The Daily Devotional Blog

Habakkuk 2:2 /3  says,  "And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."  I love reading that scripture. It's about writing down your visions, goals, and dreams -- the positive things that live in your heart. During a conversation, a woman told me she had no idea what her vision was. I told her that was an easy answer. I told her, her vision was what she always pictured herself doing; or what she often thought about; or what she imagined so big, it would almost take a miracle to happen. Those are the things we should all be striving for -- the things that are so huge we know we need God to help carry them out. Now, that's a vision and we must walk in it. To not live it out is to not really live life to the fullest. It's being half of who we are. Livin...

It doesn't matter how much time goes by, the Word of the Lord remains the same. It's the most powerful word in all the universe.  "The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" ( Isaiah 40 :7/8). What all that means to me is that although we will fall short and although we are far from perfect, the bible is our strength. If you don't believe it, then read the Word for about 30 minutes everyday for 30 days and see if there is a marked change in you. There's a reason it's been around for as long as anyone can remember.

When it comes to getting the things you want and need, do you take your petitions to God? Do you pray without ceasing? If so, that's great. Keep doing that.  In  1 Kings 3 ,  the Lord asked Solomon in a dream, what he wanted and Solomon got more in his waking life, than He asked for. His life changed for the better simply because he opened his mouth and asked God what he desired for his life.  Do you know what Solomon asked for? Wisdom.  That's right. He asked for a wise and discerning (knowing) heart/spirit in order to discern between good and evil and knowing right from wrong. And because he asked so unselfishly and because he loved the Lord so much (at that point in his life), the Lord gave him all he asked for plus wealth and honor. God was so impressed that Solomon didn't ask for long life, riches, or for God to do away with his enemies, that God blessed Solomon abundantly -- He gave Him much more, because of his humble and meek spirit. And since ...

Have you ever had to overcome anything so big that you didn't know how you were going to get over it? Have you ever been confronted with obstacles that have slowed you down, tripped you up, or knocked you out of the race? Well, guess what? You can overcome adversity, because if I can, anybody can. I've come to tell you. In last week's podcast episode, I discussed the  Introduction  to Bill Hybels' book,  Living in God's Power, Finding God's Strength for Life's Challenges .  I am doing a 7 week book study on Hybels' book. The book study discusses the ways we go about getting to the next level in what God has for our lives. Last week's episode also talked about what Hybels says about securing a posture of overcoming anything that comes our way. Some of those things were: not giving up, not caving in, and no matter what life throws our way or how harshly we've been treated, we have the power to succeed, win, and overcome as long as Jesus in o...

Do you know you have what it takes to make it? Oh yes. When we seek the Lord and his strength and when we seek His presence continually ( 1 Chronicles 16 :11), we’re better able to stay in the race. We’re better able to continue looking up, to continue to be optimistic, and continue to be faithful over our life. That’s what David did in his song of thanks to the Lord. We have to push through no matter our current circumstances. God is looking for those who won’t turn back or give up simply because the going gets tough sometimes. He’s looking for those who will honor and worship Him in spirit and truth  ( John 4:23-24 ) . That’s part of winning the race God has us here for. It’s part of reaching the people who need to see who God is. Who are you trying to reach through your testimony? What have you gone through? Whoever and whatever they are, you will do it. Believe that as you let God use you. Continue on as you trust in the God — our God — the one and only God of the...

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life" ( Genesis 9 :13-15). Rainbows have a powerful meaning for us. God flooded the earth because people weren't living right and the only righteous person He could find was Noah. You probably know the rest of the story...Noah builds the ark and he and his family are spared, as well as, two of every kind of animal. The rainbow is a new start and it's also God's proof that He wouldn't flood the earth again. So, when I look somewhere over the rainbow I am reminded of the goodness of God. I am reminded of His covenant -- His agreement -- His promise over our lives.  "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so...

Staying power equals: Perseverance, bounce-back, strength, push-through, determination... Remember, Joshua? He had staying power. He was one of the courageous spies Moses sent into Canaan and who wasn't intimidated by any giant he may have encountered ( Numbers 13 ). He eventually became Moses assistant, because of that attitude.  Joshua 1:9 commands us to be strong and courageous, to not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. That means we can be calm amidst a raving storm. It doesn't matter what happens, good or bad, we can handle the pressure and not blow up. With staying power (resilience, bounce-back, strength, push-through, determination...we can withstand anything, because God is with us. And when God is with us, who can against us? Nobody.  

What do you want the Lord to do for you? Do you know that if God said it was going to happen, it's going to happen? Whatever "it" is for you, trust and believe that God will do it, because if God said it was going to get done, it's going to get done. Nobody can stop it, nobody can block it, and nobody can influence the outcome. You see, when God makes a promise, He stands by that. And when we take Him at His glorious word (the bible, etc), when we put all our faith in Him, then there's no reason to think otherwise. He wants to bless us. He wants us to live an abundant life. He wants us to be fruitful and multiply. That means He doesn't want us to stop living. He doesn't want us to give up. He doesn't want us to ever lose hope that He will do what He said He would do.  What promise has He made to you that you are still holding on to? He has sent you numerous reminders through His Word, through His prophets, apostles, and teachers. Only yo...

O Lord, our Lord,   how majestic is your name in all the earth!   You have set your glory above the heavens ( Psalm 8 :1). Isn't that another awesome scripture? They're so many of them. I just absolutely love it. In fact, I love the entire chapter of Psalm 8. David, the writer, was really insightful and humble to offer such heartfelt praises to the Lord. For, he had much pain and sorrow. Yet we know David was a man after God's own heart. That's what I like most about him -- that he ran to God. He wanted to be comforted by the Great Comforter. Yes he made mistakes. Yet he didn't make people or anything negative, a priority over God. When it came to honor, praise, and worship, He went in to God with every ounce of his heart (Acts 13:22). Of course God would honor that. Why wouldn't He? That's what He wants all of us to do. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" ( Matthew 11 :28). O Lord, our Lord, how ma...

Which way are you going? Forward or backwards? Up or down? Only one way is clear. Forward and up are where God is, because He is the light  ( John 8 :12).  He is creation, restoration, healing, hope, building, improvement — all things good and it never ends. Look up and trust and believe in the God who will make greatness happen. It’s called faith-walking. Faith-walking is just what it sounds like. It's walking forward even though we have no idea how God will do what He said He would do. It's doing all we can do in our own power, to get closer to our goals and dreams. Then letting God do the rest. It's walking up the staircase even when we can't see beyond the last step. It's making a big splash to improve someone else's life with the gifts (skills/talents) we've been given. The Lord wants us to be fruitful in order to make others fruitful and that goes on for the rest of our lives. Good fruit bearing good fruit bearing good fruit. All in the name of ...

Do you know there are tools to become an  overcomer  and to live in victory, not defeat or lack? Yes, there are many ways.  I am reading a book, titled, Living in God's Power, Finding God's Strength for Life's Challenges , by Bill Hybels. It's a book we used for my church's life group. In case you don't know, life groups are small church groups that come together at designated times throughout each month, to support and strengthen each other, as well as, enable people to experience a closer relationship to God by highlighting scripture and studying a chosen book. Anybody is invited. I have been a part of life groups for almost 20 years now and I know their positive effects. My life has been richer because of them. For the next 7 podcast episodes/podcast blog posts, I will conduct a 7-week podcast "book study" about Hybels' book. It is my prayer that you will impacted by it as much as I have been. Today's podcast starts with the  I...

Do you know that when you trust in the Lord with all your heart, you're walking powerfully? Oh yes indeed. It's when you live your life according to His mandates, that your walk is strong and mighty, because when you know who your Redeemer is, you know you are walking with authority. You walk with boldness and in the ways of the Lord. You know He will lead you to higher waters and your ordered foot steps are flawless, because they come from God. Does it mean you will have a perfect walk? No. Does it mean you will do everything right? No. Does it mean nothing will ever go wrong? No. None of us will be able to live a perfect life. Yet when we walk in the mandates of God, our walk is flawless to Him, because we are covered in His blood that He shed for us. And the blood is power. Thus, our walk is blameless. God will protect us everywhere we go. It doesn't matter what it looks like naturally, He will give us everything we need exactly when we need it.  "For the Lord ...

Jesus has come with good news for you. He says, “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" ( Matthew 11 :28). That's right, His words are right there plain as day. Aren't they wonderful reassuring words of His goodness? Isn't it great to be reminded, once again, that God gives us rest when we need it? He will make it so we are filled with peace and comfort when we need it. All we have to do is continuously make Him our source -- our energy source. We can never go wrong with the Lord who gives us peace when we sometimes grow weary. He fills us with an overflow of strength and vitality. He is an endless source for us.

It's great to be able to look up towards God no matter what’s going on in the world. God is always with us. All we have to do is look towards the sky. Look towards heaven, because God is there. He sits on high so we need not look low, ever. Jesus was only in the grave for 3 days remember? See  John 2 :18-22.  So don't look low, because He can't be found there. Look high and cast your cares only on Him, the Lord, because He cares for you  ( 1 Peter 5 :7).  That's enough to rejoice and be glad about. When we do that He will answer our prayers and all will be well. I totally believe that, because our faith will make us well. And our faith will make it so that God will position us to take five steps forward with no steps backwards. That's what looking towards the sky and towards heaven does for us.  

Keep going. Keep stepping. Keep trying. No obstacle or setback matters. You have to keep your head up and remember what the Lord said about you and your life. Psalm 139 :14 says,  "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." It's about knowing who you are in Christ. When you know that, it helps tremendously, because it gives you the strength and the confidence to stay the course. So keep trying and never give up. And don't let life knock you down and you end up missing out on something better. Don't let disappointments incapacitate you or prevent you from functioning to the best of your ability. Don't dwell on the negative. Focus on what you have now and what the future will bring you. Focus on the positive, because positive attracts positive. Be strong, walk in confidence and you will make it. " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not b...

Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you ( Proverbs 4 :25). That scripture means to stay focused on continuously gaining wisdom and insight. It means looking towards the light and not having anything to do with darkness. It means to take the road of goodness, not the road of bad and evil. It means we will walk with more power throughout our challenges. We will be able to speak life, not death and defeat to them.  Proverbs 4:10-12  says to accept what the Lord says, that the years of our lives will be many when we walk in the way of wisdom; that our steps will not be hampered and when we run we will not stumble.  It's about looking forward as we keep our gaze on the Lord God and not on the things that are against Him. It means staying in tune with what He has to say and relying on Him to help us walk with a straight gaze looking towards Him — The Light. 

What kind of foundation do you have? Is it on God? If it is, it is a solid one.  Having a foundation on God makes us more durable. Having a foundation on God means relying on Him for a stable life.  Psalm 18 :1/2 says,  "I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." The Lord is clearly a sure foundation. He is the starter and finisher of all things --  "...the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me" (Psalm 18:18/19).  So you need not worry, because the foundation that is in Christ is a foundation that greatness and stability are built on.  

Do you want to go higher? Do you want more than the life you're living? Do you believe God wants the best for you? If so, good for you. You can get there -- we can get there. Going higher means doing the things that we only dream about. Going higher means putting ourselves out there for ridicule, criticism, rejection, embarrassment, humiliation, and the list goes on. It's a little scary, isn't it? But guess what? Going higher also gets us ready for respect, favor, approval, acceptance, peace, and abundant blessings. TD Jakes says, everybody who's where God has sent them had to go through those things. There are no shortcuts. It's the same for us. If we want to go higher, we have to do what it takes to get there. Going higher means there are going to peaks and valleys and we have to be ready for them. Are you ready? Are you willing? Do you believe God? In Bruce Wilkinson's book, the Dream Giver , Wilkinson talks about a person named Ordinary from a no-plac...

Remember Jesus is still Lord. It doesn't matter what we're going through. We just have to trust in Him with all our heart, and not rely on our own understanding ( Proverbs 3 :5 ) . When we do that we can sustain anything that comes our way, because our strength comes from the Lord. I totally believe that God will never put more on us than we can bear. We just have to trust Him when it seems our back is against the wall; when it seems all the chips are down; and when it seems our life has been turned upside down. I know from experience that you will get through anything that has been a struggle, a challenge, an obstacle, or anything you may be going through. God is the one and only God of any and everything. Don't think He won't bring you through. If He brought me through, He can bring anybody through. Just believe in Him, listen to Him, read and trust His word, pray without ceasing, and position yourself around the people who will build you up. That's faith a...

Do you how much the Lord God loves you? It doesn't matter what happened or didn't happen in your life, God has a glorious plan for your life. He wants all of us to live life to the fullest. But you have to fight to get what God has for you. And you have the right to be mighty in the land, so keep up the effort to be better than yesterday. And since God has awesome plans for you, focusing on the right things, is important. Isn't it time to give attention to doing what you were put on this earth to do? Isn't it time to roll out and say, I'm ready to go forward, Lord? Don't worry, He will be with you. Remember what Joshua 1 :9 says: "have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Hear what Sha Sha has to say about living life to the fullest. Sha Sha is my avatar, so her face is based on my face and the voice you hear is actually me speaking throu...

Do you know it’s possible? Anything is possible with God on your side. You can do absolutely anything through Him, because He gives you the strength to do it. Do you want to do mighty things in the world? You can indeed do them. And no need to be concerned about what didn’t work out before. Today is a new day and the past is over. None of that matters to God. He has preserved you despite all that happened and the new is here. Today you are still made powerful by your testimony. That means you are blessed in the city and blessed in the field, because you never give up. Nothing formed against you ever prospered, because you’re still standing. You are standing strong and will  still  do mighty things in the name of Jesus -- a name above all names. He is with you.  So stand strong in Him. "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their...

Do you know that faith without putting some effort behind it, is dead?  James 2:14-26   is proof of that.   In other words, nothing will move in our lives if we don't move.  God didn't just create us to wait around for something to happen. He created us to  make  it happen. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength, right? And  Philippians 4 :13 is also   proof of that.  What I'm trying to convey here is that we can't just stand around and hope upon hope that our chance for that golden opportunity will just come around. We may be waiting forever. Although I am far from achieving all that God has for me, I had to bust a move to get something going. I had to finally sit down at my laptop and start writing in order for progress to happen. Did I know exactly what I was going to write? No, I just started and the momentum started. And when that happens, it's hard to slow down. That's a good problem to have....

Do you know wisdom is a shield that can help you in your life? When we tap into all the things of God, we tap into some amazing things. We can start with His word, the bible. His word is where we find knowledge, which turns into wisdom when applied. We can tap into His spirit too. His spirit is His breath of life. His existence is what we must use to guide our lives. No we can't see Him, but let me tell you, we can indeed sense and feel His presence. So yes, He is a shield to us and all His splendor. Following His plan for our life involves getting knowledge and wisdom. That's how we will be at the top of our game, spiritually, then naturally. Thus, wisdom, will open many opportunities of being in the right place at the right time and you will know what to say and do. " For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and wat...

"He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe" ( John 1 :7). Thank God for John, the Baptist. He was the witness to Jesus' baptism, because he was the one who baptized Jesus. Sent by God to do just that. I am so thankful that God blessed us with Jesus to cover us with his grace and truth -- that we are no longer under the law. That means we are covered by our Holy Father when we give our lives to Him. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" , John exclaimed in verse 29. Jesus doesn't condemn us and He continues to love us in spite of ourselves. Everyday we ought to give Him praise just for that, but we all get busy with our lives -- the lives He blessed us with. He knows we are thankful though. And He protects us even when we don't deserve one ounce of it. What an awesome God we serve. This is yet another day we should all be filled with His goodness and His light.  He...

You know where some of my passion for encouraging others comes from? For a long time I didn't realize what God really had for me. I was just getting by with the crumbs that everybody else had left laying around. I didn't really understand that God had more for me and it was right in front of me. All I had to do was reach out and grab it. I knew that reaching and grabbing it would take work and I wasn't willing to do the hard smart work to get to it. I was just waiting for it to come to me and guess what? It never came. Why? Because I didn't prepare or I didn't do what I needed to do and I wasted lots of time waiting for everything to line up perfectly. I finally learned that God wants us to step out in faith and He will do the rest. Now I'm passionate about reaching people and telling them about my mishaps and mistakes. I figure my story and my journey will help people if they realize they're not alone. And now I am doing the preparation I need to do ...