It's working for your good!

I don’t have a lot today, by way of introduction. I just really wanted to jump in and remind you that all things are working for your good. I know it’s not deep or highly theological but it’s real and something that people of faith often need to be reminded of. I keep hearing Travis Greene singing in my spirit, “all things are working for your good. He’s intentional…never failing!” It’s echoing loudly all around me this morning and I had to share it with you. I don’t know if it’s because God is encouraging me in the midst of challenging me to do more with less or because He knows that we as His people are in a constant battle with the enemy and our own flesh. It’s probably both! But I can say this, you will survive this and you will prosper. The grief can’t kill you. Sickness can’t stop you. Attacks can’t take you out. Nope! All things are working for your good today!

I love Romans 8:28! I mean REALLY love this scripture! Why? Because there are days that I have looked at my life and wondered what the point was. I’ve had debt choke me, struggled with my purpose and my call, and doubted myself as a wife and mother. I’ve had friends hurt me, lost relationships, and grieved for family. But in all of that, God has always put this word in front of me. He’s always reminded me that no matter what I face, He is there and He is working things for my good because I love Him and whether I understand it or not, I’m called according to His purpose. I’m not sure how this turned so personal or transparent but I think someone needs to read it. Someone has reached the limit and can’t see how they are going to get through today much less next week or next year. Someone knows God but just can’t see Him working in their life. And so here I am to tell you that He is. The Voice translation really spoke to me today. I had never read this version but it slapped me hard and it caused me to go back all the way to verse 23 of Romans 8.

“And there is more; it’s not just creation—all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete— for we have been saved in this hope and for this future. But hope does not involve what we already have or see. For who goes around hoping for what he already has?  But if we wait expectantly for things we have never seen, then we hope with true perseverance and eager anticipation. A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words.  Don’t you know that He who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.  From the distant past, His eternal love reached into the future. You see, He knew those who would be His one day, and He chose them beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters. As for those He chose beforehand, He called them to a different destiny so that they would experience what it means to be made right with God and share in His glory.  So what should we say about all of this? If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear?” (Romans 8:23-31 VOICE)

The bold phrases were highlighted and they told me a story that really blessed me this morning. God is in this thing with you! He is in that adoption process. He is in that ministry. He is in that conference. He is in that interview. He is in that marriage. He is writing that book. He is with you and He has great plans for you. There is more! I loved that! In the midst of the struggle that life can be, He is working things for your good and not just randomly. He knows you intimately and He knew from the beginning that He would have to walk you through some hard places and that’s why He sent Jesus to redeem and restore you. Do you get it? You have nothing to fear from man or the enemy, if you have God on your side and YOU DO!

Saints, be encouraged today that all things are working for your good. Verse 28 says that…” God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.” Do you know what orchestrate means? It means to arrange or control the elements of, as to achieve a desired overall effect; to arrange, organize, or build up for special or maximum effect!! What?! God is in control of everything that is happening and He is working it to achieve HIS desired effect. And you know what? It’s going to be BEAUTIFUL! Get out of the way and trust Him to work it out! I promise you that the end result will be better than you imagined!

Amen…  

Remember the Faithful One!

Facebook has a feature where they share memories of pictures and statuses that you posted on a particular day over the last several years. It allows you to take a look back at the people, places, and things that you found important during different times of your life. It’s amazing to be reminded of how your children looked and how your relationships may have changed. Some of the people that were so prevalent in your life in 2009 may not even be in your life anymore. Your situation might be better or worse than it was in 2012 but what a reminder of how God will keep you from year to year. As I looked at my memories this morning, I heard the Lord say, ‘I was there all the time.’ My immediate response to that was ‘I know! That’s not news, God! You are always there.’ But He then said,” and that doesn’t change.” Ahhhhhh! I got it! Remember the faithful One!

You know, it’s pretty easy to lose sight of God’s presence when the enemy overwhelms you with his. Sometimes, the level of the attack and the size of the circumstance can make you shift your mind and focus away from what you know to be true about God. Whereas on Sunday, you are shouting and praising God for bringing you through; on Friday, when your check is short and you can’t make your rent, you are in distress wondering what to do next. For the strong saints, it might be during that season when everything is working in ministry and your annual revival or conference flowed perfectly and then the next year, you can’t get anything to come together. It’s those times that God is saying, Remember Me and My faithfulness.  I love what Moses tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 7 about being chosen people. It’s a wonderful reminder of why God does what He does and why we should stick close to what He says.

“God wasn’t attracted to you and didn’t choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn’t slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time. So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them.” (Deut. 7: 7-10 MSG)

Do you see what God is saying? It doesn’t matter what is coming against you today or what your past looks like, God is faithful and He LOVES you! He brought you out of darkness, pain, depression, grief and will continue to do so because He is God and He loves you. He wants you to be your best YOU. Have you thought about the fact that without the things that you have gone through, you wouldn’t be who you are today? Can you look back over your life and see God’s faithful hand? When you were a single unwed mother, didn’t He provide direction and guidance even though sometimes it was hard to hear? When you were partying the night away, didn’t He protect you from yourself over and over again, even though you had to get sick sometimes? When you lost your job, didn’t he send provision in the most unexpected ways, even though you had to go without your wants sometimes? Do you see that God is a faithful and present help in the time of trouble? 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” It doesn’t say that you won’t have to learn some lessons but it does say that He will give you what you need to not be taken over by the enemy. Come on here, saints!

When I think about the goodness of Jesus and all He’s done for me, my soul cries out HALLELUJAH! Thank You for saving me! Thank You for being there for me! Thank You for being consistent and dependable! Thank You for loving me in spite of me! That’s the Word. “He keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations!” (Deut. 7:9 NKJV) Don’t you worry one more second about how you will survive or how this or that is going to turn out. If God has ordained it, He will perform it! 2 Timothy 2:13 says that “if we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny himself.” (2 Tim 2:13 NKJV) He’s so good that even when we lose faith, He doesn’t, because it’s not who He is! Remember the faithful One, He will see you through!

Amen

Don't get stuck!

I considered not writing Rhema today. I just didn’t “feel” like it. Have you ever been there? Have you ever gotten stuck in your feelings and couldn’t get past it? Have you ever let a situation or a person take up so much of your attention that it kept you from accomplishing what God told you to do? You want to say “no”, don’t you? But the reality is, it’s happened to everyone. The enemy’s very purpose is to distract you to the point that you miss what God has for you or for you to do. He wants you to get stuck in your emotions and feelings so that he can slow down your progress. I have seen powerful people hindered by things that happened in their childhood that they never dealt with and the enemy shines a light on those issues whenever the person has to do something big. I’ve seen strong people sidelined by poor relationship choices that cause them to act out of character and keeps them from finishing something they started. I’ve even seen people that KNOW God forget what the Word says when they get a hard diagnosis or face a difficult challenge. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to be stuck! Especially, if you have become comfortable in that place because it’s what you know. The enemy uses our emotions and feelings as weapons because he knows how powerful our emotional reactions are. But you know what God reminded me of this morning? He can’t…if you don’t let him. He said, “Ebony, don’t get stuck. Don’t allow where I’m taking you to be diverted by a distraction.” Whew! Okay, Lord, I hear You! But You’re going to have to help me with this. What can I say to someone who is wondering what is going on in their world and what to do next? What do I say to the person that has been stuck for so long that they don’t know another way? What do I say to myself? I need a word!!  And being the God that He is, He put Romans 8:29 – 39 right in my face and encouraged me to share it with you. It reads:

“From the distant past, His eternal love reached into the future. You see, He knew those who would be His one day, and He chose them beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters. As for those He chose beforehand, He called them to a different destiny so that they would experience what it means to be made right with God and share in His glory.
 So what should we say about all of this? If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear? If He did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over on our account, then don’t you think that He will graciously give us all things with Him? Can anyone be so bold as to level a charge against God’s chosen? Especially since God’s “not guilty” verdict is already declared. Who has the authority to condemn? Jesus the Anointed who died, but more importantly, conquered death when He was raised to sit at the right hand of God where He pleads on our behalf.  So who can separate us? What can come between us and the love of God’s Anointed? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing. As the psalm says,

“On Your behalf, our lives are endangered constantly;   
    we are like sheep awaiting slaughter.”

But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us. For I have every confidence that nothing—not death, life, heavenly messengers, dark spirits, the present, the future, spiritual powers,  height, depth, nor any created thing—can come between us and the love of God revealed in the Anointed, Jesus our Lord. (The VOICE)

And there it is! I’m not in this on my own and neither are you! God is with you! Nothing can separate you from God’s love. If He is for you, and He is, no one can come against you! I encourage you to push through that place that may be holding you hostage. I encourage you to look the enemy in the face and tell him that you have victory because of God’s love. As a matter of fact, tell him to shut up and move out of your way. Use your emotions and feelings to love on people instead of letting them hold you up. Stand tall remembering that “no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us.”

Amen…

He's re-routing you!

The Lord gave me this word for a prayer and devotional call that I do with some of my sisters in Christ. It blessed me so much that I believe God wants me to share it with you! So here goes!

 I woke up late this morning and couldn’t go to the track like I usually do and so I had to walk my neighborhood, which has way more hills and challenges! Definitely wasn’t my plan but I ended up finishing the same distance that I usually do, but in a quicker time. I got back home and found my youngest daughter throwing up, which essentially threw off my whole morning. She was supposed to go on a field trip so that added an extra layer of drama to the situation. I had to make other arrangements for her and still get my other daughter out of the house on time. My husband had to take on some of the tasks that I normally do but I managed to get Kennedi to my parents’ house and make it to work in time to stay on schedule. I had been praying and fasting since I was asked to do the devotion and couldn’t hear a thing. Silence, y’all!  So when I started going through all of this, I was quick to say that the devil was trying to stop this word from going forth. Don’t we like to bring the devil into everything?! But then I heard the Lord quietly say to me. “I’m rerouting you.” I literally stopped in the doorway to my bathroom, as I was trying to rush a take a late shower, and He said it again, “I’m rerouting you.” So I got in the shower and He said, “Just like I rerouted the Israelites on their way out of Egypt, I’m doing the same thing with you and My people.”

Do you remember the story? If not, check out Exodus 14. Moses has just led the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness towards the Red Sea. They have been following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God made the decision to lead the people through the wilderness rather than through Philistine territory because He knew that if they faced war at that time, they would turn back to Egypt. Could it be that your wilderness, your struggle, your illness, your hard place, your challenge is a way around something even more difficult? Could it be that God rerouted you or is rerouting you so that you won’t face a tougher war on your way to your promised land?

You see this morning when all of those obstacles got in my way, I was frustrated. I wanted to get back in my bed and start over. But God had a plan. How do I know that He didn’t let me oversleep so that I wouldn’t get in an accident on the way to the track? How do I know that Kennedi not feeling well, which ended up causing her teacher to cancel the fieldtrip, didn’t keep them from something dangerous on the way to Raleigh. God re-routed me and He’s rerouting you.

God then took me to Matthew 2: 1-12 and the story of the Wise Men. When they saw the star, they immediately knew that this was the prophesy come to pass and the Messiah had been born. Herod got wind of this and was troubled and went about doing an investigation about what was going on. When he found out all of the details from the priests and scribes, he sought out the wise men to find out exactly what they knew. He asked them to go find out when and where Jesus and report back to him so that he, as later verses tell us, could kill Jesus. He sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem and told them to bring the information back to him. The Wise Men went and completed their assignment of celebrating and worshipping the Messiah. Verse 12 of chapter 2 says, “When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.”  God knew what the enemy was planning. He knew that that brother Herod had plans for evil. In the midst of warning the Wise Men, God also told Joseph to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt to hide from Herod. God made sure that His gift was protected. He made sure that the enemy couldn’t touch what He had sent forth. So I have a question for you! Why do you worry about whether what God has placed in you will survive? Why do you concern yourself with the enemy’s plots when you know you have a God that sees ahead and then provides? God rerouted His people so that His plan would go forth.

So…I’m sitting here and I’m imagining the GPS lady saying “Rerouting, Rerouting!” You know the voice that you hear when you get off course and the map puts a new plan in place? That’s what God wants to do! He wants to turn your attention away from the challenge and concentrate on His leading. Don’t be like the Israelites and complain because of the rerouting. Do you remember what they said? “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’?”  (Ex. 14:11, MSG)

What you’ve always done is not going to get you where you need to be. But God’s leading will. The people you’ve always depended on are not going to always be in place. But Jehovah Shammah will. God is doing a new thing! He is moving people into position that will help you. He’s putting provision in place that will bless you. He’s putting new medications and surgical procedures in someone’s mind to help heal you. He’s rerouting you towards your victory. Your charge is to accept the rerouting! Recognize that God’s plan is better and sometimes He has to strategically shift you so that you don’t get hurt. He has to move some things, some events, and some people out of the way so that you can accomplish the purpose and the plan that He has set forth for you. Trust Him! What He has set out for you is way better than anything you could come up with on your own. There are benefits to following His leading!  He’s rerouting you, saint! Instead of resisting, go with it!

AMEN…