Give Me Directions
"It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, That it may do whatever He commands it On the face of the inhabited earth." Job 37:12
I am one of those people that prides myself on having a good sense of direction. That's right fellas! Not all women are directionally-challenged! I have a good sense of direction and I can usually explore my way back home even if I am lost. I can find my way back home after visiting some place only once and usually I can make it back there too. I even learn from examples!!! In school when I learned something new, I only had to see an example after being taught to know and grasp the concept.
If only that were the case with LIFE!!! I cannot tell you how many times I wished someone would have just told me of their experience in a particular situation and I could have learned from it rather than having to experience it for myself. And true enough those were the most painful lessons I had to learn. If only God could have pulled me to the side and said "Marquita, for this situation, here is what you need to do..." I would have simply been like "Okay God!! You know best and I do not want to be hurt or get in trouble..." But hey there is that thing called Free Will that He gave us...that forces us to make some decisions in life on our own, that allows us to make bad decisions but allows God to ensure that we can learn from it. Nowadays we have GPS systems that we can use to get us from a known point A to unknown point B and back. Ahem, ahem....the GPS for life is called the Bible and prayer and we must make sure that we have volume on the speaker turned up so that we can hear God as He speaks to us through them!!!
How many times do you enter a situation and come out on the other side thinking "Dang, I wish I would have listened to that" or "I wish I would have heeded that advice"? How many times do you pray about something, get an answer or lack thereof and move forward with no peace only to realize that you should have waited or avoided that situation? How many times do you ignore that gut feeling? I used to do that like clockwork. Taking a test I would always go with my second guess. Even in life, I have doubted myself on things only to end up angry with myself for not trusting my own instincts. We have an inner GPS that if we are a part of the Body of Christ, is always with us. We have to learn to listen to Him because He will not lead us wrong. Trust in that internal system, the Holy Spirit that is, that He is God's appointed representative to make sure you get where God is leading you. A car does not often make it from a road trip scratch or dent free--on the contrary, there are sure to be dents and dings that get picked up along the way. Trust that God will not allow harm to come to you--but there is no guarantee that you will not make it through unscathed. Trust God and trust the Spirit within you to get you to the right destination. On that note, good night people and be blessed!!
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;" John 14:16
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Daily Devotion
What Season are You Residing in?
"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:3
This is actually one of the things I have on my prayer list, that God reveal to me what season I am in. It is important to know what season you are in because then you will know what you need to do. There are many kinds of seasons--seasons for weather, seasons for growing food, seasons for procreation. I'm going to focus primarily on seasons for growing food or simply seasons of harvest. There is the planting season--where you plant seeds. You dig the hole, drop the seed in, cover it with soil and fertilizer, and you water it. You repeat this process until you have seeded the entire field. Then next you need to water the seeds--the seed receives the nutrients it needs to grow and take root. It has to have sunlight too. So the seed is watered on a regular basis, followed by sunlight and even re-fertilized. This cycle continues until it is time to harvest. Your plant has to have those particular conditions in order to thrive. Sometimes plants are faced with difficult weather or neglect, which can potentially kill it. Yet all in all, when its time to harvest, you will see the fruits of your labor. During the harvest, the plant is dug up or picked and taken to be processed. It is in the season of harvest that all the work, the water, the sunlight, everything that is put into that seed is realized. The seed undergoes a transformation of breaking from its former shell to become something new during the growth season in which it is tended to. And the process repeats itself.
We all have seasons in our lives. Sometimes that growth phase is long and ugly, where we have to weather monsoons and hurricanes that come at us for no apparent reason. Sometimes we are in the planting phase, where we need to stock up on a much of God's word and promises as we can. We need to plant the word deep in our hearts so that we can reap its benefits whenever we are under attack. We must meditate on the Word so that we can produce harvests of spiritual, physical, mental and emotion, and financial prosperity. We must read the Word every single day so that we can keep that seed of faith alive during periods of dormancy. But like a perennial plant that keeps coming back, once we sow in God and His Word, it keeps on producing in our lives. We will continue to reap bountiful harvests as long as God resides in our hearts and we nourish what has taken root within us.
"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:2
"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:3
This is actually one of the things I have on my prayer list, that God reveal to me what season I am in. It is important to know what season you are in because then you will know what you need to do. There are many kinds of seasons--seasons for weather, seasons for growing food, seasons for procreation. I'm going to focus primarily on seasons for growing food or simply seasons of harvest. There is the planting season--where you plant seeds. You dig the hole, drop the seed in, cover it with soil and fertilizer, and you water it. You repeat this process until you have seeded the entire field. Then next you need to water the seeds--the seed receives the nutrients it needs to grow and take root. It has to have sunlight too. So the seed is watered on a regular basis, followed by sunlight and even re-fertilized. This cycle continues until it is time to harvest. Your plant has to have those particular conditions in order to thrive. Sometimes plants are faced with difficult weather or neglect, which can potentially kill it. Yet all in all, when its time to harvest, you will see the fruits of your labor. During the harvest, the plant is dug up or picked and taken to be processed. It is in the season of harvest that all the work, the water, the sunlight, everything that is put into that seed is realized. The seed undergoes a transformation of breaking from its former shell to become something new during the growth season in which it is tended to. And the process repeats itself.
We all have seasons in our lives. Sometimes that growth phase is long and ugly, where we have to weather monsoons and hurricanes that come at us for no apparent reason. Sometimes we are in the planting phase, where we need to stock up on a much of God's word and promises as we can. We need to plant the word deep in our hearts so that we can reap its benefits whenever we are under attack. We must meditate on the Word so that we can produce harvests of spiritual, physical, mental and emotion, and financial prosperity. We must read the Word every single day so that we can keep that seed of faith alive during periods of dormancy. But like a perennial plant that keeps coming back, once we sow in God and His Word, it keeps on producing in our lives. We will continue to reap bountiful harvests as long as God resides in our hearts and we nourish what has taken root within us.
"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:2
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Daily Devotion #2
The Law of Undulation
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
Hey there!!! I suggest that you read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Rise and fall, sunrise and sunset, undulation is described as the movement in waves. A book I read called "The Screwtape Letters" in which a demon was instructing his nephew on how to torture the human he was responsible for, described this law as when we as humans have peaks in our faith where we feel that God is right there by our sides. We feel like we have a direct line of communication to Him and that everything is peaches and cream. Our valleys include where God seems distant from us, where we have sinned and turned away from His presence, and we feel lost and alone. The goals of the enemy during the valley experiences and the trough of the waves is to tempt us and lead us away from God. How he does this is by anticipating our reluctance to listen to God when we are suffering or being tested. We are more inclined to react to whatever our flesh wants in times of strife rather than yielding to whatever it is God is asking or expecting of us.
What I've learned is that God is always there, regardless of the situation. There will be highs and lows--that is life as our day to day experiences vary like the weather. Just like seasons change, so do we and how we deal with things in our life. Sometimes we think that we have experienced enough that we are able to endure on our own, and in actuality we ignore God and His presence in our lives. Sometimes we get caught up in the world and we sin--as is our natural inclination, and we separate ourselves from God. Sometimes God gives us a little space to see if we will be loyal and stay faithful that regardless of the test, He is always there for us and will lead us through the situation. Don't give up the faith or the focus because God is faithful. Sometimes you have to remove all of the distractions so that you can hear from Him in the midst of tribulation because every additional noise there is impacts your ability to hear God's voice to lead you through the difficult times. Sometimes it is okay to do a particular thing, but ask yourself, is it really helping you get through your test? Is it what God wants you to do, right now?
"For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him." Ecclesiastes 8:6 NASB
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
Hey there!!! I suggest that you read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Rise and fall, sunrise and sunset, undulation is described as the movement in waves. A book I read called "The Screwtape Letters" in which a demon was instructing his nephew on how to torture the human he was responsible for, described this law as when we as humans have peaks in our faith where we feel that God is right there by our sides. We feel like we have a direct line of communication to Him and that everything is peaches and cream. Our valleys include where God seems distant from us, where we have sinned and turned away from His presence, and we feel lost and alone. The goals of the enemy during the valley experiences and the trough of the waves is to tempt us and lead us away from God. How he does this is by anticipating our reluctance to listen to God when we are suffering or being tested. We are more inclined to react to whatever our flesh wants in times of strife rather than yielding to whatever it is God is asking or expecting of us.
What I've learned is that God is always there, regardless of the situation. There will be highs and lows--that is life as our day to day experiences vary like the weather. Just like seasons change, so do we and how we deal with things in our life. Sometimes we think that we have experienced enough that we are able to endure on our own, and in actuality we ignore God and His presence in our lives. Sometimes we get caught up in the world and we sin--as is our natural inclination, and we separate ourselves from God. Sometimes God gives us a little space to see if we will be loyal and stay faithful that regardless of the test, He is always there for us and will lead us through the situation. Don't give up the faith or the focus because God is faithful. Sometimes you have to remove all of the distractions so that you can hear from Him in the midst of tribulation because every additional noise there is impacts your ability to hear God's voice to lead you through the difficult times. Sometimes it is okay to do a particular thing, but ask yourself, is it really helping you get through your test? Is it what God wants you to do, right now?
"For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him." Ecclesiastes 8:6 NASB
Daily Devotion
Diarrhea of the Mouth
"Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." Proverbs 10:19 NLT
When I was a little girl, I talked a lot and very fast (at least that's what I was told, not sure how true it is). I found it very hard to listen to other people intently and retain what they were saying at times. However surprisingly I was able to pay attention in class and get very good grades. I heard this "ailment" I had be referred to as diarrhea of the mouth. A person with diarrhea of the mouth just talks and talks and talks about any and everything. (Of course this did not fully apply to me because I talk, but not about everything.) I frequently told other people growing up that they talked too much.
Now as an adult, I realize that there are things that I told that I should not have told. You cannot tell people everything. You cannot tell all the bad in your life, nor can you tell all of the good and blessings you have received. Lets face it, there are two very true things in the world: misery loves company and there are some bitter and hateful people in the world. So if you tell a miserable person all of your bad, they will say any and everything to make you stay in your pity party. If you tell even the most happy person about your good, there is a chance a slight tinge of jealousy may strike them to say something negative about you. Even if you are just a motor mouth that likes to gossip--well that's the sin right there.
I had to learn to be quiet and that not everyone has my best interest at heart. Some of the people I have confided in have hurt me beyond belief and it has always been some variation of the truth. It caused me to learn about people and to simply keep my mouth shut. I've learned that you have to be mindful and inclined to follow your spirit of discernment as to who, what, and when you should share with people. I have since learned to actually focus and listen...or to pour my heart out to my journal and God.
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James 1:19
"Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." Proverbs 10:19 NLT
When I was a little girl, I talked a lot and very fast (at least that's what I was told, not sure how true it is). I found it very hard to listen to other people intently and retain what they were saying at times. However surprisingly I was able to pay attention in class and get very good grades. I heard this "ailment" I had be referred to as diarrhea of the mouth. A person with diarrhea of the mouth just talks and talks and talks about any and everything. (Of course this did not fully apply to me because I talk, but not about everything.) I frequently told other people growing up that they talked too much.
Now as an adult, I realize that there are things that I told that I should not have told. You cannot tell people everything. You cannot tell all the bad in your life, nor can you tell all of the good and blessings you have received. Lets face it, there are two very true things in the world: misery loves company and there are some bitter and hateful people in the world. So if you tell a miserable person all of your bad, they will say any and everything to make you stay in your pity party. If you tell even the most happy person about your good, there is a chance a slight tinge of jealousy may strike them to say something negative about you. Even if you are just a motor mouth that likes to gossip--well that's the sin right there.
I had to learn to be quiet and that not everyone has my best interest at heart. Some of the people I have confided in have hurt me beyond belief and it has always been some variation of the truth. It caused me to learn about people and to simply keep my mouth shut. I've learned that you have to be mindful and inclined to follow your spirit of discernment as to who, what, and when you should share with people. I have since learned to actually focus and listen...or to pour my heart out to my journal and God.
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James 1:19
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Daily Devotion
Take It Off Repeat
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8
Hi everyone! Late night I know...I'm working on that. Anyway, I wanted to share this with you. I've actually had this title on reserve since about August haha. But for some reason I just couldn't find the words to write for this. For the last few weeks, it has been drilled into my mind that I need to change my thinking. I know, it seems like an easy task...but ask yourself, is it truly easy to change how you think? I mean, have you realized how difficult it is to get rid of a bad habit? Or how hard is it to redirect your thoughts after someone has ticked you off? Lets face it, it is not easy to think positive about something we have conditioned ourselves to think negatively about.
Negative thoughts, ideas, and hangups are things that usually have been embedded in our minds from childhood. Like insecurities about one's looks and appearance, comparing yourself to other people, believing that you will never amount to anything--these are all lies that the devil wants us to believe about ourselves. DO YOU UNDERSTAND--the devil HATES YOU and he does not want YOU HAPPY or JOYOUS. He wants you to play this tape of self-destruction over and over and over and over again! He wants to use every possible tactic he can to make you doubt who you are in Christ Jesus.
In the scripture above, Paul tells us to think on the truth. The truth is that God loves you so much that He is willing to do everything to save you. Paul says to think on things that are honorable, right, pure, and lovely. What is right is that we are the children of the Most High God. What is pure is His love--because God is love. Paul says to think on things that are admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. What is admirable and excellent and worthy of praise, every single thing God has done for you. He wakes you up, keeps you healthy, makes sure you are functioning in your right mind, that you can eat, walk, talk, and do whatever else it is during your day. Everything God has done for you is worthy of praise--from your job, your family, your relationships, to the small things. Take that track off repeat and think on the truth of God's word.
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Daily Devotion
Are You Willing?
"As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish." They immediately left their nets and followed him. As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets [to go fishing]. He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus. Mark 1:16-20 GWT
As I'm learning now, it is not a matter of can God use us and our lives, but better yet, are WE willing to be used by God. I'm sure you can relate to this. When I was growing up it was not necessarily "cool" to be really smart or different from everyone else. Really smart people were ostracized or the target of rumors and bullies; the artistically inclined or people who wore what made them feel great not the current trend were the people that were ridiculed. Or to relate to the scriptures above, those that had calls on their lives, calls from God to stand out and away from things of the world, now they were really picked on. The apostle Paul prior to his conversion was one of those people that picked on the early Christians, and was responsible for their deaths. Ask yourself, are you really willing to yield to whatever God is asking of you and why not? Because there is no one to believe in you, no one to encourage you. Or is it because you think you're too young or some tradition says that its out of the norm?
In the scriptures above, it does not tell you why the disciples simply followed Jesus. But it tells you that they were willing because there is no sense of hesitation noted here. They willingly went with Christ. I'm sure it was not easy walking with the Lord because so many people wanted to kill him--anything that is different and rubs people the wrong way is the accelerant to a volatile situation. I find myself struggling daily with embracing the things God wants me to do, primarily because I do not want to stand out. But I know better than that! From the way that I dress to the way that I talk and think, I know I wasn't made to blend in. I know that I have to take on the character of the Disciples and willingly go wherever God leads me. Do you think you can reap the full benefits of God's plan for your life by simply ignoring Him, turning away from Him, or ignoring those things He put in you? I'm sure you don't want to have a Jonah experience--feeling that you are in the pits of hell because of your refusal to do God's will. It is much easier to give God His way.
"Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me" John 12:26 NLT
"As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish." They immediately left their nets and followed him. As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets [to go fishing]. He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus. Mark 1:16-20 GWT
As I'm learning now, it is not a matter of can God use us and our lives, but better yet, are WE willing to be used by God. I'm sure you can relate to this. When I was growing up it was not necessarily "cool" to be really smart or different from everyone else. Really smart people were ostracized or the target of rumors and bullies; the artistically inclined or people who wore what made them feel great not the current trend were the people that were ridiculed. Or to relate to the scriptures above, those that had calls on their lives, calls from God to stand out and away from things of the world, now they were really picked on. The apostle Paul prior to his conversion was one of those people that picked on the early Christians, and was responsible for their deaths. Ask yourself, are you really willing to yield to whatever God is asking of you and why not? Because there is no one to believe in you, no one to encourage you. Or is it because you think you're too young or some tradition says that its out of the norm?
In the scriptures above, it does not tell you why the disciples simply followed Jesus. But it tells you that they were willing because there is no sense of hesitation noted here. They willingly went with Christ. I'm sure it was not easy walking with the Lord because so many people wanted to kill him--anything that is different and rubs people the wrong way is the accelerant to a volatile situation. I find myself struggling daily with embracing the things God wants me to do, primarily because I do not want to stand out. But I know better than that! From the way that I dress to the way that I talk and think, I know I wasn't made to blend in. I know that I have to take on the character of the Disciples and willingly go wherever God leads me. Do you think you can reap the full benefits of God's plan for your life by simply ignoring Him, turning away from Him, or ignoring those things He put in you? I'm sure you don't want to have a Jonah experience--feeling that you are in the pits of hell because of your refusal to do God's will. It is much easier to give God His way.
"Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me" John 12:26 NLT
Monday, September 20, 2010
Daily Devotion
Revive Your Faith
This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." Romans 1:17
I apologize for the hiatus...as life goes on, many are the road blocks. In my case, much of my own problems were caused because of my own "busyness". I hope you all enjoy! Be blessed and I plan to bring you more soon!
Marquita
Revive means to restore life, to bring back from the dead. Because God through Jesus Christ is life to us, a "revival" is the restoration, the return, the bringing back to Christ. How is a person revived? By a confession of faith in Jesus Christ's sovereignty. Without faith, we cut ourselves off life support--we pull the plug on how God could have changed the situation. Without faith, you cannot know God, you cannot please God, and you cannot walk with God.
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17
We must learn to trust in God's promises. You see, this was what I have been suffering from. My faith had been choked like the seeds among thorns (Luke 8:14) by every little obstacle I encountered. I somewhat cut myself off from God by not daily reading the Word. I would be drained by giving advice, wisdom and divine insight to everyone else, and I would not use the resource I needed to refuel. I would still spend time praising and worshipping God--communicating in a one-sided way to Him--which is not communicating! So all the while my faith is withering away, because I am not using all of my lifelines to God. Yep, I was in desperate need of revival. God laid it on my heart that much like I cultivate friendships with others by spending time with them and talking to them, I needed to spend time with Him and talk to Him--but more importantly allow Him to talk back to me.
We need to revive our praise, our worship, and our communication to God. All of these things are essential to developing our faith. But the most important thing I learned is that we cannot do only one or two of them and not the other. We must give them all to Him: all of the praise, all of our worship. We must communicate with Him else the lines of communication get warped and we turn away from Him. Go back to God because He wants it all. Let the love of God within you revive your faith in His works and restore you to life.
"But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat." Luke 8:54-55
--
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord. Isaiah 54:17
This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." Romans 1:17
I apologize for the hiatus...as life goes on, many are the road blocks. In my case, much of my own problems were caused because of my own "busyness". I hope you all enjoy! Be blessed and I plan to bring you more soon!
Marquita
Revive means to restore life, to bring back from the dead. Because God through Jesus Christ is life to us, a "revival" is the restoration, the return, the bringing back to Christ. How is a person revived? By a confession of faith in Jesus Christ's sovereignty. Without faith, we cut ourselves off life support--we pull the plug on how God could have changed the situation. Without faith, you cannot know God, you cannot please God, and you cannot walk with God.
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17
We must learn to trust in God's promises. You see, this was what I have been suffering from. My faith had been choked like the seeds among thorns (Luke 8:14) by every little obstacle I encountered. I somewhat cut myself off from God by not daily reading the Word. I would be drained by giving advice, wisdom and divine insight to everyone else, and I would not use the resource I needed to refuel. I would still spend time praising and worshipping God--communicating in a one-sided way to Him--which is not communicating! So all the while my faith is withering away, because I am not using all of my lifelines to God. Yep, I was in desperate need of revival. God laid it on my heart that much like I cultivate friendships with others by spending time with them and talking to them, I needed to spend time with Him and talk to Him--but more importantly allow Him to talk back to me.
We need to revive our praise, our worship, and our communication to God. All of these things are essential to developing our faith. But the most important thing I learned is that we cannot do only one or two of them and not the other. We must give them all to Him: all of the praise, all of our worship. We must communicate with Him else the lines of communication get warped and we turn away from Him. Go back to God because He wants it all. Let the love of God within you revive your faith in His works and restore you to life.
"But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat." Luke 8:54-55
--
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord. Isaiah 54:17
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