Today's Devotion

In Stagnant Water

 

Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.  Psalm 49:14 NIV

 

I think about the one word to encapsulate what my life has been here, and what came to mind is stagnant.  And once I realized that, I realized how bad it was.  I digress though because my entire time here has not been stagnant and the enemy wants me to keep thinking that.  God has given me so much in the midst of adversity--life, health, sustenance, and even now He keeps blessing me.  Yet some of my life experiences can be qualified as stagnant.  For example, my membership in a church has been stagnant, more because I have not found the one place that I can call home, my fertile soil for growth.  But I thank God that instead He has sought to provide me the spiritual nourishment and nurturing that has allowed me exponential growth in spite of that.  My romantic involvements have been stagnant...and boy oh boy I won't even begin to go there, but just know that God has delivered me from those situations and is teaching me what a true woman of God deserves and more importantly patience until I'm in position, molding me into the ideal wife for my ideal husband.  Even my work life has been stagnant, but God has blessed me and allowed me to grow tremendously in other ways.  But I want to help you understand stagnant water and how it may be affecting you and your walk.  The beauty is that out of stagnancy--out of that decay--can come new life if you are willing to pursue it.

 

From my own knowledge, stagnant in itself means not moving, not flowing, to the point of a bad smell.  The only things that grow in stagnant water are mosquitoes (which bring us pain and aggravation), germs (which make us sick), decay (which means its time to cut something off), and death.  And perfect that this plague my thoughts...so what waters are you drinking from?  I have drank from both sides, experienced the pain and aggravation of literal and figurative mosquito bites and the soothing salve that takes the sting and itch away.  I have been sick spiritually from battling the truth I know against the reality of the natural.  I have been sick physically and mentally.  I have, or rather God, had to cut off ways of thinking I had, people I used to hang with but in the midst of that God has stepped in and filled those voids in my life with Himself, allowing me to truly experience what living water is and how I can get more and more of it and it never run out, it keeps on flowing.  I have experienced death--deaths of loved ones, relationships, attitudes and dreams...all of that from allowing the foul odor of stagnancy to stink up my thoughts.  But it has been through these situations that God has been filling me with His water, His word, and His plans.

 

Jesus told the woman at the well that He had living water (John 4:10).  Living waters are like our creeks, streams, and rivers, constantly moving and flowing, brimming with life.  Going to God, getting deeper in relationship with Him, just pursuing and thirsting after Him and understanding of Him causes His waters to rain afresh on you each day.  Dying to self (the decay, the stagnancy), allows God to renew you and give you new life.  However, it is when we drink the waters that look good--self-indulgence, self-gratification, pleasing others, or in my case, always trying to fit in when I knew I never would, that's how you become stagnant and stunted in your growth. 

 

A thought comes to mind from a conversation I had earlier today.  A close friend of mine will be leaving our job next week, and after talking with her, I kept coming back to stagnant.  This environment is like a stagnant pool of water.  Usually what enters here becomes tainted by the stench of power, racism and bigotry, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.  God allows us to go into stagnant situations because we bring the light, His light in and clear out the odor. We are His light bearers!  What happens when the sunlight hits a stagnant pool of water?  After a period of time, it evaporates!  The light kills everything that grew in that pool because it no longer can exist without the water.  God is that light, and when we thirst after Him even in foul situations, His light shines through us and changes the nature of that situation.  I challenge you today to thirst after God (Psalm 42:1) and His plans for you, so that you can be the vessel to channel His light in foul waters, bringing His life-giving waters to others.  He is the only way!

"Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay."  Romans 8:20-21 NLT

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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/

Today's Devotion

Divine Provision

"Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son."  Genesis 22:13 NASB

I'm not sure if you have read Genesis lately, but this story has been on my mind for many days now.  God has been telling me lately that He has already made provision.  I have been praying on many things, my move, my issues at work, lost relationships, and just where my life is going.  I'll tell you, the enemy should have patted himself on the back for the discord and confusion he spread in my life.  But I digress, because God has already given me a way of escape from all of this; all I have to do is remain in faith and keep trusting God for my manifestation.  Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knew us before He formed us in the womb.  He already knew everything that was going to happen to us--He knew the mistakes we would make, the friends we would choose, the relationships we would batter, and how life would go for us.  Psalm 139:16 reminds us that all of our days have been recorded.  So God ALREADY knows!  He already knows.

Our power lies in our remaining in faith until the thing we are waiting for manifests.  In the passage surrounding today's scripture, God told Abraham to take his promised son Isaac to be sacrificed to him.  Oh I pray I had Abraham's obedience!  But I guess I can get it after waiting for the promise to manifest like Abraham did with Isaac.  He took Isaac on the 3-day journey to the region of Moriah as God directed.  The key in these scriptures lies in Abraham being willing to sacrifice his only son--his son of promise--to God BUT holding on to the promise that God would provide.(Gen 22:8)  Some chapters back, God told Abraham his descendants would be like the sands on the beach and the stars in the sky--innumerable (prior to Ishmael).(Gen 15:5)  So he knew God would have to make a provision, He had to provide something.  And likewise for you--if you are believing God for anything, you must stand in faith on the promises of His holy word to come true for you. 

Don't allow the enemy to keep you crippled because of sin in your life.  Repent, turn away from it and go back to the Lord like the Prodigal Son!  Don't allow the naysayers in the crowd to tell you death has come to what you are seeking God for, only believe, like Jesus instructed Jairus in the healing of his daughter. (Mark 5:35)  Keep asking God, pray unceasingly for your breakthrough.  Don't let diagnosis after diagnosis tell you restoration of healing is unattainable, be like the woman with the issue of blood and grasp the hem of His garment!(Mark 5:28)  Trust God and stand in faith on the promises of His word.  God already made provision for you before you were formed in the womb.  Before your mother even knew she would have you, God has already provided for you.  Even when Job lost everything, he stood firm in his faith and God restored EVERYTHING he lost twofold.  Trust God and praise Him in advance to usher in your breakthrough!

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."  Genesis 22:14 NASB

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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/

Today's Devotion

Time to Lift Your Anchor

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."  Psalm 55:22

I know I have used this scripture before, but it is so appropriate.  For many days now it has been on my mind how often we let our regrets keep us anchored in the past.  I thought for a while of all the things I regret, most importantly, moving back to South Carolina.  But then I quickly remember how God allowed me to restore my relationship with my father, connect with and minister to my cousin and other family members, share my story (the part that so far has been written), experience true love (even if it was short-lived), and just grow in leaps and bounds.  My past few years have been like the pressure that carbon goes under to become a diamond, and I know I will shine once God is through with me.  I am sure every one knows what an anchor is, but for clarity's sake, I'll define it here:  An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current.  (Thanks Wikipedia!) 

Many times in life we need an anchor and should be led of the Spirit to the correct ones.  The most important anchors include our faith, the Word of God, and His Spirit that all serve to keep us grounded in the truth of who God is and what plans He has for us.  However, there are times when our own negative meditations on the effects of past choices and decisions serve to sever us from our lifeline, our anchor in God.  We become so focused on what should, would or could have been had we not made that choice or on the more popular, 'I wish I'd never ____ (fill in what you wish you never had done, experienced, said, etc).  It is when we focus on the problem instead of finding the solution, through the heavenly direction only the Father can give, that we lose hope.  We become submerged, much like an anchor, into the miry clay that forms our past.  We take that same clay and build homes there, and reside in the pains of lost loves, lost jobs, failed families and relationships, until we are shaken to the core by a divine intervention.

Ships only drop anchor when they are at a port.  Usually in most cases, the porting of said ship is a temporary thing.  We are to revisit our past only for the purpose of forgiveness (be it ourselves or others) and to understand the lesson that God was teaching us.  Notice that when the ship's time to depart has come, the anchor is reeled up and the ship leaves to go to the next destination.  Do not allow your regrets to keep you bound to the place that God has already made provision for you to leave!  Your provision is in the death and resurrection, the extension of God's grace to you that insured your life.  Jesus died so that you can let go and go to the next place, the place He has prepared for you!  God promises to sustain you.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:"  Psalm 37:5 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/

Today's Devotion #2

Testifying on God's Behalf

 

So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.  Acts 8:25

 

I think its public knowledge that I had a kidney transplant.  But what many people don't know, and what I only found out at my 3 year appointment this year is how it was done.

 

God is amazing, and when He calls you for His own personal use, He will make it crystal clear that you know and cannot doubt it.  So I'm not sure if you know, but I had a transplant January 7, 2009.  Prior to that, I was diagnosed with kidney disease in February of 2006 after God saved me then.  I was scheduled for a routine kidney biopsy that would only require me to stay in the hospital overnight.  Nothing about that morning was normal; see I had never been sick.  But by God, my doctor ordered additional labs only to discover my dangerously low platelet count.  Had he done my biopsy, I would have bled to death.  But God saved me for a reason.

 

Fast forward to right before my transplant.  I didn't have to experience the debilitation of dialysis, which is miraculous in itself.  I was worked up and ready for transplantation within 4 weeks of my education class, which was another miracle.  I did not have to wait years for a kidney like most people do; I had friends and family volunteering to save my life.  All of this overwhelmed me at how fast things happened.  But I decided to pray Gideon's prayer (casting out a fleece, Judges 6:17) that if it was His will for my life, that I have peace and provision to cover me with my surgery. You see, I had only been working for about 2 months, did not have enough leave nor did I have money saved for the expenses that would arise.  I went into my surgery that morning with this indescribable feeling of ease and comfort, as well as 8+ weeks worth of leave to cover my time out for recovery.

 

Fast forward again, (smile) to now.  I have had 3 wonderful years of life and only now did I find out my brother was not a match for me.  Yep, he wasn't!  He got one set of DNA from our parents and I got the other.  Other than being a blood relative and us having the same blood type, it was wrong!  But God saved me!!!  He took my brother's kidney and had it functioning within 30 minutes of being removed and placed in me.  Most kidney transplant recipients go back on dialysis until the transplanted kidney begins to work...didn't have to do that either.  God took an imperfect situation and decided to save my life with something that should not have worked!!  I have had no rejection bouts, no major illnesses, and no other diagnoses related to the surgery.  I've prospered in every area of my life and I still live!  So I have to do my part and testify on His behalf.  I must share with people the awesomeness that is God, Yahweh, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rophe, and the list of His names goes on and on.

 

God calls us all to share our testimony.  Yes we have different callings in life, but we are all to share the word of God with someone in need.  You never know what car accident or penny falling from the sky He saved and preserved your life from.  Be willing like the Apostles, to step out in faith and be used by God for something greater than yourself.  When you operate in the boldness and fearlessness that comes with trusting in God, you never know what can happen!  Share your story and bless somebody else!  Love you!

 

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.  1 John 5:9 NASB

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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/

Today's Devotion

Are You Qualified for a Miracle?

 

She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."  Matthew 15:27 ESV

 

For a long time, I wondered what it was that determines if a person receives what they are praying for.  I thought if I prayed enough, God would give me what I was asking for.  In some cases, it was my prayers that got the return on my investment.  I thought if I sowed enough seeds and paid my tithes regularly that God would give me what I was asking for.  In many cases, I didn't get those things.  I thought if I went to church all the time, God would surely answer my prayers and give me what I wanted...nope that wasn't it either.

 

In the scripture above and the scripture that follows, the one key to receiving her miracle was the woman's faith.  It wasn't her nationality, because for her it was the wrong one--she wasn't a Jew.  It wasn't how much she prayed, because even after doing that, she still pleaded with Jesus to deliver her daughter.  It wasn't begging, church attendance, tithing, nope, it was her faith that caused her miracle to come at that instant.  I now look back at the miracles I have received in my life and I recognize it was my inability to accept that God would not bring forth the thing I was asking for that caused me to get it.  In every single situation that I had a miracle or act of God in a major way, it was because I refused to back down and I stood in faith on the word of God.  It gets hard as I have experienced in some recent situations, to keep standing when what you see does not change.  It gets hard to believe God for that relocation and new job (smile--me, lol) when every interviewer tells you that you are not exactly what they are looking for or that you make too much money.  It gets hard to believe God for that healing when your doctors add new medicines or you get an unexpected diagnosis.  It is hard to believe sometimes, but that's when you pray, you sow, you give, and you fast, as professions of your faith. 

 

But I want you to know that you have to press through anyway.  You are qualified for your miracle simply because you believe in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You are qualified regardless of family history, regardless of what some pessimistic hater says, regardless of your own past performance.  God qualified us, just like the Canaanite woman, to receive a miracle without cause.  The only investment you need is your faith.  Keep believing, keep stretching and exercising your faith because God is sure to perform on your behalf.  The only thing you need watch out for is God's answer to your prayer; God promises to provide a miracle whether you are healed right now, healed later, or healed when He calls you home.

"Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once."  Matthew 15:28

Inspirational Thoughts for Today

Use What He Gave You

 

With every bone in my body I will praise him: "LORD, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?"  Psalm 35:10 NLT

 

I am not the best singer, but I can sing and thoroughly enjoy doing it.  I am not the best dancer, but I love to dance.  I am not the greatest writer, but it brings my heart great joy to write devotions, even though I do not write them as often as I should.  I am not an orator, but I will tell practically anyone about the goodness of God and the miracles I have experienced in my life.  I have realized that with every gift and talent God has blessed me with that I can use that talent to bring Him glory and honor.  I can sing on the choir and strengthen my voice, I can dance for the Lord, and I can write my blog postings, and I can share my testimony with anyone in need of encouragement.

 

Often times we let tradition and religion overshadow the gifts we have, and that they are to be used for God, returning to Him the honor in the gift of giving them to us.  You do not have to be Aretha Franklin if you have a song in your heart for God.  You don't have to be Michael Jackson or James Brown to dance for God.  You don't have be a best-selling author to write a few words of encouragement to a friend or family member.  You don't have to a political candidate (although very seldom do you see any of them using their voice for God...just my thoughts, lol) to speak on behalf of God to others.  You can use whatever gifts and talents you have for the good of the Lord. 

I think of the J. Moss song 'We Must Praise' when I think about this.  God does not call us to be perfect...nor should we feel constrained by some unfounded principle.  Use whatever it is He gave you, and bring Him glory with it!  You never know whose life you are supposed to touch.  Just act in faith, step out on the promises of the Word and trust that God will equip you with whatever tools you may need to be successful at what it is He is leading you to do.

 

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord.

Inspirational Thoughts for Today

Zombies to Our Sin

 

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right."  Romans 6:20 NLT

 

Afternoon!!  I pray all is well with you today...and with that I'll jump right into it.

 

Today I had a revelation from God about myself...and the battle with sin in general.  In life, we have become so desensitized to our sin.  We lie without regard for others (even the little 'white' lies), we steal, we cheat...and the list goes on.  But the worst part is that sometimes we are not even conscious of it.  Yep, we have become the movie version of a zombie.  We are mindlessly controlled and directed by our own carnal desires and we continue on without regard.  We become the epitome of a depraved individual and most times have no knowledge of even doing what we are doing.

 

I decided 4 days prior to the beginning of the New Year to make a sacrifice for God and give Him the last 3 days and the first 3 days of my new year.  That extended swiftly after I began reading a book entitled 'Fasting' by Jentezen Franklin.  I must say it has truly changed my life.  But in my desire to serve God and allow Him to move in leaps and bounds in my life, I decided to go without fried foods and sweets for the next month or so.  And if you really know me, I am a often woman of convenience...so Chick-Fil-A is a regular place I stop at for food.  I regularly order the 6-count Kids Meal with a ice cream in place of the toy and many times I get a brownie.  Over the holidays I had so many sweets, between the sweet potato pie I made for Thanksgiving to the Red Velvet Cake I baked for my lil sis before she headed back north...I over did it.  I realized in my life, I seldom force myself to go without anything.

 

With that, I have been doing well.  From resisting the abundance of cakes and pies here at work, to resisting birthday cake this past weekend at my friend's daughter's 1st birthday, I have fought the good fight.  I even resisted fried shrimp last night!  But today, I was caught off guard.  I had just left a meeting, just refilled my water bottle, and sat down at my friend's desk to gather my composure.  She had a pack of Fruit Snacks on her desk, and when I first looked at them, I thought about how much I wanted some, lol.  Don't judge me okay!  Then sure enough, she offered them to me...and I unconsciously opened the pack, only getting a few and ate them.  About 10 minutes later as I was in my car headed back to my own desk, it hit me what I had done.  And I asked God to forgive me, renewed my vow, and just kept thinking about it.  Unconscious.  That's what zombies are.  They are unconscious in their quest for the blood of the living and press onward towards their goal of blood, blindly walking forward.  I know you have seen the zombie movies...and I realized I allowed my own sin to turn me into a zombie.  How many times have I sinned without God in mind and just did whatever I wanted to do, satisfying my wants and desires?  Each time, I was pushing myself further and further away from God.  Fortunately, God has always been gracious enough to call me back to Him.  But what about our brothers and sisters that are not so fortunate to respond to God's call?  They are left depraved...and desensitized.  God is not forceful, so He won't force you to change.

 

I realized today that I do not want to be this way.  I do not want to be a zombie to my own sin and ignorant to the sins I commit.  Our freedom is in repentance and accepting Jesus' already shed blood as our atonement.  Jesus died to free us all.  We are no longer dead to righteousness.  We are dead to sin, we that believe in Christ.  Plug back into Him and come alive today.

 

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."  Romans 6:22 NASB