The Daily Devotional Blog

Sometimes it's easy to think that God has forgotten about us, but He hasn't. Don't let the enemy convince you of that -- ever. God is still there for you and He's still there for me. So we have to rely on Him and His word, then start speaking life over our lives.  Proverbs 30 :6  says  "he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. " Years ago when I was depressed and allowed myself to be down and out at night, wallowing in my grief, one day I finally decided to wake up and start seeing myself the way God sees me. Yes, I started seeing myself successful and victorious. I started visualizing myself in my daily life doing the things I always thought about. I started seeing myself doing those magnificent things I read about with others. I figured somebody had to do them. Why couldn't it be me? So I decided to take refuge in God and it changed my life. Doing that would change your life too and it's never too late.  Never . God hasn't forgotten y...

Proverbs 29 :1 says, "he who is often reproved  [gently corrected] , yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing." Do you know people that you can't tell anything? They don't listen, because they think they know more than you even though you've been around the block or two? Well, don't be too hard on those people, because I used to be the same way. I was that person who suffered more than I needed to and some of that was because of my hard head -- because I didn't listen to wisdom. Yes, like them, I was blind, but now I see. So, it's easy for us to look back over our old self, and thank God for our new selves, yet still criticize others who are not there yet. We have to be careful though, because nobody is completely delivered from anything, especially when pride and judgment comes in. Remember, any of us can revert in a New York minute, right?  All I'm saying is that it takes one to know one and if we have any wisdom t...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I think that verse is saying, don't be stingy, isn't it? It's Proverbs 28 :22 and again it says,  "A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him." I'm grateful, because growing up, I had a mother who wasn't stingy and who made giving and helping people, easy. My mother always said, we need to help this person and help that person. So giving has never been hard for me. In fact my mother's mother and her mother's mother were givers. Just in case it doesn't come naturally to you, you can train yourself to give to people who need it. It just takes practice and that involves giving -- yes, simply giving.  Proverbs 28:22 is another way of saying that when God blesses us with things we can use to give to people, we should do it. And it doesn't matter what it is, nothing is too small or too big to help someone. You've heard the phrase, ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Proverbs 27 :17  says, " iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another ." What that means is that the people who are around us are the people who make us better and vice versa. Or at least it should be that way. It's wonderful to have quality people around us who make us better and we make them better, isn't it? For those of you who have people around you like that, good for you, keep them around. And if you don't have a support system right now, don't despair, continue to pray and God will place the right people around you. There was a time when I felt all alone, because I didn't have any people around me I felt I could trust, but as time went on and as I opened myself up to people, quality people came into my life. I prayed, I took more chances, and it happened. It will happen for you too and there's no need to settle for less than you think you deserve. God will bring quality peopl...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Like a dog that returns to his vomit, is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Those verses come from Proverbs 26 :11/12. Don't go back. Don't go backwards. In fact, don't even look back. Don't repeat folly, absurdity, or recklessness. And I'm not just talking to you. I'm talking to myself. As you know I have made mistakes, as we all have, right? And I don't want to make those same mistakes. Now, will we make mistakes in our lives? Of course, but we should get smarter, better, and faster as we grow older. Right?  Anyway, today's message is saying not to go back to those things that have not done us any good and that have not added anything good to our lives. To go back is like a dog returning to his vomit as Proverbs 26:11 says, which is pretty disgusting, wouldn't you say? And that verse...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Proverbs 25 :28 says, "a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." That's a tough one right there and you know what it means, right? Exactly. It means we have to extend respect and courtesy to those who we might not think have been the best to us -- have been the nicest to us. Let me just put it that way. We have to do that and we have to maintain self-control. And let me just say this: that is easier said than done. I'm telling you that. And although it's difficult doing that sometimes, I know personally we are better off when we do, believe me. I know, because I had to do that recently when someone tried to set me up when I needed repairs done. The person did not want me to get the repairs done, ok. That's what I'll say. So when the repair man came, he told the repair man some things that prevented him from making the repairs. I tried to explain to the ...

Daily Dvotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory" ( Proverbs 24 :6). I have an accountability person and she is wise, non-judgmental, and spiritual. I also have a great friend who just happens to be a minister and he is the same way. I love talking to both of them and anytime I need good sound advice, they are always available for me. I can trust them without blinking and they have never betrayed that trust. I help them, as well, by encouraging them and providing whatever support they need when they need it. Who do you have around you? Are they wise spiritual people or are they what is considered dead weight -- just there pulling you down because they offer no substance? And what do you offer them? I don't know about you, but everyone around me has to offer me something of value and I have to do the same. We should bring each other something worthwhile or we...

“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge” ( Proverbs 23 :12). This is about listening to information and advice that may not make sense; that may not always completely understand, but deep down we know it’s the best for us.  You ever try to tell a kid something that you will harm them and they just don’t get it? Right. Proverbs 23:12 can apply here, because when we listen and apply what we learned, then great things will result. We may not be able to see those results immediately, but they will come. 

Proverbs 22 :1 says, "a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold."  It's about our reputation. What type of image do we want to display?  A few days ago, I asked 31 people what they thought about my brand and how I helped people. I did it, because it was recommended I do it, by a top-notch influencer/marketer, multimillion dollar business woman. She said she regretted not asking people those questions when she first got started in her career. As a result of not knowing how people saw her, she ended up being known for something she had already outgrew, and she had to rebrand herself, which took some time.  What's my point? That was an example of  Proverbs 22:1  since I was curious about how people saw my name -- my reputation. And I'm glad I asked, because my branding was right on target. Anyway, a good name and a good reputation are needed, especially in these times we live in. What do you thi...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. A good question we can ask ourselves is, what type of heart do we have, because according to Proverbs 21 :2 , God looks at the heart, He weighs what's in our heart. What do you think about that? What lives in your heart? It's something we have to think about, because whatever is in our hearts, there we go. And if it's a pure heart and a heart for God, then we're good. Sometimes I still struggle with following my mind and following my heart. Sometimes it's a thin line. I know I know it shouldn't be, but I'm keeping it real and I'm letting you know that I don't have it all together, never claim to, and never will take that on. Look and listen, ok? I'm always a work in progress just like everybody else and I still have remnants of my messy years. Can I get a witness? So, I need to really pay attention to that scripture. At any rate, we have to just watch it, right? Because Proverbs 21...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I say stay away from it, from strife, animosity, bickering, and arguments. None of it will do us any good. How does any of it help anybody? Relationships are not strengthened by it, so why bother, right? So, let's be wise, not foolish. "It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling" ( Proverbs 20 :3).   I don't know about you, but there are some things I stay away from and strife is one of them. Some people are energized by it, but not this girl. It has no good longevity or endurance. And as I grow older I'm seeking the things that add greatness to my life, not take it away. What say you? What are your thoughts about that verse?

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Proverbs 19 :1 says, "better is a poor person who walks in his integrity, than one who is crooked in speech, and is a fool." How important is walking in integrity to you? How important is others walking in integrity? According to the dictionary, other words for integrity are: character, decency, goodness, honesty, morality, righteousness, uprightness, and virtue. Sounds like the fruits of the spirit huh ( Galatians 5:22/23 ) ? Anyway, integrity is really important to me and I try my best to operate in it. In fact, I base all of my relationships on it. All of my closest relationships are with people who walk in integrity. Yes, and if I sense for a moment that a person can't be trusted, that's the end of that . Our relationship will only be surface -- hi and goodbye type of thing. No hard feelings. There's just nothing we have in common. Integrity means that much to me. For instance, there was...

Proverbs 18 :16 says, "a man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great." Don't think your gifts won't position you around great people and wonderful places. You read that scripture right -- your gifts will indeed make room for all you want to be, all your want to do, and all you want to be around. Yes, all you have to do is continue to work on yourself and your gifts, then the flood gates will eventually open for you in God's timing. Here's the key though; We have to use our gifts or we will lose them.  When I was in the Air Force, we had 30 days of leave or vacation we were supposed to take every year. We could mix those days any way we wanted to, but when the end of the year came, if we didn't use them, we would lose them. It's the same with our gifts. If we are going to sit on them and do nothing when we can be using them to expand God's kingdom and get His message out, then why would He use us when someone else is wil...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues." That's  Proverbs 17 :27/28.  If you go back a few devotionals/podcasts, you will remember me saying that a few years ago my mouth didn’t help me as much as it could have, because I didn't know when to shut it. Back then I used to talk just to talk instead of talking if and when I had something to say.  There was a commercial in the 70's and 80's that said, "when EF Hutton talks, people listen." It was because EF Hutton only spoke wisdom and when he spoke everybody stopped in their tracks (you can Youtube  the video). EF Hutton was a securities, brokerage, and insurance company. After that very successful commercial aired, everyone started quoting it. 'EF Hutton this and EF Hutton that....

Proverbs 16 :9 has been the story of my life, because it says, "in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." It's the story of my life, because for so long, yes I had plans in my heart, but they weren't always the plans of the Lord. But as I grew older in years and older in the Lord, I now know the true meaning of that verse. I get it. The verse means that when we keep the plans of God in our hearts, He will continuously direct our paths and establish our paths. Isn't that awesome? That when we go with what lives in our godly heart, God will ensure we will do with it, what we are supposed to do. He will be sure to bring those plans to completion. So I pray that we will stay in God's good and perfect will for our lives and although things won't always be perfect, they will be -- yes they will be awesome simply because they are God's plans. We need to remember that in everything we do in our lives. 

Proverbs 15 :13 says, "a happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."  Although things in my life and your life aren't perfect, let's decide to have a cheerful face and  high spirits. I've decided that I'm going to have a great and wonderful attitude no matter comes my way. Why? Because God has done so much for me and He continues to. I'm continuing to choose joy, because guess what? It is a choice.  Yes, I wish some things were different -- many things actually, but I can't sit in sorrow, because there are some things that I wish would change. I refuse to live like that. I'm finding my peace and I'm finding it in my relationship with God. I talk to Him often especially if and when nobody is around. His is my strength and my solace. I rely on Him and put 100% of my trust in Him. I'm coming to tell you what works for me and maybe it will work for you too (if you need encouragement in that area). At ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. What are you building? Is it being built on a solid foundation? Is it prospering? It is leveling up? Does it have a future? Or it is going in the other direction?  Proverbs 14 :1  says, "the wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." The question I'm asking myself today is, am I building wisely? I have to answer that honestly, because having a solid foundation is crucial to sustaining quality and longevity. It's a question I'm constantly asking myself as I seek out information regarding my business, my personal life, my spiritual life, and my emotional life. Really, it's a question we should all be asking ourselves, wouldn't you say? "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." I can't speak for anyone else when I say I want to be the wise woman who adds instead of the foolish woman who ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Proverbs 13 :3 says, "Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." Boy, oh boy, do I know this scripture. And I'm not saying that to boast either. In fact, I have learned some time ago that pride and boasting won't get anybody that far at all. So, boasting I am not, believe me. Proverbs 13:3 is a verse that makes me laugh at my old self as I shake my head in utter and sheer embarrassment of being so ignorant and downright unenlightened back then. Why? Because I used to just run my mouth and I didn't even know what I was talking about. Plus I wasn't a good listener. But, God spared my blindness, my oblivion, and the fog I lived in. Won't He do it? Yes He will. Thank you Lord for shining your light on me. Isn't God good? All the time.  Proverbs 13:3 says we need to speak when it's time and shut our mouths when it will not help anybody. I kno...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."  Those are not my words. They are what the scripture says. Yes, Proverbs 12 :1 , to be exact. You know what it's saying, right? It's saying that those of us who can learn from our mistakes, take good advice, and gain wisdom, are more disciplined and usually better off than those of us who don't do those things. We're in a much better place than those of us who don't listen, who think we know everything, and who never take advice from anybody, because we feel we're above reproof, rebuke, constructive feedback, or above constructive criticism from people who care about us and who want to help us. That is quite stupid, wouldn't you say? Proverbs 12 :1  is also saying we're stupid when we are so big-headed and hard-headed, that we surround ourselves with the people who tell us what we want to hear -- ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Sometimes being humble comes at a price, doesn't it? Can any of you identify with that? I know I can.  Proverbs 11 :2 hits home for me, because I had to learn it the hard way and unfortunately I have too many examples to prove it. But I will share just one. Proverbs 11:2 says,  "when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." The hard-learned lesson that has played a part in me learning humility was a time when I ran my mouth one too many times. It happened years ago and was at an event that people were looking forward to. I was on the planning committee and I was due to speak a few words of inspiration by reciting a poem I wrote. Let me just say this: that was the last poem I wrote without having someone else read it before I recited it publicly. I know some poets don't do that, but sometimes it's wise to have another trusted eye on our writing just to ensure it is the ...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame" ( Proverbs 10 :4/5). What do you think about those scriptures? Let's focus on the the latter part of verse 4: " the hand of the diligent makes rich." Whatever rich means to you, use that. Rich is in the eye of the beholder, so if rich to you means rich in peace, joy, financial, physical, mental, spiritual, all of those, some of those, whatever rich means to you, consider that ok?  Proverbs 10:4/5 means that if anyone is operating with a slack (aka weak, whack, lazy) spirit, then more than likely, that person is not going to get rich. Those of us who will get rich are the ones who will do what James 2 :14-17 says, put some works behind what we say we believe. And during the winter or when others are sleep or others are sitting ...

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 not be burned,   and the flame shall not co...

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Proverbs 7 English Standard Version (ESV) "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend..." You ever know something, but don't do it? I know I have. I have operated in pure ignorance so many times in my life. I have made bad decisions even though I knew the right way, but didn't follow it. Those were hard lessons, because they were lessons of having no wisdom or insight. I couldn't see past my ego or pride and wasn't thinking straight. Crazy thinking, right? Yet true.  I never want to go back to living like that, so yes, I want to call wisdom my sister and insight my friend -- for real for real. I would like to think that everyday I'm living and learning...

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.  The point is, we don't know when we may run out of time, right? So why not just do what it is we're here to do? So far, it's not too late as long as our vision still li...

Proverbs 4   English Standard Version (ESV) Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.  Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;  they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,  which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;  they do not know over what they stumble.  My son, be...