Daily Devotion #2

To Believe or Not to Believe?

'Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,' John 11:25

I think I was hurt the most recently to hear (or read rather) that one of my best friend's brothers decided to no longer believe in God.  I was so hurt that I asked to talk to him.  That ended up in me being very angry because he accused me of only believing in God because I did not want to go to Hell.  I was infuriated!!!  How dare he simplify my suffering to merely not living in Hell?  Then the next day, I saw an article about a black man being an atheist.  His belief, of what I could skim, involved him being responsible to himself for his actions.  After that, I decided to write, but only after I had time to gather my thoughts on this topic.

To Believe or Not to Believe?  I asked myself this question.  Could I live my life not believing in God?  I immediately realized I could not, because I have experienced and witnessed too many miracles amidst great suffering in my only 26 years on Earth.  I cannot and will not ever doubt that God exists, because I have felt and seen His hand move in my life in many different ways.  I think I have experienced about every emotion known to man, and from every one that was bad, God has pulled me back from.  From losses to gains, God has been present in them all.  I can recount every situation in my life and in the lives of my family that show that God is real, and He exists, but most people that don't believe would try to reason them away with some scientific or philosophical jargon.  The truth is, I believe because I have a real-lationship with God.  I know that He is real because I have experienced enough situations that had God not been there, I would have been dead and gone.  It is so crazy how the near-death experience, or in my case, almost near-death, will cause the blinders to come flying off, and it is there that you see God's glory.  I won't, however, act holier-than-thou and say that I have not doubted that God heard me, because He has shown me in the lives of those close to me and in complete strangers that He is real.  It is only in growth that I realized that God did answer and maybe my ears were too clogged to hear Him.

I am a firm believer in accountability.  If only everyone would hold themselves accountable to how they played a role in the lives of those around them, I think people would see life differently.  Prime example, if a boy is told by his mother he will never amount to anything--and he actually never amounts to anything, is it his fault wholly?  No!  We must hold the mother, and undoubtedly his environment accountable for his failure in life.  Of course at some point he could have chosen to try the opposite, but can you really expect him to do opposite of what he has known his whole life?  However, had he known his worth as a child of God, maybe his life would have turned out differently.  Yet still, people tend to do what they see, and as a child, you feed off of the words of your parents. 

I don't know what experience my friend's brother had in a church, let alone much of his life. Maybe it was the strong hand of judgmentalism and Biblically unsound traditions like I experienced in various aspects of my traditional Baptist upbringing that would cause any free-spirited person to turn away from God.  Maybe in an extreme case he was abused by someone in the church in a position of power to make him doubt God.  Or maybe it is all the evil in the world, like he stated, that he 'doesn't see God doing anything about', or maybe it is like my opinion, he just hasn't held himself accountable for his role in the state of his life.  When we get tired of blaming God, He often hands us the mirror so that we can truly see ourselves, and how when we tried to run our lives, we miserably missed the mark.  He then shows us how much easier life is with Him, than it is to spend eternity without Him.

In having a better relationship with God now, I understand the purpose of my suffering.  I don't like it, I don't like it, I don't like it (did I say it enough?) but I know it is only in the midst of difficulties that these impurities of my character are extracted and God continues to mold me more into the likeness of Christ.  I believe God exists because in His awesomeness, He finds ways to show us how much He loves us everyday.  I know there is much evil and poverty and unfairness in the world.  I don't try to reason them away that because a person sinned, they are doomed to their state forever.  I do know that just as God is real, so is the devil.  I know that anyone willing to be used by the devil, both rich and poor, young and old, black, white, yellow or blue, will be used to bring his ultimate desire of dooming humanity to eternal suffering.  But at the end of the day...believing all comes back to accountability.  At the end, we all have to go before God.  We can choose to live our lives how we want, 'responsible to ourselves' and blaming the world for everything wrong.  Or we can believe in God, His word, His Son, and let Him lead us to make a difference and change it all.

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."  John 3:18 NIV

Daily Devotion

Dispel the Curse

 

"And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."  Genesis 12:3 NASB

Good evening everyone!! I know, I know, its been way too long since my last post.  But I've been on a soul searching and spiritual journey as of late, abandoning all and everything just to get my life in proper perspective.  I had a fabulous time in Jamaica with one of my best friends for her birthday (and well, one of my delayed gifts to myself).  It was so appropriate for me to go then; God blessed me to realize just how much He favors me.  And to be honest, He favors us all the same way.  As long as we commit our lives to doing His will by accepting His Son, we can rest assured that God's hand of blessing will be upon us.

So irony struck me today because God orchestrated it that all of my devotions that I read at the start of the day were all discussing blessings and curses.  It lead me to share my take on it; for a long time I would complain and have a 'woe is me' attitude towards my life.  We all received the ultimate blessing of eternity with God by accepting Christ as the supreme sacrifice, the great atonement for our sins.  We are to repent--that is, forgive and be forgiven, and then turn away from our former behaviors towards God.  Once we repent and sin no more, we are reconciled to God.  From the time we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we share in the blessings--and the inheritance.  Because of my journey lately, I know realize how blessed I really am.  But that prevalence of 'blessings and generational curses' discussions forced me to really look at why things happen, and seem to keep happening to people.

My fascination rose when I came to read about curses.  I'm not versed in the occult, but I do know that it exists, simply because the enemy satan exists.  His desire to pervert everything that is God--the purity, the love, the family, the marriage, everything, so why would he not provide for a way to pervert God's way of showing He loved us by creating a way to show how much he hates us?  So I came to understand that curses can only come upon us when we step outside of God's will for our lives.  Looking at Numbers 22-23 in my bible study showed me that nothing God has blessed can be cursed.  Nothing (See Numbers 22:12 and actually read both stories...this shows you where God will use anything and anyone to speak to you!) can remove the blessing on you but you and your own sinfulness.  The Israelites were blessed and it was their own sin that caused them to become cursed in latter centuries.  These curses fell upon them because they opened the door and let satan take up residence among them--in fact many of them were sleeping with the enemy (God forbade the Israelites to marry outside of their race, but many disobeyed and it is even evident in some of the most famous kings, i.e. Solomon, who left their love of God for the love of these foreign women, and eventually their idols.) 

When we fall outside of God's will, there are all sorts of evils awaiting us.  Because our flesh is sinful in nature, it is easy to get caught up and drift away in sin.  It is only then that the enemy can get us. In the case of the Israelites, they kept on sinning, generation after generation, each worse than the one before.  It was not until Christ came and died, that through Him we are able to again direct communion with God.  I started working on this devotion nearly 3 weeks ago (Aug 17) and it was only a few days ago this week that I found the scripture I was looking for. In Exodus 34:6-7, "Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."  So I remembered that without Christ, without accepting His seed of eternal life and rebirth as a child of God, we are doomed to these 'curses'.  By turning back to that life without God, outside of His will, I overlook the best blessing He gave, Christ.

 

So I believe that when we accept Christ, we are freed from the curse--in fact Galatians 3:13 says so!  We are no longer bound by generational curses and self-inflicted ones because the blood of Jesus was the ultimate atonement.  Believe in Him and be free!  He redeems and saves us from our greatest enemy, satan and our own selves.

 

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  2 Cor 5:21 NASB

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