today and if you never do anything else for me, you’ve already done enough.

When my life on this earth is over and my work here is done, I want to receive rest. Until I am caught up in the rapture on that great day, where you will say “servant well done, you’ve been faithful over a few things, come on up here where I’ll make you ruler over many.”  God, I want to hear you say, come on home to receive the blessings on this side that are never ending, where sickness, pain, bills, enemies, storms, tears and death doesn’t exist. Come on home to your mansion that man didn’t build. Come on home to the joy that man can’t take away. Come on home to me where every day is like Sunday morning, where the streets are paved with gold, where you’ll sing & never get tired, where you’ll never thirst or hunger and where you’ll receive your crown and robe. Oh God, thank you for never ending mercy, grace and salvation.

Thank you God; for never taking your hand off of us even when we do wrong. I can never thank you enough God.  All these things I pray in your name.

Your faithful servant

Daily Devotional – 9/20/11 “I’m Not Worthy, But You Still!”

I woke up this morning with my mind, but I didn’t say thank you Jesus.  You didn’t have to bless me but you did and yet I still didn’t say thank you! You didn’t have to raise me but you did and I still didn’t say thank you!

Lord, you don’t have to love me but you do! You don’t have to keep me, but you do. In spite of my wrongdoings, you are here.  In spite of my lying tongue, you’re still here.  In spite of my mean ways, you’re still here. When I’m too selfish to give thanks, you still put breath in my body.  When I’m too lazy to give you praise on Sunday morning, you still give me strength in my body.  When folk do me wrong, you give me peace.  When they speak death over me, you give me life.  When I don’t feel worthy, you bless me still. When am I bound by the troubles of this world, you release the shackles.  When my tears won’t stop falling, you give me joy.  When my body aches with pain & sickness, you send healing! When my flesh is weak, you make me strong. When temptation comes, you give me courage to resist it!

When I’m broke, you’re still Jesus! When I’m down, you’re still Jesus! When I’m alone, you’re still Jesus.  When I’m up, you’re Jesus! When I don’t take the time to pray, you’re still here.  When I’m too busy to hear your voice, you are still here.  When I’m judged by the world, you remove the burdens from my shoulders.  When I can’t see my way, you’ll place a light on my path.  When I feel like I can’t go on, you carry me! Lord, you don’t ever leave me.

JESUS! JESUS! Power in the name! Jesus, healing in the name! Jesus, deliverance in the name! Jesus, I’m not worthy of your grace but you still! I’m not worthy of your mercy but you still! I’m not worthy of your healing, but you still! I’m not worthy of your blessings, but you still!  Jesus! Thank you for washing me in your blood! Thank you for making me new! Thank you for bringing me through my storm! Thank you for loving me! Thank you for covering me! Thank you for wiping my tears, for giving me sleep on my restless nights, for giving me food when I’m hungry! Lord, I know I’m not worthy but you still!

Heavenly Father, I thank you today. God, someone is reading this and their heart is troubled. I don’t know why, but I know that you do. God, I ask that you touch them right now. Send deliverance into their life. God someone is looking for confirmation to a decision or situation. Send deliverance now! Someone is dealing with some things that seem hopeless, but Oh God I know that you are able to send calm in the midst of a storm. Someone got bad news from a doctor but you can send healing before any medicine is given. Someone got fired or laid off from their job, but I know that you, God, is a provider. Someone is dealing with the death of a love one, send rest to their weary mind today. God, do it right now. I know that I am just a vessel sharing your word but I ask that you touch my head, heart, mind, body & soul, so that I may continue to be a vessel for you. God anoint me with your blood, have your way in my life.  Whatever path you set before me, I am ready! God bless the person reading this so that they may share your word with others. 

In your name I pray, Amen! 

Daily Devotional – 9/19/11 “The past is the past”

Life is designed for us to encounter trouble and with trouble comes mistakes & bad choices. The bibles states in Job 14: 1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” But your life doesn’t have to be consumed by the mistakes and troubles of your past, so why do you keep looking back on them? If you constantly look back, how can you see to move forward?  If you constantly compare your new husband/wife to the old one how can you see the good in him/her? If you constantly compare your new job to the old one you use to have, how will you enjoy it?  If you constantly talk about things that happened in your childhood, how can you expect to enjoy your adulthood? 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Rejoice in the fact that you are still alive and that you have a life that is worth living.  If you feel like it’s not worth living, then you aren’t doing something right. God’s mercies are new every morning.  Lamentations 3:22-23 states, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” If, every morning, you have been given breath in your body to get up with new mercies, new blessings and a new start; why would you use that being bitter and mean?  If God has chosen you to wake up with your mind right, an appetite & strength, why would you use it for bad? The saying, let go so you can grow, is true.  If you are constantly holding on to rope that is tied to something, it will eventually stop you from moving.  This is the same hold the past has on you because you choose to let it.  You still mad at momma because of something she did when you were a teenager.  Now, momma is dead & gone and you still can’t get over it.  It is not hurting momma anymore, but it’s consuming you.  Let it go!  You still mad at your last boyfriend/girlfriend because he or she cheated on you and now every guy/girl you meet has to hear about or deal with your insecurities.  But the ex-boyfriend/girlfriend has moved on, gotten married and is enjoying life.  It’s consuming you, let it go!  You’re bitter because the job promoted somebody to a position you thought was yours, now all you do is complain the entire time you there.  But the person who got the job has moved on to 2 other positions since then and you still wondering why they keep overlooking you.  Let it go!

Sometimes you have to give up stuff in order to be happy.  You have to give up that gossiping friend in order to get real friends.  You have to let go of the trifling boyfriend/girlfriend in order to get the husband/wife God has for you. You have to let go of that one child that keeps making the same mistakes in order to see the good in the other children.  You have to let go of anything that is holding you down. You can’t float to the top if you got a weight around your ankle.  If there are 2 boats and you’re sitting in the one that has a hole in it, there is no possible way for you to get into the other one until you let go & get out of the old one.  But if you continue to sit in the boat that will eventually fill with water, you drown! Let go!

You have to decide to be happy. Stop wasting the time that you have on being bitter to the world.  You are losing precious time that you can’t get back.  Get out and enjoy life before you no longer have it to live!