Day 79

James 2:17 ~ “So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.” (GNT)

As Christians, I think we sometimes take God for granted. We expect Him to miraculously bless us with everything we ask for, without us having to do anything in return. I mean, He is God afterall, why not? We pray for a financial increase, and then we walk around looking for the box of money randomly placed with our name on it. We believe God for a new job, but we won’t apply for certain ones because we don’t feel qualified. We want God to bless and protect our children, but we don’t take the time to train them up in the way they should go. I want to remind you today that faith without works is dead. In order for you to receive something from God, you have to DO something! He WANTS to bless you, but you have to do more than just believe that He will. If you’re struggling in your finances, start giving above your normal tithes and offerings. I guarantee you He will send you an increase. If you’re not happy on your job, go to the place you want to work at, fill out an application and start praying in the parking lot everyday. Don’t be surprised when you get a call from them offering you a better job than what you applied for! There is a store room in heaven with your name on it, with blessings you could never imagine. Faith is the lock, and your works is the key. You can open that door at any time….so what are you waiting for?!

Day 78

2 Timothy 1:7 ~ “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (Amplified Bible)

God is a good God. He is loving, He is kind, and He’s faithful. He is fair, He’s true, and He’s eternal. He is all powerful and all knowing. Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent He is. There is no God like our God. He parted the entire red sea long enough for thousands of people to walk across the floor of it. He fed thousands of people with a couple of sandwiches. He has brought the dead back to life and made blind men see. You would think with a track record like God’s, His children would be fearless. Oftentimes, that’s not the case. I want to remind you today that we need to stop being fearful when problems arise. Being timid and cowardly is not of God. Have you ever seen Him hiding in a corner somewhere trying to figure out what to do? Of course not, HE IS GOD! All of the power that is in Him is also in us. We are His children, heirs to His kingdom, we have nothing to fear. Unexpected trips the ER, more bills than your paycheck, trouble on your job…whatever your “scary” situation may be, God has given you the power to conquer it. No weapon formed against us will EVER prosper. (Isaiah 54:17) Even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, don’t be afraid…He is with you. He always is, and He always will be!

Day 77

1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” (GNT)

Being a small business owner and working full time is no easy feat. I love baking, it is the gift that God gave me and I enjoy working in it, but it’s not easy. Every Friday night I bake and decorate cakes, and every Saturday morning I deliver them. Most nights of the week I have something cake related to do….in addition to my already busy life. I pray often and ask God why it is that He hasn’t allowed me to transition to working my business full time. I wonder how much longer the 14 hour days will last because I don’t know if my back can take it. I am mentally and physically tired and there are times when I want to just say, “Forget it”. I was reminded yesterday, and so will remind you today, that God will never put more on you than you can bear. It may seem like it’s a lot, but you can handle it. God wouldn’t have given it to you if He didn’t intend to give you what you need to conquer it. When you’re at your breaking point and it seems like you can’t take another step forward, that when He steps in and strengthens you so you can keep moving. I realize that I am going through what I’m going through so that when the time does come for me to work in my gift full time, I will be strong enough to endure all that comes from being a business owner. The same thing applies to your situation. ALL things are working together for your good because you love God and are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28) What you're going through right now is just a part of His perfect plan for your life. So, don’t grow weary in well doing, for you shall reap a harvest if you faint not! (Gal 6:9)

Day 76

Exodus 20:2-3 ~ “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. Worship no god but me.” (GNT)

I love my husband. He’s a great father, leader and provider for our family. My children mean the world to me, I don’t know what I would do without them, I believe they help make my life complete. My brother is one of my most favorite people in this world, and all six of my sisters have their own special place in my heart. I am friends with some awesome women of God; our relationships are truly of Him. Of all of the people I have in my life, as much as I love them all, NOT ONE can hold a candle to God! I want to remind you today to keep God first in your life. You have to be careful not to allow other people (as well as places and things) to take His place. When you give more attention things other than God, that thing will become your God. He wants to be first, He wants no other God before Him. He comes before your spouse, your children, your friends, your job, your hobbies, your dreams…He comes first!  Don’t give yourself to everything else and expect God to be happy with the leftovers. Put Him first; show Him that He is your first priority. If you make Him first in your life, I guarantee you He’ll make you first in His!

Day 75

John 15:13 ~ “No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.” (Amplified Bible)

As we celebrate this day of love, I just want to take a moment to remind you that God showed the ultimate act of love when He allowed His son to die so that we could be restored unto Him. He has loved us from the beginning of time and He will continue to love us until the end of time. His love is patient. It is kind. It isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) There is no greater love than His and it is my prayer that you experience it today like never before!

Day 74

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ “Never stop praying.” (GWT)

Prayer is powerful, it’s one of the strongest weapons we have as believers, and often the most unused. I want to remind you today to NEVER stop praying! Stay in constant contact with God. The closer you are to Him, the farther you are away from the dangers of this world. Now I don’t mean to say that you won’t go through things, but prayer will allow the things you go through not overtake you. For those of you who have been dealing with the same issue for a while now, pray still! Yes, it may seem redundant to pray over and over for the same things, especially when God already knows the situation, pray anyway! Ephesians 6:18 tells us to “pray on every occasion as the spirit leads us”, so don’t give up. Just last week I heard a person say that he was tired of praying, that God was going to do what He wanted to do regardless, so he gave up because God hadn’t answered his prayers yet. It is my prayer that you won’t give up on God; He certainly hasn’t given up on you. Keep talking to Him, keep seeking His guidance, and keep thanking Him for His goodness. He hears you, He sees you, and He WILL save you…you just have to KEEP PRAYING! Don’t get discouraged because things haven’t changed yet, the prayers of the righteous avail much. (James 5:16) Your help is on the way!

Day 73

Ephesians 6:12 ~ “This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.” (MSG)

Today I am going to get straight to the point and remind you that the devil is dirty. He does not want you to receive all that God has for you and he will not stop trying to keep you from it. You have to be relentless in your prayers as he is relentless in his foolery. You have to stay rooted in the word because the minute you turn away from it, he is there to sweep you away. Satan wants to see you stressed out, depressed, and weary. He wants you weak so he can slide in and trick you into thinking that God can't save you.  You have to fight against the foolishness he’s trying to bring into your life. The closer you get to God, the more he's going to try to discourage you....DON’T LET HIM! When you wake up in the morning you should go to your closet and put on the FULL armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. If you leave out of your house wearing anything else, you’re sure to be defeated. You may as well hang a bull’s-eye around your neck. We must continue to fight to good fight, don’t play with this thing because the enemy certainly isn’t playing with you…he is for real about devouring you! You have to keep praying, praising, worshiping, believing and trusting God. He WILL deliver you, He WILL provide for you, He WILL heal you, He WILL restore everything that the devil tried to steal from you! Keep fighting…until your victory is won!

Day 72

Genesis 1:1 ~ “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” (GWT)

It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re going through. You see your bills piling up, money running low. Your friends and family start acting as if they’ve lost their minds, people on your job seem to purposely try and sabotage you. It feels like you’re continuously getting dumped on by life, as soon as you get one problem solved, here comes another one. In all of the chaos, it’s hard to hear (or see) God. You may even wonder if He sees and hears you!  I want to remind you today God has intended for you to live life more abundantly since the beginning of time. He created the universe and made two humans out of dirt in a matter of days. You just don’t do something like that and not take care of it. He has plans for you, great plans at that! How it is right now is not how it will always be, you are going THROUGH, this isn’t your permanent stop. He wants us to be happy, to be hemmed in with pleasure, living in no lack. That was His intent from the start and He is diligently working to get us “back to Eden”. Keep trusting in Him, keep praying, and keep seeking Him. Before you know it, you will be restored and become everything He purposed you to be in the beginning!

Day 71

Ephesians 5:4 ~ “Obscene language, silly talk, or vulgar jokes aren’t acceptable for believers. Instead, there should be thanksgiving.”

I was in line at the grocery store the other day and there were a group of teenagers in line behind me. They were looking at a magazine with Beyonce on the cover, going on and on about what they would do to her. It was quite offensive. I started to turn around and ask them to watch their language, but I changed my mind thinking, “Oh well, they’re not my kids. If they want to speak like that then it has nothing to do with me.” On the contrary, it has everything to do with me. I want to remind you today that as believers we have the right to say no to certain conversations, we can’t tolerate it. There is too much at stake to allow ourselves to be bogged down with words that don’t glorify God, it hurts us too much. Think of it this way, if you sit next to a person all day who speaks nothing but negativity, what kind of effect do you think it will have on you if you don’t say anything about it? You will begin to have that same negative speech. When words are spoken into the atmosphere, they come alive. (speak those things that are not as though they were) We can’t afford to contaminate the goodness God has placed in us with unwholesome talk. We should be speaking life, not death, even when you’re joking around. We should be thanking Him for not wiping us off the face of the earth like we deserve. I encourage you today to evaluate what you say and what you allow to be said to you. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable holding that conversation in front of God, maybe you shouldn’t be having it!

Day 70

Ephesians 5:1 ~ “THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].” (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever been shopping and saw something cute on the mannequin and just had to have it? Sure, there are other clothes in the store, but it’s just something about the ones on the mannequin that call out to you. They put their best selections on display; your eyes tend to focus on them when you walk into the store. What if you walked into your favorite clothing store and every mannequin had on torn, dirty, or smelly clothes? That wouldn’t make you want to purchase anything from that store would it? I want to remind you today that we (Christians) are the mannequins on display in the world’s department store; therefore, we MUST be imitators of God. We should be kind, loving, compassionate and giving, just as Our Father is. People should be able to look at us and tell who (and whose) we are. Kirk Franklin has a song called “The Last Jesus” and the chorus says, “If I say I love Jesus, but they can’t see my Jesus, my words are empty, if they can’t see Jesus in me.” Ask yourself this question, if you were the only representation of Jesus that somebody came in contact with, would they leave you wanting to know more about Him, or would they leave satisfied with not knowing Him because of what you have on display?

Day 69

Ephesians 5:2 ~ “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (New Living Translation)

Have you ever read a passage of scripture and thought, “God, you have got to be kidding me…you can’t be serious.”? Well, I have! Especially the ones that refer to “love your neighbor as you love yourself”…seeing as I don’t always get the same thing in return. But when you think about it, neither does God! Of all the people He loves, they don’t all love Him back, but He loves them just the same. I want to remind you today to live your life filled with love, even if the love isn’t returned. Follow the example Our Father has set for us. He has people who deny Him, curse His name, put people places and things in front of Him, and His love remains. He loves EVERYBODY, not just the ones who love Him, so we should follow His lead. I challenge you to love the person on your job who despitefully uses you. Love the person who seemingly goes out of their way to hurt your feelings. Love the person who deliberately causes strife in your family. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 peter 4:8) and it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give. Make the choice today to become a sweet and pleasing aroma to God by loving His children as He loves you. You may not think they deserve it, but He does!  

Day 68

Ephesians 5:20 ~ “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father.” (GNT)

Have you ever thought about all of the things that God keeps from you? We often thank Him for what He gives us, but we should also thank Him for what He doesn’t. There a hundreds of circumstances we could face, but we don't. Your situation could be a lot worse than what it is, but, it’s not. You may never know the extent of His protection, what He’s stopped from hurting you (or you from hurting yourself with!) I want to remind you today to thank Him…for EVERYTHING. You may not be completely out of your trial yet, but praise Him anyway because He’s working on it! Thank Him for your bad days; your good ones outweigh them anyway. Thank Him when you don’t have enough money, because He will step in and provide everything you need. Thank Him when your heart is heavy because He can comfort like no other. Thank Him for being an on time God when He shows up at the last minute (seemingly) to rescue you. Give thanks the Lord for He is good and His love lasts forever! (Psalm 107:1)

Day 67

Deuteronomy 28:12 ~ “The Lord will open the heavens, his rich storehouse, for you. He will send rain on your land at the right time and bless everything you do. You will be able to make loans to many nations but won’t need to borrow from any.” (GWT)

It’s hard sometimes to see other people blessed when your situation is in dire straits. I remember a few years back one of my close friends came into a large sum of money during the time when my husband and I were living paycheck to paycheck. I was happy for my friend of course, but there a part of me that was also a little jealous. I remember thinking, “Why couldn’t that have been us? We’re the ones who need it. When are we going to be blessed?” Has this ever happened to you? Not just from a financial standpoint, but in anything? You see other people having children, getting married, buying houses, getting jobs, things that you have prayed for.…you can’t help but wonder when your time will come. I would like to remind you today that God has not forgotten about you. Yes, it may be tough to see everyone else’s situation change but yours, but this verse assures you that He plans to bless you….when the time is right. And since only He knows when that is, don’t waste time wondering and wishing for someone else’s stuff. You just keep on holding on, He has something in mind that He created just for YOU and it is greater than anything you could ever imagine!