Week 12

Within a week we’ve had two major mass killing sprees in my country. I’ve seen one terrible news cycle after another. It’s like bad news is on a competition to see who will be the worst. This week I spoke to several friends who are struggling. Not only is the news on the outside terrible and horrific, the internal struggles are oppressing them too. One of them just lost her dog that she has had for 12 years. That adorable little puppy was her baby. She couldn’t rationalize the insane desire to want to ever love again. She said that she would rather just close herself off to anything or anyone else because everything dies.

I couldn’t disagree with her. Yes, everything does die. The reason being is that we live in a sinful, sin-filled world. The Bible does not mince words on this topic: For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23 KJV. Sin is the broken covenant on full display. The Bible puts it this way: Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4 NKJV.

What exactly is the law? Well I’m glad you asked: What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”…” Luke 10:26-28.

So the law is to love God and love our fellow human beings. Jesus said if we do those things we will live. But He wasn’t talking about just life on this planet. No, He was mostly talking about the BIG picture. Because let’s all be honest “LIFE ON THIS PLANET SUCKS!” Are there beautiful moments? Yes. Like when a parent hears their child’s laughter, or when the sun’s rays kisses your lashes, when the blush of first love begins to waken. All of those are beautiful moments that we cherish in our memories with everything that we have.

And life as we know it on this planet will not run forever, it can’t, not in the way we’re going. But forever was placed in our hearts by God (Ecclesiastes 3:11) to experience relational integrity for all time. It’s such an important factor that Jesus said that having a relationship with God IS eternity (John 17:3).

That means, right now in the midst of pain and sorrow, troubles and issues, that God wants to have a relationship with us. And God is gentle, kind, patient, sweet, hope-filled, just, compassionate, merciful (I could keep going, but you get the point). The more time we spend with Him, the closer we get to be like His character. And this is vital for all those who are longing for a better place to call home.

Because when Jesus was telling the disciples about the end of days, He told them that at the end people’s love will grow colder and colder because of the lawlessness (Matthew 24:12) that is growing more and more. Then Jesus states that only those who will be able to endure or last in the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13).

Endure what? Good question. Those who will be able to still have love in their hearts, burning bright as the midday sun. Those are the ones who will outlast every hateful comment, political argument, racist and bigoted biases, selfish desires. Revelation puts it like this: This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 14:12 NIV.

I will keep praying for my friend that her love does not wax cold. I’ll be praying for you too, pray for me as well. Because without help from heaven, we won’t make it through this hell.

Day 345

Today a bride-to-be came to see me. It was my third consultation this week. For someone who doesn’t do weddings anymore, I sure do find myself being sucked into them. This future bride had tears brimming in her eyes. We sat down in my office and I knew I had to ask the Father to send us His Holy Spirit because she was clearly overwhelmed, and I honestly did not know how to help her. So we prayed.

Thinking that the God of the universe, the Creator of all things and sustainer of life, would care about an overwhelmed bride and her consultant, amid a worldwide pandemic and problems going on in life seems silly.

Honestly, it would make sense to believe that God has more important things to do than to provide His presence, which brings peace and calm to those of us who fret with anxiety. But this same God who said: I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isaiah 45:23; is the same God who also said: And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God…” Luke 12:7.

So because I know, from reading His word, that this is the type of God who in one hand holds the world, yet in the other hand holds my heart, I implored her to approach the throne of God together. And this is only possible through a relationship that I have with God. Knowing that He is faithful always because, in essence, that is who He is: If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” 2 Timothy 2:13.

This is the Father that Christ knew when He walked on this earth. Even though He knew His Father ran the universe, Jesus still prayed and asked God the Father to take care of such things as lunch: Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” John 6:9-11.

In the event that is mentioned above, the people were stressed because there were not any restaurants like we have today to order from. There were over 5000 people there, and they did not have enough money to buy food for all those people. Jesus could have easily freaked out like His disciples did. But He did not because He knew who His Father was, and He called upon God to provide through Him the bread that would feed everyone and give them life.

I remember once when I went out to eat with my friends. I had volunteered to pay for their meals, as it was their birthdays. When the bill came and I gave my debit card, I was sure I had the means to cover the debt. When the waiter returned with my card, he said that it was declined, did I have another mode of payment. I was embarrassed for a moment, and then I remembered my father.

I quickly went online and logged into my dad’s account. I transferred the $250.00 from his account to my account to cover my debt. When the waiter returned, I asked him to try my card once more. He told me had tried it several times. I asked him to try it one last time. Reluctantly he took my card. My friends looked worried because they did not come prepared to pay for their meals. I told them not to worry, it will all work out.

Within a few minutes, the waiter returned with an apologetic smile on his face. I told him not to worry. I signed the bill and left a nice tip. What the waiter and friends did not know is that I had taken my phone out and called my father. I told him that I needed some money to cover a debt and told him I transferred money from his account to mine.

What is interesting is that my father never even asked me how much was the debt, he just told me to take what I needed. Now, could I have transferred the money legally from his account to mine if he did not trust me with his pin and code? Of course not. Would I have felt comfortable and confidant that my father who has his monies allocated for other things, would still help me cover my debt if we did not have a relationship? No, I would have felt scared and apprehensive to reach out to him.

God wants us to reach out to Him for all our issues and concerns. He cares about them because they have to do with our lives. Yes, He is running the universe, but He also knows the hair on your head (or lack thereof). Don’t ever feel like your concerns are too small to Him. Go to Him with confidence that this God, your Father loves you, because Jesus paved the way for us, so: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.

Day 332

In a recent private devotional between myself and my God, I asked Him to do something for me: open me up to love and to be loved. Sounds simple, yes? But for me, and I’m thinking for many of you out there that it’s more complicated than it looks.

Love is an actionable cause that creates the effect. Basically love is always a choice. And because it is a choice we must operate from a level of discernment to reap the full benefits while weighing the consequences of our choices. It is more than the mere feelings of adoration towards another. When someone says “I love you.” What they are really saying is “I like you” or “I want you” or “You please me.” What they aren’t saying is what the word actually means “I choose you over me.”

God tried to show this infinite definition of love when He created the world. He took time out of His schedule of running the universe to create a breathtakingly beautiful place called paradise, for a pair of human beings. He was hoping that they would also choose the path of love, and choose another over themselves.

We know that God’s ideal did not end up being a reality for them. For when the first real chance came for mankind to show that they not only understood the concept of love but the practicality of it as well, they failed, miserably. When God asked Adam “Where are you?” Adam responded by choosing himself over God and his wife.

So in order to correct this God had to come into this life, into this fallen broken world, to course-correct us. When God had a chance to choose self over another, He chose self-denial every single time. In denying self, He chooses another. He chooses you and me: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

That “whoever” is you, it’s me. Do you know who it’s not? It’s not God. Because when you read this text it really reveals to us that because of Love, God had to choose between Himself / His Son or us. And that text tells us that because God chooses us, that God had to suffer and die.

So anyone who chooses Him also needs to go through a similar process: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:4. Now, Jesus was not speaking of a literal cross, although He would eventually have to carry one on a deserted and desecrated road so that we could find the path to freedom. Jesus was talking about the comforts and trappings of this life, which often leads us astray.

They lead us astray so far down the wrong path that at times we become unrecognizable to others and ourselves. If owning the trappings of this life means I’ll have to crush someone on the way up towards comfort, then Jesus is telling us we’ve got the wrong spirit in us. Because Jesus was clear that He did not call us to punish one another but to love and support each other. When the brothers James and John asked Jesus if they should destroy people with fire, Jesus was baffled by their assessment of what His mission was.

Jesus told them that they did not know what evil demented spirit they were speaking from. Listen to what Jesus states about His work: just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28.

Once again He explains that His attitude towards us is a choice to serve or to Love. And I supposed that’s where my heart needs help. I love those who are in my immediate circle. Expanding that is harder than I want to admit. How do I place others before myself daily? Jesus says I need to take up my cross. Now, when I say placing others before myself, it is in no way ignoring my mental and self-care. Instead, it’s letting someone else have the edge because they need it. It means if someone is feeling down and they need to talk, that you place your electronic device to the side, and really listen to them. You see, I’m selfish in that light, to be truly honest.

I want what I want when I want it. But choosing to place someone above your means, that you want what they need because they need it. And you’ll move heaven and earth to help them get whole.

That’s what Jesus does for us. He placed everything on hold, to take care of our immediate needs. Because if He didn’t, where would we be today? I’ll keep asking God to help me choose to see the best in people, and to pour faith into them, and to show that I love them, not just say it. Because sometimes my friends, talk is cheap, and God’s love sees you as priceless.

Day 326

Today nothing went well for the broadcast. I started 10 minutes late because the streaming quality on the new laptop that I bought was TERRIBLE. The camera quality was great, I had it connected to fiber internet, so what was the problem? The streaming host was fine. As I started to stream the connection said “EXCELLENT” and then within a second or two it said “POOR STREAMING QUALITY.” Then the site that I was streaming from said that it was going to end my stream due to poor quality if I did not fix my streaming software. As I grappled with the problem and started to panic, the streaming site was true to its word and ended the stream. I was so flustered. Switching computers I attempted to start over for the third and final time because it would now work. But I started the entire broadcast on the wrong foot.

How many times do we have days like that? Nothing seems to be going right. To me, it would make more sense if I hadn’t been up for 4 hours to prepare for something that usually takes less than a minute to set up. Why didn’t it give me problems before? WHY NOW?!

I think about my relationship with God and how at times it seems like we have “POOR STREAMING QUALITY” within our relationship. That at one moment it seems like our connection is “EXCELLENT” and the next moment I’m left to grapple for myself.

What are we to make of it when the God that we trust and love seems to have dropped us, and we can’t reconnect?

I think of the parents of John the Baptist. His birth was a strange one. His parents were old and his mother could never get pregnant. But then we see this weird little nugget of faith: But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13. The text makes it a point to tell us that: And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Luke 1:18.

None of it made sense. Even the man admitted that he was old and his wife had already gone through menopause. But the angel said your prayer was heard and will be answered. So I have a few questions: Was that old man still praying a prayer late in his years? Or was God answer a prayer he used to pray but stopped years ago?

Did he, a priest have at first an “EXCELLENT” connection with God? And as life continued and the innermost desire of his heart was ignored, did he then think that his connectivity to God was poor? Were his prayers not getting through? He didn’t even get a “wait” or “someday” like Abraham. He got nothing all those decades of prayer. Then one day, did the poor connection clear up, and then God finally heard what this man and his wife had prayed for since their union?

When everyone around them seemed to have that excellent connection with God because they were having children, and grandchildren, and building generational memories. This couple may have wrestled with what were they doing wrong, that made their connectivity to God so poor? This is what the Bible said about them: there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” Luke 1:5-6.

They were righteous before God and blameless. So was their connectivity poor? Or was God doing something for them in His own time? It is true, they had no grandchildren to carry on their name, because their son died in his prime of life. But what God had done for them, to have made them the parents of the forerunner of God Himself, was something that no one in all of history past nor of the future, could ever be taken away from them. God favored them, even when He was silent during their tears. He had plans for them to raise a boy into a man to proclaim: So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” John 1:22-23.

It was of this man that the Creator / Redeemer God said: Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” Matthew 11:11.

I know that you may think that your connectivity with God is poor and that He is not listening to the desires of your heart. I want you to know that as long as you are blameless before Him (meaning that you let Jesus be your cover) He will and has been listening to you. Just hold on, He makes all things beautiful in their time.

Day 310

There’s a Bible verse which describes someone’s desire to just be in the presence of the Lord: One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.” Psalm 27:4. And I really never understood this verse. And I think it was because I had never really been in love with someone who made me feel safe, accepted, better just by being with them. I recall a few times people who would flock to my home and stay the entire day with my family. I love people, but I also enjoy my personal space. One day I asked my father why these individuals never leave. And my dad told me that it’s because they don’t have families of their own. And that hit me in the heart, hard. To know that people, even grown adults, were searching for a place to feel loved, safe, and just over all better after being there. That’s what David experienced when he was in the presence of God, and that’s what I strive for when people are now in my presence.

There’s a couple that I have known since I was young. They were the youth leaders in my church. Young people wanted to be around them all the time because they knew how to draw people who were hurting. It did not matter what walk of life you were in, Herb and Sue were always available to shower love on you. It’s been over 25 years, and they’re still reaching out to the youth. Every Friday night they have Bible Study and feed people. Now because of the pandemic, they’re doing it on Zoom. But once a month they have a drive-thru breakfast and feed anyone who wants a meal. These people have developed the heart of God. The love of God has spilled over into their lives and they are drawing people to Him.

When Jesus was on earth, people flocked to Him. Because even though they were sinners, He made them feel whole, loved, and safe. Just being around Jesus made them better. One person who sat at the feet of Jesus was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Martha wanted Mary to help her with getting the food ready for the guest, but Mary wouldn’t leave the presence of Jesus. When Martha asked Jesus to help her out He said: But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42.

That verse alone tells us where God’s heart is also. We’re not the only ones searching for meaningful intimacy, He is as well. So much so that He gave us a covenant to seal that reality. Unfortunately, we’ve broken His covenant and abused His gifts. You’d think He’d be done with us, but instead, He came to save us from ourselves and each other: And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  Matthew 21:12-17.

There you can see that the temple, which was supposed to be a safe place for those to seek the presence of God had been turned into a money-making opportunity without regard for human life or suffering. And when Jesus saw how those who were responsible for teaching others about the character of God were purposefully maligning His character for their gain, He got angry. And rightfully so. He interrupted the status quo and demanded that they do better or move out of the way. And isn’t it interesting that after they fled that is when the blind, lame, and even the children came running to Jesus. And He accepted them with open arms.

The passage below is from the book of Isaiah, where Jesus had quoted that His house shall be called a house of prayer. I want you to see the type of God that is speaking here. One who loves all people. One who desires to be in covenant with us. One who will gather the outcast into His everlasting loving arms…

“Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants, everyone who keeps
the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts…” Isaiah 56:3-8. 

Day 291

A few years ago, I was talking to one of my students. He requested to speak to me, and I could tell that something was burdening him. But he did not know how to begin the conversation. I felt the heaviness in his soul and the anger that was bubbling on the surface. It was clear that he was sick, suffering from something horrendous, but I never asked and he never told me, until that conversation. His face was almost translucent, yet unnaturally darkened, it was round, filled with fluid. He barely had any hair on his head, and the hair that he had was so fine, it looked like the brand new hair of a newborn baby. He always wore a hoodie, it did not matter the weather, because he was always cold. But at that moment I could see that his blood was boiling over, he needed to say something, yet, he couldn’t formulate the words. So, I started telling him a story.

It was about my mother getting diagnosed with cancer and an untreatable lung condition all in the same year. It did not make sense, but we knew what to do as “good Christians”, we would claim the promises in the Bible and we would move forward in prayer and supplication before the Lord. But after her surgery and the 6-month recovering process, when she went in for another biopsy, it came back positive. The cancer had not gone away. And then because of the nature of this cancer, my brothers and I were susceptible because it was hereditary. So every year, my brothers and I have to strip in front of strangers and have our bodies looked over, poked and prodded, and at times get parts of our body snipped. Then we have to wait for that 3-5 business day window to find out if we have cancer or not. Every time, I cry. Because, what if this time, it’s positive. I’ve written and rewritten my final stages of life plan and funeral arrangements at least half a dozen times.

It didn’t make sense that our family, a follower of the one true God, would have to make this a part of our norm when He had the power to make it end. That’s when my student opened up his heart. All during my story (which had many more details than I can mention in this devotion) he was nodding and whenever I mentioned God, I could see his lips tighten so much, I thought his lips would chap and split open. He had been suffering from leukemia for about 2 years. It hit him in his junior year of high school. And as his luck would have it, he just happened to have one of the rarest forms of leukemia, which was a combination of both. He ended up being transferred to a children’s hospital where he spent 9 months of his life on bed rest. His father was a pastor and his mother was a devout spiritual leader at home, in church and the community. They prayed, fasted, and called upon the church to lift him up in prayer, but still, he had cancer. There were times where he didn’t want to carry on, he was tired of getting chemotherapy injections in his spine and then throwing up from the effects days on end. He had to go through this monthly, to be able to come to college.

Tears were running down his face, and his nostrils flared as he discussed a God that he had no interest in knowing. Why did God allow this to happen to him? I sat there looking at him, praying in my heart for God to give me the words to say to this young man, but nothing came. So I sat there and let him express his frustrations in a safe space. When he finally took a breath and stopped speaking, I took a breath and started: Why not you?” He looked at me strangely. That’s not what I was supposed to say. I was supposed to continue with the “woe is me” conversation, because after all this kid had cancer. But I didn’t. I felt for him, and my heart bled for his heart. But we both were sitting there, knowing that life is not fair. Why placate it any longer?

I told him because of sin, life sucks. Sure God could stop all the terrible things on this earth from happening to His children, but He doesn’t. It’s not because He doesn’t want to, it’s because this is where we’re at. We can trust Him with our lives on this side of eternity and the next or not. But regardless of what happens in this life, God will forever love us. And I can’t explain why he got cancer, and one of the rarest types either, but I did know that he was there before me, in college, when the doctors said that he might not make it past a few months. That was a few years ago, now my student is looking towards graduation next trimester, in 2021! And I will be there with all the bells and whistles to celebrate the goodness of God in his life.

I don’t know what craziness has happened to you in 2020. I don’t know how a virus that was discovered in 2019 has impacted your life. I do know however, that a God saw the suffering of mankind, and left His home, His glory to come down here and be one of us. Meaning He suffered in ways many of us will never understand because He took on my suffering, yours, my student (who is in remission!!!), your loved ones, every single person that has ever lived on this planet. And it caused a separation between Him and His Father. It broke His heart, so that ours could heal. And He agrees that sin is the worst virus to ever touch His universe. And that one day He will inoculated us and destroy it from eternity. Jesus also explained in the word of God that sin creates ripple effects that will touch us in ways we wished it never did. But He says that when we go through the difficult things in this life, He will be with us, every step of the way. And that He’s coming soon to end all of this crap for good: So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:35-37.

Day 238

During a briefing with my college students, we discussed how high school doesn’t get you ready for college. And how college does not get you ready for grad school. And how they don’t believe that the education that they receive in an educational institution will necessarily prepare them for life. I am honest with my students, it is something that I always set on the table every year. As long as they are honest with me, we will be able to work whatever situation comes our way. However, as soon as you lie, trust begins to dissipate, and that is when we run into problems. As we gave our opinions (everyone in masks), I agreed with their general assessment, their time in the college classroom is not meant to prepare you for the life outside of it. They looked shocked that I said that. But what I did tell them, is that the character that they are shaping in the classroom will carry over in every aspect of their lives.

For example, if you find it acceptable to cheat on an exam or your assignments, you may find it acceptable to cheat on other daily realities, like your finances, and deeper more eternal realities like your relationships. If you begin to carve out a character where procrastination is the norm, you will eventually end up being late for other things in your life, like your job, that may end up getting you fired. And if you are unable to make friendships and build solid networking opportunities with people that you see every day at school, even if it is via a screen; you will lose the opportunity and skill to do the same thing in your life. Solomon tells us in his musings on the wisdom that: Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

Every moment spent learning something, not just out of a book, but about yourself, is a moment well spent. And while you are in college, carving out the type of person you desire to be, if you cannot make time for God now, when you don’t have a family, and the additional responsibilities that come with being a non-college attending adult; do not think you will be able to spontaneously make time for Him later. The verse we looked at earlier clearly tells us that good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, which I believe is applied to all areas of our lives, not just our financial goals. That applies to our health, taking shortcuts with your health will lead to having poor health, period. Taking shortcuts in your marital affairs may lead to a divorce. Even more pressing than that, yet one that is taken the least serious is taking shortcuts in our spiritual walk with God. It won’t lead to a very happy or fulfilling place.

Even God knows the importance of spending time with God: Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.” Mark 1:35. This was Jesus’ norm. To get up while it was still dark before the sun crowned the sky and the world began to wake up, Jesus was awake speaking to the God: Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4. If developing a solid and consistent prayer life is the ONE thing that my students can take away from their college experience, I would have been a success, and they would be successful in every venture of their lives.

But to make such a bold claim, I should first tell you what my definition of success is: being led by God. That’s it. Listen to what God says about His relationship with us: so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:11-12. If this is the Person responsible for guiding your steps, the One who wants peace for you and for your heart to be so filled with joy that you break out into singing, and even the trees clap their hands?! How amazing is He? The same God who would die before facing an eternity without you? You can trust Him, and know that wherever He guides you, you will be successful because He is with you. And you need to be able to hear His voice to know where He wants you to go. The only way to know His voice is to spend quality time with Him. And that’s not necessarily something you can learn in a classroom, but there is ONE book that has His plans for you, and that book my friends, is the Bible. Take some time out today, and spend it with the One who wants to fill you with so much joy, you burst into song.

Day 212

There’s a verse in the Bible that is so powerful, just in its the wording, it seems like it could stand alone. People like to quote it like this: Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24. But that is not the entire verse, and truthfully the verse is only the center of the idea, not the anchor nor foundation. Today we’ll discuss the qualifications needed in order to be able to claim the promise of Jesus’ words by reading the entire verse and by understanding the context of what was said. Because who doesn’t want their prayers to be answered?

First of all, it is very important that we understand that God is NOT a genie. You do not rub on the lamp, which could be seen as prayer, only to have God come out at your command and give you what you’ve requested. Instead of processing the Divine Originator in such a manner, why not look at Him as He is described in the Bible, as our Father.

Parents who have little children understand that when they are babies, they must provide constant nurture and care for them. They make all the decisions on their behalf because the infants are not able to make decisions. Then as the child grows and is able to make choices to assert their independence, like what they are going to wear that day, or how they would like to comb their hair, or what they would like to have for breakfast. As a parent, you guide their choices because you know what is best for them because you love them. You would not let any harm come to them, you would rather place your own self in harm’s way than to have them suffer. Since you have developed a relationship with them, and they trust you, when you make suggestions of fruit instead of candy for breakfast, they will follow your lead, even though it was not what they originally desired. But the choices that you make for them and eventually with them, will help mold them into successful and well-rounded adults.

However, in between infancy and adulthood, issues will occur. For example, the first time they learn to ride a bike. They have their training wheels on and they finally understand how the pedaling works, now they want to do it without the assistance of the training wheels. So you go behind them holding the back of the seat and the front of the handlebars and guide them through their journey. After several instructions and attempts, it is time for them to do it on their own. You are encouraging them, and they think that they’re ready, so you let go. And for the first few moments, they are pedaling and they are really doing it! With all their excitement, they lose focus and soon they begin to wobble, and down they go. But there you are, to lift them up and address their little cuts and bruises. Next time they learn to keep their eyes focused and now they have become biking experts. And you as the parent, are more excited than they are!

Now transpose this unto your reality of God. God as our Father, who nurtures us and cares for us. Who encourages our growth and independence to make our own decisions. Every choice that we make either affirms our love towards Him or opposes our reliance upon Him. God wants us to trust Him as One who will love us through our journey in this life. And this is the basis of Mark 11:22 which was the predecessor of the verse that we discussed earlier. Listen to what the verse states: Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly].” Mark 11:22. The only way to have faith in God constantly is to have a consistent relationship with Him. Because when children have faith in their parents, they believe that their parents are invincible. That they can do anything. And when their parents are with them they know that there isn’t anything that they can’t do! And Jesus affirms this in the very next verse: I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what He says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. Mark 11:23.

Can’t you read the faith and trust in our Parent in that verse?! With that type of faith that we have in God constantly, is where we can really understand what Jesus said: For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.” Mark 11:24. But of course, it does not stop there. Jesus explains that: Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others]. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26.

Here we see the requirements for God trusting you enough to answer your prayers in affirmative:
1) you MUST have consistent unwavering faith in God.
2) you MUST be willing and able to reflect the character of God, by forgiving those who have wronged you. That is when God will be able to answer whatever you pray for in the affirmative if it is His will because your heart reflects His heart because you have been made in His image. And we know that God is love (1 John 4:8).

Day 205

Have you ever heard the phrase: No man is an island? In the 1600s, poet John Donne wrote the now-famous prose entitled by that very phrase, No Man is an Island. The first time I heard that phrase was from a movie entitled “About A Boy” starring Hugh Grant and Rachel Weisz. This film is about 18 years old, but the truths spoken in it, still ring true today.

Speaking about today, boy was it a tough one. I woke up from going to bed around 830pm the night before because the night prior to that I had slept only 4 hours. When I awoke this morning the mild neck and back stiffness that I had were now in full-on pain mode. After returning a few emails, and taking a few phone calls, I had to end the day early and take a nap around 4 in the afternoon. I was barely getting along. As I lay in bed I thought: my eyes are burning, my head aches, my neck is pain while my back hurts. What was becoming of me? The 30’s were nothing like the sitcom Friend’s showed that it would be. I thought that I should hop in my car and drive to the nearest drug store to pick up a pack of those neck heating pads. But then I remembered that my car’s engine had just died, and to fix it was apparently $4k to $5k that I just did not have laying around. During my devotional with God, I just laughed. Because I couldn’t go out and buy something to soothe my pain.

But it gets more interesting. I’ve had a dull ache in my mouth for a few days, it comes and goes, and today it came and never left. I tried to ignore it, as it was not as intense as the other pains in my body. Low and behold…I hope you’re ready for this…I went to go check on what could be the matter, and there was an abscess on the gumline of my lower k-nine. I sighed and looked at the time. All regular dentist offices were closed. I would have to go to an emergency site, which of course would be more money then I really was ready to pay. I sat for a moment and wanted to just cry.

Then God sent my brother to come and visit me. During a video call today he noticed that it was difficult for me to move around, so he went and purchased for me the VERY heating pads I wanted to go and buy for myself. Later he volunteered to take me to the emergency dentist after seeing my abscess. He even located one for me, called and made the appointment. It turned out to be the BEST experience I’ve ever had at a dental office. While I was in the dental chair, the dental hygienist took my prescription papers to my brother who was waiting in the car, and he dropped off my prescription to be filled while I finished getting the abscess taken care of by an amazing dentist. The receptionist contacted my insurance and did all the legwork I should have done, but was not able to process at the moment. I gave her my health insurance card instead of my dental insurance (you can see how often I go…). They checked my blood pressure and it was unusually high. I was told to relax, and honestly, I thought that I was. I mean as relaxed as one could be in a dental chair.

When my visit was over and my mouth less swollen then it was when I first arrived, I thanked the staff as best as I could and went out to my brother and got into his car. We drove to go get my medicine and picked up something to snack on so I could take the antibiotics, he paid. He dropped me home, and walked me to my door, and made sure I was situated. He then told me that he would be back, and I thought, “What for?” He said he was going to his house, and then he would come and spend the night, just in case I needed him. Before he left, he took out the trash that I had left by the trash can earlier during the day, because I was too tired and sore to take it out to the dumpster.

I released a breath I did not know I was holding in, and then used my breath to give God praise because He did not leave me alone during my pain and distress. He took care of all my needs as He promised that He would. He already told me that in this world I would have problems, that comes with the territory of being alive on this planet. But I have the full assured guarantee that He loves more than I could ever imagine. And without the network of people that He had put in place to see me through just today! I have no idea where I would be. And so along with the psalmist, I proclaim: Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel),
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them,
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,” Psalm 146:1-2,5-6.
Thank you Father for taking care of me when I could not take care of myself. For letting me know that although I am single, that I am not alone, nor forsaken. May Your name be praised from now to eternity because of your lovingkindness towards those whom You love. Thank you,
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.