Thank you for allowing us to see this day. We pray that You will show us how to trust You, even when we do not understand what is going on. Learning to trust You is not always easy, but it is something that develops as our relationship with You grows. As we trust You, we know that You promised to give us peace of mind and direct our paths. Help us not to be afraid to trust You, because You also promised us that You will never fail us.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 117:1-2(NIV) Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Diversity. That’s one of the best words that I can think of to describe Miami. Stepping into the Miami culture has definitely had its pros and cons. However one thing is absolutely certain, and that is the fact that those who reside here are very proud of where they come from. There are a wide variety of countries that are represented here, which creates a very diverse and unique environment. Shortly after moving here, I can remember being referred to as an American for the first time. Once that happened, I knew right away that I had somehow managed to travel to another country without ever leaving the country I was already in. No passport was needed for this trip! It’s always a pleasure meeting people from different backgrounds, and especially nice trying out the different foods they bring to the table. The food in Miami is without a doubt one of the pros of living in the area. Based on what I’ve tried so far, the Cuban and Jamaican cuisines are two of my favorites. I’m looking forward to tasting the flavors of Haiti real soon, because I heard it’s so delicious.
Living in this area and being African American I have been asked about collard greens on a few occasions. “Do I eat them?” Do I cook them?” “How do I cook them?” I’ve been around collard greens all my life, and growing up I don’t think one Sunday went by at my house where the aroma of collard greens, which from here on out I’ll just affectionately call “greens”, could not be smelled throughout our house . I mean, as soon as you walked through the door you would know right away they had been cooked or were cooking. My parents were both born and raised in South Carolina, so I became convinced at an early age that the best greens cookers in the world had to come from South Carolina (and the best grits cookers too). I loved their greens, which they usually served over rice. I can even remember my Dad telling me what his secret ingredient was, which I guess I’ll keep a secret. I was also very fond of my cousin Lene’s greens too, who by the way was also from South Carolina. I have many wonderful cooks in my family and family gatherings to me are always a special treat. Everything from the fried chicken to the mac and cheese, from the mac and cheese to the candied yams, from the candied yams to the cornbread and from the cornbread to the sweet potato pies and every good and tasty thing in between all of these. And of course I could never forget my cousin Bertha’s rice and gravy, which brought much delight to my stomach as a young girl. Food is a catalyst for bringing people together no matter who you are or where you come from, and although “Soul Food” is an important part of African American culture so is love, pride, strength, and family. These are some of the main ingredients that have existed in my family for years and have seasoned our African American culture for generations and will do so for generations to come.
Love: When you love God, love yourself and love people there is no limit to where life will take you.
Pride: Being proud of who you are and having confidence in yourself will destroy barriers you never even knew existed.
Strength: Strength is not the act of ignoring pain and weakness. Strength comes when we allow God to heal our pain and help us to overcome the weaknesses that are holding us back.
Family: The love and support of family will keep you lifted in good times and bad. Family is everything.
I am proud to be African American. No matter who you are or where you come from, always remember that being true to yourself while respecting the cultural differences of others will help make our world a better place. Life is not a competition. It’s a journey and every person’s journey is unique. Safe travels!
Tell me in the comments, what’s your favorite Soul Food?
Psalm 27:14 (KJV) “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Can you think back to a time or perhaps even multiple times in your life where you had to wait on God to work things out for you? You had to keep trusting that God was in control. As you reflect back to those times in your life, I’m sure you can recall the details of the difficulties you were up against, and you were determined to keep having faith even though things made no sense to you. There were probably even many days where you wondered where God was or if He had forgotten about you and the pain you were feeling as you had to navigate your way through the unanswered questions. But everyday something miraculous happened…your heart had strength to keep believing one more day!
When God places us in situations where we must wait on Him, although those situations are not always comfortable for us, He is often using the time to purify our hearts and prepare us for the good things that are ahead. In Deuteronomy 31:6, He promised to never leave us or forsake us so we know He is right there with us as we wait. Through waiting we learn to persevere in faith and be steadfast because we have to stand strong with the strength that God promises to give us. As we read through God’s Word, we can see that many of the people in the Bible waited for long periods of time before they saw the manifestation of God’s promises in their life. But we also know from reading God’s Word, that God is a God who can move suddenly! So as we wait, we should always be ready for things to turn around quickly on our behalf. Waiting equips us to be people who can handle God’s very best. So rather the wait is short or long just know that God always wants what is best for you.
While we wait we can use the wisdom in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 to help us through. It tells us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks…
Rejoice – because we already know we have the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord, shouts of victory come from the homes of the righteous (Psalm 118:15).
Pray – without ceasing so we will stay closely connected to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Give thanks – because thanksgiving is the fruit of a grateful heart that is ready and able to receive God’s abundant blessings. Giving thanks shows humility before God and appreciation for the great things He has done and will do. Being thankful is His will for us (1 Thess 5:18).
Remember God’s past faithfulness to you as you wait. Also remember through your waiting you are an inspiration to others who are inspired by your endurance.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Success isn’t just reaching the final goal, but it’s also the steps you take toward that goal that count. Every bit of progress you make, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem at the time, is an important part of the process. There is no one way of doing things, and there is no one mold that every individual has to fit into. What may work for some, may not work for others. When you understand that you are unique and have a unique purpose, you can focus on what is best for you without comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others is one of the fastest ways to lose focus and get off track. Society has not been shy about giving us its viewpoint on what success is, and it definitely has not been shy about making sure that viewpoint reaches the eyes and ears of every single human soul that is willing to watch and listen.
I have heard many successful entrepreneurs say that we should never be afraid to question what it is that is being suggested to us, because we actually do have a choice in the matter. We can choose what we will do with our lives. We do have the right to question the things we are told to do and a right to “break from the norm” and choose an alternate route. True success is just simply doing what God, not society, has called you to do. Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV) says, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He promised to make our steps firm. That is a promise that society can never make to us.
As I continued to think about success, Joshua came to my mind. In the book of Joshua, chapter one, we read about Moses dying and Joshua then being installed as the leader. Joshua’s task was to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the land the Lord promised to give them. The Lord gave Joshua some very important instructions about being successful in his new leadership role.
He told him to…
Be Strong and Courageous
Obey the Word of God
Meditate on the Word of God Day and Night
Do Not Be Discouraged
Remember God is With You Wherever You Go
God told Joshua that if he does these things he would be prosperous and successful. Based on the instructions God gave Joshua, we can reach the conclusion that fear, disobedience to God, a lack of spending time in the Word of God and discouragement are all pitfalls that can keep us from being successful and taking hold of the blessings that God wants to give us. There are times in life that we may even question the things God is asking us to do because of doubt and fear, but God is always patient with us as we get to know Him better and learn to be obedient to Him. I’m learning more and more each day that the wisdom of God can handle our questions and that the love of God can surpass our doubts and fears.
By the way, Joshua and the Israelites did successfully cross the Jordan River. When they crossed, they set up twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They put the stones in place so that when future generations of children question what the stones mean, they could share with them the story of how God allowed them to cross the river on dry ground, just as He had done for Moses when He split the Red Sea. The stones would also serve as a reminder to all the nations of the Earth, that the Lord’s hand is powerful (Joshua 4:21-24).
Don’t be afraid to question the ideas of success that are being presented to you by society, after all it’s your life and you only get one chance to live it. Like Joshua, allow God’s power to work in you and through you so that you too will leave evidence of His power to future generations.
Father,
As we aim for success help us to discern right from wrong and produce fruit that will make a difference, not only now in the present, but also in the future. May the works we do leave evidence of Your love and Your power for generations to come.
Philippians 2:13 (NLT), “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Every person has at least one thing that they are not just great at, but gifted at. Some have studied music for years and are great musicians, yet some can sit down and play an instrument, even though they have never had a music lesson a day in their lives. Most people can wash a car, yet there are those who can not only wash it, but also make it look like it’s ready to be displayed on a showroom floor. The funny thing about a gift, is that often times others may notice it in a person before the person notices it in themselves.
My mother is a retired nurse. Although nursing itself is an occupation that she went to school to learn, the character traits that God instilled in her enabled her to not only be a nurse, but a gifted nurse. Her personality and the heart of love and kindness that He gave her, turned an ordinary job into her purpose and passion. Mom would often say nursing was hard work, but nevertheless she always seemed to do it with joy. For her it was a delight to care for others, especially the elderly with whom she loved working. Mom was gifted with patience and understanding, which caused her to treat each patient with the dignity they deserved. Her patients, their families, her fellow nurses and other staff members loved her and always looked forward to working with her. Someone at my mom’s job once told her that when she entered the room, a spirit of peace came in with her. We know exactly who that Spirit of Peace is, it’s the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Living God. He is the One who empowers us so that He can use us as vessels, to take what is ordinary and make it extraordinary. When we commit the work we do to Him, He will give us what we need to make a true difference.
I’m not sure what gifts you possess, but the list is endless and no gift is insignificant. Some are gifted at organizing, some are gifted at decorating, and some are gifted at being great helpers, they show up and pitch in wherever needed. All gifts count for something, and add value to the lives of others when they are shared. In God’s eyes, the soloist who sings in front of a large congregation, is just as important as the person in the choir who never does a solo, but takes time out to visit and sing with someone in the nursing home. Both singers are sharing their gift, and both singers are being used by God.
I hope that you are using the special gift that God gave you and will find lasting joy as you pursue your passions and use your gift to bless others.
I thank God for the gifts He has given to each of us.
Matthew 19:26, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
What is it that you are believing God for that seems impossible? Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, that with God all things are possible. When we live our lives in the will of God, the sky is the limit, there is no telling where His love will take us. Living in His perfect will does not mean that we will be perfect people, but it does mean we will live our lives with joy as we overcome challenges, experience victories and see ourselves mature in our faith. Although everyday may not be a breeze for us, His grace is sufficient to carry us through everyday (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Having faith is not believing in what is seen, but what is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). Faith is not just trusting God when things are in order, but it’s also trusting Him when things seem out of our control. The truth is that when we surrender our lives to Him, He is always in control. There is never a single moment He is unaware of what is going on in our lives. We are never apart from His love (Psalm 139:8). On our best days, He is there. On our worst days, He is still there. When we put our faith in God, we can embrace the possibilities of what life has to offer us, and then trust Him to make those possibilities a reality in our lives. God has given us a simple recipe to increase our faith, Matthew 10:17(KJV) says,”So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Reading and hearing God’s Word will increase our faith and empower us to believe.
I encourage you to embrace the possibilities by faith, and then trust God to provide. Don’t be afraid to believe!
Drawing Closer to Christ 