Daily Devotional – 10/8/11 “It’s so hard to say goodbye”

As a child you may have had a favorite toy or blanket that you never wanted to part with. As a teenager it was probably somebody you considered a best friends or that one special person that you thought would last. As an adult, it tends to be materials things or family members because it’s then we learn the real value of family. All these things seem so hard to say goodbye to.

When your favorite car breaks down and it’s not worth the money to fix, you don’t want to say goodbye to it. When your best friend moves away with family or with a job, you don’t want to say goodbye. But when mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, niece, nephew dies it makes you wonder if some of the things you’ve placed a value on really matter.

When you’re standing over that casket saying goodbye, it puts a lot of things into perspective.  Like that no good significant other who isn’t worth the tears anymore. That dead end job is not worth the stress anymore. Those begging friends that always have their hands out aren’t worth it anymore either. You’ve come to realize that life is too short and it is worth living.

Appreciate the family and friends that you have today because the next minute of anyone’s life isn’t promised. I, personally, haven’t had to deal with the death of a close family member in the past 11 years, and for that I know I’m blessed. God has covered our family with his blood and protected us for so long that when it is time to say goodbye it is even harder. But I’m thankful for all that I’ve been taught by a praying grandma who is still strong and whose faith I’ve never seen waiver. I’m thankful for praying family and friends that keep my name on their lips, not because of gossip but because they are praying for me. I return the favor every chance I get. Yes, I pray for you every day even without calling your name. I don’t have to know your situation personally because I know a situation fixer.

So when it comes time for you to say goodbye to something or someone know that it’s God’s doing. As we travel to lay our cousin Christann Arnett to rest, I take comfort in knowing that she was a soldier for God so her living wasn’t in vain. She has prepared herself for this so it is well! When it’s time to say goodbye to her, it won’t be hard because I know that if I live right I’ll see her again.

When God takes something from your grasp, let it go! He means it for your good even though you can’t see it at the time. Love and live like there’s no tomorrow.

Daily Devotional – 10/7/11 “Whose side are you on?”

Let’s get ready to rumble!!  In the red corner we have temptations, hate, strife, tears, pain, and suffering, stuff that tears you down, steps on you and people who stab you in the back.  People, who try to speak death in your life, dig you an early grave, through dirt on you when you’re down, like to see you down and out, laugh when you ask for things and take joy in seeing the tears you shed.  He has had many fights in the ring, some have resulted in knock-outs but many times they end in a draw because he is good at hitting you when your head is down or when you’re off-balance.  He takes pride in hitting you below the belt and kicking you when you’re down.  For those that don’t know him, in this corner we have “The World.”

In the white corner we have a man who has numerous accolades already under his belt.  He has given healing to the sick, sight to the blind and fed multitudes with a small dinner.  He doesn’t specialize in knock-outs but in picking you up.  He allows his opponents to throw all the punches because eventually they will get tired.  He has faced this opponent many times and each time the white corner is victorious.  Most times, he has to go all 10 rounds, because not all battles are easy to win.  There are storms, circumstances and situations that arise that make each round difficult, but he maintains.  Even when the enemy beat him all night long, he maintained.  When they placed a crown of thorns on his head, he maintained.  When he had to endure a cross that would normally take multiple people to carry, he maintained.  When they hung him on that same cross by nailing his hands & feet, he maintained.  When they speared him in his side, he maintained.  Even while going through all of this, he never wavered.  Who is this you ask in the white corner? It’s Jesus.

Now as you stand in the middle, choose the side on which you plan to cheer.  Will it be the red or white side?  Joshua 24:15 states, “If you think it is wrong to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve. Choose the gods your fathers worshiped on the other side of the river, or choose the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

The red side offers death but the white side gives life.  The red side offers sleepless nights but the white side offers rest.  The red side gives storms but the white side gives shelter during the storm.  The red side gives heartache but the white side gives mercy.  The red side gives sickness but the white side gives healing.  The red side gives pain but the white side turns it into praise.  The red side gives suffering while the white side gives salvation.  The red side gives grief but the white side gives grace.  Whose side will you choose?

Now the red side will make it look like it is all roses until you reach for the stem and get pricked with a thorn.  He will make you think that all the days are sunny until you walk out your door with no umbrella.  He will even make you think that the road is always paved until you have to walk over bumps and rocks to get to your destination.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some struggles on the white side that were promised from the Garden of Eden.  For in Genesis 3:17, the word states “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”  But Jesus has promised that on your darkest days, he’ll be there.  When you ask of him, he will come and when you can no longer stand that he’ll carry you.  Isn’t this good news? In Matthew 28:20 states, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

You have to decide which side of the ring you’ll cheer on.  You can’t keep straddling the fence because eventually you’ll either fall or get a splinter in your butt.  Either way it won’t be good.  You can’t keep one foot in the world and one in the word because soon you will need to make a choice.  I suggest you do it while the blood is still warm in your body because once it’s cold the choice is no longer yours. 

Deuteronomy 28:10 – And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

Daily Devotional – 10/6/11 “God won’t bless your mess!”

 We’ve all heard the saying before, “When God takes something from your grasp, He’s not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better!”  But have you ever stopped to think that God is simply saying, you know you don’t need that? 

For instance, you apply for a car, even though you already got one that’s working fine, and you know the price is a little high but you’ve just got to have it.  You know the monthly note will make things tighter than they are now, but it’s what you want.  You wait for the salesman to come back and when he does, he tells you he can’t get you approved without more money down or a co-signer.  You then go running home to momma or daddy and get mad when they say no. You have yet to stop and think that maybe God is keeping you from years of debt that you know you can’t afford.  But instead, you’re now mad at your parent(s) because, “they never do anything for me!”  Chile, stop it!  You ought to be glad you didn’t get yourself stuck into something that you can’t get out of.  You should be thankful that you dodged 5 years of paying for something that probably wasn’t worth the money anyway.

Now maybe that’s not you.  Let me try this.  You’ve been in a relationship with this man or women for years now.  Every once in a while things are going great and they are even talking about marriage, you couldn’t be happier.  But 90%, well maybe 80% of the time you all are arguing & fighting, he/she is leaving because they’re done, you keep hearing about them being unfaithful or when things are down & out, they can’t take it.  But oh, when they hear of things going good in your life or you got a little money in your pocket, they come running and each time you let them back in.  When things get hard again or the money is gone, so is she or he and you’re left crying asking God why he keeps punishing you.  Chile, cut it out! You keep praying for God to send you the person that he has for you but each time you’re too busy looking at the devil’s blessing that God doesn’t have a chance to get his in.  God isn’t the one doing this to you because you’ve got that covered all by yourself.  You pray and ask God to remove those that want to do harm to your life and each time he sends this person away, you go looking for them.  You need to open your eyes and realize, this isn’t something you deserve in your life.  You are destined for much greater things.  Proverbs 12:4 states, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.”  This goes the same for man! For Proverbs 31:11, states “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” A husband or wife is ordained by God and a position that should not be taken lightly.  If you’ve married under the convent of God, you should abide by the vows that you’ve taken.  If you’re not married, you shouldn’t just settle for anything.  God has made all of us in his image and a helpmate for each of us but in order to receive your blessing you have to first remove what is blocking you from getting it. 

It’s like you’re reaching for something but every time you extend your arm, you hit a barrier.  Instead of trying to knock it out or open it up, you give up and say you’ll try again later.  But what you need to do is get something heavy enough to break down the barriers that stand in your way.  If it’s a window, pry it open.  If it’s a wall, tear it down or build up your strength and climb over it.  You may get a few scraps and cuts on your hands and legs, but they’ll heal and the scars can be a living testimony of how you made it over.  If it’s a degree you need for the job you want, sacrifice the time and get it.  If it’s a move to another city or state, do it! There are all types of transportation that can bring you home to visit.  If it means changing the environment in which your kids grow up in, do it! They’ll get over it.  Stop making excuses for not having or doing.  God has made you capable and strong to withstand a lot of things.  If you don’t believe me, read the story of Job in Job 1.  After all the tests and trials that he was put through, his faith did not waiver.  So why is yours waving like a flag?

Strap up your boots, tighten your helmet, put on your breastplate of righteousness and your salvation and prepare for war.  Not the war in Iraq but the war that you’ve been fighting.  Tear down those strongholds that are keeping you bound, shake off the chains that keep you in bondage in the world and shake off the dirt of the haters!  God can do an amazing work in your life but you have to let him in and have faith.  You also have to work! When you get tired of trusting in the world and in man, trust God.  He never makes a promise he can’t keep and he won’t let you down.  All days won’t be easy because Job 14:1 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” But if you trust in God, he’ll give you exactly what you need to handle it.  You can do it because I know you can!

 

Daily Devotional – 10/5/11 “A.N.G.R.Y – Allowing Negative Guilt Ruin You”

With so many things going on in the world, why are you fighting in your own house?  Isn’t it bad enough that you’re judged every day when you step outside your house, beaten down by rude people, lied on by so-called friends and abused by family?  Shouldn’t home be a place where you go to release the burdens that have whipped you all day long? Shouldn’t home be your safe haven when everyone else is fighting you?  Shouldn’t you find comfort, peace, love, joy, kindness, arms to run too and caring words that soothe?

So many times, we allow our home to become a battleground.  We leave work frustrated so we take it out on the spouse.  We listen to the best friend’s pity party all the way home (instead of telling them to change their situation) that when you get home you don’t have any more in you to listen to the kids.  You’re mad at your brother/sister for something that happened and instead of talking to them; you go home with an attitude so big that your home environment is now hostile.  You have to deal with whatever it is when it happens because if it drags out too long and if you hold on to things too long, YOU become bitter.  Ephesians 4:31 states “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”  Who wants to be around someone who is always complaining, griping, tearing others down, always negative and never has anything nice to say?  You know the one that people hate to see coming at family functions because they always starting something?  Is that you?  Have you gotten your world so twisted that you don’t even notice anymore?  You wonder why your invitation is always lost in the mail or why people leave when you walk into a room.  You need to check yourself.  You have to deal with your anger and your issues.  James 1:19-20 says “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

You’ve allowed anger and hostility to take over your life.  You’ve become so wrapped up in what people say and do that it consumes your life.  My grandma always say, “Baby, they talked about Jesus Christ and he still died for our sins!”  I don’t think any of us can take walking from judgment hall to judgment hall with a cross on our back, the constant beatings and being nailed to a cross, that Jesus did (when he had done no wrong).  Yet he suffered and died so that we could be free to sin and then be forgiven for it.  If he could deal with all of that, why can’t you deal with what folk say? Words can surely hurt but they’ve never killed.  I know that it’s easier said than done to let things go, but at some point you should want a hostility free zone at home or everywhere.  You should want to feel peace, love and warmth when you pull in your driveway.  You should already know that home is where you can go after you’ve had a bad day at work to release it all. 

Why don’t you try praying for yourself sometime?  You spend all your time praying for others, that you never take time to pray for yourself.  If you continue to let anger and bitterness take over you it will swallow you whole. Don’t you realize that you have to love one another if you plan on going to Heaven? The bible states in 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”  You decide, today, that your life will no longer be consumed with other folk’s problems.  You have to deal with whatever issue you have with whomever, today! I guarantee that once the blood stops flowing through their veins they can no longer hear you say I forgive you or I apologize or even I’m taking back my life because you no longer consume it!  Let it go today before the one laying in the funeral home is you from a heart attack.  Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry, and yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger!”  Decide today to live the life that God has promised you.  It is a life worth living.  If it wasn’t, God wouldn’t continue to give you new mercies every morning.  Stop taking your blessings for granted because one day they won’t be there. 

 1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Daily Devotional – 10/4/11 “Stuff happens”

You are going through something and you’re probably sitting there wondering why is this happening to me? You get paid on Friday and still broke. You get up, get ready for work and go out to the car and the tire is flat. Or you can be like me, make it to work and the school calls because your child is sick.  I’ve come to realize that stuff happens.

That’s life! What are you going to do about it? Do you sit around sulking or do you get up and make something happen? If you’re bills outweigh your money, cut back or get a second job. If the job is worrying you thin and stressing you out, change it. If the kids aren’t acting right, take away some of the expensive stuff you’ve spent your money own or do like your momma did, beat some butts!

We all know that things happen for a reason and for a season (Ecclesiastes 3) but when the season is over you can’t keep dwelling in it. If a so-call friend walks away, let them go. If a husband/wife, decide they don’t love you no more let them go because you can’t make love you when they don’t. If it is meant to be, then they’ll be back. If God ordains it he will maintain it but, it has to be of God. Now don’t think that God has blessed you with everything you got because you know that for some things you didn’t consult God on so don’t expect him to bless your mess.

You do know that the devil blesses too? Let me explain. You and your spouse are having trouble in your marriage. You keep saying that you’ve done all you’re going to do and if he’s not willing to change you’re done. You haven’t prayed and fast for guidance from God because you don’t need to change, he does. You’re doing what God has asked you to do. You go to church, Sunday school and bible study, you help those in need, you sing in the choir and you pray for those who ask, so you’re good. When your spouse mentions counseling you roll your eyes because again you don’t need changing, you’re done! Then you meet this man/woman who seems to know just what you need. They tell you everything you need to hear, touch you in all the right spots and attends to your every need. You’re thinking this must be a blessing from God. Chile, what makes you think God will send you somebody to cheat on the person he’s already given you? God don’t work like that. His word says what God has joined together let no man put asunder (Mark 10:9). You’re thinking, but this person knows me, my likes & dislikes, what makes me feel good, the food I like to eat and places I like to go; this has to be God. But doesn’t the person at home know all of this too; aren’t they the one God sent when things were good? Aren’t they the ones that made your eyes light up when they walked into a room when everything was good? Aren’t they worth working for? See, the devil has sent you a blessing in a blue dress or a blue suit but you’re too busy being wooed to even notice. Shouldn’t you consult God first before you get yourself into something you can’t pray your way out of? Isn’t your marriage worth a day of fasting and prayer? When you’ve tried everything, try God because you may just be overlooking the one thing meant for only you.

Stop rushing to give up on things! Stop wallowing in self-pity because things aren’t going your way or because you didn’t get the job that you thought had your name all over it. Stuff happens in your life every day. Stuff happened yesterday and will happen tomorrow. What you have to do when you get knocked down, is pick yourself up, dust off the dirt and keep going. Eventually you’ll stop wobbling and falling, just like a baby that begins to walk, and start walking straight. It doesn’t matter about the number of times you fall, what matters is the times you get up. The only thing you should be doing on your knees is praying because digging a hole for yourself won’t help. God has made you and he has already destined you for greatness but you’ll have to work for it. Anything worth having is worth working for! Stuff happens, get over it!!