Day 89

Psalm 55:22 ~“Turn your burdens over to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.” (GWT)

When I first read about the Israelites in Exodus years ago, I thought they were so stupid! They lived in a time where God’s presence, His works, and His miracles were physically seen. There were delivered from slavery, had their food delivered to them everyday, and were literally able to follow a ball of fire to their destinations at night. And yet, they still didn’t fully believe God! All that they had seen and experienced was forgotten as soon as adversity came. It was as if God had never done any of those things…even though they had just seen it! How dumb is that?! The funny thing is we are very much like them. When we’re with God and things are well, we trust Him and it’s all good. But the minute something happens we’re frantic, acting like He can’t bring us out…even though He just did it last week! I would like to remind you today that if you cast your cares upon the Lord, He WILL take care of you. We can’t be so quick to forget how good God is (and has been); He has NEVER let the righteous stumble. You won’t fail, you won’t lose, and you certainly won’t die. Take a look back over your life, after having gone through hell and high water you’re still here. The last storm you were in didn't kill you, neither will this one. No matter what it looks like, no matter what’s going on, He WON'T let you fall!

Day 88

Psalm 13:20 ~ “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)

My grandmother used to always tell me, “Watch the company you keep”. I of course, thinking I knew way more about life than she did, chose not to listen to her. When I was in sixth grade I started hanging with the wrong crowd. Because I chose to hang around with the fast girls, I quickly learned about the fast boys. By the time I was in the eighth grade, I was pregnant. There I was, 13 years old, shipped off to the school for girls who got themselves in trouble, all because I chose to keep company with people with loose morals. I want to remind you today to watch the company you keep. The more you are around a person the more their ways rub can off on you and before you know it, you’re doing the same dumb stuff they do. You talk to a negative person long enough, you’ll start being negative. You need to surround yourself with like minded individuals, people who build you up rather than bring you down. If you spend time with a person and after you leave them you feel drained from all of their negativity, it’s time to cut that person off…..even if it’s someone in your family! You can't allow that to get into your spirit. Proverbs 19:8 states, “He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good.” God has great plans for you; don’t allow your associations to be the thing that holds you back!

Day 87

Isaiah 26:4 ~ “Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.” (NIV 1984)

The world is in a constant state of change, you can’t get away from it, it is inevitable. You see changes at work, changes in your relationships, changes in your body…everything changes. You can go and get gas today at one price; tomorrow (or five minutes later in some cases) it’s a different price. You may like a person today, next week, you may not. Last week you were ahead, this week you’re behind….things change! I want to remind you today that The One that will always remain the same is our Lord! He has never changed and He never will, you can trust in His consistency. He never slumbers nor sleeps; He’s always there for you. You can trust Him to get you out of that tight spot. You can count on Him to deliver you. People, places, and things will all fade away at some point, but the Lord, and ONLY the Lord, is everlasting! He is the One who was, who is, and who is to come. He is God alone, alone He is God. When we put our trust in Him, we can’t lose!

Day 86

James 1:6-8 ~ “But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you surely can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” (CEV)

With all that we know about God, and all that He’s done for us, why do we still doubt Him? As big a God as He is, why do we feel He can't come through? Our bills don't faze Him, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He doesn't even blink at our illness, He’s brought people back from the dead! All the stories of triumph in the bible, what do you think they are, fairy tales? Come on now! I want to remind you today that if you have asked God for something, and it is in line with His will, then you can rest assured that you will receive it, period! But, if you spend time trying to figure out if (or when) He’ll come through, you may as well not have asked in the first place. You can’t believe Him one day and doubt Him the next. You don’t want God to think you’re unstable do you? I mean, seriously, would YOU trust an unstable person? Of course not! God is able, His track record is impeccable. You can believe Him, He’s not a man that He would lie. Don’t doubt Him, even for a millisecond, lest you stand the chance of not receiving His goodness!

Day 85

Romans 8:28 ~ “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.” (GWT)

Yesterday I learned of a couple who lost their three month old baby to SIDS. Not only did they have to deal with the sudden loss of their child, they also had to endure questions from the authorities as to whether or not they had any involvement. What a horrible situation for a parent to be in. It really makes you wonder what God’s point in it all is. Taking this verse into consideration, how could THIS situation be for somebody’s good? I want to remind you today that it may not look like it right now, but God truly means for good to come out of whatever storm you’re in. Because you are His child, because of the plans He has for your life, good AND bad things will happen to you, but they’re all for your good. I know it’s hard to see the sun shine through the dark cloud of bereavement, the haziness of unemployment, the storminess of a broken relationship…but, it’s there. With every moment that passes by, God is working things out; He’s turning things around so that it will be good for you. It hurts now, but weeping only lasts for a night, your joy will come in the morning! (Psalm 30:5) You were called according to his purpose and He has every intention to take care of you. He will help you make it through the tough times as He guides you to onwards to your destiny. Don’t allow yourself another minute of sadness, as long as God is on your side…it’s ALL good!

Day 84

Isaiah 43:2 ~ “When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you;
your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.” (GNT)

When the pressures of life get you down, when your things to do list is growing longer every second, when it seems like the storm will take you under, when you’re thinking, “if this phone rings one more time I’m going to scream”….I want you to stop….take a minute to breathe and let me remind you that God has your back, there’s no need for you to get yourself all worked up. He is right there beside you, He will see you through. He is your protection, your Strong Tower . (Psalm 61:3) He’s not going to allow trials to come your way and then just leave you; He’s not that kind of God, nor will He let anything (or anyone) hurt you. Your situation may by rough right now, but it will pass, and it certainly won’t overtake you. God is stronger than any circumstance that comes your way and because you are His child, He will give you the strength and the courage you need to fight (and win) the battle. Remember, you can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength! (Phil 4:13) He has kept you this far, He’s not going to stop now. As a matter of fact, He never will!

Day 83

1 Peter 4:12-13 ~ “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” (The Message)

I’m going to cut to the chase and remind you today not to be surprised that you are going through rough times, it happens…it’s a part of the plan. Instead of questioning God and asking Him, “why me Lord?” to which He answers, “why NOT you?” you should be glad to “suffer” as Christ did. Don’t allow the enemy to coax you into believing that God has forgotten you or that He’s punishing you. Your trials and tribulations come to make you stronger, and you can’t get to “the place called there” without them. I encourage you to be glad today, and everyday, to be able to experience things just as Jesus did. Just think of all He went through and He had NEVER sinned, unlike us. They lied on Him, the beat Him, they spit on Him, they crucified Him. In the end, He came out on top…and so will you!