Putting It All Into Perspective…

The Promise Keeper…

PROMISES

Psalm 119:140 – “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.”

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Reflections: Do not grow weary in your trials, God has promised to strengthen you (Isaiah 40:31). Do not give up, God has promised to provide for all your needs (Philippians 4:19). He will see you through and bring you to a place of joy, peace, and restoration (Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 26:3, Zephaniah 3:20). You will live abundantly (John 10:10), and God will give you the desires of your heart if you put your hope in Him and seek Him first in all things (Psalm 37:4-5, Lamentations 3:24-26).

I am so grateful for the promises of God! They give us hope when we need it most; and we can trust that His Word is true, for He is not a man that He should lie. If He said it, He will do it! He is our Promise Keeper. 🙂

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

Join the Cause!

For those of you who don’t know, I am the founder and executive director of a nonprofit organization called College and Career Pathways (CCP). Our goal is to help students from historically underserved populations access and complete college. But access isn’t the only challenge our students face. Over 80% of our program participants are from low-income households, and cannot afford the high costs of a college education.

To address this challenge, CCP has just launched our Spring Scholarship Campaign! Through this campaign, we hope to raise the funds our students need to successfully enroll in the college to which they’ve been accepted in the fall. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

Please consider making a contribution of $10 or more and/or sharing the link to our campaign page with at least 5 people. To join the cause, make your donation, spread the word, and find out more about how you can help, please visit our campaign event page on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1gR8eiz.

We cannot do this work without you!

Thanks for your support!

www.collegeandcareerpathways.org

If at First You Don’t Succeed…

PERSISTENCE (Part 2)

2 Kings 4:35 – “Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (For the full story, read 2 Kings 4:8-37).

1Kings 18:42b-43 – And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” (For the full story, read 1 Kings 18:41-44).

Reflections: History shows us time and again that persistence pays off. The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who kept going, kept trying, despite the odds; and in the end, proved victorious. In stories about both Elisha and Elijah, for example, we see situations where these two amazing prophets of God failed to see visible answers to their prayers after the first or second time they made their petitions. For Elijah, this situation occurred as he prayed for rain to end a drought (1 Kings 18:41-19:8). It was only after the SEVENTH time that he prayed and asked his servant to search for a rain cloud that he began to see the fruit of his labor. Elisha, on the other hand, had to try three times before he could bring the Shunammite women’s son back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37).

These are both amazing stories that give us hope and faith in God’s ability to accomplish miraculous works through his people. The persistence of these men eventually paid off, and ultimately serves as a testimony to the power of prayer, persistence, and faith.

But what if things had gone differently? What if either of them had grown weary and discouraged after their first, second, or in Elijah’s case, sixth try? Lives would have been lost and lands may have perished if they had chosen not to try one more time. Instead, their faith that God heard them and would eventually answer their prayer compelled them to keep petitioning until they saw a response.

What about you? Have you been seeking God for something that has not yet begun to manifest? Have you been praying for a response that has not yet come? If you are beginning to grow weary of the waiting, take heart and have hope. God HAS heard your plea, and He WILL answer—in His time and in His own way. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years for you to see or hear the response; but know that there is always a purpose in the waiting. Continue to seek Him, continue to have faith that He hears you. Don’t give up! You may be just one prayer away from God’s answer.

See Also:

Daniel 10:12-13 – “Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’”

1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light! 

We Plan, God Laughs…

GUIDANCE

Psalm 143:10 – “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Reflections: I know what I want; and when I set a goal in my sights, I go after it with everything I’ve got. This quality can be both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the circumstances; and over the years, God has taught me the importance of tempering my fleshly determination and tapping into my Spirit as I make decisions and set goals. I could want something with every fiber of my being; but if it’s not what God wants for me, then I have to let it go. Why? Because I want God’s best in my life, and I have grown to understand that what God ordains/wills for me is so much better than anything I could dream up for myself. Plus, I have the added bonuses of 1) knowing how much it pleases God for me to trust Him and desire His will and 2) resting in the knowledge that when I’m walking in God’s will, even if my life seems to be in turmoil, everything will eventually work out as it should. He walks beside me, and He will provide me with everything I need to make it through, stronger and wiser, to the other side.

So as you’re making plans, setting goals, and dreaming of the future you want for yourself, make sure that you make God a part of your planning process. He will never lead you in the wrong direction, and HIS plan for you is greater than anything that you could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

“Even in the busyness of our lives, we must always take time to surrender our agendas at His feet, and be willing to examine our approach [to] each situation.” ~Charlotte Gambill

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

Doing Big Things…

HOPE

 Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lost heart.”

Luke 18:27 – “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Reflections: We serve a big God who is able to do big things. I have to remind myself of this sometimes, when the prayer or petition in my heart seems too big, too much to ask, too improbable to sustain my belief that God will bring it to pass. But the Word tells us that what is impossible for man is possible for God (Luke 18:27), and that if we believe, our faith can move mountains.

This reality is especially true in situations where our petitions align with a promise God has already made to us. It may seem like we’ve waited forever for its fulfillment, to the point where we become wary of hoping and trusting—but though it lingers, wait for it, it will certainly come to pass (Habakkuk 2:3). If God has given you a vision, a calling, or a promise for big things in the future, don’t lose hope, and don’t grow weary in well-doing; for in due season, you SHALL reap if you do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). Now THAT’S a promise you can count on. 🙂

Also See:

Habakkuk 2:3 – “For the revelation awaits at an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; t will certainly come and will not delay.”

Songs: Big by Unquenchable & Valencia Lacy and Big Enough by Ayiesha Woods

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light! 🙂

No Regrets…

FORGIVENESS 

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!”

Reflections: Do you have any regrets? Is there something in your past that you keep revisiting in your mind and wish you could do differently? Ah…if only time travel were a viable option! 🙂 Since it’s not, though, we often tend to revisit our past mistakes in our minds, putting them on instant replay. As we go over these incidents again and again, feelings of guilt, shame, blame, or regret just become more deeply ingrained in our Spirit. In this way, we refuse to forgive ourselves, refuse to move on from our past, even though God may have forgiven our transgression long ago.

The Word says that there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1), for we are set free from our past sin through Christ Jesus, and anyone who is in Christ is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are not who you used to be, no matter what anyone says, and those past mistakes do not define you or hold sway over the amazing things that you can do and accomplish in the future. The old has gone, the new is here, and the sky is the limit!

Do not let your past hold you back. Release it, forgive yourself, and move forward into the new life God has promised! 🙂

Songs: Moving Forward by Israel Houghton/Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 🙂

He’s on the Prowl…

TRUTH

2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Reflections: The Word of God is TRUTH. We know this, but the enemy is constantly on the prowl, searching for a foothold in our minds and Spirits, and trying to convince us that the truth is a lie. He is a master at appealing to our worldly sensibilities and suppressed desires; and oftentimes, what he whispers is exactly what we want to hear: “It’s okay to bend the truth a little here,” or, “You don’t need to stick to your budget over there,” or, “Your ex wasn’t really THAT bad, was he/she?” 🙂

As difficult as it may be sometimes, we must resist these temptations and bring our thoughts and desires back in line with the Word,  ensuring that they are obedient to Christ; because we know that if we keep our minds focused on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace.

See Also:

1 Peter 5:8: – “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright!

Amen

Thank you, Lord!

ihavePAUwers

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Limitless Possibilities

BELIEF 

James 1:6-8 – “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Reflections: When you pray, do you pray with conviction and faith, or do you allow doubt and fear to make you waver in your belief? I can admit that I’ve been guilty of the latter on occasion…of being afraid to believe that my prayers will be answered…afraid to hope. But in countless passages throughout the Bible, the Word tells us that if we seek God’s will, trusting Him and committing our way to Him, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4-5; Matthew 7:7). But the Word also tells us that we must pray in faith, believing and not doubting (James 1:6-8).

So, here we see two very important caveats to God’s response to our prayers. First, we must seek God and desire His will above all things (Luke 22:42); and second, when we pray, we must believe and not doubt. James tells us that those who doubt should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. That’s enough to give anyone pause!

Faith is not always easy, and when we’re in the midst of a trying situation, praying for God’s intervention, it’s not hard to fall victim to doubt and fear. We wonder if God hears us, if He will ever answer our pleas; but the Word assures us that if we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US, and we can rest assured that He will grant us the petitions we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

The Word also tells that when we pray, we begin to effect change almost immediately (James 5:16). One of my favorite stories (Daniel 10:12-14) tells of Daniel as he fasted and prayed for three weeks, seeking the Lord. After that time, an angel appeared to him, saying, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” This verse gives me great comfort in those moments when I don’t see an immediate response to my prayers, because I can find peace in knowing that even if I can’t see it, even if there is a delay, God WILL respond in time.

There is such power in our prayers, if only we would believe and stand firm with an unwavering faith. This faith sets the stage for God to do an amazing work in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. The possibilities are limitless, if we could just understand that we serve a limitless God who wants only the best for us, His children. 🙂

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light!