"What Does Not Kill You Will Make You Greater"

Scripture: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" -2 Corinthians 4:17

Life calls for us to endure some troubling times. It calls for us to endure deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs, pay cuts, ending relationships with men/women that we loved so much, and other things. I am often reminded of a cliché that states "what does not kill you makes you stronger". What we can attest to is the fact that though we have lost jobs, took pay cuts, endured financial hardship, endured emotional hardship, endured other forms of pain, it has made us stronger. Through the pay cuts, those made us smarter stewards of our money. Through the emotional hardships, it allowed us to select our friends and conversation wisely. Through other hardships and pain, it taught us to rely on God on a greater level. Within the same trend of thought of "what does not kill you makes you stronger", the Lord has spoken today's title within my Spirit for each and every one of you: What does not kill you, will make you greater! Today's text will illustrate this topic in greater depth.

Today, our focal book is found in the book of 2 Corinthians. Within this epistle/book, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Corinth for a second time. Within this book, Paul discusses the importance of forgiveness, being a generous giver, understanding the importance of being a person in Christ, and other things. Within this particular chapter, Paul discussed the following things: 1) how the apostles labored with great diligence, sincerity, and faithfulness (verses 1 - 7), 2) the apostles' sufferings for the Gospel were great; however, they had great support (verses 8 - 12), and 3) how the prospects of eternal glory should keep believers from not fainting under their troubles (verses 13 - 18). Today's main scripture can be located within the third listed discussion item.

Paul begins the text by stating that our troubles are considered "our light affliction, which is but for a moment". What a deep statement from a man who endured a lot through his time as an apostle and man of God. If truth were told and we think about this thing, what we endure is light, in comparison to the things Christ dealt with. He dealt with being pierced in the side, getting beat down at one judgment hall after another, not being received in his own hometown, being disrespected and challenged by those "in authority" in those days, and other days. Yet, in our day and age, the least little thing that happens to us, we are ready to amp and go off on someone or somebody. If you can receive today's scripture, especially this first part, the things we deal with are of "light affliction" that lasts for a moment. The trouble of a bad child is only for a moment. Not being able to find a job though you have been searching is only for a moment. Being healed from your diseases and you have practiced a solid diet is only for a moment. Obtaining the kind of job where you can provide for you and your family is right there. The trouble within your God-ordained marriage is only for a moment. Whatever your "affliction" is within your life, just know that it is for a moment. Because your affliction is for a moment, it has not killed you. On the other hand, how does this affliction makes you greater?

The text concludes with the answer to your question. Paul finishes the text by saying that our light affliction that's for a moment, "worketh for us a far more exceeding and external weight of glory". Wow! In other words, as we stated in the title, what does not kill you will make you greater. Though that divorce was meant to break you, it made you greater. Though your dysfunctional childhood was meant to break you, it made you greater. Though you have experienced church hurt like none around you, it made you greater. I'm reminded of what David wrote in Psalms 30:5 that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning". The pain you endure, my brother and my sister, is meant to make you greater and to further establish the Glory of God! Every time you deal with something, just say that it's adding to the Glory of God and the things God has for me! When you carry that mindset, your "afflictions in life" can be viewed as light.

In closing, pain and hardship are two things that are not the easiest to endure. As Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and us on today, he allows us to understand that in reality, our afflictions are "light" and that these afflictions will "work for us a far more exceeding and external weight of glory". Do not allow the pressures of this life to weigh you down because if it does not kill you, it will make you greater!

"The Lifestyle of Thanksgiving"

Scripture: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." -Psalms 100:4-5, NIV

As we enter into this Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, this was one of the few times where people come together and talk about what they are thankful for. People will mention that they are thankful for their jobs, cars, family, friends, homes, bank accounts, and other things. Being thankful for those things are find and good, but why wait until Thanksgiving to say that you are thankful? Every day is a day of thanksgiving, so it should not be just one day for Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving should be EVERYDAY! In the mists of being thankful for family, cars, jobs, and other things, we, as believers, have learned to be thankful for a God who loves us and cares for us, thankful for our life, health, and strength, thankful that we can worship Him in spirit and in truth, thankful that we can provide for our families and bless others through the abilities God gave us, and other things. Since we are thankful for these things, we ought to portray this thankfulness everywhere we go and every time we can. Today's text provides further clarity on why Thanksgiving should be a lifestyle and not just one day out of 365 days.

Psalms serves as the book of focus on today. As most of us know, Psalms is the longest book not only in the Old Testament, but in the entire Bible. Psalms is divided into 5 books and today's main scripture is located within the third book of the five. Psalms 100 is considered a psalm for giving thanks unto God. If truth were told, we ought to give God praise! We ought to worship Him! We ought to do these things without being stirred or provoked by a deacon or preacher! Many of us get off in praising God because we were stirred to do so! If we think about the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for us, our souls ought to cry Hallelujah, and thank God for saving us! God wants His people to thank Him and praise Him because He's deserving and worthy!

The writer begins today's main scripture by saying, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise". As I fore stated in the previous paragraph, many of us come into the church house waiting to be stirred or provoked by something the preacher/deacon/trustee or whomever said to get our praise on. But the text tells us otherwise. It tells us that we ought to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. In other words, we should come with thanksgiving and praise as the main agenda of our worship experience! We ought to come thanking and praising God for the little things as well as the big things!

The text continues with saying that not only should we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, we are to "give thanks to Him and praise His name". King James says "Give thanks unto Him and bless His name". In the mists of coming into His gates with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, Thank Him and bless His name! Exalt His name! Worship His name! Give Him a Shabach praise! Give Him a grateful praise! Bless His Holy name! Bless His name for being so good to you! Bless His name for sparing the lives of your children! Bless His name for sparing your life! Bless His name for sparing your job! Bless His name for being able to drive! Just bless His name!

Brother Writer, why should we make thanksgiving a lifestyle? This final piece of scripture should clarify the house and your mind with a bonafied answer. The text concludes by saying, "For the LORD is good and His love (King James says mercy) endures forever; His faithfulness continues (King James says endures) through all generations." Ladies and gentlemen, when you think about God, what He has done in your life is good! How He has protected your life is good! How He loves us beyond measure is good! How He cares about you when you don't care about yourself is good! Even if none of these things popped off in your life, God is still GOOD! Not only is He good, but His mercy endures forever. Think about the time where you should've been fired, it was God's mercy! Think about the time where a disease should've killed you, it was God's mercy! Think about when you should be by yourself and not married, it was God's mercy! Think about how the words of people should have stopped your praise, it was God's mercy! Because of God's mercy, you are here! Because of God's mercy, you ought to make thanksgiving a lifestyle! Just in case that was not good enough, God's faithfulness endures through all generations. When you live life long enough and you get to see generations on top of generations, you ought to be reminded and thank God that though you may not see all of your family's generations, that God will be there for them! His faithfulness will be there for them! He will cover them and love them just like He is doing for you and has done for your parents, grandparents, and those before you!

In closing, be sure to give God praise and thanksgiving everyday and make it a lifestyle, not just on Thanksgiving Day! Though I know practically all of us do it, I encourage you, my brother, and you, my sister, to encourage someone else to make Thanksgiving a lifestyle! Aren't you glad about God's mercy? Aren't you glad that His faithfulness endures through all generations? Aren't you glad that you can give Him thanks and praise? If you are glad about all of these things, before your day ends, take time and give Him a praise!

"Short Term Pain, Long Term Gain"

Scripture: "At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day." -Joshua 5:2-9, NIV

As we live this life, we often find that at certain ages of our lives, we tend to add a little weight to our frame. I can attest to this fact because I have put on about 10 pounds within this calendar year. One thing that I strive to do on a weekly basis is to workout. I usually go to our Fitness Center and do weightlifting and/or riding the elliptical trainer in excess up to 50 minutes at a time. Upon completing my workout, there's always a good burn that I feel and the times I haven't worked out in a while, not only there is a good burn, but there's also a good little pain as well. As the old song use to say, "No pain, no pain, no gain!" In this journey we call life and within your walk with God, there are times where we are going to experience short term pain in order to achieve long term gain. Today's text will further illustrate this phenomena of short term pain, long term gain.

Our focal book today is found in the book of Joshua. Joshua is the sixth book of the Old Testament and the first book of the Old Testament's History books. Within this book, we find that leadership has changed with the Israelites from Moses (due to his death in Deuteronomy) to Joshua. God has let Joshua know in so many terms that He had his back and to follow His Word in all decisions and things that Joshua does. Within today's text, we find that the kings around Canaan are afraid of the Israelites due to God's magnificent work of drying up the Jordan that the Israelites may walk. Do you realize when God does something miraculous or special in your life, the enemy is afraid?

As the text continues, God asked Joshua to do something of major importance: to circumcise the Israelites. Within Jewish customs today, circumcision is critical and within the Old Testament days, it was quite important as well. Circumcision, an act of cutting off the foreskin of the baby's penis, occurred eight days after a baby boy's birth. Circumcision tied into the blessing of Abraham through a covenant discussed in Genesis 17. If truth were told and we want to receive the same blessing of Abraham, we need to be circumcised as well. Circumcised how? Circumcised from tattling! Circumcised from gossiping! Circumcised from adultery! Circumcised from fornication! Circumcised from getting angry over little stuff! Circumcised from demeaning your spouses! Circumcised from past issues! Circumcised from financial issues! After receiving those orders from God, Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth (whose name means "hill of foreskins"). Can you imagine the pain these Israelite men felt due to their circumcision? At that moment, these men had the "short term pain". Why did God have Joshua to circumcise these men?

These men were circumcised because their forefathers, who were of military age and was there with Moses, died due to their disobedience of God. Because of their disobedience, God told them that they would never make it to the Promised Land. Aren't you glad that God has given you new mercies every day to make it to your respective Promised Land? As the text continues, these new uncircumcised men had to be circumcised. After these men were circumcised, they stayed in their camp until they healed. Ladies and gentlemen, as God circumcises you from your respective issues, you will need time to heal. You just cannot jump right out there without getting the proper rest and healing necessary. The part of this text that affirms the "long term gain" is found where God tells Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you". In other words, due to Joshua's obedience, God forgave the people and took the mess off of them that they may go and possess the land. Brothers and sisters, when you are circumcised, God is taking away the mess off of you. He's taking away the unnecessary stuff so that you and your family may possess the land He has for you. The land of entrepreneurship, He wants you to go there! The land of healing from the past, He wants you to go there! The land of health, He wants you to go there! The land of wealth, He wants you to go there! He wants the best for you and through circumcision, though it may be a short term pain, it will definitely be a long term gain!

In closing, as I strive to lose my weight that I have gained through the short term of working out and other things, there will be a long term gain from it. Allow God to circumcise you from the things that mean you no good that you may obtain His long term gain for your life. Are you prepared to be circumcised?

"The Word Is Not Going Anywhere"

Scripture: "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." -Isaiah 40:8, NIV

As I write this devotional on today, I am reminded of a friend of mine's marriage. I bring up my friend's marriage because his wife and him are very comical people. One of their running conversations is though no matter what goes on in their lives, the wife always remind my friend that "I am not going anywhere, you are stuck with me for life!" If truth were told, I applaud my friend's marriage and anyone's marriage that can withstand the winds and rains of life. I applaud anyone that can withstand life's storms and still carry a smile. I applaud anyone who has preached the Gospel for a long period of time and not let people destroy the anointing that God has placed on their lives! Within all of this applause, these instances or people are saying that they are not going anywhere! In the Kingdom of God, one thing of importance is not going anywhere either: His Word. How do we know that the Word is not going anywhere? There's an answer for it in today's main scripture.

The book of Isaiah serves as the back drop of today's main scripture. Isaiah, whose name means "Yahweh is salvation", prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of the southern province known as Judah. Scholars say that Isaiah prophesied for about forty-four years. Within this book, Isaiah's central message was for the people of Israel to return back to God and turn from their wicked ways. Within this chapter, Isaiah central's theme is comfort for God's people. Within this theme, Isaiah addresses our morning's topic head on.

The text begins with Isaiah writing, "The grass withers and the flowers fall". As beautiful as green grass as and as beautiful that flowers are, they will with and fall respectively. On the occasion, I will get my wife some roses and though they are beautiful at the beginning, four to six days later, the roses are no longer alive and they begin to fall. Ladies and gentlemen, there are certain aspects of your life that will need to wither and fall. If you have backbiting as a part of you, then that needs to wither and fall! If you have financial issues, then that needs to wither and fall! If you have a disrespect of authority issue, then that needs to wither and fall! if you have eating issues, then that needs to wither and fall! If you have an exercise issue and you know that you need to exercise, that needs to wither and fall! The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12: 1 to "lay aside every weight that so easily beset us". Whatever your "weight" is, ladies and gentlemen, know that it needs to wither and fall!

Though the pretty grass withers and the flowers fall, Isaiah lets us know "but the Word of our God stands forever". In other words, the Word is not going anywhere! Many a book has been written over time, but the #1 seller of all-time is what? The Word! Many great men and women have lived such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Phyllis Wheatley, and others, but the Word of God is still here! The world has seen many changes, from small populations to huge populations, but the Word of God has been around for all of that! Some of us have lived 30+ years, 40+ years. 50+ years, and longer, but the Word of God has been here forever! Despite whatever you cannot "stand" on, the Word of God stands forever and you can stand on it! Despite what life throws at you, stand on the Word! Because of God's Word and the fact that it won't be going anywhere, it gives us hope, gives us help, and gives us clarity to be the best of everything!

In closing, just as the wife in the couple said that "she is not going anywhere", God's Word is not going anywhere! Though the grass withers and the flowers fall, God's Word will stand the test of time and be there as your outlet, your leaning post, and your way of understanding what God has in store for you and your life! Aren't you glad that the Word is not going anywhere?

"The Value of Sharing Your Faith"

Scripture: "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." -Philemon 1:6, NIV

If you were to reflect upon your childhood, at one time or another, you shared something with someone. Whether it was a sandwich your mother cut into two, a piece of gum from a pack or pieces you carried with you, your basketball with others to play on the basketball, or any other thing, we shared. When we shared those things, it had a way of making a person's day, making a set of games go smoother, allowed you to make friends, having a smoother day, and other things. Within the Kingdom of God, this same principle is key. It's important that we share with our brothers and sisters the things God has done for us. It's important to share that God still sits high on the throne and is able to deliver you from anything! It's also important to share with our brothers and sisters our faith! What do you mean? When you share with people the faith that God has blessed you with, it has a way of blessing them and in turn, igniting their faith. Today's text will provide further clarity on the value of sharing your faith.

Today's scripture is located in the book of Philemon. This book was one of the thirteen New Testament books/epistles written by the Apostle Paul. As a background to this book, the receiver of this book, Philemon, lived in Colossae, was known for having a little wealth, and a convert of the Apostle Paul. Philemon had a slave by the name of Onesimus, who ran away from his master to Rome and was converted to the Christian faith by the Apostle Paul. Due to Onesimus breaking away from his master, he wanted to repair his relationship with Philemon, thus Paul's reason for writing this one chapter book.

Our main scripture begins with Paul making the following statement: "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith". Just as Paul said this to Philemon, I am saying the same to you: I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith! There are some of us who receive Word after Word after Word and God has done some miraculous things in our life, but yet and still, we sit on our stories, we sit on our Word and because of that, the body of Christ cannot grow to the level God wants it to grow! Believers' healings lie within the sharing of your faith! Breakthroughs lie within the sharing of your faith! Repairs of relationships lie within the sharing of your faith! James told us to be "ye doers of the Word and not hearers only" and some of us have heard so much that we are not doing anything with it! Maintain a regiment that will keep you off of your seat of do nothing and share your faith!

What's the value of sharing your faith? The final part of the text provides us the answer. The value of sharing your faith is "so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ". In other words, when you think of the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for you, your soul ought to cry out Hallelujah, you thank God for saving you! Not only do you thank God for saving you, you thank God for where He has brought you from! By sharing your story with others, it gives you understanding. The more you share your story, the more understanding you receive knowing that everything came from God, and more importantly, it brings God more Glory! I think about the fact that in my youth, I had asthma and when the seasons change, my asthma flared up and as it flared up, inhalers and breathing treatments were a part of my regiment. I thank God that at the age of 12, through my faith in Him, He healed me from it and when I have shared this story with others, it gives them encouragement to know that God can heal them from their disease and in turn, blesses me to know that God is Jehovah Rophe, the God that healeth thee! If truth were told, EVERYONE of you have a story to tell and how your faith has blessed you. As you share, your understanding becomes clearer and God's Glory becomes bigger!

In closing, sharing food and snacks back in the day was a cool thing to do. Today, it's a cooler thing to share with others the faith that God has blessed you with. As you share your faith, you will gain a greater appreciation for the things God has done for you! Never take God's blessings for granted nor the faith He has given you! Don't sit on your faith, share it, and exercise it so that God can get maximum profit from your life to benefit the Kingdom!

"The Attributes of Wise People"

Scripture: "Let the wise listen and add to their learning … -" -Proverbs 1:5, NIV

When you think of a person, whether if they are a part of your family or part of your friends' circle, each of them have a set of attributes that makes them their own, unique individual. For example, if I was to describe my wife, her attributes would include hard-working, kindhearted, giving, nurturing, vocal, and a few other things. These attributes make her the woman that she is and the woman that I love, respect, and admire. Throughout life, you are going to or have met people who have attributes that are negative and thus, you do not want to hang around them. The big thing we desire in life is to hang around people with positive attributes and not negative ones. One of the greatest type of people we should hang around are wise people. How do we know a wise person in person? Today's text provides us with some insight on the attributes of wise people.

Today's text is located in the book of Proverbs. The author of this book was the great and wise King Solomon, son of King David. In the book of 2 Samuel, God told David that the next king of Israel, after him, would be responsible for the building of the Temple where people could come and worship God. This task fell on Solomon, who assumed the task with no problem and in a little to no time, the Temple was completed. Also, during his reign, Solomon was blessed by God to receive anything he desired and Solomon desired wisdom. What greater man to discuss the attributes of wise people than King Solomon himself! Within his Proverbs, Solomon imparted his wisdom through sayings and proverbs that would benefit us as we continue to make our respective Christian journeys.

Within the fifth verse of the introductory chapter of Proverbs, Solomon addresses the attributes of wise people. The text begins by saying, "Let the wise listen and add to their learning". Profound statement, right? On yesterday, my wife and I had a great gathering with two other married couples where the brothers are ministers at my church. During our gathering, one of the things my brothers noticed about me was the fact that through the conversation, I said the least and they were like, "Lindsay, you are a quiet brother and do not have much to say". I told them that I am quiet because there is no need to always say something. You speak when necessary and more importantly, the less I talk, the more I am listening, and the wiser I become about a person or subject. If you think about the human body, God gave us two ears and one mouth and it's twice as important to listen than it is to talk! Ladies and gentlemen, whether you are in a relationship, a marriage, or relationship with the Father, you must know when to talk and when the listen and if you take time to listen, then it displays a bit of wisdom!

Not only do the wise listen, but they add to their learning. Just as I mentioned a moment ago, when you are listening to someone talk about a particular subject or issue, you obtain a greater perspective on it. As you obtain a greater perspective on it, you learn more about it. The one thing about adding something to your knowledge base or tool belt, if something was to happen within a given area, you are more aware of it than you were previously. You have a greater opportunity to focus your energy and attack it head on. That's why it is key, brothers and sisters, because God is looking for us to add to our learning trees because we are going to use our learning to help others, help ourselves, and continue on with this good fight of faith!

In closing, it's important to identify wise people from not-so-wise people. You can identify these types of people through their attributes and the way they carry themselves. Solomon provided us some insight on how to identify wise people. He gave us the attribute of listening and the attribute of learning. Identify the wise people within your circle or become a wise person for your circle. At the end of the day, God is going to need your wisdom and so will someone else!

"You Have His Permission"

Scripture: "… Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." -2 Samuel 7:3, NIV

As adults, we have the freewill to do what we want to do and when we want to do it. However, if we turned back the hands of time, as children, we had to get our parents' permission to do what we wanted to do. I don't care if it was just you going to a basketball game at your high school, going to a movie with your teenage boyfriend/girlfriend, or just simply spending the night over a friend's house, you better ask Mama or Daddy for their permission. Usually, when Mama, Daddy, or both give you their permission, they expected you to act on your best behavior and not only represent them, but represent yourself in a respectable manner. If we draw the link to this thing spiritually, that's how God is with us. We have freewill to make most of life's decisions; however, when it comes to the big stuff and even not-so-big stuff, we need to consult with God and obtain His permission. Upon receiving His permission, we are to represent Him in a respectable manner. Today's text illustrates the blessing of having His permission.

We end the week the same way we began the week as far as location of today's main scripture, 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel served as a book to discuss the reign of King David during his forty-year reign over Judah and united Israel. Within this particular chapter, we find King David relaxed and enjoying the rest that God has blessed him with from his countless battles with his enemies. In this battle of life, there will be seasons where God will allow you to rest to heal up from the battles you have had to endure. Through this awesome time of relaxation and rest, David is disappointed about something. He's disappointed because he has this lavish palace and yet, the Ark of the Covenant (indicative of God's presence) is residing in a tent. Wouldn't it bother you if God's presence could not be in your respective palace or work place or home? With this thought in mind, it provides us the seg way into today's main scripture.

As David was making the declaration about the Ark of the Covenant being in a tent, he was saying this with Nathan the prophet around him. As Nathan heard what David was saying, God spoke something into his spirit that I would like to speak into your respective Spirit on today. He tells David, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it". Wow! Isn't that a powerful declaration for God to send through His manservant Nathan? There are oftentimes where fear has caused us not to operate in our callings and our gifts, but God says today "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it!" There are oftentimes where God wants us to expand our horizons and quit limiting Him to a finite area, He says today "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it!" The birthing of your business, the birthing of your non-profit, the birthing of better financial habits, the birthing of better spiritual habits, the birthing of re-structuring life's relationships, God says to you, my brother and to you, my sister, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it!" In other words, you have MY PERMISSION!

Why would God make such a declaration through Nathan for David and us today? Because the text closes by saying, "for the LORD is with you". If the Lord is for us, who can be against us? Ladies and gentlemen, stop letting fear dictate to you and start dictating to your fear! Start letting the enemy know that just as you have gained permission from God to mess with me, God has given me permission to step out and do the things He has placed in my hands! It's a blessing to know that we serve a God who loves us, even when we mess up, but that's good, because He's with us! He wants us to go to another level in Him and achieve the greatness He has placed inside of us! He needs us to step out and be His mouthpieces and proclaim His Word that others may know Him!

In closing, just as we use to ask our parents for permission to do things, we have to ask God for permission as well. In today's lesson, as Nathan told King David, God has given you, my brother, and you, my sister, the green light to pursue your dreams, your happiness, your joy, and the things that would make Him pleased and you effective! Through receiving this green light, know that God is with you! If He brought you to it, He will bring you through it!

"I Need Your Therapy"

Scripture: " … And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." -John 4:46 - 52, NIV

One of the nicest CD's I have listened to this year comes from one of the greats in the genre known as Neo-Soul. This great's name is India Arie. She has had some interesting songs like "I Am Not My Hair", "Hope", and "Little Things". On her latest CD entitled "Testimony: Volume 2: Love & Politics, Arie has written and sung another awesome song that caught my attention, thus bringing us into today's title. The song is entitled "Therapy". Within this song, Arie sings about how she needs the love of her man and how she calls this love from him her therapy. If truth were told, we all, whether it is now or later, will need the therapy of God. There are going to come times where we are going to need Him to love us more than we love ourselves. There are going to come times where we need Him to heal our aching bodies that we may run this race. Then again, He's God, He knows all about us and is right there to provide His brand of therapy for you and me. Today's text puts this title into perspective.

Our main scripture for today can be found in the Gospel account according to John. This particular account of the Gospel differs from those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John introduces Jesus as the Word that has been with God since the beginning. Later on within the introductory chapter, John states that the Word, being Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. Within this particular chapter, Jesus has been performing ministry, just like He has been doing through this account. We find Him ministering to a Samaritan woman, then getting back together with His disciples, obtaining respect and belief from the Samaritan community on the basis of the woman's testimony, and healing an official's son, where today's main scripture is located.

The beginning of this text actually reveals to us that Jesus is back in Cana, the place where He performed His first miracle of turning water into wine. As He was going through town, a certain royal official was there in the area who had a son that was sick. Due to this man hearing that Jesus was in town, he went to find Jesus in search and need of His therapy. One thing God encourages us to do is to "seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you". This royal official did not seek a medical doctor! He did not seek a witch doctor! He sought the Balm in Gilead, waiting to heal the sick, and that man was Jesus. As the man went to Jesus, the text revealed that he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his son because he was close to death. Given that this man was a royal official, his humility here blessed me. Can you imagine being an important figure in your town/city and then begging the Savior to do something for you in front of people? This official put away his pride because there was a greater need: his son! Ladies and gentlemen, when you are in need of God's therapy, there are times where you are going to have to swallow your pride in order to get what you need! If you are ashamed of praying, then wake up, swallow that pride, and begin praying! If you are ashamed of reading God's Word, wake up, swallow your pride, and get counsel on reading a version of the Bible that can bless you! All God wants from us is to lay down our pride, trust Him, believe Him, and He'll do the rest!

Jesus continues on in the text and says, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe". Wow! What a profound and yet true statement! Many of us need to see it before we believe it and God is challenging us to break that mindset! He wants us to trust Him and believe in Him and His power! Don't you realize that some of us put more faith in our vehicles and public transportation than we do in God! God wants us to exercise "now faith" as prescribed in Hebrews 11:1. He wants us to exercise the "Proverbs 3:5" trust that we will lean on Him and not our own understanding. He wants to provide His therapy for you and me, but He needs our faith and trust! Then, the man asked Jesus to come to His home and heal his son before he dies. Jesus tells the man "You may go, your son will live". At that moment, Jesus provided this man and his son the therapy he needed. This therapy was clinched when the text revealed "the man took Jesus at His Word and departed". This man has now placed his faith and trust in Jesus to work. In order to receive the healing you desire, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive the best for your family and friends, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive what God has in store for your church, you must take Jesus at His Word. The therapy Jesus provided for the man would have been all null and void if he did not take Jesus at His Word! What happened when the man took Jesus at His Word?

The text reveals that "While he was still on his way (on his way home), his servants met him with the news that his boy was living". Because the man took Jesus at His Word and received His therapy, his son was healed and the dead has became the living again. Ladies and gentlemen, there are some of you that have some dead situations that you want Jesus to resurrect. If you can just take Jesus at His Word, the dead situation of your marriage can rise and live again! The dead situation of your bad health can turn into good health! The dead situation of your finances can turn into healthy finances! The dead situation of your relationship with God can turn into a healthy one! The dead situation of your bad relationships with family and friends can turn into healthier and greater relationships! Whatever you want resurrected from the dead, receive Jesus' therapy, and take Him at His Word!

In closing, the man found out that his son's fever left at the seventh hour and this was prevalent because this was when Jesus spoke the therapy into the atmosphere. My encouragement to you on today is that we are in need of God's therapy. My prayer is that you figure out what kind of therapy you need, whether it's mental, emotional, spiritual, or whatever. When you figure it out, go find Jesus, and let Him doctor to your situation, and last but not least, trust Him, believe Him, and take Him at His Word! If He healed the official's son, can't He heal your dead situation?

"When God Intercepts the Devil's Plan For You"

Scripture: ""But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing- and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it." -Genesis 37:18 - 24

As many of you well know, we are in the heart of football season (whether if it is the NFL, the CFL, the UFL (newly formed United Football League), or College Football). One of the most exciting plays in football is an interception. In Super Bowl XXX, in Tempe Arizona, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27 - 17, to win their fifth Super Bowl title. The Cowboys could not have won this game without the defensive play of the Super Bowl MVP and cornerback, Larry Brown. As the Steelers tried to march down the field and score some crucial touchdowns to turn the game around, Brown intercepted two of the passes thrown by Neil O'Donnell, the then Steeler QB, on two occasions, and those interceptions led to two Cowboy touchdowns. In this game called life, the enemy has tried to score many times on us, thus defeating us and the purpose God has for our lives. I can stand here and tell you that God would have not it! God plays defense when it comes to His children and when He sees the enemy on the attack, He intercepts the plots of the enemies. Aren't you glad that He intercepts the enemy's plots for your life? Today's text will provide a Biblical example of this thought.

Today's main scripture is found in the first book of the Old Testament and the Bible, Genesis. By definition, Genesis means "the origin; the beginning". With this said, Genesis illustrates the beginnings of Heaven, Earth, life on Earth, and people. It also discusses the lineage of Adam and Eve all the way down to Jacob's children, ending with the struggles and triumphs of one by the name of Joseph. Within this particular chapter, we learn that Joseph is the 11th child of Jacob, now named Israel, and one that Israel favored. Not only did Israel favor him, but God favored him as well. We knew that his father favored through him because he made him a coat of many colors. According to scholars, this coat of many colors indicated that the wearer would assume family leadership in the future. As you read this chapter, you find that on two occasions, God gave Joseph dreams about him ruling over his family and because of that, his brothers were mad! Haven't you know anyone just to be mad at you because God favored you? Haven't you know anyone to be mad at you because your blessing came before theirs? Because of their madness, these brothers plotted to kill Joseph. With this backdrop, let's go into our main scripture.

Today's main scripture begins with Joseph looking for his brothers and as he came into view, his hateful brothers had a plan. The text reveals to us that the brothers wanted to kill him and throw him down in a cistern or a ditch afterwards and say that an animal ate him. With this thought in mind, then they said, "Then we'll see what comes of his dreams". The enemy's job is simple: it is to kill, steal, and destroy. As he tries to steal, kill, and destroy your life, he wants to eliminate you from achieving the things God has for you. Not only this, the enemy wants to see can you make it after he has hurt you or turned your life upside down.

The next part of the text blesses me. The text moves on to say that "When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let's not take his life, he said. Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him". If you recall from earlier in the book of Genesis, Reuben is the oldest brother of them all. Usually when big brother talks, the rest of the family listen. How does this tie into today's topic? Though the enemy's goal was to kill Joseph and not allow him to get to his destiny, God intercepted the enemy's plan by giving Joseph a timeout. Ladies and gentlemen, there are times where things in your life are going to be bad, but God's destiny for your life will still be fulfilled. Many of us were raised in homes that we are ashamed of, but look at what God has done for you now! Just think if the enemy would've kept the poor mentality inside of you, you would have never made it to the place God had for you. Instead, God intercepted the past and made you want to work hard and excel! As the story goes, they did tear up Joseph's coat of many colors, they did throw him into the ditch; however, they did not kill him! See what God did! He intercepted the ultimate goal of the enemy!

In closing, we know that Joseph went on to become second in command in all of Egypt and ended up feeding his family when a famine hit Canaan. Just imagine if God did not intercept the enemy's plan. Joseph's family would've starved to death and died. Because God intercepted the enemy's plan, Joseph provided for his family and in turn, forgave his brothers for the things they did to him. Aren't you glad that God intercepted the enemy's plan for you? If so, you ought to go out, seek God, and find out what is God's destiny for your life and achieve it!

"I Have Got to Have It"

Scripture: "The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing." -2 Samuel 6:11 - 12, NIV

For my shoppers in the Family, there are times where we have seen something on TV or have saw someone with an item and said to ourselves, "I have got to have it". For my ladies, there have been times where you saw another woman with a bad dress or a nice pocketbook or bad set of heels and you said, "I have got to have it". For my men, we have seen the suits one may wear or the newest electronics like a flat screen TV, Nintendo Wii, XBox360, Blu-ray player, etc. and said to ourselves, "I have got to have it". When it comes to the Kingdom of God, God wants you and I to have this same Spirit for Him and the things He has willed for your life. He wants you to have "it" whether "it" is your happiness, your degree from college, your own business, your own non-profit organization, your joy, your wealth, your good health, your sanity, etc. He wants you to have "it". Today's text shows us an example of a man who had to have it.

The setting of today's devotional takes place in the book of 2 Samuel. This book, along with 1 Samuel, discusses the birth and death of Samuel, the reigns of King Saul and King David, and the events of David's life before becoming king and afterwards. In the previous chapter, David becomes king over all of Israel, after serving seven and a half years as king of Judah. After assuming Israel's throne, David conquered Jerusalem and defeated his trusted rivals, the Philistines. As we enter into the sixth chapter, David and his people were praising the Lord and along with that, the Ark of the Covenant (indicative of God's presence) was brought into the city. As they brought the Ark into the city, Uzzah, one of David's men, touched the Ark and died right there on the spot. In those days, it was sacred for priests to carry the Ark and that the Ark itself was not to be touched. Because of Uzzah's death, David did not want to take the Ark with him, thus leading us into today's main scripture.

Since the Ark of the Covenant did not go with David, he took to a man's home by the name of Obed-Edom who was a Gittite. While the Ark was in his presence, God was in his presence and blessed him and his household. Do you realize that when you are a child of God, not only will He bless you, but He will bless your entire household? Do you realize that you don't have to cry about your children if you are serving Him in the right Spirit and that His presence is with you? These blessings flowed from God into Obed-Edom's house for three months, the duration of time the Ark resided there. Anytime you are ready to receive the blessings of God, just get into His presence and He will be ready to pour into you!

As the text continues, we find that King David was told what was going down in Obed-Edom's home. The text says that, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God". It's funny to me that David did not trust God from the get go, given everything God had for him. This was the same God that allowed him to defeat Goliath. This is the same God that allowed him to plea being insane to protect his life around the Philistines. This was the same God who allowed him to step into kingsmanship at the age of 25. Yet and still, he was afraid. There are times where we know God has blessed us with the job we did not deserve, the love of a good man or woman, the ability to conceive and have children, the ability to bring meat into His house through tithes and offering, to bless those who are less fortunate than we are, but when He asks us to do something or step out, we get afraid. Remember, brothers, and sisters, what Paul wrote to Timothy that God did not give you or I a spirit of fear! What does David do now that he has heard that God has blessed Obed-Edom and his home?

David possessed the "I have got to have it" attitude and went to Obed-Edom's house to get the Ark of the Covenant to bring into Jerusalem! As he went to get the Ark of the Covenant, he did it with rejoicing and thanking God! Ladies and gentlemen, in this season of your life, God wants you to have the best! God does not want you nor your family to struggle! God wants you to step out and do the bigger and better things He has placed in your heart and soul! God wants you, my brother, and you, my sister, to possess the "I have got to have it" attitude. When you possess that attitude, there's NOTHING you cannot achieve! The home you desire with your name on it, with God, you can have it! The business of your dreams exercising your God-given talents, you can have it! The man/woman you desire to complete you, you can have it! Finances to take care of you and your family, you can have it! Good health to live to see your grandchildren and their children, you can have it! There's NO GOOD thing that God will withhold from you, but you have to show Him that you have got to have it!

In closing, it's sweet to want the designer pocketbooks, high heels, flat screen TV's, top of the line cars, and other things. There's nothing like having God in your life and His presence circulating through you and your household. When David left the Ark of the Covenant at Obed-Edom's home, God blessed him! When he heard about the things God did for Obed-Edom, he had to have it! Many of us listen to the stories of successful people and say, "I wish I could have what they have". God is saying to you today, YOU CAN! My encouragement to you on today is to go get what God has for you and let no one and nothing stop you!

"Don't Be Tardy for The Party"

Scripture: "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut."

-Matthew 25:1 - 10, NIV

For those of you who do not watch Bravo TV, there has been a series of shows that has been running over the past few years entitled "The Real Housewives". Within this series, the empire of the Real Housewives has expanded from Orange County to New York to New Jersey and Atlanta. The Real Housewives of Atlanta has been by far the most watched of the Real Housewives series. During this second season, Kim Zolciak, along with the newest housewife, Kandi from XScape, did a track that has gained much play and notoriety entitled "Don't Be Tardy for the Party". This song originally was written by a country singer, but Kandi put a club and urban spin on it to "make it hot". The lyrics of the song talk about getting ready to hang out and enjoy life after a long week at the workplace, but just do not be tardy for the party (smile). If truth were told, we (me inclusive) always make it our business to be on time for work, but for some reason or another, is tardy for the Lord's party known as church on Sunday mornings! Within today's text, we will understand why it's crucial not to be tardy for God's party.

This week's set of devotionals concludes with the main text being found in the Gospel account according to Matthew. Within Matthew's account, we learn about Jesus' ancestry, His battle with Satan in the wilderness for 40 days, the beginning of the 12 Disciples, understanding Christ through parables (an earthly story with a heavenly meeting), His set of betrayals, His death, His resurrection, and other things. Within this twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, we find Christ speaking this entire chapter through parables including the parable of the talents, parable of the sheep and goats, and the parable of the ten virgins (today's main scripture).

Within the text, we are told that there are ten virgins, five that were foolish and five that were wise. With these virgins, they each had a lamp and supposed to have had oil to trim their lamps. These virgins were awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom who has been on his way for a long time. If truth were told, this parable correlates very well with this world today. It correlates because God has given us all, whether if you are the wise virgin or the foolish virgin, an opportunity to get ourselves together before His return ( the bridegroom). As we continue to read the text, we notice that the wise virgins had oil ready for their lamps, while the foolish did not have any oil and eventually wanted the wise to share their oil for their lamps. In this day and age, ladies and gentlemen, it's critical to watch who you give your "oil" to because they may not appreciate it. Christ told us in the Word to "not cast thy pearls unto swine" and this was the thought process these wise virgins had. When the day was all said and done, all ten of the virgins went to sleep.

How does today's title tie into the text? It ties in when "the bridegroom came". Upon his arrival, the ten began to trim their lamps. However, the foolish five asked the wise five for some of their oil because their lamps were going out. Then the wise ones being wise told the foolish ones, "No". Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes down to the eventual arrival of Jesus, you are going to have to tell the foolish backbiting spirit No! You are going to have to tell the foolish angry spirit No! You are going to have to tell the foolish divorce spirit No! You are going to have to tell the foolish fornication spirit No! You are going to have to tell the foolish depression spirit No! You are going to have to tell the foolish suicide spirit No! Make your no's no! Because they did not have their oil, the foolish went to buy their oil, and as they went, the bridegroom came, swept up the virgins and took them to the banquet hall, and the door was shut. My brothers and sisters, in order to not be tardy for God's party, it's critical to get your respective houses in order and have enough "oil" for your lamp when He returns. God is not looking for perfection, but He is looking for people to strive towards perfection! He is looking for us to serve His people within His Kingdom, and He's looking for people that will serve Him in spirit and in truth.

In closing, the song "Don't Be Tardy for the Party" is a catchy tune and it will make you want to have fun, bob your head, and other things, but it has a real world meaning. As the wise five virgins, they had enough oil and were prepared for the bridegroom. Let's get ready for our bridegroom, Jesus, because He is soon to come! He's coming sooner than we think!

"The Power of Positive Words"

Scripture: "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." -Proverbs 16:24

On yesterday, I attended a Leadership Seminar for one of our offices within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Within this seminar, the topic of discussion dealt with leveraging strengths. While Jim Trinka and Les Wallace gave their respective presentations, one of the big things that jumped out at me was recognizing the work of a staff member. These gentlemen stated to the leaders it would be beneficial to praise staff for their contributions and if it had a true impact within your Office, describe it in a year-end report where everyone could see. One thing about praising your staff or colleagues is that it will give them confidence and make them want to work that much more harder for their supervisor. Within the body of Christ, as believers and as brothers and sisters in Him, we ought to praise one another for victories, encourage one another through the bad times, and just love one another no matter what. Saying all of this requires the use of positive words and positive thoughts. Today's text will provide us with clarity on the power of positive words.

Today's text is found in the book of Proverbs. These group of sayings, clichés, and proverbs were written by the wisest king of all-time. This man being King Solomon. During his forty-year reign, Solomon learned a lot, met a lot of people, and through his penmanship, has given us words to live by and thoughts to consider. Today's text is no exception to the rule. What a great example to help us understand greatly the power positive words carry.

He begins the text by saying, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb". As anyone of us should know, when you think of honeycomb, you think of honey. When you think of honey, you think of it being sweet and tasting good. The power of positive words or as Solomon says, pleasant words, provides sweetness. Many of our relationships would be better if we knew how to speak or talk with our brother and sister. Our marriages would be stronger if we knew how to speak to our spouses. Our relationships with our children would be stronger if we gave them more positive words than negative words. Our work relationships would be stronger if we iterated our thoughts in a positive and pleasant manner rather than a negative manner. Before you say anything, think about it, because if you sow negatively, you will reap negatively, but if you sow positively, you will reap positively!

The text concludes by stating that not only are pleasant words are as an honeycomb, but they are "sweet to the soul, and health to the bones". I tell people all the time that you are as good as you feel and what your words say. If you say that you are sick, then guess what? You are sick. If you say that you are well, then guess what? You are well. When you receive positive words or speak positive words, it provides sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. When these things occur, just like increasing productivity in your workplace, it will increase productivity in God's workplace. God is at the stage of the game where He is looking for those who will get on their grind to serve Him! He's looking for those that will receive positive speaking and words from Him and those He send your way to encourage you to work even harder in His Kingdom!

In closing, it is beneficial to receive positive words. The power of these words bring about sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. I wonder on today, have you spoke positively in the lives of people or negatively in the lives of people? Just as a boss praising his/her employee would bring about greater productivity, praising God for your brother/sister would bring about greater productivity within His Kingdom. Think about what you say to one another and know that positive words carry power!

"Drafted to Be Blessed"

Scripture: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:" -John 15:16

As a sports enthusiast, I get really excited when it is time for the NBA Draft. It takes place on the last Thursday in June and is usually held in New York City's Madison Square Garden. On this particular night, sixty young men realize their dream of being drafted from their respective colleges and countries to be a part of a NBA franchise. After the Draft is said and done, the players meet their teams, their coaches, and most importantly, sign the contracts that may allow them to bless their families and take care of their personal needs in the present and for the future. If truth were told and we examined this thing from a spiritual aspect, God has drafted you and me to be blessed! Notice what I said here, GOD has drafted us to be blessed and today's main scripture will emphasize this point of His drafting of us to be blessed.

Our main scripture today is located in the Gospel account according to John. John's account is the fourth and final account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament; however, he writes his account from a different angle. The previous writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, dealt with Christ's geneaology and being born of a virgin Mary. On the other hand, the Gospel according to John depicts Jesus as the Word in the very beginning of the book. You catch this thought process when the book begins with "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" and that "The Word became flesh". Within today's focal chapter, Christ is on the scene discussing the Vine and its branches and how the world hated the disciples. Within the first theme of Christ's discussion of the Vine and its branches is where we find our focus text.

John captures Jesus' thoughts by writing, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you". In other words, God has chosen each and everyone of us. Even those who have not came to Him just yet, He has chosen them as well. Jesus wanted the disciples and believers everywhere to understand that God and He chose us. He chose us to blot out our sins! He chose us to give us a fresh start in life after sin! He chose us to help us defeat the enemies of our past! He chose us to birth the visions He has placed in our bellies! He chose us for greater dimensions in Him! He chose us to help our brother and sister out! In other words, God had a night where He drafted you! He said, "With the first pick in God's draft, God selected ___________ (fill in the blank with your name)"!

Because God chose us and not us choosing Him, He also did something else. The text says that not only did He chose you, but He "ordained you". Isn't that a powerful thought? God drafted you and ordained you! When God ordains you, there's something special that He is brewing inside of you. Many of us have been ordained to love, to help our families seek the Lord, to be a beacon of light at the job, to display love where everyone sees real love, to show people why Jesus is the better than the best, and other things. You, my brother, and my sister, have been ordained for greatness! How do I know you've been ordained for this?

We know this because the text concludes by saying, "that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit shall remain!" Since God ordained you and I, and chose us, He has drafted us to be blessed! He has drafted us that our seeds that we have planted will excel and be fertile! He wants the best for you and I! With this being said, make the most of being drafted by God! Make the most of the blessings He has for you! Make the most of life and watch what He will do for you!

"Thank God for Whipping Me"

Scripture: "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” -Hebrews 12:6, NLT

I knew of a five-year old little boy back in the 80's struggling to make good grades. In the days of Kindergarten, you did not have A's or B's, but you had number grades where 1's and 2's were the equivalents of A's and B's. During this time, the little boy was making 3's and 4's and for some reason or another, did not really pay attention to his teacher. Because of that, the teacher contacted the little boy's mother and once the little boy made it home, the mother whipped him one good time. Afterwards, the little boy went from making 3's and 4's to making 1's and 2's. If truth were told, many of us have experienced beatings or whippings from our parents because we either ran our mouths too much, lied about something, and the list goes on and on. If we take a look at this thing spiritually, we have a God who whips us when we get out of line and unruly. Why does God whip us as His children? Today's text will provide further clarity on this matter.

Today's main scripture can be found in the book of Hebrews. Within this book, we learn about the great word faith and our forefathers and foremothers who exhibited faith, the greatness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and other things. Within this twelfth chapter, the writer provides us with encouragement to be constant and persevere. This trend of thought takes me to what Paul told the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 15:58 to "be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the works of the Lord …". Though the chapter provides us this encouragement, this chapter also provides us with why we should thank God for whipping us.

The writer of Hebrews answers this question right from the get go. He tells us "For the Lord disciplines those He loves". Deep but simple thought, right? If we sit and think back, many of the beatings and whippings we received from our parents forced us to grow up and stop doing the things we did. Once upon a time, you may have lied to get yourself out of a situation, but once Mama or Daddy whipped you, you stopped lying! Once upon a time, you may have cheated to get through a class in grade school, but once Mama or Daddy or whomever whipped you, you stopped cheating! In the same aspect with God, when He saw that you were going down a road that was not pretty, He whipped you so you would turn from your wicked ways and go straight! Many of us have called ourselves being bad and hurting peoples' feelings, but when God whipped us, we stopped hurting peoples' feelings! Through these whippings/beatings, God, just like your parents, wanted you to do right and still let you know that He loves you!

Because He loves us and disciplines us, the text concludes by saying, "and He punishes each one He accepts as His child". Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to think about something for one moment: Haven't we all had the "Why me, Lord" times in our lives? Well guess what? You ought to say now, Why not me? God allows things to occur in your life because He wants you to know that He accepts you as His child. As kids, our parents would punish us, but at the end of the day, we were still their child. If truth were told, anytime you were on punishment, you could not do what you wanted to do and it gave you an opportunity to think about your actions. When God punishes us, it puts us in that same boat to think about what did you do wrong and how you will straighten out in the future. We ought to Thank God for His punishment, that in turn, assures us that we are His children!

In closing, the whippings/beatings we received growing up may have hurt for a moment or two, but the long term effects have benefited us throughout the duration of our lives. God disciplines and punishes us because He loves us and He wants us to straighten up and fly right! Aren't you glad that God whipped you? I am!

"Get Into His Presence"

Scripture: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." -2 Corinthians 3:17

If truth were told out there, we all have our favorite singers, actors, actresses, television show hosts/hostesses, and sports stars. Since we all have our favorites, there are times where we will do anything to get near our favorites. Within the DMV area, this month brought Maxwell to Verizon Center in DC and to Baltimore, Maryland. I had a co-worker who bought their ticket early in advance because she wanted to be near Maxwell. Another friend of mine spent a nicer piece of change to be by the stage to watch Maxwell. At the end of the day, both of these ladies were pleased and happy to be in his presence. If we hit the switch on this thing spiritually, we ought to want to get in God's presence just like that. We ought to put our hair appointments on the backburner, our nail appointments on the backburner, and any other appointment on the backburner that we may be able to get into the presence of God. Why should we get into the presence of God? I'm glad you asked. Today's text will provide an answer.

Today's focal book is found in the New Testament book of 2 Corinthians. This book was written by the Apostle Paul as his second installment/epistle to the church at Colossae. In this chapter, Paul discusses the preference of the Gospel over the Mosaic law and how his apostolic preaching was suitable to the evidence and excellency of the Gospel through the power of the Holy Ghost. Within this chapter, Paul gives us clarity why we should get into His presence.

Paul begins our text with the following statement: "Now the Lord is that Spirit". In verses 3 and 8, Paul uses the term "Spirit". In one case, he calls it the Spirit of the living God and the other case is just the Spirit. What He does here is makes it crystal clear that the Spirit inside of you is the Lord. The Spirit that should be inside of you is the Lord. One thing I love about God is the fact that He is a Spirit and He sits high and looks low and He has a way of coming to our rescue when we need Him. How can one know God is that Spirit? By praying to Him daily, by reading their Word, by giving Him praise, glory, and honor, by worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. He wants to be the dominant Spirit in your life! These things I just mentioned means you have to get into His presence! What's the benefit of getting into His presence?

Paul provides us the answer here in the closing of the text. He says, "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". Wow! When you get into the presence of God, and His Spirit is present, liberty is available. The word in the Greek for liberty is "ejleuqeriva", meaning "the liberty to do as one pleases". In other words, when you are in God's presence, you are free from your financial problems! You are free from your mental problems! You are free from your emotional problems! You are free from your spiritual problems! You are free to dance in His presence! You are free to cry in His presence! You are free to love in His presence! David lets us know that he had to get back the Ark of the Covenant because it represented God's presence! Paul links it together because where God is, there is liberty and the liberty is of one to do as you please! There's no need to sit there on "Boo-Hoo" Boulevard when you can get into His presence and be free! Many of us have received His power and His deliverance from things, but until you stay in His presence consistently, you will never walk fully in your deliverance! God is calling you out today, get into His presence so you can be free!

In closing, it's nice to see your favorite star in concert or favorite star in a movie. It's cool to pay good money to watch your favorite sports star. At the end of the day, it's even greater to be in the presence of God. When you get into His presence, there's liberty, there's freedom, and there's an opportunity to get loose from the chains that are holding you! Are you going to stay bound or are you going to get free? The choice is yours!

"God, Provide Me Restoration"

Scripture: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." -Psalms 51:12, NIV

Many of us, at one time or another in our lives, have been on the search for a place to call home. Some of us have found some beautiful homes that is practically brand new. Others of us have found homes that needs minor tweaking here and there. In addition, another set of us have found homes one would consider "diamonds in the rough". Because these houses were considered "diamonds in the rough", you checked everything out and made mental notes of the things that needed to be done. As you begin to count the costs of the little things here and there, you come to the realization that your home is in need of restoration. When you look at this thing from a spiritual standpoint, there are times where we are in need of restoration. There are times where the workplace has zapped us of our Spirit and we need just a little restoration. There are times where home has zapped us of our Spirit and we need of a little restoration. There are times where our families have zapped the energy out of us and we are in need of restoration. One thing is for certain, we have a God that can provide you and I the restoration we need during the time we need it. Today's text will expound on this point.

Like yesterday's devotional, our focal book is found in the book of Psalms. Also like yesterday's devotional, this particular division of Psalms was penned by King David. In writing this chapter, we find that King David was heartbroken after the prophet Nathan and he had a conversation pertaining to his committing of adultery with Bathsheba. If you go back to 2 Samuel 11 & 12, it gives you the story of David and Bathsheba and then the eventual conversation with Nathan and David. Once David and Nathan had this conversation, Nathan provided David with the punishments God had in line for him. These punishments included David's wives sleeping with other men in public and the loss of David and Bathsheba's baby. Throughout this time in David's life, he felt disconnected from God and disappointed in his actions. If we were to keep it real with ourselves, haven't we all felt like David in the sense that we have disappointed God and not worthy of being in His face? Through this pain and anguish, David writes this psalm and gives us clarity that God can provide restoration.

David begins writing the text by saying, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation". Because of this sin David committed, he wanted God to restore his joy. Ladies and gentlemen, if you think that you are going to walk around life joyful all the time, I got news for you: you are lying to yourself. If David went through this, so will we! Because of the fact that you won't always have joy, we know that we always have a God that can restore our joy back! When you lose your joy because of financial problems, God can restore your joy back! When you lose your joy because of marital problems, God can restore your joy back! When you lose your joy because of physical ailments, God can restore your joy back! When you lose your joy because of problems with people from the church, God can restore your joy back! No matter what you go through, God can restore your joy!

Not only did David ask for his joy to be restored, but he also asked the Father to "grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me". Brothers and sisters, there are times in your life where you have lost your joy and zeal that you also lose your ability to serve God and be willing to do His will. Since David felt like this, he asked the Father to grant him a willing spirit. He did not want to stay on the same street because of this incident. He wanted the ability to serve God and most importantly, he needed it for his sanity. There are times in our life where we need the willing spirit to sustain us. We need it because if we dwell on our own problems, we cannot focus on the tasks in front of us. Our greatest blessings come when we focus our energy on others and not ourselves. Ask Job because God blessed him with DOUBLE for his trouble and he got that when he prayed for his friends and took the emphasis off of the things he was going through. When you emphasize God and de-emphasize self, God will allow the willing spirit to sustain you. It will provide you joy and happiness. It will give you the things you need in order to survive.

In closing, life will tap you out in one form or another. The blessing is that we serve a God that is strong and mighty and that when we need Him, He's right there to provide us restoration. All you have to do is ask. That's what David did and after that, David got on with his life and lived to be 70 years old and serve Israel as king for 40 years. Isn't it a blessing to know that God can restore you?

"Thank You for the Invitation"

Scripture: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. "
-Psalms 122:1

On Labor Day of this year, my wife and I had dinner with another married couple from our church. For a good while, my wife and I had stated that we wanted to have dinner with them and enjoy their company. During our Family Reunion weekend at the church, the couple extended the invitation for us to come. When it was all said and done, we had played Wii, enjoyed some great food, had great fellowship, and have firmly established a new set of friends within the area. Because of that, as my wife and I were driving home, we were glad that they extended the invitation. If we look at this thing spiritually, God extends us an invitation every Sunday morning. He extends to us an invitation to come and worship Him in spirit and in truth! He extends to us an invitation to come and fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! How do we know this invitation is extended? Today's text provides us clarity.

Our focal book today is the longest book of the Bible, Psalms. This particular chapter was penned by King David. As he was writing this chapter, God had just established Jerusalem as the "Holy City" and said that this is the city where He would record His name. At this time as well, many of the Israelites came to Jerusalem to worship and participate in the feasts as well. Because of God's proclamation of Jerusalem being His city, David writes today's many scripture with excitement and jubilance.

We know that because he starts the text off by saying, "I was glad when they said unto me". If you translate the Hebrew word for glad, it's Samach. Samach means "to rejoice; to be glad". When you hear about someone receiving a promotion or a job they have been waiting on, you ought to samach with them! When you hear about someone receiving healing from a disease or receiving a good health report, you ought to samach with them! When God whispers in your ear, Good Morning and wakes you up, you ought to samach because God was good to you! When you get an extension to pay your bills when your change was strange and your money is funny, you ought to samach and thank God! Despite what this world gives you or what it looks like, you ought to samach each and every day you are living!

Now, we see that David was glad and he was samaching. What invitation was David thanking God for? The text closes it out by saying, "Let us go into the house of the Lord". Earlier, in the introduction, we mentioned how we ought to thank God that He extended us an invitation for us to worship Him, to fellowship with our brothers and sisters, and to see praise Him on Sunday morning. We ought to tell God Thank You for the invitation because He told us to come into His house! Ladies and gentlemen, God does not care how filthy or clean you are, He does not care if you are rich or poor, He does not how old or young you are, He does not care if you are sick or healthy, He has extended to you an invitation to come into His house! Because of that, we ought to give Him praise when we are in His house! We ought to give Him worship when we are in His house! We ought to love our families correctly when we are in and out of His house! We ought to tell Him Thank You for the Invitation!

In closing, my wife and I would not have learned more about our friends if they did not extend the invitation. Because they did extend the invitation, we are eternally grateful to them and they know that they come and see us anytime! Just like that, God has given us the chance to come and see Him at His house! He does not care about the condition we are in, He just wants us there! As I close today, in your quiet time, just tell God Thank You for the invitation and opening up His house to you!

"It's a Fixed Fight"

Scripture: "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee." -Jeremiah 1:19

Back in March of 1999 at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City, boxing had the chance to crown its first undisputed heavyweight champion since the earlier part of the decade. The two combatants that had this opportunity was WBC (World Boxing Council) champion Lennox Lewis and IBF (International Boxing Federation) and WBA (World Boxing Association) champion Evander Holyfield. Through 12 rounds of action and pure domination by Lennox Lewis, the decision went to the judges. If there was anyone who watched this fight, they know the winner of this fight was Lennox Lewis. However, one judge, from the USA, scored the fight for Holyfield, another judge, from South Africa, scored it for Lewis, and the final judge, from England, Lewis's home country, had it a draw. After this fight, the boxing community was in so much turmoil, that commentators called this fight a "fixed fight" in the sense that all Holyfield had to do was show up and that he would at least get a draw or maybe a decision. In the realm of the spirit, God is just like that. He has given us opportunities to work in His Kingdom and He has blessed us despite the trials and tribulations that has come in our lives. In so many words, the fight with the enemy can be considered a "fixed fight". How can we consider this? Let's examine today's text.

Today's devotional journey brings us to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, who served King Josiah, is known as the weeping prophet and served as a prophet to the people of God for approximately 40 years. This book is the second longest within the five books known as the Major Prophets. Major Prophets received more information and insight from the Father, thus giving them that title. Within this introductory chapter, God and Jeremiah dialogued about Jeremiah's life and the things God had in store for him. At the end of this dialogue, God gave Jeremiah assurance that he would be fine and that his upcoming fights with his enemies are fixed. With this being said, let's examine the text.

God writes to Jeremiah by saying, "And they shall fight against thee". Ladies and gentlemen, don't we all have fights? Whether it's a physical fight, an emotional fight, a spiritual fight, a health fight, an argument, or anything else, we are going to have fights. With the enemy, he has fought us financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and every way else. One thing I thank God for is the fact that we are living to be fought!

Since we are alive to fought, God tells Jeremiah and us that thou we may have fights, "they shall not prevail against thee". Hallelujah! Isn't that good news, my brother and my sister? Isn't it a blessing to know that though, the enemy may fight you, he cannot prevail! Isaiah said it best in the preceding book that "no weapon formed against thee shall prosper". Just in case, we forgot it there, God re-emphasized it to us here in Jeremiah! Don't you love a God of confirmation and a God of agreement? Don't you love the fact that the wars against you cannot stop you? Why can God say such a proclamation?

The text is concluded when God tells Jeremiah and us that "for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee." Despite the ugliness of your situation, God is there to deliver you! When your money is funny and change is strange, God is there to deliver you from your rut! Though your family acts salty and act like they do not care, God is there to deliver you from them! Though you may have some friction within your marriage, but God is there to deliver you! Though you may some friction with someone at the workplace, God is there to deliver you! Though you may be battling an ailment on today, but God is there to deliver you! David also gives us confidence in the Father when he wrote "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth us out of them all". In other words, keep living and know that God has your back! Keep living because you will have some fights, but they will not prosper or stop you from achieving your destiny in God!

In closing, when this world tries to bog you down with its troubles, laugh at it and say, it's a fixed fight because my Father has my back and when I need Him, He will deliver me! Wherever you are today, you ought to give the Father a little praise for knowing that your fights in life are fixed!

"Getting The Most Bang Out of Your Life"

Scripture: "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." -Ephesians 5:15 & 16, NIV

For the ladies in the Devotional Family, you all should have love for one word: SALE. Brothers, you ought to have love for this word as well. I know I do :-) In any case, some of the prettiest things and most essential things we get for our homes, selves, and others are found on sale. As we capitalize on these sales, we often say to ourselves that we "got the most bang for our buck". Just like we get the most bang for our buck from finding sales, God wants us to get the most bang out of your life. How do I know you ask? Let's examine today's text.

Our week of devotional journeys conclude with the book of Ephesians. This was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was the church that Jesus said "I have seen your great works, but you left your first love" in Revelations 3. Within this chapter, Paul gives exhortation to brotherly love, cautions against committing multiple sins, directions to a contrary behavior, and describes the duties of husbands and wives that enforces the spiritual relation between Christ and the church. Today's text is found within the section dealing with cautions against committing multiple sins. Within this section, we will obtain an understanding of how to get the most bang out of our lives.

Paul begins the text by telling the Ephesians and us to "Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise". What a profound statement! Our Heavenly Father is watching us and every move we make on an everyday basis. He is checking us out if we have spent money unnecessarily on things. He is checking us out if we are watching the way we walk and the way we talk. He is checking us out to see that husbands are loving their wives like Christ love the church. He is checking us out to see that wives are submitting to their husbands. He is checking to see if we are honoring our parents as the Ten Commandments have stated. He's checking us out! Not only God, but the people that surrounds us on an everyday basis! We have a God to glorify and if we are not doing things wisely, how can God get glory out of our lives?

Then, Paul continues on and says to us and the Ephesian church that in getting the most bang out of your life, you are to strive towards "making the most of every opportunity". In other words, make the most of the idle time you may have after work. Make the most of your time by spending it with loved ones. Make the most of your time by visiting the sick in the hospital or at their homes. Make the most of your time by supporting your children in all they do. Make the most of your time by supporting your local church and letting them you will give them the best of you. Make the most of your time by stepping on faith into business ventures where your family won't lack in anything. Make the most of your time where your work at work is excellent and is recognized! Make the most of your time by praying to Almighty God on behalf of your brother and sister. All I am trying to say is the make the most of every opportunity, the most of everyday because God wants you to get the most bang out of your life!

The reason why God wants you to get the most bang out of your life "because the days are evil". Each and every day becomes a struggle because of the wickedness that resides in this crazy world. I am blessed to know that we live in this world, but we are NOT of this world. Though the days get more evil with the things going on, we have a covering in our Heavenly Father that loves us beyond measure and provides us with life, health, and strength that we may be able to make the most out of our lives. He gives us what we need in order to survive. Because of that, we ought to give Him our best and make the most of this precious gift called life!

In closing, as much as we love to get the most bang for our buck, we ought to want to get the most bang out of our lives. Paul told us to achieve this by watching how we live and make wise decisions and to make the most of every opportunity. My prayer for you on this day is that you maximize the gifts God placed in you and make the most of the life He has given you!

"I Need You to Pay Attention"

Scripture: "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." -Hebrews 2:1, NIV

God has blessed each of us to make it through some kind of school, whether if it was just high school, community college, a four-year college or university, seminary, culinary school or some other school. In any case, while you were in school, it was important to listen to what the teacher/instructor/professor was saying. In other words, you had to pay attention. Do you remember back in the days of either elementary, middle, or high school where you was talking and the teacher called you out and said, "I need you to pay attention"? Well, in the spirit realm, God is requiring each and every one of us to do the same. How can I make this statement? Today's text provides some insight.

Today, our devotional journey brings us to the book of Hebrews. According to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the theology behind Hebrews can be summed up in one word: Christology. The book focuses its energy on the person we know as Jesus and His redemptive achievements. Within this 2nd chapter of Hebrews, the writer gives warning to pay attention and discusses how Christ is made like His brothers.

The text starts off by saying, "we must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard". In other words ladies and gentlemen, not only are we to pay attention, but we are to pay more CAREFUL attention. We are to pay more careful attention to what we have heard. Brothers and sisters, there are many times where the enemy can use someone to sound like God's man/woman, but it's on you, man of God and it's on you, woman of God, to listen closely and discern what's not of God and what's of God. The Word makes mention that we ought to try the spirit by the spirit and see if the spirits either attract or repel. Also, Jesus gave us the parable of the four various types of soils and how one type of soil choked out the seed that was trying to grow. You can cool believe that there are people, assigned by Satan himself, who tries on a regular basis to choke out the Word that God has placed in your belly. Why is it vitally important to pay more careful attention to what you have heard?

The writer closes the text by saying, "so that we do not drift away". There's a song that's sung in churches today that goes a little something like this:

There's a storm out,
On the ocean and it's moving this way,
If your soul is not anchored in Jesus,
You will surely drift away!

The message that God is trying to convey to you today is that if you are attentive in your listening, you will not drift away! Your energy will be focused on Him and that you will be able to get the job done! Back to the school example I used earlier, when you paid attention, you understood the material and were able to get good grades and make your parents proud! Well, if you do the same for the Almighty God, He will be proud as well and not only is He the parent, but He is also the teacher/professor/instructor. When you are doing His will and being attentive to Him and your surroundings, then you will pass this class called life with flying colors! You will be an Honor Roll student!

In closing, it's important to tune your ears into Heaven's doors that God will give us encouraging words and words of wisdom and advice. My prayer for you is that you become the student listening to your Teacher that you may pass life with flying colors and not be the student who flunked because they were too busy being chatty!

"It's All About You"

Scripture: "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”-Psalms 40:8, NIV

Through my five years of marriage, one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that life does not revolve around me. Outside of God, life revolves around my wife and family. God told us as husbands to love our wives as Christ loves the church. Each and every day, I strive to give her that kind of love. One instance that occurred recently was on a Saturday evening. We had been in our home maybe two or three weeks and after relaxing from a long week and fairly busy Saturday morning and afternoon, she asked me to get some more paint because we were painting, along with a certain type of curtain that only Wal-Mart carried. With that being said, I went off to Wal-Mart. Three Wal-Mart's later, I had the curtains and the paint. I tell this story because I could have stayed relaxed, but because I loved her so much, I went out and did these things. Because of that, she knows that I strive to make life "all about her". For my family that does not know her, she does the same in turn for me! She keeps a smile on my face and serves as great encouragement. As we have dedicated our lives to one another in marriage, we also have made life about God. Ladies and gentlemen, it's imperative to make your lives about God! If you have this in mind, then you will agree with today's main scripture.

Our Hump Day devotional takes us to the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms have been divided into five books where Chapters 1 - 41 is Book I, Chapters 42 - 72 is Book II, Chapters 73 - 89 is Book III, Chapters 90 - 106 is Book IV, and Chapters 107 - 150 is Book V. Today's psalm, written by King David, falls in Book I. According to scholars, David has his name assigned to 73 chapters. Within this psalm, David addresses his confidence for deliverance, Christ's work of redemption, and prays for mercy and grace. Within our main scripture, found in this psalm, we will understand David's thoughts when it came to making his life about God.

We understand this trend of thought from David immediately. He begins the text by saying, "I desire to do your will, O my God". Each and every morning, in order to let God know that it's all about Him, we ought to get up with this message on our lips: ___________ (place your name) desire to do your will, O my God. When we commit ourselves to making this statement, you can believe that you will be tested and honestly, we all have been tested. Have you had a day where you spent most of your day ministering to someone and you had other plans? It may not have been your will, but it was God's will for that day. Have you ever had to bless someone with something (food, money, etc.) and you had NO idea that they were coming? Here again, it's not your will, but God's will at that time and juncture. When we make up our minds or keep our minds fixed on making life all about God, then we can proclaim that we want to do His will and not ours!

David finishes this thought in an awesome way. When you have made life about the Almighty God, you will do this: "your law is within my heart". David allowed God to further understand that not only do I want to make my life about you in the things I do, but I also house the Word on the inside of me. Brothers and sisters, with the Word housed inside of you, it will make you draw back from cussing someone out. It will make you "take a look in the mirror" and see if you are living the life you are preaching/teaching. It will "slice and dice" you when you are in the wrong. When life is about God, you have to know His Word! David told us in the Bible that "thy Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against Thee". Brothers and sisters, that's the point of the Word … it exposes to us the things we need to do! It gives us the instructions for life! If you are serious about making your life all about God, get in His Word!

In closing, we let the world know that life is about our spouses, family, and friends. If we were to really do self - evaluation, are we placing the same energy into God like we are our families? If the answer to that is no, then I encourage you to get in His Word and His face that you may be equipped and striving to do His will in your everyday life!