Mathew 21:1-5 gives the account of Jesus telling the disciples to go and get a donkey and its colt and bringing them to him. This command fulfilled a prophecy given by the prophet Zechariah over 500 years earlier. Yes, 500 years later the word came to pass!!!! This reminds me that no matter how long it takes, I can be confident that the promises of God will manifest. The passing of time can cause us to second guess what God has spoken. Don’t yield to the temptation to give up on the promises because it didn’t happen when YOU thought it should happen. God is faithful
What are some promises that God has made you? How long have you been waiting? Have you given up on believing because you think it is taking too long? I want to encourage you to go and get those promises and dust them off. Begin to rehearse them because God is faithful! Don’t remain hung up on it taking too long that you miss the valuable lessons God is trying to teach you in the process of waiting.
In Ezra chapter 8 we have the account of Ezra leading the second group of exiles returning to Jerusalem. The trip was about 900 miles and would take approximately 4 months on foot. The exiles would have to travel through dangerous territory before reaching Jerusalem. In vs 22, Ezra says he was embarrassed to ask the king for soldiers and footmen to protect them. Ezra had already made a bold declaration to the king that God would protect those who worshipped Him. Instead of looking to the king for protection, Ezra got together with the leaders and they prayed and fasted and asked God to protect them. Verse 23 tells us that God heard and answered their prayers. Ezra’s action matched his confession. How many times do we make bold confessions about God but when faced with difficulties our actions prove otherwise? Do we claim that God is a provider but begin to worry when lack threatens to overtake us? We get stressed and forget to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. We sometimes fail to stand with assurance knowing that all the other things we are in need of will be provided! We can make bold declarations but challenges will come to reveal if we believe what we have declared. To stand on those confessions we must do like Ezra and fuel our faith with prayer and fasting. Let us not neglect these necessary aspects of our walk with Christ.
Be Blessed
Anika
I was writing a blogpost to complement my YouTube video, Why are you so stressed? I had the intentions to finish the post this morning. But somehow it got deleted. I was not happy! In the process of looking for it, I came across some thoughts that I wrote down not too long ago about having a shaved head that I hadn’t published. Why? I am trying my best not to make every blogpost and YouTube video be about my hair or lack thereof. Why? I don’t want to dwell on it. I suppose I want to appear strong. I want to act normal. Wait, you don’t think I am normal?
But truth is while I am seeing all that God is doing in me and realize this process is necessary, I have had some low moments. Some days I feel so free and then other days I am very much aware and self-conscious about not having hair. I have to fight to not invite shame back in. This morning happens to be one of those days. I woke up and shaved the new stubbles that had grown in to avoid looking like a balding old man. I then realized I had some razor bumps in the back of my head, the lemons are working well as a deodorant but not going too well for razor bumps! Talk about feeling deflated and super self-conscious! My conversation with God through my tears went something like this, “God can you at least take away the bumps. I mean I just got the courage to go out bald. Please God, please take the bumps away!” More tears.
I was just telling a close friend that I found myself thanking God for this process because so much has been revealed to me. THAT conversation took place on a really good day a few weeks ago. I am human and my feelings will go up and down. I know that I don’t have to hide my tears and as I am typing they are flowing. No I am not pretending that it doesn’t feel awkward, it does. No I am not pretending like I don’t care that I don’t have hair, I DO CARE. BUT I CAN’T stay stuck here. On a day like today, I have a choice to both go with my feelings and wallow in self-pity, or I can chose to magnify God above my less than ideal situation. Today I choose to praise, grab a scarf and keep it moving!
How about you? What situation in your life is less than ideal? Are you remaining stuck on how you feel and allowing self-pity to overwhelm you? Have you been magnifying your situation more than God?
Just in case you are interested, below are the thoughts I wrote out a few weeks ago.
NO Hair and I Do Care
NO hair and I wish I could say I don’t care
But the truth is, I care a lot
I look back at old pictures when the hair on my head was actually mine
And I long for yesterday
Funny how the girl back then was so discontent with what she had
And the girl today sees the beauty that the girl in the past couldn’t see
Funny how that happens…you don’t know what you have until it’s gone
I compared my hair to others
It wasn’t thick enough
Long enough
Straight enough
But I now realize
IT WAS ENOUGH, more than
FOR ME
Cause
That’s what God gave me
But this attitude of discontentment was not just about my hair
I look back at the girl from yesterday
And she had no clue
She never saw herself as enough
How DO I, today, become content in my new reality even if it’s not what I want it to be?
How do I keep myself from sinking into self-pity?
I say to God, please restore my hair
I cry, I beg
But He has shown me that even without much hair on my head, this process has caused Him to restore so much in me
Much that was lost that I did not know about
Much that was lost that could not be seen
So no hair and I do care
But not to the point where I will allow it to define or hinder me
Get off the throne and get on the altar! Oftentimes in our lives we make the choice to become our own boss and we struggle with relinquishing control to God. Our lust for control makes us allergic to surrender and submission to Him. We are our own kings and queens, our own Lords, we sit on the throne. But for us to succeed we must do otherwise. We must get off the throne and throw ourselves on the altar. On the altar we become living sacrifices and the fire of God burns away all of the impurities. Holiness is then embraced and seen as a privilege and not a burden. On the altar, our prayer, even in seasons of difficulty is, “not my will but your will be done.” A body that remains on the altar is one that has been spiritually conditioned to carry the weight of their cross daily and follow Jesus, no matter the distance, no matter the sacrifice. When we remain on the altar, we can find joy in tribulation as opposed to snuggling up with the devil and having a pity party. Failure is always guaranteed when we try to reverse roles. The created is to remain on the altar looking up to the loving creator who is seated on His throne. Which place have you been occupying, throne or the altar?
The scripture tells us in James 4:7 that we are to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. Submission is synonyms with surrender. Surrendering our all to God is the only way to maintain focus and have the victory over the enemy. There are no shortcuts to this truth. We are all surrendered to someone or something, the question is, who or what? If you are struggling with surrendering all to God, you must ask yourself if you really trust Him. We can only surrender all when there is complete trust. We all come with baggage from our past and we may struggle with giving the gift of trust. Be honest with God in prayer. He knows your story better than you do. Ask Him to heal the wounds that are still there that makes you suspicious of others, even Him. Don’t misplace the blame on Him because of others who abused your trust. If you are struggling in this area I am here to tell you like I am telling myself, God is totally trustworthy, HE NEVER FAILS! He is consistently faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). Surrendering all to God is both a choice and a process. Choose God and begin now-you won’t regret it!
Be blessed!
Read part 1 and 2 of this series by clicking on these two links. Today we will discuss the need to understand the power that is in the blood of Jesus to help us remain focused.
In order to maintain the proper focus, it is imperative that we understand the implications of the shed blood of Jesus. The scriptures let us know that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Our sins demanded that a price be paid. A sacrifice had to be offered to rescue us from death. In Exodus Chapter 12, we see a foreshadowing of what Jesus would ultimately do for us on the cross. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God and His shed blood is what made the forgiveness of our sins possible. So what does this mean for us today? When you plead the blood of Jesus, it is a reminder of all the blood accomplished and still continues to accomplish today. Jesus shed His blood on our behalf and this sacrifice makes victorious living 100% possible. We don’t have to take what the devil offers. We don’t have to dwell on past mistakes and live in condemnation. We don’t have to receive sickness. We don’t have to be confused in our mind. Why? Because of the blood of Jesus! His blood gives us newness of life and a new level of authority! Remember that there is still power in the blood of Jesus and it is a sure way to help you remain focused!
Scriptures for reflection