Words Of Encouragement For Your Day ( Wednesday 01/30/2013)

I Bow In Order To Stand

Micah 6:6-9 Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? ⁹ The voice of the Lord calls to the city [Jerusalem]—and it is sound wisdom to hear and fear Your name—Hear (heed) the rod and Him Who has appointed it.

            Have you ever looked at your life and became a bit frustrated because it felt as if you were always in a position of falling down, or behind the curve ball?  Have you thought why am I continually in this place, the place where I am feeling like instead of things coming into alignment, I am being bent to meet the needs of others, or used up and often spit out?  Some years back, these were questions I found myself contemplating, and even asking of God and asking.  I even asked a woman that was my mentor, and her response was not startling, but baffling, she asked me had I truly bowed myself (submitted) to God? I was almost hurt by her question because at that time in my life I was on the praise team, a member of intercessory prayer, I was in MIT(Ministers in Training) training, I was a walking deacon and I was over teen ministry. I was her armor bearer, I was on hospitality and I cooked for my pastors.  I thought how in the world she could ask me this question when I was sold out to ministry but what she was asking was had I sold out to God and had I allowed not just my works but my soul and spirit to bow, and had I brought my flesh under subjection to God; had my “self” bowed to the Almighty God and allowed Him to become the one who lead my steps and not man.  She was asking had I learned to do what was pleasing in God’s sight and not to do things to gain favor with man, but that my desire was for His favor, far above and beyond any other favor.

            You see I learned in those days, we can do all of the right things, but when God is not the focus, they are not the right thing at all.  I am not saying to serve is a bad thing, but you will find that you may be frustrated and out of place and step, because you have not first submitted all that you are to God and allowed Him to purge out the things that would hinder your work, your focus or your wrong motives that may cause you to get off track and out of His will.  You see when we learn to bow our lives before God our focus is on pleasing God, being in His will and living a life that is orchestrated by Him, for Him.  When we are placing our confidence in man they hold the fate of our future in their hands and when they do not do as they have promised it can cause destruction in our lives and cause us to falter or sit down on the Calling of God on our lives when things do turn out the way that they may have promised or we may thought that it would come to pass.  We will often find ourselves falling, or face down in the hog pen because we are more connected to man than to God.  But when we are submitted to God and sold out to Him alone, we learn to discern situations, people and what we are called to do and we do not go into things expecting man to move on our behalf, but we understand that God is the one who does the moving for us and we understand divine order and purpose.

            The next time you are asking yourself questions like why I keep end up being used by people; why do I always seem to find myself struggling to stand up in the face of men.  Do an inventory and ensure that you have bowed before the Lord your maker, the one that truly has made heaven and earth and everything in it to include you.  Surrender your will, your plans, thoughts and aspirations to God, and let Him, be the one to establish them and cause them to come into a place of completion and success.  Cast not away your confidence, trust God with all that you are and ever hope and pray to be!

Words Of Encouragement For Your Day ( Monday 01/28/2013)

So That God Will Be Glorified

Isaiah 49:1-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Listen to me, O isles and coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He has named my name.² And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me and made me a polished arrow; in His quiver has He kept me close and concealed me. ³ And [the Lord] said to me, You are My servant, Israel [you who strive with God and with men and prevail], in whom I will be glorified.⁴ Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in empty futility; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense is with my God.

            I think it is safe to say the older we get the wiser we should become.  “There is a saying that says there is no fool like an old fool.”  This saying is so profound, because as we mature and live life, we should gain wisdom, knowledge and insight through our experiences in life.  It is sad when people don’t gain for their experiences and grow wiser and even in their old age they are filled with foolishness, and their life seems to perpetuate foolish things.  This morning as I prayed and meditated on something a good friend had written in her devotional, I had to ask, what have I stopped at that takes away from God getting or gaining more glory out of my life?  I thought about the fear that I sometimes allow to stop me dead in my tracks, or the reflection of past pains that I had allowed to keep me sitting and not doing what I understood was the call of God on my life; I understood the frustrations that I have allowed to cause me to question my faith.  I thought about so many things and I was determined to get these things corrected not because  I saw my life spiraling out of control, but because as I have grown older I realize, more and more each day, “I am not my own.” My life belongs to God as worship, and a light to others to draw them to God.

            I often have heard myself and many others make excuses for our living out of and away from the will of God in our lives.  We use the phrase well I am only human, often enough to allow it and its acceptance of it to be as comfortable as our favorite blanket or comfy robe.  We act the plum fool and then almost in the same breath tell someone how much we love God.  But as my mother and Grandmother before her would say, the proof is always in the pudding.  A man at a church I used to go to use to say, often during key points in the sermon, “How are you living?”  Every time I heard him say that it was a reminder that I could hear the word each week, and I could say what I wanted but the truth of who I was living for and living to glorify was in my actions, my behavior, my treatment of others and my overall lifestyle.  How are we living?  Moreover who is our life glorifying?  You see we were created to Glorify God alone, because He created us, foreknew us, and called us by name unto Himself. He could have chosen to call anyone, but He chose us, but the question is how are we living to repay that call, resemble that call, and honor that call?

            Many of us can say that we are good people, but are we living a life that is purposeful and meaningful to giving God the glory?  Do people know who it is who has called us by the way that we live, speak and treat others, or are they conflicted every time they are in our presence, or have we learned to just hide our mess well?  Only really us and God know for sure, but don’t think just because people don’t know that it doesn’t matter, we aren’t called to please people, but to please God.  We are called to submit ourselves and our lives to Him, in order for Him to gain and get the Glory out of the name that He has called and placed upon our lives!

Words Of Encouragement For Your Day (Wednesday 01/23/2013)

You Can’t Have My Joy

Nehemiah 8:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁰ Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.

            Over the past few weeks, I have received several phone calls and text messages of individuals that I know that have been experiencing challenging days, weeks, and months and for some it seemed the trials of last year were attempting to make their way into this year.  My heart grew concerned because those seemed to be zapped of their joy and the worry and the frustration of their circumstance had almost fully taken over in some instances.  I prayed with, encouraged them in the word and to live and not die and to have faith and confidence in God that He could and would change what seemed to be situation that were sent to derail, defame, depress and diminish them in some way.  I knew full well what they were going through for I have been in their place more than once in my life, knowing the sting of these moments and the questions that may have been arising in heart and mind, I did not taking being there or praying for and with them lightly.  I remember that getting my joy back and keeping my praise and worship intact was often the only way that I made it through these places and did not lose hope or my mind.

            It is often when we see circumstances in our natural manifest that seem to be beyond our control, we get caught there as a deer gets caught in the headlights of a car and all we see are those circumstances coming at us, about to overtake us and we begin to brace for the worse allowing ourselves to be taken in and taken over by the people who bring drama, lies, deceit, confusion; the financial woes and the health issues and whatever else concerns our hearts and lives in these times our joy goes right along with our focus.  We become consumed and heavy laden, because God no longer is bearing us up, we are attempting to shoulder things that we do not have the strength alone to carry.  That is why it is imperative, not to lose our focus on God, our belief in His ability and His limitless power and infinite wisdom, because it is in Him, through the faith that we have in His abilities and His love for us that overwhelming joy resides.  It is within that joy that God provides, that His joy permeates and infuses us to be able to stand and to keeping going regardless of who is saying what, doing what or what has or has not happened.  Many years ago when my grandmother was alive, I did not understand that in the midst of her struggle she always had joy and she always had courage and strength and a word of praise and thanksgiving upon her lips.  It was not because she was perfect, but she was impassioned about God, she believed His word and believed that He truly was a rewarder of them that diligently sought after Him.

            Today may not be a day that all is perfect and that everyone loves you or even likes you. Nor could it be a day that God has stayed the hand of the enemy against you, but remember it is in our focusing on God, believing in Him and His word and not losing the joy that is in knowing Him, that we can have the strength to face today, tomorrow and the next day.  It is this joy that provides us the strength in the face of our enemies that we can still smile and bless them, even when they seek to destroy us, because we understand, that vengeance is the Lord’s and His repayment will far exceed anything that they attempt to do to us.  Don’t let anything or anyone steal, or take your joy, for truly the joy that God has afforded you is your strength, because God has sanctified it unto you, for just these purposes!

Words Of Encouragement For Your Day ( Wednesday 01/16/2013)

My Plan, His Plan What’s the Difference

Galatians 5:16-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁶ But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.¹⁸ But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

            Have you ever thought during your life that your plans and what you desired for your life just had to be God’s will?  When I think about this question I have to laugh at the amount of wrong turns I have made in my life, thinking God would want this for me, just because it was a good thing, or a thing that was not harmful in theory.  Presently, I am back in school studying a subject I started studying some thirty some odd years ago after I graduated High School but never finished, why, because in theory I thought having a degree and studying something that would make me economically sound was what God wanted for me; no I am not saying God does not want us economically sound, but more than that, He desires us to do what we are created to do, and what He has gifted us to accomplish here in the earth.

            All too often we look at plans from a natural standpoint, we don’t even, in many cases consult God, we just think to ourselves it looks good, so we will do it.  But I have learned in my journey with the Lord that the “permissive will,” that many of us grew up hearing about in church is really being out of God’s will.  To be in God’s will means that we have learned to submit ourselves to God fully and to consult Him, and know what it is that He thinks that we should do.  If we are seeking God and studying His word, in order to align our lives with His word and His will, our plans will transform our desires to have His plan be our plan.  But that is often where we misstep, we are making our plans, not consulting God until it does not turn out as we had hoped, and we never bother to read the Word of God to find out what God may be speaking to us.  Proverbs 16:3 reminds us, “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed” (AMP). It is through us offering our thoughts, plans and lives to God that God has access to us, to show us when the plans that we have may not exactly line up with His, and He can prick our heart to come into alignment with His plans for us.  If we never come to a place in Christ that we allow Him to have access how can our thoughts and plans be the same?

            I am not saying that we should not plan, but we should be yielded, submitted and seeking God, through time with Him, His word and prayer to ensure that our plans and His are one that we carry His spirit and His will within us, that we want and desire to have His will and plan manifested in our lives.  There is a difference when we make plans based on us, than when we make plans based on God’s will and Him getting the Glory out of our lives!