Complete Your Calling

The Light in His Word

The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

I know it is not just me as I have heard this from many believers I know, but the Word of God is literally beginning to jump off the pages and taking new shape and authority over my life. I believe part of that is more of the understanding of who God is to me in this season but also because I sense His presence more and more these days and there is nothing more comforting than His righteous Word. During my devotional time, I began reading the selection for today and this particular verse describes what I think many of us feel as we read passages that we have read before but depending on the season we are in, it penetrates more deeper and new understanding begins to surface.

This is the beautiful consequence of studying God’s Word. We begin to see how applicable it is to our experiences and they really do start to provide light to all areas of our lives; especially the areas that need adjustment, correction and direction. Am I right? And just over the last two weeks as I searched for God more in His Word, He began to open up to me again things that I did not see before because maybe I did not want to see it or I was not ready to receive it. But now, as God continues to enlighten me daily, ignorance can no longer be part of my existence. This understanding that He gives us, can literally unlock so many areas in our life that were or are bound; if we want this. It is our decision to make, right? Whether we apply what is in this great Book or gloss over verses that require us to use in our daily operations.

When light comes into our space, it generates energy that cannot be erased. And, this is exactly what the word of God does. Once it exposes us to certain things, we cannot unsee it. It’s a catalyst that requires change in order to be made whole. As God continues to unwrap and unveil certain details to us in our own time with Him and in reading His Word, let us continue to see the light that He is giving and not take for granted the many chances to become made new is in His image in order to properly navigate in this world in which we are living in.

Be Encouraged. Seek Him. Obey the Call. Complete Your Assignment

This is The Way

And though the Lord will give you bread of adversity and water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher and your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “this is the way, walk in it”, when you turn to the right and turn to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21

I am sure when you read the first sentence of the verse there were two words that jumped out to you as did me: adversity and affliction. I had these verses written out for weeks and happened to read it this morning, not knowing that the pull to write would center around this text. I then wanted to know more of course to understand the context of what was happening during this time in biblical history. This was a time when the people of God were resisting His direction and instruction. Even though they would go through hardships as a consequence, God still shows great mercy and compassion and would reveal Himself to them and guide them into proper sight. However, they still needed to do their part by repenting and removing certain practices which were taking first place in their life.

And this is truly how God responds to all of us; with compassion, mercy and love. I cannot think of a better demonstration of love but from Him. The purest source of light that we can ever experience and the ability to hear from Him or for Him to reveal Himself to us requires a relationship with Him that we must continuously seek after for more and more instruction, daily. Knowing that He our Father, is watching over us, walking with us through much adversity and affliction, but being right there to see us out of it and allow us to continue the journey with Him speaks so much to me about His faithfulness that we do not lose our way or come out of divine fellowship with Him.

Seeing and hearing is great, but listening and seeking is needed on our part. So in your day to day activities, which I am sure are many, because I know how it is these days; take the necessary time to seek Him so that you can hear Him and so that you can see Him. He wants us to walk with Him, but our attention to His presence and guidance requires stillness. The next time God speaks, will you hear Him? The next time He reveals Himself, will you see Him? Only you can answer that question, but go deeper into what He wants from you and as He instructs you on your way, do the next right thing and obey.

Stay Encouraged,

Seek Him , Obey the Call, Complete Your Assignment

The Journey vs. The Ride

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

This morning as I slowly ascended out of my slumber to come and talk to God before the busyness of the day begins to pull on the energy that I have for the remaining week, I started thinking about going through the journey versus just being along for the ride and how this is tied to our walk into maturity as God’s children. I think the reason this has been on my mind is because of something someone I heard mention and it resonated with me. She said: we can be saved, but not journeying with God. When she said this, I wrote it down and thought about my own journey into spiritual maturation and all that it has entailed.

And there is truly a difference between going through the journey, allowing God to mature you as you face many seasons, valleys, wildernesses and storms and just being along for the ride, not really learning the importance of the direction or redirection or becoming stagnant in your position in Christ. I had to ask myself which category do I fit in, the journey or the ride? And I am wondering where you are on your own path to full maturity. The way we see the journey is a reflection of how we see God. If we do not sense His presence and the leading of the Holy Spirit in every part of our walk, then are we truly growing in Him? Are we truly fixing our gaze on His vastness and surrendering to His pruning?

I am not sure what leg of the journey you are on today and what you are facing, have faced or will face that will test your commitment to Him, but wherever you are my friend, let God in. Let Him finish what He started. Let Him mature you in your testing. Let Him teach you in the midst of the pressure and embrace the changes that He is demanding of you. Sometimes we forget He made us and in all things, He just wants what is best for us, but are we too consumed by what the world wants from us or all that He desires for us to be rewarded with, IF, we diligently seek Him and intentionally journey with Him; not just sitting in the passenger seat waiting for the next turn, or watching from the sidelines, or following what everyone else is doing, but expecting to learn from the road we are on to keep us aligned to the path that He has set before us.

Stay Encouraged

Seek Him, Obey the Call, Complete Your Assignment

Stillness Speaks

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

Is it just me or do you find yourself craving for the quiet more as the world around you becomes even more busier…if that is even possible?

I was just thinking to myself “why are we so busy all of the time?” Do we have time to just sit and be and rest in God? Do we allow Him to hear us and even more importantly: do we give Him opportunity to speak to us? Or are we on to the next thing? After taking a bit of a hiatus in writing in order to make several life transitions including deepening my walk, if I am not careful, I can find myself drifting back into a “busy” state by the many demands that may be placed in my path: both self -motivated and created by others.

But when I shift my focus on what and most importantly WHO matters, I become more centered and that rest in “God alone” provides nourishment for my soul. I then realize that it is ok to be quiet, to meditate on His Word, to allow Him to create the inner peace in the midst of the chaos and for me to absorb it in its fullness.

If that commitment to prioritizing alone time with Him is not made, then other things will fill its space creating distractions and unwanted angst. It can damper our ability to be used effectively and will decrease our productivity even if we appear to be doing “all the stuff” that may be externally pleasing but internally depleting us of the very resource we need for sustenance.

God wants our full attention. And we need Him for proper sight and direction.

Rest in Him

He Covers, Prepares & Makes

He covers the heavens with clouds; He prepares rain for the earth; He makes grass grow on the hills. Psalm 147:5 (ESV)

During drought like seasons and during the journey inside of the wilderness, what a wonderful reminder of what He does, can do and has done. With worldly outside circumstances, we may become sidetracked by the things of “this world.” We may not be able to control certain elements, but we can control what and who we trust in.

So my question for you is, who do you trust in? Who do you believe in? If God can create the earth and command things into existence, then who are we to doubt what He is doing?-even in these turbulent times. And yes I know it is easier said than done but always remember that no matter what, the battle is already won.

Keep the faith. Maintain your belief. He is actively covering His children and in due time, He will provide us with relief. Do not stop trusting Him. Take heart in this time. Position yourself to be aligned.

Have no Fear, God is very near.

Stay Encouraged.

Study & Apply

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)

I wrote this title about one month ago during my devotional time with God as I asked myself and God the question, “How can I become more diligent in applying the Word to my life more actively?” I then felt the conviction to work on areas of un-forgiveness and pride that may have set up residence in me that I have not dealt with effectively. It then pointed me to a place of repentance to God and to recite the Lord’s prayer while on my knees one early morning.

I recently started a book on the topic of offense; not realizing that I would really need to read for myself the ways in which the enemy tries to encroach within our spirit and waken up areas that we may be offended by, which causes a hardened heart, leading to many emotions that are not ordained by God. It made me even more aware since as a nation we are in the thick of very dark times; when offenses are at an all time high and when the enemy is trying his very best to win over, destroy and deceive many.

And as horrible as things may be, the urgency to study the Word and apply it to everyday life is screaming out to me and I hope to you too in this moment of great apostasy and syncretism. God prepares us what for what will happen. He instructs us the way in which we should go and He provides discipline and correction, if we choose to abide and submit. But its a choice right? We have this thing called “free will”. We decide what we will immerse ourselves in and what we allow ourselves to be controlled by. We choose what to read, what to believe and if we are not careful, what to be deceived by.

So today, take in the God inspired Word; study it, test it and apply it. It is not only a source or direction, but its for our protection and in these very perilous times, the closer we stick with Him, the better. I cannot think of a more appropriate season than right now to seek Him out with fervency to ensure that my heart, mind and spirit are aligned with Him and not this immensely dark world. Can you?

Stay in the Word and Stay Encouraged!

A Necessary Repentance

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30)

I recently had a “Lauryn Hill kind of day”, where I needed to hear words that I feel but sometimes hard to comprehend. Have you ever been there? Well, I listened to one of her songs from an album that is decades old; a song that I have repeated over and over again before and the following words ignited something within me that I knew eventually I would share : “Repent and let your mind be re-taught.” When I heard this, I wondered how many times repentance is mentioned in the Bible. Little did I know that it was over 100 times, which to me highlights its importance.

And I am sure like me, you have been noticing what is occurring in our world which requires all of us to repent; to make a change of direction towards God; to surrender to His will and acknowledge His Sovereignty and to stay on His course. I then reached for my little prayer box and pulled out a prayer card that I wrote in June with just two words: “Global Repentance.” I read this everyday and am seeking God even more but I need help from everyone to also pray for this as well.

As we approach the last trimester of this year, let us all become more committed to prayer and repentance. Let us all evaluate our own hearts, our actions and our words. Let us be kinder to ourselves and each other, not for profit but out of respect and love for God and humanity.

If we would acknowledge the audience of One’s commands then maybe just maybe God will heal our land.

Stay Prayerful and Stay Encouraged!

Walk, Stand, Sit

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Is it just me or have you felt a shift in energy recently? Almost an urgency that you cannot quite put your finger on, but know something is moving, breaking, exposing and revealing. Well, in my quiet time this weekend, I read through this Psalm in its entirety again and again masticating over the words repeatedly, bit by bit, like how a cow or similar ruminant does when it chews its cud. The first two verses became more clear, easier to digest, providing me with the spiritual nutrition needed to fill me up during this famine like season; this valley of dry bones and shadows of death.

I moved to my prayer space, asking God to provide additional insight to His Word and guidance on the days to come as the battleground becomes more intense. When reading through these verses again, it provides evidence that there are two paths here. One that leads to darkness, and the one that we strive for that leads to light, His light; not anyone else’s. We must be very careful not to be deceived in this season of solitude, as this is the tactic of the enemy which is written time and time again in the Bible. And we must be careful of the company that we are keeping that might lead us to dark areas that might open doorways or access panels that should remain closed.

If we are walking, standing or sitting, we must be mindful of the company we are keeping physically or virtually. Not everyone who is with us, is really with us on this path to righteousness. Some want to steer us in a different direction from His truth and others may be blinded intentionally or unintentionally; so this is the season to test everything against God’s Word. This is the time to seek Him for direction and distance yourself from the enemies weapon of mass deception. Meditate on His word day and night and ask God to remove any veils that may be depleting your sight.

Stay Encouraged and Seek Him even more!

Alternate Reality

The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours. Your ways are not like Mine. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9 (ERV)

Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in Me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you with Me, so that you can be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4 (ERV)

As you look around at what is going on in the world today, it almost does not feel real, but it is. This is really happening and as much as we all want to forget this year and be done and jump through 2020 with rapid speed, we cannot. So, we must embrace and endure this time we are all in right now. In my devotional time this week, the title for this post began to form and I started to see beneath the words and related that to our walk in this world as we anticipate and prepare for the next.

Although we are in perilous times; times which are prophetically written in our weapon of mass instruction (the BIBLE), we must not lose heart or discredit the Master of Greater. I know this season is difficult for everyone. I know it is easy to become disheartened and I know that we want life to go back to “normal”. However, any definition of normal is impossible now. But what is possible and necessary though is seeking Him even more deeply during this crisis. He is essential for the journey ahead, in this life and in the next.

We cannot begin to think on the level of God. His thoughts transcend time and space which is encouraging because He knows all; the beginning and the end. He sees what is happening. He hears our prayers. He acknowledges the evil and will make it for our good. But do we trust Him and the process we are in? Do we really or do we say we do? I had to ask myself this question and now I am asking you.

We cannot rush any process of fulfillment and He is preparing us for what is next. He is waiting for us all to order our steps, to repent for our wrongdoing, to accept Him as our Savior, to walk in obedience and to love others as self. As we embrace our new reality, we allow Him to move in our lives more freely and one day my friend, one day He is coming back for us to bring us to the alternate reality, which is with Him in eternity. Praise Him in advance and get your full self ready for what is next.

Stay Encouraged and Stay in His Word!

Let Go & Pack Light

Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. (Luke 14:33, MSG)

So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] give up all his own possessions. (Luke 14:33, AMP)

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.(Luke 14:33, NIV)

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:33 , NKJV)

In my daily devotional time, I have been studying and journeying through the life of Christ as He walked His life’s mission out in front of many as a true example. Every-time I study this, I become more introspective and begin to examine my commitment level as a believer. In studying Luke, and in particular Luke 14, I am reminded of the intense sacrifice of discipleship which is not for the faint of heart.

When I read this verse in multiple translations, I had to stop short and assess my current walk during this plague-like season; a time when I sometimes feel like the Israelites in the wilderness, Daniel in the lions den, the woman who just wants to touch the hem of His garment, Esther during fasting and praying, Paul encouraging others while in prison and Peter, His temper flaring disciple. This season of seclusion is forcing me to evaluate everything in my life; everything. And in reading about the sacrifice of discipleship, I know I must turn it all over to Him, let it go and pack light. And this is not easy to do for someone who would like things to be in more of my control. Can you relate to this today? Are you feeling more out of control as you let God take control? But in the midst of relinquishing control, gaining more peace and insight on who you are in Him?

These are the questions that I have been asking myself in this season as I find myself taking stock of what is truly important. These are the thoughts I have when I read verses like Matthew 6:33 (“But first and most importantly seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you also”). And although the stakes are high and the cost of sacrifice can be painful, purging is healing and so freeing. We can never know where God is trying to bring us if we can not allow Him to truly operate. He is always taking us to higher ground even if we have to go the scenic route and take detours. He has more in store for us than we can ever think of.

If there is anything that this social distancing season is teaching me is that we are not in control and that idea was just a man-made illusion with a wrongful conclusion. So in your time of prayer and fellowship, consider the cost. What do you need to let go of? What baggage are you carrying that needs to be culled? What are you running back to that you need to turn from and lastly what do you need to sacrifice in order to truly follow Him?

Stay encouraged!