Daily Devotion #2

The Finished Act

 

"Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."  John 19:30

 

My mom's friend told me something a few weeks ago now: we spend too much time focused on the sin than being focused on Jesus.  But think about it, its true!  How many churches focus on the sins of the congregation, than preaching of the finished act that Jesus completed at Calvary--the redemption of our souls from eternal damnation.  I have been thinking about it long and hard because I am one of those people that condemns myself.  If I do something wrong to someone, I immediately feel guilt (not that this is a bad thing, because it isn't).  However, I will stay sad or just meditate over whatever it is without forgiving myself and giving the issue to God.  I think so much about it, that I miss out on the fact that God delivers me when I come to Him in forgiveness.  Like truthfully, I have not been spending as much time as I need to in God's presence, just reading and studying the Word...which directly corresponds to the number of devotions I have written the last few weeks.  I have been praying and thanking Him, but not giving Him the time I should.  So of course, instead of asking forgiveness and asking Him to renew my mind, I just feel guilty about my lack of communication with Him.  But God!!

 

God already knows what you are going to do before you do.  This does not excuse sin.  But we must remember that within ourselves we cannot fully commit to change.  Only God can fully change us.  We must submit everything before Him for His power to flow through and move those things that we struggle with, including our plans, desires, and people.  I cannot go to God about something, pray about it, and then try to change it myself; that's being an Indian giver lol.  I end up taking back whatever I asked His help with to try and fix it within my own power.  That is impossible.  I exhibit a lack of faith because I don't trust God to take care of whatever the situation is.  If I focus on Jesus and the help that He provides, I don't focus on my problems, I don't focus on my illnesses, or whatever the case may be.  I give God the free reign He desires from me to really make those mountains move.  I can say it all day long, but until I turn my thoughts and attention to Jesus, nothing major can get done.  We've got to open our fists and stop clutching these things that are holding us back from walking in the fullness of God.  You cannot expect anything to happen if you are holding on to something--because obviously you have done what you think would fix the situation and it did not work.  Focus on God, ask forgiveness if you sin, give whatever your struggle is to Him, and again Focus!! Focus on what Jesus has already done and let that empower you to be focused on Jesus' ability to work through you.  Let God bring to pass the things He has for you...be a willing vessel for His use.  Don't continue to give Satan the victory by staying in guilt and sin...as a believer in Jesus Christ you are a child of the Most High God and there is nothing impossible for Him.

 

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  Romans 12:2

Daily Devotion

The Gift of Kindness

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."  Proverbs 16:24

Hi everybody!  I guess you've realized by now, I take breaks lol.  I get distracted and don't write like I should, and that is something I am working on.  The last few weeks have been great, and nothing but a testament of who God is.  Last devotions I wrote were about how God travailed over my finances to get me what I need.  And sure enough, I learned to leave things at His feet.  I wanted to share with you what it means to be kind to others.  The above scripture speaks of how kind words impact us.  I wish I could have found a brain study...but its a known fact that kind words do us all some good!

 

Well I had been feeling discouraged about writing my devotions and thought to stop them altogether because one of the people closest to me asked me to stop sending them to her.  Now disclaimer, lol, I don't have to send them to you.  You can gladly check the blog at your leisure, and it won't hurt my feelings...reply afterwards!  Then my linesister sent an email that truly made my day.  It was her being her, keeping it 100, and telling me exactly what I needed to hear.  Another friend posted some encouraging words a day or so later to my facebook wall.  And me being the mush ball that I tend to be, I started tearing up because I just really needed that encouragement to keep going.  You know it gets hard when it seems the world is against you--or at least the people that you think should be there for you are against you.  And this scripture perfectly says how those words felt to me.  It helped to heal the hurt I felt from that friend and showed me that even if all are against me, God can always send that one to say or do whatever I need to keep pushing forward.  So keep being kindhearted to others because you never know what your words are saving them from.

 

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."  Matthew 7:12

Daily Devotion

When It Rains

"In spite of that, he commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven." Psalm 78:23

Good evening beautiful people!!  How are you enjoying this wonderful winter weather day?  Its been raining all morning and day here in Charleston while in other places you were blessed with the white stuff that I have come to despise lol.  Well in obedience to God, before I posted or called anyone with my good news, I am writing about it.  I learned many lessons this weekend and truthfully in the last 10 days.  Lets recap, shall we, lol?  Last night I talked about the importance of diverting your attention from your own problems and circumstances and being willing to be used to bless someone else.  Once you stop negatively meditating on a problem, you allow your faith to turn on and you actually allow God to do His work.  You focus on being a blessing to someone else long enough, see if your fear and worry don't disappear.  And Saturday, I told you to keep pressing on toward the ultimate goal.  You see, every person's faith goes through valleys and mountains...its called the Law of Undulation (see that devotion if you need to!)  When you get into the trenches of that valley experience, where nothing a soul says to you clears away that frustration, or where you don't even feel that uttering a single word of prayer will help you, think again because it will.  When you refuse to give in to the devil and you keep pressing ahead, and you finally get the humility to look beyond your problems, that when God can open the windows and doors of heaven to rain down a blessing for you.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."  Malachi 3:10
"This is what I will do if you will live by my laws and carefully obey my commands:  then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit."  Leviticus 26:3-4

The two preceding scriptures illustrate the consequence of obeying God.  But I also look at it as trying God at His word.  If you simply are willing to try God at what He says, look at what you can receive!  Look at the abundance of blessings that He promises.  Ask a farmer if it isn't a blessing to receive a good harvest of their planted crops.  They are rewarded by their diligence and obedience to the laws of planting and harvesting.  You can't over-water or over-light a plant and expect it to yield at the fullest.  Likewise with neglecting them; you simply cannot yield a good crop.  God tells us what He will do for us when we try Him at His word.  I had to learn that after crying my eyes out and praying, and stressing and even a little doubting.  When I took my focus off of my problem--because it could have been much, much worse--God went ahead and laid out the royal treatment.  Okay so testimony time: I went to my kidney appointment this morning; I got there around 9 because of the weather.  I got my labs and decided to wait around in the waiting area until time for my appointment.  1st blessing: labs went without error, minus the fact that the lady made my blood splash out a little (I could tell she was new).  2nd blessing: I was called back early because not too many people actually made it in this morning because of the weather...and I love the rain! 3rd blessing: my lingering cough and annoying sinuses are being eliminated via antibiotics as I type lol. 4th blessing: my doctor came right in the room and I was done in about 20 minutes.  Then he told me that because I'm stable and have been for a while, that I will see him a year from now and only have to get my labs done once every three months now!!!!!!! Healthy.  I haven't heard that word in reference to me in a long time now.  I have had health challenge after health challenge, both physical and mental...and to be told I do not have to come back for a year!!! Hallelujah thank you Father!!!!   Okay so I left the doctor's office and eventually headed over to the car dealership.  I didn't see my all-beloved Honda lol when I got there but hey...God knows what He is doing.  5th blessing:  So after being denied 3 times God finally said yes.  He set everything up so that the money I received from the death of my sweet Tina (smile it was my Civic lol) was more than enough!  He blew my mind every step of the way and do you know what else He blessed me with? PEACE!!! I had peace the whole day.  I was not pressed because I have my friend's car so I wasn't worried if I didn't get a car today.  But God But God BUT GOD!!! 

So today I tell you to welcome the rains...because after the rain is the harvest!  Remember that He always has the final say.  Because God possesses all things, it is not beyond Him to supply those things that you need.  We needed salvation, redemption, restoration, and reunion and who did He send??? JESUS!!!  God loves us, more than we can ever truly know.

"For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within.  But God, who comforts the downcast..." 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NIV

--
"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
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com

Daily Devotion

Divert Your Attention

"He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God."  2 Corinthians 1:4 GWT

Good evening everybody!! I tried to get this out before it became a new day.  Obviously you know by now that I learn something new every single day, and I thank God for it!!  So yesterday I was pretty sad because of all the difficulties I have been facing with replacing my car...and quite frankly I had been having a pity party.  Well so God will work on our behalf once we step out of His way.  I'm learning and accepting that as I seek Him for direction in regards to where I should go to get my new car.  I told all of my friends that pray for me of the disappointments I had so far.  God used my twin (smile Kia) to encourage me yesterday.  She is an awesome minister out in Memphis, TN that I attended college with.  Of course, Kia has a powerful testimony and with our roads running somewhat parallel to each other, it was her turn to give me some encouraging words.  You see, Kia is facing her own difficulties due to her own health issues.  But don't you know when you divert your attention from your own problems, you give God the go-ahead to go work for you?!  As she was sending me encouragement and interceding for me in prayer last night, God performed some miracles for her...which of course helped me see what she was saying to me all along.

I have looked at this scripture above in many different contexts now.  I see the comfort and used it in application to myself when my dad and cousin passed away.  I, in turn, thought about the things that I needed from people but did not get and gave that to my friends that lost loved ones recently.  But look at the latter part--whenever other people suffer.  Yesterday in my suffering, God kept my friend's focus diverted long enough to move some mountains for her.  And of course fortunately for me, I was able to see the lesson in all of it.  I'm going to divert my attention from my problems, my past, and my plans so that God can do His work.  By dwelling on what I do not have and what I cannot do, I am not looking at the blessings God has provided and the ones He will provide.  I was able to divert my attention long enough last night that God opened the door for me to have transportation for the week so that I do not have to rush and find a car.  God used other people to comfort me and in turn worked out things concerning them.  And we all know that God is not a respecter of persons so He can do the same for you and me.  Be encouraged and I pray that you renew your mind long enough to focus on your blessings and be a blessing to someone else so that God can turn around and perfect those things concerning you.  Love ya!

"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."  Psalm 55:22 NLT

Daily Devotion

Pressing On Toward the Ultimate Goal

"Then what you had in the past will seem small compared with the great prosperity you'll have in the future."  Job 8:7 GWT

I'm in probably the worst low I've been in since before my surgery right now.  I pray that everyone had a great holiday season, because truthfully, mine was very difficult.  I had to experience life and the one holiday I truly loved to share with my family with my family not being together.  My dad is no longer here and my other brother was not around.  Actually, it could have been much worse with my little brother nearly dying approximately 10 minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve--resulting in my car being totalled.  Christmas was pretty solemn for me because I had to mentally prepare for the implications of the accident: what would happen? Would I get enough money to cover the balance?  And would I be able to find a car in time if it was declared a total loss.  So many things went through my head and I was bewildered.  I honestly asked God why because after two years of losses, I was in a stupor.  And I just prayed and cried.

 

I wrote this title and scripture last week and could not seem to find the words to write.  So wrapped up in my own hurt and frustrations I could not see the value of pressing on--I kept questioning a little.  But tonight as I sat in front of the computer to write, I looked and read the scripture I found above.  Even today, as I received the 2nd denial further adding to my plight, I was discouraged.  But looking above, I see that God is still on the throne.  He used one of my closest friends to illustrate how pressing on today will give us a better end than what we had before.  God provided manna and quail to feed the Israelites in the wilderness.  He protected Joseph in every one of his plights and elevated him to the second highest position in Egypt.  Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego---were all saved and kept in the midst of fires.  Dare I say the story of Job????  The ultimate goal is salvation yes--but it is also remaining faithful in the most disparate of situations.  The ultimate goal is trusting God wholeheartedly, not worrying and resting on the validity of His words.  He said He will provide ALL of your needs!  God is the only God--He can and will do anything!  He restores, He heals, He delivers, and He always provides.  I guess right now I'm holding on to the promise this scripture and Romans 8:28 because ultimately, I want God to see my worth and continue to impart His grace upon my life.  Like everything else that has happened, this too will work out for my good!  So be encouraged if you are facing difficulties right now; God still works miracles and is always up for the challenge!

 

"Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan."  Ephesians 1:11

Daily Devotion #2

The Blessing Paradigm

 

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it."  Psalm 37:5 NASB

 

It must be something I'm supposed to get today because sheesh I'm getting things drilled into my head right now!  Everyone is familiar with the concept of trust.  For a very long time, up to about a few minutes ago (2:45pm EST, lol), I have always believed that trust is something to be earned, not to be given freely; however, in believing that, I had not always done that.  In fact, you should trust people until they give you a reason not to trust them with forgiveness in your heart, very similar to the innocent until proven guilty concept.  Also, you must pay attention when people do give you that reason not to trust them because often we overlook or degrade a person's behaviors that indicate other that great intentions as menial character flaws.  Sometimes God tries to warn us of those that do not need to be in our lives right away--which requires us to trust in Him and the spirit of discernment; but that's another topic :D.

 

The reason I now believe that we should trust immediately is because God expects us to trust Him immediately.  How else do you receive blessings, or answered prayers?  HOW?? By trusting God.  The above scripture tells us to trust God.  You cannot receive something from God if you don't first believe that He will do it.  I'm in a position right now that I must trust and believe God.  I must hold Him to His Word because I don't have any other choice.  The entire scripture is a faith act.  We must activate our faith in giving over our plans to God, we must activate that faith by trusting God to do what He has already said, and we must wait in faith of that trust until it comes to pass.

 

God blesses us because He loves us.  Once you recognize that, you must trust that God will always make things line up for our good!  If you don't trust God, that means you are gonna do whatever you think is best, instead of being obedient to His will for your life.  And unfortunately, that is not activating your faith...which shuts you out from the abundance He has in store for you.  To get the blessings, you must give it to God, trust that He's gonna work it out, and wait for it to get done, whether it is immediately or not!

 

"Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble."  Psalm 55:22 BBE

Daily Devotion

Enable Your GPS--God's Planning System 

 

""This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you."  Jeremiah 30:2

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I pray that you are blessed today!!! I just got an awesome revelation from Habakkuk 2:2.  I have been teetering back and forth on the way ahead for things in my life and its because I don't know the next step.  God gave me a vision of what He wants from me, but truthfully, out of fear of what's next, I have not made much progress in going forward.  Many of my devotions have been saying, write the vision...write the vision.  But today, out of curiosity, I looked up that scripture and read all of the translations of it.  I also read the related scriptures to it.  It rang out clear in my heart, I haven't written down everything that God has told me to do, nor did I write a plan of action for it.  So how can I truly seek to bring to pass the things He wants for me, with no plan to do so?  How can you do what God wants from you if you don't have the course of action for it?  You can't get somewhere without directions unless you have been there before...and if you haven't memorized the directions you're going to have to keep looking back at them for guidance.

 

The Bible is the inspired Word of God.  God gave every author the vision and they wrote what He said, whether it be from a conversation or from recounted events.  He had the prophets write down their experiences, the dreams and visions He gave them, and the plans that He wanted to take place.  But note the words of Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run."  The one who reads it may run--I take that to mean, run forward with the plan, carrying out what God says, doing His will, being obedient, follow the directions!  For example--when I bake a cake, I get all of the ingredients out along with the instructions and prepare myself for that task.  I read the instructions, step by step, being careful not to rush ahead and to do things in the correct order so that once I've finished that task, it is completed correctly.  You cannot do what God is asking of you without His direction.  Taking that opportunity to literally write down the vision God gave you and forging ahead to develop a plan of action will help you--because God will provide you the means and plans to do it! 

 

Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established."  I believe that this applies here because if we give everything, including the vision that God gives us to Him, God will see to it that whatever we do is in proper order and works out to our good.  If you are in a position like me, I encourage you to use that ultimate resource and get to work on writing your vision.  I can't tell you enough how GREAT our GOD is!!!!!  He will make it clear to you, for you to understand.

 

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it."  Psalm 37:5

 

--
"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
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com