Daily Devotion #2

Like a Child

But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14 NASB

I just had to write about this!  I often think about how to worship and praise God, whether I am doing it right.  I have learned that there is no particular right way to praise and worship God, as long as your act of worship is from the heart.  With that said, my precious god-daughter definitely showed me that there is no shame in praising God!  I go further and generalize this by saying there is no shame in working for God, having a relationship with God, or being obedient to God's call.

She is 20 months old, and learning to talk--a lot.  I enjoyed spending the weekend with her and her mom, but the best part of it was when we went to church yesterday morning.  She loves music and loves to dance, so when the praise and worship part of service was going on, she was watching the praise dancers and clapping along with everyone else.  She stood up and danced a little too.  But what helped me refocus--because I got distracted in anger at how some people were dressed (I was raised that you wear appropriate clothes to church, not last night's club wear...but I digress, because if that is all that you have, then go right ahead and come)--was when she raised her hands in worship and waved her little hands.  I was already moved by the music and definitely the sermon (God was speaking DIRECTLY to me and I would be foolish to ignore that), but when I saw her, in her innocence, praising God, I had cry.  Regardless of your age, God is calling out to you.  Young or old, black or white, man or woman, God is calling out to us all.  He does not want us to hold back our praise, our worship and especially in our relationship with Him because we do not want to be different or stand out from others.  He wants us to come to Him in honesty and truth, innocence like a child, and humbled.  I was truly humbled by that because sometimes with tradition, you do not fully understand why some things are done. 

I do not really think she understood, but then again I may be wrong.  I think that she was doing what she saw others doing, because that is how children learn at that age, by repeating what they see and hear.  At any rate, her innocence humbled me and showed me that regardless of my age, I cannot be afraid to yield to the Spirit, or to go to God and do what He wants.  I must follow Jesus' example and imitate Him.  And the same goes for you; in whatever God is calling you to do, do not be afraid to do whatever God is calling you to do, even if you do not clearly understand.  God will honor your willingness to obey and He is faithful to order your steps.

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 18:3 NIV

Daily Devotion

Thank God For What He Did Not Allow

 

He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." Exodus 15:26 NLT

 

This was another one of those topics that stuck with me.  I had to go back through my memory bank Sunday morning in church because I think this is something I myself need to be reminded of.  A lot of times when a person is feeling down, the typical form of "encouragement" is to tell that person to count their blessings.  I think there is nothing wrong with counting your blessings, but when you are depressed or sad, who really wants to count their blessings?  If you are in a foul mood, you don't have the heart half of the time to thank God for what He has done for you primarily because of your mood.

As I sat reading a devotion I think, this stuck in my mind.  Where would I be had God allowed some things His angels and He himself interceded on my behalf to prevent?  The first and only thing I could think of was--DEAD.  I would be dead had the Holy Spirit not urged me to get off the freeway in San Francisco.  I would be dead had my plane not stopped sliding on the dry runway.  I would be dead had I not gone to the health center my junior year.  I would be dead if I had not gotten a kidney before I did.  I would be dead if I did not see the 18-wheeler getting over in front of me when I first got my license.

God is a great God...the only God and through His Son's sacrifice, we are now His sons and daughters.  If you are a parent, wouldn't you go to great lengths to preserve the life of your child?  What would have happened had you not kept their tiny hands from the outlet, the iron, those pain killers??

The scripture above is God telling the children of Israel what He would protect them from if they were obedient to Him.  Deuteronomy 28 denotes the blessings and curses that they would fall subject to if they were obedient to God.  Because they could not be obedient and were not obedient, God sent His precious Son Jesus to redeem and rescue from that curse.  Moreover, God protects us and prevents things far worse from happening to us.  So while you complain about that pain in your back, remember that God kept you from paralysis, or while you look at that surgery scar, remember how God blessed you with the doctor that caught whatever it was before it multiplied.

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."  Galatians 3:13 NLT

Daily Devotion

Have You Come Full Circle?

 

"He restored the chief cupbearer to his position. So the cupbearer put the cup in Pharaoh's hand."  Genesis 40:21 NASB

 

Today is March 11, 2011.  I think back last year this time...I would have been working a few more hours to get ready to go home to help my mom and spend time with my dad who was declining from liver cancer.  And I'm sorry, I have to cry because things have truly come full circle for me.  11 days later...11 days from today will be a year since God called my daddy home to be with Him, to give him the rest he needed.  I think of the time after that, where I endured pain no person should have to experience, but all in the glory of God to draw me to Him for everything.

 

The scripture above is what happened after Joseph interpreted the chief baker and chief cupbearer's dreams.  The chief baker was hung and the chief cupbearer was restored to his position.  Sometimes after things happen, we are sometimes worse than we were before they happened.  I know I was much worse off after my daddy died.  But if it wasn't for my continual cries to God in prayer, and I know it had to be His own love for me, that God restored me to better than I could have ever imagined.  Like the cupbearer, God restored me to position as His beloved daughter, flaws and all.  He took all that pain and hurt I was holding away and replaced it with His love.  Now, no one can replace my daddy, and nor have I tried to occupy that role with any person, but God has filled that void with such wonderful memories that I cannot ask for anything but that right now. 

 

Maybe today you are going through something difficult.  But know and trust in the very essence of who God is.  Rest in the fact that God is a great and compassionate father, that loves us unconditionally.  Maybe like me you experienced some hurtful loss or something that seems unfair, like unexpected illness.  In Psalm 34:19, the Psalmist says "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."  So everything that you are experiencing, give it to God and see if He doesn't deliver you.  See if He doesn't restore that loss, see if He doesn't heal you...trust God because He is not a man that He should lie to us.  Have faith enough to believe that God will do what He says.  If you are only halfway around that circle, keep pushing because God will restore you if you believe it.  Better days do await us all.

 

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up."  Psalm 71:20 NIV

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"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

Get Rid of the "Lent" in Your Pocket

"So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then."  1 Peter 1:14 NLT

Good evening...rather good early morning!  The season of Lent officially began for us Western Christians on Wednesday, with the celebration of Ash Wednesday.  Lent is symbolic of the 40 days that Christ fasted in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil.  Ashes represent mourning and a repentant spirit.  Traditionally, the season of Lent is marked by fasting and has evolved that people often give up something, namely meat.  I decided that I would give up anything that I feel is coming between me and spending more time with God...and so I would also let go of those things and make a serious effort to give that time to God. 

So this Tuesday and earlier today, I got my new bedroom set.  When I finally broke down my bed on Monday, I began to clean away things that had been collecting around the room, like lint and dust.  Have you ever noticed how annoying dust and lint is?  It seems to collect in the most arbitrary of places, like on your clothes, in pockets, corners, anywhere!  That made me think...sin is much like that, weaseling its way into our lives and setting up shop there unless we take action.  Some things are harder to eliminate than others, i.e. dust bunnies in the corner and that straggling lint that collects on the dryer after you have cleaned the lint filter.  But these things must be cleaned away, and the only way to get rid of sin is to repent and ask God to deliver us from it.  Likewise, the only way to get rid of lint is to see it and throw it away.  But within our own power, we can never truly get rid of all of it, we always have to use a lint remover like tape or something.  And I know you know that we cannot eliminate our own sin...but must pray continually to God for deliverance.

The difference is being delivered from something forever and just a temporary fix is in how we live.  If we seek to live for God, and do His will, and allow Him to order our steps...then eliminating sin is no big deal--for God that is.  It is when we try to keep living like we used to live and do the same things we used to do...then we very soon revert back to our old mind state and behaviors.  Romans 12:2 tells us "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."  The only way we can eliminate sin is to give it up completely to God, and renew our minds continually.  Why the mind part--because we are creatures of habit.  Until you break a habit, you will keep doing it without a conscious thought. 

So  take that step, or at least recognize that you need God's help because the only way that you can get past where you are is to put one foot in front of the other in hopes of moving on.  You will never change for the better while you are still clutching the past for dear life.

"Don't lie to each other. You've gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, and you've become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator."  Colossians 3:9-10 GWT

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"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

Experiencing True Comfort and Peace

 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ."

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NASB

 

Happy Tuesday--or Joyeux Mardi Gras I should say!  I'm kinda sad I didn't have enough leave stored up to go this year...but I'll be going next year for sure and to Essence this year. 

 

Anyway, I'm glad I wrote yesterday...because God came thru again with confirmation for me.  I think yesterday was one of the saddest days I have had in a while.  I was trying to save my brother's new cell phone number yesterday and accidentally selected my daddy's name in my phone.  I added the number and deleted the old one...then I saw that it was my daddy's number.  I broke down and cried all day mostly.  You see, this month marks the year anniversary of his passing, and I have been sort of silently suffering.  I'll put a Facebook status up here and there, but I never really cry in front of anybody, and try to grieve alone as not to upset anyone.  But when I deleted his number, I was heartbroken all over again...I thought about the things I won't get to have, but I mainly thought about how much I have had to change and grow since he died.  Maybe you think I could have simply put the number back in my phone...but I didn't know it by heart like I do my moms number.  Cell phones have made me quite lazy at remembering things and then I would always call the house to talk to him.  I also think I may be blocking out things too to avoid the hurt...but anyway I had finally gotten to a place where I stopped crying about it and focused on moving my old furniture out of my room for the delivery of my new bedroom set today. 

 

Then I remembered that I had to call one of my best friends back.  Now I know its no secret that I have the gift of gab and have always made friends easily.  The people that are my closest friends now have been there for me at different points in my life. This friend and I have been friends since 2002, nearly ten years now.  Our birthdays are a day apart, me being older :D.  I was supposed to be going up to see her this weekend.  We talked, and do you know God does what He always has a way of doing, comforted me.  You see, I sent a text out to my close friends last week, just letting them know I love them very much and how I had gotten confirmation about some things.  And my act of obedience to the Spirit's leading resulted in many of them texting me back that they needed it at that time, and that they love me too.  But my friend, my sister, and now my soror (smile love :p), blessed me in the biggest way yesterday.  See her mom had a stroke that same day I sent the message as she was on the plane out of the country.  I had just gotten a message from her to send my itineraries to her.  I read my devotions, and of course, they confirmed things for me; then I felt the urge to send a message to my friends.  So she didn't get that message till she landed, along with the knowledge about her mom.  But God!  God allowed the Spirit to give my friend comfort and peace through those words, in the midst of a tumultuous situation.  When she could have been worrying, God instead reminded her about the things I had gone through and how I stood on my faith.  As she told me this, I began to cry again, one because of more confirmation, and two--more importantly, that God used my hurt to encourage my friend.  He used my dad and cousin's deaths to make me a better person, a better friend, and to weed out characteristics unlike Him.  He used my hurt to comfort her, and her hurt to in turn comfort me.

 

As I sit here typing, I am crying again.  God is amazing...and even now as I write, I am listening to a song by Kurt Carr...God is A Healer.  Peace awaits us when we go to God with our problems.  Comfort waits on us and is ready to ease our pain in the midst of any situation if we are willing to give it to God.  And when He comforts us, in the midst of any trouble, it is our responsibility to respond to His call when we must reciprocate that comfort for our family, friends, and loved ones.  Sometimes I get bogged down with the worries of the world, simply because I feel the hurt of others.  As I now have two close friends with parents in the hospital, it gives me peace that I can say a word of prayer for them or listen to them in their time of need.  I simply do for them what I would have liked for people to do for me when I experienced my dad's hospitalization and passing.  But because of the nature of who God is, it is His very personality to ease our hurt--now I stand clear to say He will not necessarily take it away all together.  We may not know how it will come, but welcome it.  I cannot change my losses a year later, but I can thank God for getting me through them and making me into a better person because of them.  He allows me to use those experiences and things I face everyday as encouragement to all of you. 

 

The scriptures above...I usually only look at verse 4.  But today, I decided to look at the context of the scripture.  We will have suffering...that's a no-brainer...but the Word also says we will have comfort.  So rest in that...regardless of whatever you may be going through.  As always, I'm here for you and accessible if you need prayer.  Many blessings today!
--
"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

The Gift of Confirmation

 

"May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 GWT

 

After I shed a few tears today, I wanted to be sure I shared with you what I was supposed to write last week.  I have caught myself saying things lately and very shortly thereafter getting confirmation from God on the truths in those things, whether it be through someone else, a devotion I read, or through scripture.  God is amazing, and when you look to make changes about yourself or things in your life, God is faithful to provide that needed confirmation.

 

I believe that God gives us confirmation to assure us that we are headed in the right directions.  When you make certain choices and decisions under the guidance of prayer and heavenly consultation, God will reassure you.  I now realize that confirmation comes to help reinforce your trust in His voice (the Holy Spirit) that is leading you.  I have come to several conclusions about things lately, one primarily that I used to talk too much--in the sense of sharing everything with every body.  Its okay to be willing to share my testimony, but I have learned to be guided by God to do that.  Everyone does not and will not use that information in a good way.  Some people will use it as ammunition to judge your walk or tell you what you are qualified to do.  And let me remind you, you do not need anyone to tell you that you can or cannot do something that God has already ordained you to do.  But after realizing that, I just began to take note of things.  And the conversation that I wrote about last week served as confirmation of that fact, as well as a few other situations that had taken place.  God has given me confirmation of many other things, like some people that I had rightly decided to stop associating with and more things.  But it is in listening to His voice and the Holy Spirit within you that you can recognize the confirmation.  If you need confirmation, He will provide it for you.

 

And as the scripture above says, God will fill you with joy and peace through your faith in Him.  Having faith and knowing that a confirmed notion is from God helps you stay the course.  Because trust the devil will be sure to send some thing or person (unknowingly or knowingly) to try and veer you off your course.  Now I do not believe everyone gets confirmation--why, because they aren't listening or being observant to get it.  Go to God with whatever it is that you need clarity or revelation on.  See if He won't give you a word or act to prove it to you.

 

"For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does."  Psalm 33:4 NLT

--
"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

Come as You Are

 

"As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message."  Galatians 2:6 NLT

 

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 NASB

 

I know I was meant to write this because I remembered it...sometimes I'll get ideas of devotion topics to write and lose them. Obviously they aren't things God wants me to share on.  But this bothered the crap out of me!!! Okay so people!!!!  I haven't found this title in the Bible, but I know it to be doctrine--God is no respecter of persons.  Black, white, brown, blue, man, woman, child, old people, young people, etc, God does not love you any less or any more than the next person.  God does not rank me a better Christian because of my deeds and it applies to you as well.  That alone should let you know that He will accept you and every flaw, every piece of luggage you carry with you, and every single thing about you.  Jesus healed lepers, the outcasts of society, so I know He can do anything for us if we are willing to let Him do His work.

 

I was particularly angered at a conversation I had yesterday with a friend.  I have noticed many Christians, regardless of age, are very judgmental.  And the sad part about this is that so many souls are at stake.  So many lives hang in the balance because some so-called Bible Thumping Christian gives them a witness that casts stones at the things they do.  I do not believe that one sin outweighs another, but I do believe that God can forgive them all.  I'm not saying I agree with things or accept them because I don't agree with a lot of things.  But God loves each and every one of us in spite of ourselves, whether we are a two-faced back-stabber, a liar, a cheater, or even a Hypocrite.  When Jesus died, His death absolved us of the condemnation to an eternity in hell without Him.  It is by believing in Him and accepting Him that we are saved--Jesus' action saved us, not being a "Good Christian!"  I mentioned some of my plans to her, and she immediately began to question my behaviors. The Spirit reminds me that it is God who qualifies us for whatever His will is for us...not anyone else!  I learned to control my anger yesterday, and let the Spirit speak for me...whether it fell on receptive ears, I don't know.

 

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  John 8:7

 

I love reading the story of the Adulterous Woman because it reminds me of the compassion God has for us.  He is our defense against any that come to accuse us.  We are NOT condemned people--the Spirit will convict you if you listen, and yes we are to turn away from sin.  But most people fail to realize that it is God that does the transformation, because in your own power you cannot do any true change.  We cannot change unless we allow God to change us, to teach us to walk in love, and to literally tear off the old you.  I was glad He made me over, and is still doing so, because that conversation could have went a whole different route.  God does not judge you by how you dress, or the music you listen to.  He looks at your heart...are you willing to allow Him to use you for His work?  Are you willing to allow Him to take the wheel and steer you where He needs you to go?  Are you willing to get up and pick your cross back up to follow Him when you get off track?  We inherit righteousness from Christ and many other wonderful things...but not a single one of those things gives us the right to judge someone else.  If you feel strongly about something, you should pray for that person and watch God work...because He may not fix what you see wrong in that person, but He will definitely change how you see and make major changes in your life.  It all boils down to walking in love, agape love that is, that unconditional love a parent is supposed to have for a child, forgiving all wrongs.  We can come to God where we are and He will change us into that perfect reflection that He desires us to be.

 

"You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things."  Romans 2:1 NLT

--
"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