The Daily Devotional Blog

Isaiah 61 :7 says "Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours."  So, there you have it. There's no shame in your game and you will rejoice! There's no shame or disgrace in the life you've live. It's been lived, what happened happened. There's no erasing anything. And there's no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus  ( Romans 8:1 ) . He has wiped the slate clean and you have been forgiven for everything  ( Hebrews 10:17/18 ).  He will give turn your mourning into gladness and sorrow into comfort and joy  ( Jeremiah 31:13b ) . You are created new in Him  ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).  So you see, there is absolutely no shame in your game and you will rejoice in all the Lord has for you. Don't bother looking back. Keep going forward. If you find your mind wandering back, immediately shif...

This is to encourage those of you who are confident in the awesome things the Lord is going to do in your life, to keep praying to maintain it. And for those who are trying to get your confidence up, to keep praying, it will come. We are all praying for something and if confidence is it for you, then confidence you shall get.  Hebrews 10 :35  says,  "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised."  So you see, the Lord is thinking about you and He always knows what we need when we need it. I've come to encourage those who may need it, that God is aware of the great things you want to do in your life and He will ensure you get them done. 

Today is a new day. No need to go another day or another year without speaking things as if they were, speaking the things you want into the atmosphere. It's time to start saying, it's my time, That's right, it's your time to step into the realm of everything. Yes, it's your time to reach new heights of all you've ever wanted. Setbacks? Keep going anyway. Many times those are the things that will give our testimonies more teeth, more power, more leverage. Let disappointments be fuel to enable you to accomplish those things you've dreamed about, to make you stronger. Otherwise you go through them for not. Plus, God will be there throughout the fire and it will not consume you.  Isaiah  43:2b says, ‘when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’ In fact, y ou will be empowered through the Lord, Jesus Christ to do what you were born to do, because He will be with you always. 

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. That's what Abram, later called Abraham had to do in  Genesis 12 :1 -- s eeking higher, going higher and and I can only imagine how that must have felt for him. Yet, anything worthwhile won't come easy. It's going to cost each one of us something . Are you willing to give what it takes to go higher? It's a question all of us have to answer at some point. The Lord told Abram:  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2/3).     Abram decided to heed the call and it paid off for him. The Lord told him what He would do for him and of course, the Lord came through. He always does. Abraham goes down in history as being a man of faith, the father of many nations, and apparently, many descen...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Are you focused on the important things God wants you to do or are you letting distractions get the best of you? Is time running out for you or are you using your time wisely? Do you know the time is now to do what the Lord told us to do? Let me tell you, I know all about distractions and I know all about lazy time. And I don't want anybody else to live there. I spent too much time there years ago and that was then and this is now. I'm not going back to those hu-hum days of doing nothing and being nothing. I know all about putting things off and procrastinating like it was nobody's business and I know those are not traits that help anybody. So, I'm asking those questions to you and I'm asking them for I. That's right.  I was inspired to do today's podcast by a podcast I listen to called  5 Minute Inspirationz with a Z at the end. It's a podcast on Anchor hosted by Larry Hunter and it...

Be thankful, be happy, be joyous, and rejoice! in the Lord.   You have a godly right to do so. Rejoice means happiness, joy, gladness, delight, elation, jubilation, exuberance, exultation, and celebration. How awesome is that ! I love it. We have much to rejoice for, because the Lord has us here for a reason. We should rejoice and be glad in that.  I know how it is not to rejoice, but after I got out of that dark place of regret, I came to realize that we all can rejoice even when negative situations and challenges confront us. Yes, there will down times, because we're human. Yet, having joy and rejoicing means we won't remain in that state when we draw our strength from God. Chaos can be going on around us and we can have a calm and "rejoicing" spirit.  "And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you" ( Deuteronomy 12 :7).  Rejoice.

Regarding what the Lord God says about you, you rock and you're awesome. Yes it's true. His love for us transcends the test of time and it never runs out. I hope you feel about yourself the way God feels about you. You are wonderful in His eyes for many reasons, namely that He made us all in His own image. Isn't that great? To be made in the same exact image of the Holy One Himself?  Genesis 1 :27  is proof to that fact and says,  "s o God created man in his own image,   in the image of God he created him;   male and female he created them."  That's a great image to behold, isn't it? Simply remarkable. It's a blessing really, but we don't often give it much thought, do we?     Nevertheless, you're awesome, because of the God in you -- The God who made us all to  "b e fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it..." (Genesis 1:28).  He continually blesses us to do just that, as well.  Wow.  I hope you are ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know that when we trust God, He will make the impossible, possible? Remember the blind man in John 9 , who Jesus healed? The story was in the book of John 9 and verses 1-7 go like this:  "Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light.” He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes, and said, “Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam." He went and washed and saw.”  Wh...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. It's not always what it seems, my friends, so you have to stay on what God has for you. You have to stay focused and not veer to the left or to the right.  Deuteronomy 5 :32-33 says, " You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess." So, what is that saying? Stay alert to what the Lord is dropping in your spirit and don't waste a minute comparing yourself to anybody, because as I said during yesterday's podcast episode, what God has for you, is for you and only you. You don't have to do what I used to try to do, make things happen that God hasn't told you to do. I was forever trying to help God out. That's why I h...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego..." [well, let's just say it wouldn't end very well for them]. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon" (Daniel 3:28-30). Did you get the last verse though, verse 30? "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego..." Daniel 3 is about what happened with the 3 men who served God even though there were people who tried to stop them from serving Him. Because of jealousy and who they were,  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego  were lied ab...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know that when we walk with God we have the ability to walk in wisdom? And when we walk with God, our walk is safe?   Yes, Proverbs 3 :13 says, 'happy is the man who finds wisdom  and   Proverbs 3:23 says,  'you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble.'  Clearly, there is safety in Christ Jesus and we have absolutely nothing to worry about. We know that life will throw us some serious blows, right? There's no getting around that and there's no doubt about it. Yet here's the thing: with Christ we are everything and we can go to Him for anything . There is protection in Him, He guides us through troubled waters, and He shields us through the fires. Do you believe it?  Isaiah 43 :2/3 says,  "w hen you pass through the waters, I will be with you;   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;   when you walk through fire you shall n...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "There is therefore now no condemnation [no shame and no guilt] for those who are in Christ Jesus" ( Romans 8 :1).  In other words, if you're in God and His spirit lives in you, then you are covered by His blood and His stripes. Yes, that means you're good to go. And again,  Romans 8:1 says, there's no condemnation. That means there's no guilt and no shame to those who are saved by Christ Jesus. You've been proven innocent and today I'm coming to tell you that if anything you've done in your past is bothering you or if anything that was done to you is bothering you, let it go. Release it. Give it to God for good this time. I say all of that because for years I lived in unforgiveness towards myself, because I had messed up so bad in not living up to the achievements I wanted in life that I just didn't forgive myself for anything. I just really beat myself up. Years back I did...

Do you know the Lord has blessed you with the ability to have peace in your life? Yes, it's true.   Hebrews 12 :14 says, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. "  Even though everything doesn't line up perfectly in life, the Lord still blesses His people. And we need to all get that revelation for ourselves. Do you know you can speak life to any situation simply, because God blessed you with the ability to do that? It's amazing how many of us don't realize that power He has given us to change our situations. Of course we don't like it when we're confronted with opposition or adversity, because  it causes too much discomfort, pain, or is just inconvenient. Yet, there are times when that pressure is good for us, because it makes us grow and it should make us grow up . As we grow in the Lord, He gives us peace that surpasses all understanding ( Philippians 4 :7). You heard it sa...

Do you know we have a choice to be happy? Yes, we have the choice to have joyous happy days or sad unhappy ones. And we have the choice to be unbothered by the things that try to stop our flow.  Isaiah 12 :3 says  "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”  Remember, God looks after you -- His people -- and there is no need to put any effort into the things that don't make you stronger. We have to draw strength from within,  Psalm 31 :7 says   "rejoice and be glad in the Lord God.”  I had to learn that for myself, so now I write about it, I speak about it, and I teach about it. And like David, I will bless the Lord, because He has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a bad place  (Psalm 31:21).  I know the power of the Lord and He has brought me from the pit of despair. Now I will be happy in Him. I trust in Him, because I know His majestic beauty. I value Him, because He has turned my ashes into beauty. He...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. This is just another reminder that although we all fall short, God still loves us and we have to keep going forward regardless. Yes, we've all made bad decisions that some of us call mistakes, yet we can't let them stop us from moving to where it is God wants to take us. Jeremiah 29 :11 says, He has great and awesome plans for us, because He wants us to have a hope and a prosperous future. And He knows that although we may not have gotten it all right, we are all His children nevertheless and He wants the best for us. So we can't beat ourselves up. I did that for many many years, because of all the bad decisions I made, all the mistakes I made. And let me tell you, I'm not looking back. We can't look back because of the mistakes, the mishaps that happened, that may be even happening now, or will happen. All we can do is stayed prayed up and try our best to live the life God wants us to live. It...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies" ( Psalm 18 :1-3). That's what David said when he was going through turmoil with his enemy, Saul. David called out to the Lord and the Lord answered him. And in  Psalm 18:6/7 he said , "In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."  God will also deliver you and I from anyone or anything coming against us. Who is coming for you? What is coming for you? Don't you know that God will deliver you from that person or that thing? He certainly will.  "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Sometimes we need all the strength we can get, don't we? Do you need to get though anything in particular today? If so, remember Jesus is still Lord and when we trust in Him with all our heart, and not rely on our own understanding, He will bring us through yet again. Yes,  Proverbs 3 :5 says, to  "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."  When we do that, we will be stronger with the things that will come our way. Our strength comes from the Lord and He gives us what we need to be strong enough to conquer the obstacles that will surely come. I know, because there was a time a few years back when a person I really cared about left my life. He was a special person that I thought would be around for the rest of my life, but he wanted out. That rejection was devastating and I felt all alone. It was a mountain that almost swallowed me and although I knew it ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. If you know anything about David, you know he had some challenges and mountains in his life. And like many of us, he had to call on the Lord so many times to get him through. David loved God and although his life wasn't without its pits and valleys, David knew from whom his help came. He didn't mind praising, worshiping and dancing before the Lord. In Psalm 28 :6-9, David said:  "Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." I don't know about you, but I can identify with David. I have seen some pits, valleys, and low places. I have been talked about and count...

I just want to encourage you to continue on and to keep the plans God has for your life, front and centered. Continue to look up towards heaven no matter what you're going through. If you're not going through anything, then ensure your gaze is still on the Lord. No matter where we are in life we have to keep God as the center of our lives and not get too busy for the Father. We must remember what He did for us and the blood He shed for each of us. Looking up ensures that we are looking towards the light, because Jesus is the Light and He sits on high. No need to look low, because you won't see Him there. So look up, look high, and be fixed on the Lord.  "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” ( John 8 :12). 

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" ( Isaiah 43 :19). Do you know God will make a way out of no way? Do you know God is the God of the impossible  and  the possible? Do you know God is used to defying what man said could not be done, should not be done, and would not be done? Oh yes. And if He's done it many times before, He will do it many times again. Believe that. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Don't limit yourself by what is seen with your natural eyes. Put on your unlimited faith and trust in what God's Word says, which is much. Remember what thus says the Lord, which is,  "for nothing will be impossible with God" ( Luke 1 :37)  and  "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" ( Philippians 4 :13).  Consequently, there is a way, so don't ever throw in the towel no matter how dismal things look. God is still...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. One of the many awesome things of God is that He gives us waves of His greatness. Did you know that?  Yes, He's not a respector of persons, which means He will use anyone He chooses to do His will, so He can get the glory from your story. Your life means something. Remember that. And be reminded that when it seems we're down to nothing, guess what? God is always up to something. He is always with us during the highs and lows of life. That's right. That's why we can never give up. It doesn't matter our past or present circumstances, God is in control of the will He has for our lives. My point is, God can make anything happen for anyone at anytime. It doesn't matter who and what. He knows the plans He has for each one of us. Remember the Samaritan Woman in  John 4 ? Who are we to judge how God's plan looks and how God will have us impact people? He can use who He chooses and that is you....

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God" ( Isaiah 40 :1).  Did you know, God  "gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak"   (Isaiah 40:29) ? Oh yes, and if he does that, that means there is no reason to be down or to stay down. Lift your head up. Yes, there are things going on that are challenging and it may seem like God is not there, it may seem like He doesn't hear us or see us. But let me tell you, God is aware of our needs, all of them and when it seems we're on the brink of shouting, "Lord help me!", He is right there. He was there all along. He won't ever leave the people who love, praise, and worship Him in spirit and truth. Every last one of His promises will come true when we continue to seek Him in all our ways and as we continue to understand and respect that He is the same God as He was yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Believe that. God is here t...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do " ( Ephesians 2 :8-10). Isn’t it great to be covered by God’s grace? We all make mistakes, right? We all fall short. We all drop the ball. The only perfect one is Christ, so, we can forgive ourselves when we mess up. Would you not agree? We can't be so hard on ourselves when we fall short. We can't be so hard on ourselves when we don't measure up, because it's going to happen. We're human. I’m saying that because I know how it is to have once lived in regret over mistakes and bad decisions. I wasted so many years not moving on in a certain area of my life, because I beat myself up about certain things. Don’t let that be you. ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know, nobody can block what the Lord has for you? Nope, if the Lord said it was going to happen, it's a done deal, but we stay committed to Him and His Word. We have to believe what He says, ok? Because God has much for you, so we have to continue to roll with Him. When we have a philosophy of work smart, work faithfully, then guess what happens? God opens awesome doors that no man can shut. In other words, we have to work our faith as we stand on God's promises. So, keep going and know that what God has for you, is for you. Continue to go for what it is He has for you and keep your vision forefront.  Don't waste time like I did. There was a time when I sat on my gifts, because I lived in fear of the unknown. What would happen if this and what would have if that and as a result I didn't get anywhere. That shouldn't have happened. I should be further along now, but I'm ok with all of th...