Daily Devotional – 10/31/11 “What’s in your medicine cabinet?”

Talking to my grams the other day she told me about the ways things where when she raised her children.  She talked about the difference between sickness & medicine today than back then.  How kids were rarely sick because they didn’t count on Walgreens and CVS pharmacies but on the same stuff they grew up on.  You know stuff like castor oil for colds, sweet oil for ear aches, warm tea and calamine lotion for chicken pox.  When kids were sick, they were at home and if you had a baby you stayed in for 6 weeks.  See, grandmas and mommas then had faith that God was the only healer they need.  They trusted his word that states “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Like 1:37)  They didn’t have the medical bills, copays, prescriptions and all these surgeries that we suffer with today.     

Now, we got a pharmacy and doctor’s office on almost every corner.  For headaches we take Goody’s, Excedrin and BC’s when God says, I’ll be all you need.  For arthritis in the knees, we got bengay and Advil when God says, use your knees to pray and I’ll send relief.  For upset stomachs we take Pepto Bismol, Colonoscopies and scopes down our throats when God says have the faith the size of a mustard seed and I’ll send relief.  We complain about our shoes, feet hurting and corns but we won’t walk for God.  We complain about carpal tunnel in our arms and hands, but won’t wave them to give God praise.  We take vitamins for strength when Exodus 15:2 says, “The LORD is my strength and my song.”  We cry over a broken heart when Psalm 73:26 says “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  When doctor says disease, we give up but God’s says give it to me!  Doctor says you got 2 weeks to live but God says “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

Why do we depend on anything other than God’s word?  Now, I’m not saying to not trust the doctors because God has given them (well some) a gift as well.  What I am saying is, trust God first and then what you hear or go through will be that much easier.  If you’ve already decided that you’re dying then all you hear from the doctor’s mouth is a death sentence.  But, oh, if you go in knowing that you shall live and not die, it doesn’t matter what diagnosis or grim news the doctors deliver because God got it all worked out.  Yea, the chemo, radiation, surgery, knee replacements, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attack or stroke may have a hold on you now but chile, God won’t let it break you.  Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  Ain’t that good news and isn’t that enough?  You might be sick and your body is weak and aching with pain, but hold on.   You might be ready to throw in the towel, but hold on.  You may be on your bed of affliction but God can raise you up.   

Getting over diseases – That’s God! God is able and he won’t bring you to anything he won’t give you what you need to get over it! Trust God! Believe God! Praise God!  

               

Daily Devotional – 10/30/11 “What’s the verdict?”

Prosecutor: The Devil
Defendant: Saint Christian
Judge: God
Charges: accused of lying, backbiting, judging others, digging ditches for folk, talking about folk, playing church and robbing God.

Opening statements –
Prosecutor– Well you’re honor we are here today because the defendant has been accused of the charges that have been read. I will offer evidence to back up this claim that Saint Christian hasn’t been what he claims to be. He says he is a Christian but I will call witnesses who have firsthand knowledge of the worldly behavior Saint shows outside of church. I’ve pulled his record and you will see for yourself that he’s guilty and wasting this courts time. You will see without a doubt that this is an open and shut case and he shall be found guilty and placed into my custody. He’s already half in the world anyway so cast him out and I’ll have a place for him.

Defendant: Yes, you’re honor I haven’t always done what I’m supposed to do and I sometimes go where I shouldn’t go. I know I’ve made a commitment to leave the world, I don’t study my bible like I should, I don’t go to bible study & Sunday school and I sometimes backslide when I shouldn’t but if you would give me one more chance, I’ll change. I know that I sometimes wish bad on my brothers and sisters, I don’t pray for folk when they ask, I dig ditches for others and that I hate when I should love and I know that you’ve heard this all before but.. But you’re honor, please you’re honor, I ….

The prosecution laughs at the idea of him changing. He begins to enter into evidence pictures of him clubbing on Saturday night with a drink in his hand. He has witnesses present and statements from them so called friends, to testify that he is neither trustworthy nor accountable. He offers into evidence his lack of praise during worship service, the texting that he does while Pastor is preaching and the eye rolling at Sis. Ruth because you don’t like the dress she is wearing. Yes, he knows that Saint Christian is guilty and he ask the judge to say it! He already has his uniform ready and space available in his camp. He shouts, “Judge, I rest my case!”

Saint, again, pleads his case. He tells the judge that even though he is out on Saturday night and then comes dragging into church, he still comes. He tells the judge that he was going to pay tithes but seen this & that in the store that he just had to have and decided he’d pay them later. He knows that he can’t serve two masters and need to choose what side he is on but he thought he would have more time to get it together. He didn’t realize that time was almost up. He says that he doesn’t have any witnesses to his character and evidence of the good he sometimes do but he is willing to change. He says “Judge, please..!”

The judge begins to deliver his ruling and starts by saying – “You’ve both presented a good case so far and I’ve heard enough. Mr. Prosecutor, I know that you’ve come to condemn this person because of their wrongdoing but I can’t allow you too. See, in my word I say that a just man may fall 7 times but he can get back up. Doesn’t Bro./Sis. Christian deserves the same? Didn’t I forgive the woman at the well who was committing adultery? Didn’t I protect the 3 Hebrew boys who were thrown into the fire? Didn’t I heal the woman who had a issue of blood, raise folk from the dead, give sight to the blind, deliver a multitude from the hands of their attacker, part the red sea in the mist of adversity, heal bodies and protect Daniel while he was in the lions den? If I can do all these things, surely I can hear and deliver the plight of Saint Christian!

Saint Christian, please rise for your verdict. Do you have anything else to offer this court? Saint Christian slowly rises and with tears streaming down his face he begins to speak but before he can, the judge cuts him off to ask; Bro/Sis Christian, are you willing to walk for me, will you go even if you don’t feel like going and if you have to go by yourself? Will you be a vessel of my word and will you be willing to witness to those in need? Will you repent when you fall because there will be days that you do? When you get knocked down, will you get up instead of giving up? Will you believe in me and my word? Will you weather the storms that’ll come in your life and will you praise me through it? Will you stop playing church before it is too late? Will you sacrifice your life for me? Now, I need you to think before you answer because this is a lifelong commitment.

Saint Christian shouts “Yes God! I’m willing and able to stand in your army and if you give me another chance I’ll fight for you until I die!”

The prosecutor hollers, “It’s a lie and you can’t believe what he says! You must find him guilty and hand him over to me!”

God says, “Saint Christian, your sins have been forgiven because I’ve already paid the price. If you’re willing to be mine, then I find you Not Guilty! If you praise me and seek me and honor my commandments, I find you not guilty and you are free to go!”

The prosecutor shouts as he’s leaving, he’ll be back before the court so I’m not worried!

So, what’s the verdict in your life? Will God find you not guilty? Are you willing to be a soldier and run on? Can you be trusted? Can God count on you? I pray that you decide before court adjourns.

Daily Devotional – 10/28/11 “Why are you mad?”

 You woke up this morning with a chip on your shoulder bigger than Texas and then you say, “I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”  But the real truth is, it’s not the side of the bed that is the problem but it’s you.  See, you get up on the same side of the bed every day because it’s the side you always sleep on.  Stop blaming the bed for the frown on your face and the attitude in your voice because it didn’t cause it. 

You’re mad because your baby’s daddy is a deadbeat but wasn’t he trifling when you laid down with him?  You had to know there was a chance you could make a baby when you weren’t using protection, right?  If he was a horrible boyfriend, then chances are he will be a horrible father.  If you couldn’t count on him to come and change a flat tire when you were stranded then you should know that the chances of getting those pampers he promised are slim to none.  So why are you mad?  You had to have seen all of the signs before you bought a baby in this world.  Now you want to run to court to put him on child support when he has never worked in the eight years you all have been dating.  You want him to support the child but you’ve been supporting him the whole time.  Chile, stop it!  You’ve got to take responsibilities for the choices that you’ve made.  Stop hating him and wishing bad on his life because ultimately you are to blame and it’s only hindering your praise.  He has probably gone on to make other babies and more problems so why are you still allowing him to ruin you?  Let it go and learn from the mistakes that you made and move on.  God has given you a blessing in the baby or babies whose face you look upon every day.  Stop making their lives miserable by constantly talking about their no good daddy.  Everybody around you knows because you keep saying it.  Love them unconditionally and place your heart in God so that the next man than comes along goes through God to get it and then you’re know they are daddy and husband material.

You’re mad because your sister, brother, mom, dad or uncle wouldn’t let you borrow the money you asked for; when actually it is not borrowing because you probably don’t have it to give back so it’s giving.  Have you ever called to ask them how they are instead of always begging?  Maybe they are having a bad day or really don’t have it to give.  But you always think they got it because of the way they dress or carry themselves, so now you leave pissed off and telling everybody.  Don’t you know that your mouth is blocking a lot of the blessings that God has for you?  You’re constantly talking about everybody when they don’t always give you what you want, but your attitude is different when your needs are being met.  But aren’t you capable of working and providing for yourself?  You’re mad because folk won’t take from their household to fill your needs or help you pay your bills when you should be doing it yourself.  Why are you mad?  Get up and change your circumstances.  If you don’t have a car, get a bus route and a few dollars and go job hunting.  There are plenty of places that are offering and willing to help but they won’t track you down to give it to you, get up!  Stop with the woe is me attitude because you are not the only person with problems and it isn’t your family or friends responsibility to provide for you and your house full of children.  Get up off your butt and do something!

You’re still mad at daddy because he wasn’t there for you growing up and you are now over 30.  Get over it! Daddy is the one that has missed out on your life.  What have you missed?  Didn’t mom still provide for you, wipe your nose when you were sick, attend school functions when she could, raise you with morals and character?  Daddy is the one that has to answer to God on being an absentee father so why are you trying to condemn him too?  Let go of the anger and resentment that you have in your heart for him because it’s blocking your path to God.  Your dad has moved on and has a new family and may even be a Christian in the church but God still has the final say in his life so why are you mad?  Let it go!  Having hate and malice in your heart is stopping your prayers and praise from reaching God and in this day and time, you need all the blessings you can get.  Stop allowing man to rob you of what God has for you by fighting battles you can’t win.  Just because you are angry and mad won’t change the past and it surely won’t change your daddy.  Let it go baby and move on because God has blessings and work for you to do but he can’t reach you with all this other stuff built around you.  Tear down the walls and stop treating every man who comes along like your daddy.  Just because he left doesn’t mean every man will leave.  You need to break the curse and start today!

Stop with all the foolishness! Stop being an angry female or male! If you didn’t get that job that you claimed, it wasn’t yours.  If you’re spouse chooses to leave, he or she wasn’t yours.  If you lose your house or car, it wasn’t yours.  God won’t give you anything he won’t give you the means to keep.  Stop looking at all things as blessings from God because you know that most of this mess you got yourself in and now you’re crying to God to get you out of it.  If you asked him to get you out of debt and they repossessed your car or foreclosed on your house, why are you mad?  If you asked him to bind your enemies and folk left, why are you mad?  If you asked him to release the strongholds that have you bound and stressed and you got laid off, why are you mad?  If you asked him for confirmation in a decision and then you receive an email, phone call or text, why are you doubting or skeptical?  Didn’t you ask?  Stop asking for stuff you’re not ready to handle and stop acting like God is punishing you because you’re having it hard right now.  I can guarantee that everyone you know has been, is about to, or is coming out of a storm. 

So, again, I ask why you are mad.  If you still have a reason to be, then you need to open your bible to Proverbs 14:29 that says “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness” or John 1:19 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  You can also read my post entitled Dear J.O.H.N Letter. 

Daily Devotional – 10/27/11 “What’s your attitude?”

While having a conversation with my teenager on last night, I tried to explain to her that not everything she wants will always be within her grasp.  I had to tell, this child that because you expect things to happen doesn’t necessarily mean they will.  Then I thought about the different attitudes of folk.  Some of us have an expectancy attitude, some a wishful or a hopeful attitude, some an don’t care attitude and others a grateful attitude.

See, she has an attitude of expectancy which will get her nowhere, no time soon.  She is like some people who expect things to be handed to them without working for it.  It is like praying for God to change you but you’re not willing to help.  You say “Lord, can you please change my smoking habit because it’s killing me” but instead of you putting the cigarette down you EXPECT God to come down and snatch it from your lips.  Chile please!  In order for the taste of nicotine to be taken from your mouth you have to work towards it and the first step is throwing it away.  If you expect things to go your way all the time, you will constantly be disappointed.  I don’t know if Momma ever told you but the world isn’t yours and you can’t always have it your way.  You expect God to pay your bills when they’re due but you don’t pay tithes and you blow every dime you get.  You expect folk to jump when you call but you can’t be depended on if your life depended on it.  You expect momma to always be there to bail you out but what will you do when she is gone?  When you’re expecting a baby, nine months later he or she is born the expectancy is gone so what makes you think you can continue to expect things to go your way without it coming to an end?  Expectancy leads to hurt, hurt leads to hate and hate leads to hell.  Is this your path?

Maybe it’s not.  Maybe you have a wishful attitude.  “I wish the Lord would bless me with a new car.”  “I wish I didn’t have to go to work.”  “I wish folk would stop talking about me.”  Wish means a hope or desire for something and hope is defined as the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life.   It is the feeling that whatever you want can be had or that everything will turn out for the best.  It’s like someone being in a car accident and instead of praying for healing you hope or wish for it, “I wish God will send a healing.”  You are hoping that God will show up but you haven’t called him.  You are hoping that healing will come, but you haven’t asked for it.  But Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Take for an example, you are hungry and you have no money.  You sit at home saying “I shoal wish someone will bring me a sandwich,” you are hoping that someone will.  But if you prayed with faith that God would do what he said he would, he’d send a neighbor by with some leftovers or a friend to call inviting you to dinner.  What are you wishing for when God promised in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you?”  What are you hoping for when God promised in Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer?”  Wishing leads to disappointments, disappointments lead to deceit and deceit leads to hell.  Is this your path?

Maybe it’s not.  Maybe you have a don’t care attitude.  You don’t care what folk say about you, you don’t care what they cost, you don’t care how they feel and you don’t care when folk walk away.  But in actuality you do.  You care what folk say but you don’t show it so you go home and cry yourself to sleep.  You do care about the cost of this and that but you’ve got to keep up with the world so you’re spending yourself into debt.  You do care about folk’s feelings but you have to stay “hard” so you speak without thinking and then regret it later.  You do care when folk walk away but instead of admitting your wrong, you let them leave and then wonder why you have no friends.  Bay-beh, that don’t care attitude will leave you with a lot of restless nights.  Keep acting like you don’t need nobody and you don’t care about nobody, you’ll eventually have nobody.  Every time your daughter comes to you to talk, you have to holler and scream until she is in tears, not taking the time to hear what she has to say because you don’t care about anybody’s feelings and then you wonder why she is pregnant at 14 or not talking to you anymore.  You cut your spouse down with your harsh tongue and then why wonder why they found comfort with somebody else who knows what to say and how to say it.  You wonder why folk don’t call you or come around you anymore but that don’t care attitude has ruined all your relationships. The bible states in Ephesians 5:2 “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”  You not caring leads to carelessness, carelessness leads to condemnation and condemnation leads you to hell.  Is this your path?

Maybe it’s not.  Maybe you have a grateful attitude.  If you don’t you should. You should be grateful for the blessings that God gives every day.  When you had a place to sleep last night and woke up this morning, that’s a blessing.  When you saw your family rise, you were in your right mind; you had food and an appetite – that’s a blessing.  The car you drive, the job you have, the friends that call – all blessings! These are still not enough?  When man said cancer, God covered you through chemo, surgery and radiation and all you lost was hair – a blessing!  When man said cancer free – a blessing!  When folk said you wouldn’t be nothing and now you’re a college graduate with a career paying six figures – that’s a blessing!  You’re still not convinced?  How about you still got momma, daddy and all your brothers & sisters, you still make it even though your money ran out 3 days before you get paid or your gas light was on but you made it home.  Isn’t that enough to make you grateful?  See, God didn’t have to do it but he did.  Every morning we wake up God sends new mercies our way to protect us from the dangers of this world, from the hate people have because of how you look, from the lies people tell, from the obstacles placed in our path, from falling into the ditches that have been dug for us and from the death that is spoken over our lives!  If you don’t believe me, read Psalm 27:5 that states “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock,” or Psalm 31:20 that says “You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.”  Isn’t that good news?  Doesn’t it make you grateful to know that even though we sometimes forget God, he doesn’t forget us? Aren’t you grateful that because we have been dragged from pillar to post, we don’t look like?  Aren’t you grateful that even though we have sometimes faith, God got all time blessings?  Doesn’t it make you grateful that even though you don’t always do right, God is still here?  When your way is dark he sends light, when you fall he sends strength to get up and when you get knocked down it doesn’t knock you out.  Isn’t that enough?

You should be grateful!  Being grateful leads to giving, giving leads to grace and grace leads you to Heaven! Is this your path?  If it isn’t you may want to change tour guides.

Daily Devotional – 10/26/11 “Don’t be quick to judge!”

 Have you ever picked up a book because of the cover, flipped it over to read what it is about, buy it only to be disappointed by it?  Have you ever purchased something that you saw on TV and it was not what you expected or even received a gift that you automatically knew you wouldn’t like only to love it?  Maybe you judge a person by what they wear, by the color of their hair or by what other folk say.  You know, your girlfriend says “I can’t stand that girl because she thinks she is better than everybody else because she wear name brand and carry name brand purses, she ain’t all that!”  Then there you go.  Every time she walks by, you roll your eyes, not because she has ever done anything to you but because your friend don’t like her.  But one day you see her in the break room and she speaks to you, a conversation starts and by the end of it you’ve met a new friend because you realized that she is not the clothes that she wears or the purses that she carries.  Had you stopped earlier to speak to her you would have realized that most of the clothes she wears comes from her local Goodwill stores because she shops in the “rich folk” neighborhoods and the purses that she carry comes from Marshall’s.  Had you stopped to get to know her instead of judging, you could have had a friendship a long time ago.

See, we “Christians”, are quick to speak ill of others because of outside appearances.  We don’t take the time to see what is on the inside. But the bible states in Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”  Have you ever taken the time to see why I don’t smile or why I seem to stay to myself?  Have you taken the time to get to know me before you judge me?  I might not be smiling because I’ve been up all night with a sick child or because there is pain in my body.  I might not be the life of the party because I’m shy and not a people person but does that give you the right to talk about me?  Yea, I may dress and act like I got money in my pocket but all the time I don’t have a pot or a window to throw it out of.  But because I know how to match my clothes and shop on a budget, that gives you the right to judge me?  Just because I walk around with my head held high doesn’t mean I think I am better than you, it just means I know who I am and whose I am, therefore there is no reason for me to be down.  Just because I don’t join in with your pity party, it doesn’t make me more or less than you because I don’t deal in pity just praise. 

Romans 2:1 says “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”  When you judge me, you are judging yourself.  When you speak down on me you are speaking down on yourself.  I may dress differently than you but that doesn’t make me different from you.  I put pants on one leg at a time, just like you.  I put my shirt on over my head just like you.  I sin just like you.  I make promises that I sometimes don’t keep just like you.  I have good days and bad days just like you.  So what makes us different? 

Don’t get mad at me because I don’t get drunk and act a fool.  Don’t hate on me because I’ve chosen a different path than you.  Don’t condemn me because I choose to go to church on Sunday, bible study on Wednesday and choir rehearsal on Thursday.  Don’t write me off because I don’t raise my children the way you raise yours.  Just because I do things differently don’t make me better, just different.  So why judge me?  I hurt just like you hurt, I bleed red blood just like you do, I put food in my mouth to eat just like you do and I cry tears just like you do.  So why judge me?  Does it make you feel or look better?

You look at the blessings that God gives folk and judge them harshly but do you even know what they’ve been through to get them?  You haven’t seen the nights they were up sick from the chemotherapy treatments, the pacing they’ve done when a child didn’t come home, the sleepless nights when there was no food in the refrigerator but having hungry mouths to feed, the long days of working overtime to get extra money for Christmas dinner or the scars on their knees from the hours of praying to God for his mercy.  You haven’t seen the long commute to work because of the 2 buses she had to take, the sacrificing her lunch money so her child could go to a school dance, the constant wringing of her hands because her arthritis is getting worse or the tear stains on her face from missing momma who recently died.  You haven’t seen the bruises she tries to hide from her abusive husband, the clothes that she wore from yesterday because she doesn’t have any more or that all of her possessions are in her car because she doesn’t have a place to live.  But you judge.

When you no longer sin or make mistakes, when you can heal me of my sickness, when you can raise the dead and walk on water, when you can forgive me of my sins, when you can take being beaten all night, dragged from judgment hall to judgment hall, wear a crown of thorns, take being speared in the side, nailed in your hands and feet, buried in a borrowed grave and raise yourself from the dead; then you can judge me.  Until that appointed time, don’t judge me! You are no better than me and I am not better than you!

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42