Daily Devotional – 6/26/18 “When God speaks, obey!”

On the radio this morning, the bible challenge question asked, “What was Lot’s wife turned into?” The answer is a pillar of salt. As I drove, I wondered why salt. Of all things that could have happened to her, why salt. So, I went looking and I found that salt causes things not to grow because salt in soil decreases a plant’s available water and causes plant stress. What I also discovered is, salt in biblical days was used as a preservative and when it is used in this form, it keeps food from going bad and things from decaying. However, if you add too much salt to a thing, too much water is removed preventing that thing from producing and staying alive. Lot’s wife was turned into salt, a pillar of salt which meant she’d never produce again or survive. Harsh, wasn’t it? Well, she had been warned not to look back and she did. Not just a glance but looking back, in Hebrew is described as “regarded, considered and paid attention to.” In other words, she stopped and turned around to watch the city she’d called home burn; probably longing for the life she once had or with regret over Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed. Thus turning her into a pillar of salt.

Sometimes you will hesitate to leave the place God has commanded you to run from, even if it means you no good. Maybe it is because it’s where you are comfortable or have laid roots. Maybe he makes you feel good even though he is no good. Maybe she cooks like your grandma used too even though she has trust issues. Maybe it is the place that causes you to stay out of God’s will but it is where your family is. Maybe it causes you pain but it pays well. Nonetheless, has God commanded you to leave? If He has, go! Hear me, Lot’s wife wasn’t the only one who hesitated about leaving because Genesis 19:16 says, “But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters. And they led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them.” But she is the only one who looked back. Stop looking back at what God has moved you from. Stop looking at old pictures, inbox and text message threads. Stop looking at their social media pages. MOVE ON! When God gives directions, move because He will never remove you from a place that has potential to push you into purpose but He will snatch you from the very thing that causes you to stay stagnant in sin.

Daily Devotional – 6/25/18 “From religion to relationship”

I had the opportunity to preach a message on yesterday, “from religion to relationship,” and it made me realize the many of us who have yet to form a relationship with God. Oh, we got the look down but not the link. We talk religion but we are terrible at relationship and I think its fear of commitment. I know because it took me getting older to see all I really had was the pattern of church but no purpose. I would get up on Sundays and dress to look like church folk. Join in worship pretending as if I belonged but then I’d leave still full of hell but I had religion. I’d sing in the choir and turn around and cuss folk out but I had religion. I’d be involved in programs but I’d walk by somebody I didn’t like without speaking but I had religion. I’d gossip about the same folk I just worshiped with but I had religion. But having religion wasn’t getting me anywhere because I was being used by the enemy and I knew it. In the world, I was smiling and going home to my sunken place but I could play the part of religion well. I would sometimes cry myself to sleep because I was drowning in debt but I wore religion well. I got good at playing religion yet had I died, I probably couldn’t have even recognized Jesus. Here I was, faithful to religion but failing at having a relationship with God.

And if I can be honest you are the same. You got religion down but no relationship. This is why you can easily give up when suffering starts to hurt, why you don’t trust God like you should and the reason you can easily cheat with the enemy. There is no commitment because there is no relationship. If there was, you wouldn’t run when times get hard. Yesterday, I used the analogy of religion being like dating and relationship like marriage. When you are dating, it is easier for you break up because when you’re married, there is a piece of paper that binds you that usually takes a judge to dissolve and with dating, there isn’t. Sure, you believe in God but that’s just religion because if you were in a relationship, your belief would show. Why do you think there are exchanging of vows, rings and the last name in a marriage? You are now letting folks know you are in a committed relationship. Can folk tell you are in a relationship God? Is it evident by your walk, talk and living or are you still in the dating phase? At some point, you’ve got to commit and take this thang from just dating (religion) to marriage (relationship.) When you do, you reap the benefits of having your name changed to favor and a partner to be there when you need Him.

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Daily Devotional – 6/14/18 “God doesn’t need proving!”

This is for all you strong-willed, I ain’t going nowhere because you feel like you have to prove how good your God is. Yea, I am speaking to those of you who are staying in harsh conditions because you feel there is something to prove. You are staying in worship places filled with hellish folk and you know God has told you to move but it’s where you’re comfortable. “I ain’t leaving my church, God got me.” Girl/Mane, if you don’t get on somewhere for the sake of your sanity. You’re staying in the marriage, for the sake of the children but it’s killing your soul. “At least he come home.” But when he do, he’s drunk, belligerent and funky. You’re staying at a job because it’s easy and convenient yet you leave every evening with a headache and blood pressure high. “But I’m off on weekends.” Yea, but you spend those trying to make yourself well enough to go back on Monday. Will God use us in places, in front of people and ask of us to do some strange things? YES. However, God will never leave you in a place that has the potential to stunt your growth. Baby, God don’t need you proving to folk how good and powerful He is. Were you there when He created the Heavens and the Earth out of a void? Were you there when He took dirt, rolled it between His hands and made a man? Were you there when He impregnated a virgin to send His only Son to earth?

Can you explain how God removed a tumor right before you were scheduled for surgery? Can you explain how God gave you back your sight after doctors had given up? Can you explain how God can keep your mind when you know you should have gone stone crazy by now? Can you? Because I can’t explain it sometimes. I mean, I can’t explain how my grandmother is still alive; cooking, cleaning, praying and singing when man said she should be dead. I can’t explain why God would wait on me; a brown-skinned, thick chick while I ran from His call but He did. I can’t explain why and for that alone, I don’t believe God needs you to prove to folk anything. Especially at the cost of losing you. When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach, He told them in Matthew 10:14, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” Here’s how you know your assignment is not finished. You are still growing despite the weeds. This means, no matter what folk try, you still prosper. Here’s how you know your assignment is finished. The only thing growing is your anger and bitterness towards folk. Don’t stay to prove how God good is when that isn’t the purpose of your assignment. Stay because you need to offer God, not defend Him.

Daily Devotional – 6/13/18 “Baggage!”

Would you walk into an airport and grab people’s luggage to carry, along with yours? Just walk right up to baggage claim and start throwing other folk’s luggage on your shoulders, back and then roll some with your hands. Would you? Then why are you walking around with the baggage of others, weighing you down? I’m talking to you who is still carrying the baggage of dude who claimed to be Trustworthy Tyrone but ended up being Tricky Ricky, after you gave him three years of your life. I am talking to you who still got the baggage of old girl who dressed nice, smelled good, could cook a meal and had her stuff together; until you got comfortable and the real her came out. Then you found out the lasagna was Stouffer’s, the hair wasn’t hers and her credit score matched her shoe size. I’m talking to you who is still upset at how the folks at that church treated you. Sure, they made promises and acted as if they liked you, in the beginning, until they realized you had a voice and an ordained assignment that didn’t match with their traditions. I’m talking to you who lost their job after twelve years and you get mad each time you drive by it. Erykah Badu said it best when she said, “Bag lady you gone hurt your back, dragging all them bags like that. I guess nobody ever told you; all you must hold onto, is you, is you, is you.”

You’ve got to let go of the weight. Hear me, it’s not going to be easy because you’ve got to adjust to no longer carrying what you have gotten comfortable with. So there will be an adjustment period as your mind and body get used to not having that crutch to lean on. Yes ma’am, yes sir; it is a crutch because as long as you have the baggage of let downs, hurt, misuse and abuse; you have an excuse to act like you act. You still got baggage of generational curses so you keep making the same mistakes granddaddy. You don’t trust anybody so you jump from bed to bed, creating more hurt folk like you. You carry around the baggage of your parent’s addiction and you use it as a reason why you can’t get clean. You aren’t quick to lay down roots because you think this place will do you like the last one did. You are swift to hurt folk with words because you keep reaching into that baggage pulling out what “they” did. That baggage is your excuse to not commit. That baggage is your reason for constantly running. That baggage is causing turmoil in your life. You’ve got to get free! If not for you, for those counting on you because you have the ability to pass on more than just a legacy. Get free beloved. It’s time and you deserve it.