Daily Devotion

He's Getting You in Line

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."  Genesis 50:20 ESV

I was watching a movie today--Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed.  It was a pretty good movie.  But something one of the characters said stuck with me.  She was a caller into the radio station, and was sharing her testimony.  She had dated many wrong guys, and finally decided to stop everything she was doing to get right.  She had realized that all of her 'Mr. Wrongs' were helping to get her in line, get in line for the right one.  Well all I could think about today was getting in line.  God has allowed a whole lot to transpire in my life for me to get right and get in line with Him.  What things has God allowed to happen in your life, and are you even recognizing them?

I'm sure my friend meant no harm, but she commented how young I looked two years ago.  Two years ago, I was in a totally different place.  I was on a high, somewhat, because I had a new lease on life with my newly transplanted kidney.  I still had some of my innocence.  But in the course of two years, well truthfully less than a full year later, I had lost that light in my eyes, and the blinders of what life really was had fallen off.  I was still hurting and wounded deeply, but I recognize now that had those things not taken place in my life, I would not be in line.  God allowed that hurt and pain to root some things out of me so that I could cut out things that were keeping me from my destiny.  Even now, every hurt I have experienced helped to get me in position to hear God, to pay attention and take heed to the things He plans to work in me. 

God can and will allow whatever He needs to get you in position for His will.  You must recognize that by looking back and observing those things.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 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/

Daily Devotion

Reflecting Season

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

 

Everyone of you that know me, know that I am not one to just simply sit still.  I always have to be doing something, on to the next task or assignment, never sitting to reflect.  But lately, I have been taking a little more time out to look back over my life this far.  And yeah I am only 26 haha, but like everyone, I've lived long enough to experience things.  A lot of times I am not happy at the things that have happened, but what can I really do about it at this point.

 

Reflection is a good thing to do.  It allows you to take the time to look back at the things that have happened in your life and actually identify things you can change.  Yes life is a roller-coaster!  You can expect for you to experience periods of turmoil and difficulty and for there to be times of peace.  It is during those 'peaceful' times that you must look back and take notes on how to deal with what may come.  God prepares us for the things we experience in life, and in wisdom we should always reflect on where our life's journey takes us.  I admit, I have not always looked back on things in an attitude of reflection.  On the contrary, it was always in pain that looked back--I looked back at the things I have experienced that caused me pain.  Instead we should look back at life in triumph, with a victorious attitude, because God has allowed us to get past whatever circumstances we have faced, and He has allowed to keep living.  We all make mistakes, we all fall short, but when we have another day to look back and another day to get up and move forward, we have truly won.

 
'Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'   1 Corinthians 15:57 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

Praise in the Midst

 

"<<A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.>> I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."  Psalm 34:1 KJV

I know I haven't written in while...and truthfully I've been too distracted to write.  I have been hopping on and off the merry-go-round and sometimes the stops haven't been so pleasant.  I can say thank God that my most recent stop was awesome (I turned 26 last Tuesday yay).  It was much better than last year, but I think I was too heartbroken from losing my daddy to enjoy it.  Life and everything in it serve as distraction enough, and when troubles arise, it is easy to forget God or the things He desires of us.  I was reading to catch up on some devotions...because I get like 5-7 everyday and sometimes I just ignore them.  Well its been many days now and I just can't stand looking at the pile of emails any longer...OCD I guess lol.  So the one I just finished was on praise.  And I thought, how can you praise God in the midst of your suffering?  Because I have and I am sure you have too, experienced difficult things in life, where you could not even bring yourself to think of praising God.  I've asked God, "Why did you allow this" or "How can this work out to my good" or "What did I do to deserve that" only to hear nothing.  After some point, someone I trust and confide in will often awaken me from my pity party and remind me of who God is and what He can do.  So I asked myself how can you praise God in the midst?  How can a person like me, who has heard everything  from "People have it worse than you" or "You are so blessed", keep praising God when life knocks you down?

 

And my answer is now that I have to stay in the Word.  God gives us promise after promise that things will work out for our good.  Romans 8:28, which is one of my favorites, was a scripture I recited over and over to myself to encourage myself.  I recently found a few others that help to make the devil flee.  Isaiah 61:7 states, "Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs." NASB  There has been many a day that I have felt shame, either self-inflicted or out of my control, and knowing that God will in essence, give me double for my trouble is comforting.  Luke 1:45 says "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." (NLT)  So by simply believing in Romans 8:28, Isaiah 61:7, and countless other scriptures, I can praise God, even when I don't feel like it.  Even when my mind is running and my heart is heavy, when you experience losses and death, you can still praise God because of the promises in His word.  As I write this right now, I don't feel like praising God because I have my own ambushes to deal with right now.  But some how these things are going to work in my favor because even if they are from the enemy, trusting in God's abilities instead of my own will prove advantageous for me always.

 

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:18 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/

Daily Devotion #2

Your First Love

 

"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me."  Proverbs 8:17 NASB

 

For sometime now, the lyrics of "Go Back" by Israel and New Breed have been on my mind.  A while back, I finally downloaded the song.  Only now in light of some major changes in my life, do I realize why I needed to listen to this song.

 

It was revealed to me that I have always in some way, since I was at least 14 years old, in some type of relationship with a guy.  I either had a boyfriend, a friend or two, or just some guy that liked me, that I would talk to.  Of course, I would develop an attachment to those people.  Instead of seeking after God, I would be more concerned about that person and where our involvement would go.  I got saved and baptized when I was 9 years old.  Don't get me wrong, I was excited about being 'born again' and 'getting saved' and just learning more about God.  But I didn't understand the brevity of the commitment I had taken.  I didn't realize that God, who is love, wanted to love me more than anyone in the world.  More than my momma and daddy ever could.  You could say I had a misconception of God and Jesus for a long time.  But as I learned this about myself, I realized I had never taken the time to love God and let Him love me back.  I had never been in a relationship with God.  Initially, having a boyfriend was just something to do, so I often didn't keep one too long.  But once I had my first few 'serious' relationships, I got into the habit of succumbing to the other person and losing myself by not nurturing my relationship with God.  The truth is I did not know myself, because living a life without a true relationship with God will never allow you to know yourself. 

 

As I experienced situation after situation, sometimes in a relationship, other times not, but still 'talking' to someone, I would question and ask God why, as I built the wall around my heart and against Him.  Why had this person hurt me, when they said they loved me?  Why did I get sick in college, have my kidneys fail right after my 23rd birthday, have a transplant, lose my cousin, and most of all my earthly father--if God loved me, why did He allow it to happen?  Well, as I listened to this song a few nights (literally, I'll play one of my playlists the entire night) I realized it was to draw me closer to Him. It is His turn, He says, to be in a relationship with me. 

 

Many of us, both men and women alike, try to fill the voids with people--family, friends, and romantic relationships.  We then put God on the back right or left burners to simmer and we check in with Him from time to time.  Meanwhile, all the hurts, hang-ups and pains in our lives continue to grow in the back corner like ignored dust bunnies.  And all along, God is back there, reminding us who He is to us and that He wants to save us, heal us, deliver us and make us whole.

 

I know it is often easier said than done to 'be' in a relationship with God.  But like I said, I was saved at 9.  So for me, He really is my first love.  He stirred something within me then that has always sustained the need to return to Him.  I encourage you to evaluate your relationships, and make sure God is your first love--not money, not a person, or some other inanimate thing...because all those things fade and when it comes time for God to call your name it would be sad if He said He doesn't know you.

 

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"  Romans 8:35 NASB

Daily Devotion

The Art of Noise

"And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper."  1 Kings 19:12

 

I hear from God.  Sometimes He is always speaking, other times not so much.  A lot of times I have so much noise, so many distractions in my life and heart that I cannot hear Him speaking. 

 

God speaks to all of us.  I have learned that God has allowed some unsettling situations, difficult experiences, and quite frankly, destruction to wreak havoc in my life just to get my attention.  I realized that though I have a relationship with God, I demoted Him.  God was not number one in my life--no He came a distant second to whatever I happened to be dwelling or focusing on at that moment.  From work, to family, to school, and let me not exclude them, relentless pursuit of a relationship...they have all taken precedence over God at different times in my life.  And when anything does that, that is noise for you because you will not be able to hear from God clearly.  I have even lost what I felt was seeking His will to become noise for me, noise to not give Him the time, attention, and affection He needs.

 

My last nearly three years back in South Carolina have been tumultuous to say the least, from my surgery to my cousin and dad's deaths, to finally having a plan and perspective for my life.  But at the heart of these things has been the call of God drawing me back in relationship with Him.  Yet instead I focused on each event--the noise, most definitely the negatives of these situations, rather than seeking God's purpose for each event.  We have to acknowledge life for what it is because it would be foolish to walk around in denial.  However, the distinction is that we can walk alone and continue to live in a noisy world, without God's guidance and direction, straying ever so far away from His planned destination.  Or we can cling to God in the midst of each situation and learn more about the person God is creating us to be.  We can learn to love ourselves in the reflection of God's presence--because God is love.  We can step out of the noisy room and get quiet.  For me, God sent me on trips...go figure...where I would inadvertently be alone, and He would speak crystal clear so that I could not deny Him being there.

Noise can be used to create some of the most beautiful things.  Look at the precious stones created after the explosion of volcanoes.  I most certainly know that God has created in me some beautiful things, out of the hard, painful things life has dealt to me.  I realize though that it is through the noise that I have learned to listen more carefully. 

 

"Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say." Isaiah 28:24 NIV

Daily Devotion

In Uncharted Waters

 

"Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left."  Isaiah 30:21 NLT

 

Hey!!!!! Today is a great day.  It started off great, got a little bumpy, but its gotten better and I have to thank God.  This is a new place for me.  I've never been in a place of praying and trusting first, then acting.  I've always been a go-getter, a solve the problem and act type of person.  I admit I am a control freak, lol. I can fix everyone else's problems but I finally had to realize I could not fix my own...and that mess hurts!  Although this very seldom applies to me, because I have a great sense of direction, I have had the occasion of being lost once or twice.  Now I know plenty of people who cannot say the same.  But when you get lost, after you didn't follow the directions you were given, or if you were bold and went the trip without even asking, do you humble yourself and use your GPS/ask directions, or do you keep driving past the same gas station in arrogance?

 

Today I realize I am in a new place.  Its uncomfortable by every standard--I'm forced to be patient and wait, I'm forced to let go and let God, I'm forced to forgive and start over.  Yes, I have a choice in all of this, I could step out of God's covering and do what I want.  I could voice my opinions and desires and potentially lose a valuable friend.  I could ignore the pressing need for me to forgive and let go of all my hurts that stem from my father's passing, and potentially die from the negative effects of unforgiveness.  I could take all of my mess back from God and try to fix it myself, and put myself in a worse hole.  But I'm deciding this time to go God's way.  Why?  Because truthfully I am tired of running things, time to let someone else make all the decisions and I follow.  I'm tired of being that go-to person for every single person and feeling burned out when I get to my own stuff.  I'm tired of hurting after I tried to do something my way and got scarred when I fell down.

 

Now I can clearly hear God as I am in the midst of this storm.  It has the potential to be turbulent--in fact, it is turbulent, in my mind and heart as they are both heavy right now.  But the good thing is that God is steering the ship and He knows the course very well.  He knows where I am going and He knows how to get me there safely with everything I need.  Hopefully at the end of this leg of the journey, I'll be a much wiser and stronger person--but I can trust and rest assured that I will because trusting in God grows and stretches my faith.  It is tough, Lord knows it is, but I want to say I'm happy and at peace with where I am going, because I waited on God's direction.

 

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." Psalm 25:9 NIV

Daily Devotion

Hanging on a Prayer

 

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."  Philippians 4:6 NLT

 

God has been calling to my mind and heart to do some things that require obedience, humility, and selflessness on my part, and all I can think of is that I love God more than these things, so I must be obedient to Him.  I have to let my love of God and my desire to do His will overpower my reluctance to act.  All I have had the energy and heart to do is pray.

 

God has shown me in the last few weeks that He hears my prayers and remembers them even when I don't.  He answered prayers I've had from months ago within recent weeks and all it served to do was blow my mind!  Have you ever had that experience of God answering a prayer so clearly?  It is a very eye-opening experience.  In light of that, God has been teaching me patience and above all else to trust Him.  The things that I'm dealing with right now require me to pray many times throughout the day to God asking how, why, and just trusting in His word.

 

At the beginning of the year when my baby brother got into a car accident in my old car (RIP Tina hahaha), I was in no position financially to get a new car.  In fact, Tina was soon to be paid off.  It hurt, to know that I, a problem fixer and solver, had no earthly power within me to solve my own issues.  I could not do anything.  I remember praying though, 'God teach me to trust you without a doubt.'  And don't you know God gets excited at these types of prayers, because they cause your faith and trust in Him to grow as the experiences will do exactly that. 

 

So I started this devotion 8 days ago, and never came back to it.  And how appropriate that I picked it back up today...God has been blowing my mind since I got on the plane yesterday.  Prayers I have been praying and thanking Him for the answers in faith for months now...He showed up for me in a major way within the last 24+ hours.  I went from various uncertainities in every area of my life to a place of unspeakable JOY as every thing I could ask for was revealed to me. 

 

All I can say is hang on to your prayers.  Thank God for the answers that He will reveal...yes, no, not right now.  And trust without a doubt that He will answer you and see that the Lord is good!!  Good night!

 

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:6 NASB