The Daily Devotional Blog

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 1 :6).  That's what Paul was saying to the church and to the people of Philippi and as far as I'm concerned, he's still talking to us today. It is written that we, the righteous, shall live by faith, right? That's  Habakkuk 2 :4.  Then, the work the Lord began in us -- by His grace -- should give us the confidence to continuously live for Him. And when we do that, then everything will line up for us. Am I saying everything will be perfect and flawless? No, I'm saying that God will ensure His will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven for us. Isn't that awesome? Yes, He will do what He said what He said He would in your life and in my life. You have to be confident of that very thing -- that He began a good work in you and He's going to finish it.  Paul was encouraging and praying for the people, because He knew

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul" ( 3 John 1:2).  As  3 John 1:2  conveys, I pray things go well for you, for your health, and your soul -- your living body, your will, and your emotions. I pray you will get over every hill or mountain, out of every valley you may find yourself in, every fire that seems as though it's consuming you (although it's not). I pray that all goes well for you. If you're down, I'm praying right now in Jesus name that you will look up and  be  up. I pray for renewed faith right now that things will be well with you. And change will be immediate. If pray that you're up, you will stay up. I pray for seasons of lasting abundance and for longer seasons of harvest. That would be just awesome, wouldn't it? At any rate, I want all to be well within your entire being. Look up towards heaven and talk to God right now. It doesn't matter what state

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life" ( Genesis 9 :13-15). Rainbows have a powerful meaning for us. God flooded the earth because people weren't living right and the only righteous person He could find was Noah. You probably know the rest of the story...Noah builds the ark and he and his family are spared, as well as, two of every kind of animal. The rainbow is a new start and it's also God's proof that He wouldn't flood the earth again. So, when I look somewhere over the rainbow I am reminded of the goodness of God. I am reminded of His covenant -- His agreement -- His promise over our lives.  "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so wa

Do you know you're not alone? Others have already gone through what you are going through, so they feel you. Or others are going through it right now and they feel you. You are still special and God is still on the throne. Yes, Jesus is still Lord and when we trust in Him with all our heart, and not rely on our own understanding, He will bring us through yet again. Proverbs 3 :5 says, to  "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."   When I was going through a dark lonely time of losing two of my loved-ones on the same day during the same year, I was in despair and in pain. Yet this is what I know. I knew even back then that God was with me and He would ensure I got through it. And I got through it with Him mercy. That's why I'm here writing these words to you. I know that when we are in the valley and it seems the water is swallowing us whole, God is saying, 'I got you daughter, I got you son, and I will never le

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I have great news for you. I've come to tell you once again, you're going to make it through, so speak life to that situation. That's right, Proverbs 4 :10-12 says "accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble." That's what the Lord is saying to you. Uh huh, that's what He's saying to all of us. It doesn't matter what you're going through, keep looking forward. You're going to make it through. You really will. You're going to make it through. Continue to say, "I'm going to make it through" over and over again. That's what I had to tell myself when I was going through a dark time and if God was there for me, especially in the midnight hour, He will be there for you too. Believe i

Do you know that when we move, God moves? Yes, sometimes He's simply waiting for us to make a move of faith on that thing we've been wanting to get done. We have to move and operate in faith.  Hebrews 11 :6 says, "and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  And  James 2:14-16  speaks to faith without works being dead. What do you want God to do in your life? How do you want Him to intervene in the desires of your heart? He will definitely act on your behalf.  Yet  we have to keep in mind that we have to do our part. We have to put some elbow grease behind those words and behind those scriptures we quote, right? Yes, speaking life over our circumstances is awesome, but there must be more that comes with it. In other words if we "see" it and believe it, then the proof will be in the actions we put behind our words. It's also about wr

Do you know that what God promised you, is still there? Oh yes, it's still  there . It's just that you can't see it in the natural. You can only see it with your spiritual eyes. You see, that's how faith works. It's the substance or confidence of things we hope for and the evidence, assurance, certainty, and proof of things that we do not see.  Hebrews 11 :1  is proof of that. So, when you start getting down, as we all do from time to time, about things that God promised you -- things God showed you, but they haven't been manifested yet? Know that what you want manifested in your life will  still  happen. It will come to pass. It will show itself in your life. But this is the thing though: it will only show itself if you do not give up and lose hope. That's it. Don't lose hope, because it's taking too long. You can't give up. You have to stay with it. What else do you have? Faith is sometimes all we have to get to the things that God has for u

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name! It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message! If good people barely make it, What’s in store for the bad? So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it."  

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I used to walk around faithless. It was when I didn't know any better. I was totally oblivious to the fact that I was faithless though. I didn't know it until I started walking boldly in faith. Then I wondered how in the world I existed like that -- operating in a hit or miss fashion. At any rate, I'm enlightened now and I can tell you that I don't mess around anymore. I have been through enough that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God does in fact move mountains and slay giants and He also gives me the ability to do it in His power. So all around, I'm good. Hebrews 11 :6 says that without faith it's impossible to please God. I -- you -- we cannot go forward without faith -- without truly believing there is a way to conquer by a force bigger than ourselves. I know that and if you know that, you walk in power. That's it -- we walk in power. 

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" ( Hebrews 3 :13).    Today I've come to encourage you to stay encouraged even if you have to encourage yourself. And I've come to encourage you to encourage someone else today. Sometimes we may have to dig deep to find that encouragement, but we must make that a priority. We have to stay encouraged and continue on despite it all.  Thankfully, we can rely on God throughout it all too, because He is the greatest encourager of them all. And He will give us what we need to get that push of invigoration and inspiration. I thank God He is a loving God, and we know what we're getting with Him everyday. He never changes.  Hebrews 13 :8 says,  He's the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow .  That means He will never flake on us. Be encouraged in knowing that.

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know, if we want to be used by God and we're willing to work at it, victory awaits us? Yes, if we're willing to go the distance, it's just a matter of time before we get the victory that God promised us. In 1 Kings 11 :38, the Lord told Solomon "...and if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you." As long as King Solomon was willing to do what it took, God had his back. Solomon had it made. You can read the rest of 1 Kings to find out how he fared.  Nevertheless, God will use us for great feats if we're willing to be used. It's free will. When He calls us, we make the choice to go. It's a sacrifice. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You want to wi

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. When I was going through a dark time -- when I had nothing -- there was a certain person who helped me sometimes. She helped me whenever she basically felt like it, but she did help, and for that I'm appreciative. But, something interesting happened after I started growing out of my despair. Something interesting started happening when I no longer needed her for anything. And something interesting happened even though I remained kind and grateful towards. The interesting thing that happened was that she started hating on me. She started treating me differently. At first I was really bothered by it, because I thought she and her husband were nice people I wanted in my life. I liked that they had a sense of compassion and were interested in helping people who were down and low. That really appealed to me, because I was raised that way; my mother was raised that way; her mother was raised that way, and it goes back to as fa

Be real for God. Walk in the anointing (special godly purpose) the Lord God gave you. There's too much in life to deal with so why not just stay in our lane and do whatever it is God wants us to do? When we do that we're much happier and definitely much more effective. It's about doing what we were born to do. "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come ( 2 Corinthians 1 :22 ). For much of my life I didn't operate fully in my gifts, but today is a different day. I'm no longer holding back. I'm no longer concerned about what anybody says. None of that means anything to me anymore. I figure if time is going to pass anyway, I may as well do what God told me to do. I may as well walk in my gifts and my anointing. The same is the case with you. Don't let anybody hold you back. Seek the Lord and follow the paths He's given you. He will order your paths and make them sm

Do you believe that God has a reward for you? A reward for the fact that you haven't left Him even though life hasn't always been easy for you? It hasn't been easy for me either, so I receive that He has a great reward for me.  In Genesis 15 :1 , God told Abram in a vision, "do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."  As we know, God kept His promise, Abram became Abraham, and he indeed became great. So, don't think rewards are for others. God also has great things for you too. We have to exercise our faith in that area, because without faith it's impossible to please God ( Hebrews 11 :6).   Stay faithful and trust that God's ways are better than our ways and His plans are just that -- His -- not ours. Do you believe God has a great reward for you? I certainly hope so. 

Do you know you are chosen by God to do the big things you are going to do? That means that although you may be unqualified to do what you're going to do, God is still going to use you. Why? Because  1 Corinthians 1 :27-29 says, "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."  So, there you have it. When we are doing the will of the Lord, we are really unqualified to do what we're doing, because He gives us such big things that we can't do them without Him. He calls us to do amazing things that He knows are bigger than us. That's how it goes, so don't worry about the fact that you started low or you might even be lower than you want to be right now. The Lord is going to lift you up, He's going to do all He s

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. This is for the people who wanted to do something for a long time, but haven't done it yet, because they think they've run out of time. You haven't run out of time, because you're still breathing. And even if you've missed opportunities, I believe even better opportunities will come your way. Time is still on your side, because when you're moving in God's timing He will still move in your life. No dream is ever over unless we think it's over. When we continue doing the smart hard work towards our goals, then victory and success will happen for us. But those of us who never start or stop because we think it's taking too long, are usually the ones who don't finish the race.   *Some examples of not ever giving up and starting later in life are:  Mommy Choi, Owner and Chef of  Mommy Sauce who started the company at age 71 Martha Stewart, CEO, achieved astronomical success when she

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. “In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly” ( Psalm 5 :3). Yes, God hears our prayers even though it may not seem like it. It's not always easy when we're praying and praying and it seems God doesn't hear us. Yet, He does in fact hear us. and not only in the morning, He hears us anytime. The time of day really doesn’t matter, because He's there in the midnight hour  and  in the morning. So, just know that whatever it is we say and ask of Him, He responds, but in His timing.  There are some things that I have been waiting for, for a long time and I won't give up the wait -- some people do, but not I. I look at is this way: if I give up what it is I need or want in my life, then what do I have? What do I have to look forward to? I refuse to let go of what God said He has for me. I refuse to lose what is in my heart simply because it

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I've come to remind you today that God is with you and He will make a way for you. I know, because He did it for me. It's true. You see, when no one was around, He comforted me. When those who were the closest to me, betrayed me, He reassured me. And when I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through, He made a way for me. So, yes I know that God is with you and He will make a way out of no way. He can and will open the flood gates for you. Where do you want to go? What do you need Him to fix? He will do it. He will part the Red Sea for you just like He did for the Israelites. Yes He will. He will make a way in your life when it seems there is no way. And if He did it for me, He will do it for you too. In  Joshua 1 :5, t he Lord said to Joshua,  "no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you&q

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. God is the ultimate protector, it gets no better than that. You want more proof? Ok, remember the story of Daniel and the lions den? It was when Daniel was thrown into the lions den based on jealousy and hatred.  This is what happened: In   Daniel 6 :17-21,  a  stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and at the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted

2 Corinthians 5 :17  says,  "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  You can walk in confidence in knowing that, because it's about knowing who you are, what makes your tick, and what drives you. Do you know who you are? When we know who we  really  are, then we know who we are in Christ. We no longer look back at who we used to be, we look at who we are now and who we are becoming. We focus on the new creations, not on what's old and passed away. When you know yourself you don't have to convince others to like you, to love you, or beg anybody to do anything for you or with you. I'm not saying we don't need people, because we all need people. I'm just saying that when we know who we are, we know how to operate from a loving, godly, peaceful, and strong place of confidence and we don't need anybody's approval. No bragging, no boasting, no arrogance, and no pride. It's just a quie

God is the ultimate protector. It gets no better than that. So just in case you may be thinking even for one minute, that they're limits on God, I'm coming to tell you there's not. He's the infinite God. He never runs out of resources and ways to help you and to cover you. You see, when God is going to use you, which is the case for everyone who wants the be used, It doesn't matter how strong your struggles are, nothing is stronger than God and His plans for your life are yes and amen.  So, don't get down, don't grow weary, and don't you dare give up, God is out in front of you and on each side of you in protective mode. And with Him protecting you and supporting you, mountains  or obstacles don’t matter.   Romans 8 :31  says, “if God is for us, who can be against us?”

Jesus said,  “everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,   but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.   The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” ( John 4 :13/14). That's what Jesus told the woman from Samaria, who went to the well to draw water. That was her first encounter with Jesus and of course her life was changed forever. She went to the well to draw natural water from the earth and she left with heavenly/eternal water -- an endless life with Jesus. Eternal means never ending. Before her encounter with Him she had led a wretched life. She was an outcast and a reject by many in society because of her bad decisions and mistakes. People may have rejected her, but she wasn't rejected by Jesus. He never overlooked her. In fact, just the opposite, He loved and embraced her. Even His disciples didn't approve of her, but guess what? Don't you know Jesus accepts

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know it’s ok to start visualizing the visions and dreams God has for us? Do you know that some people stop thinking on what they want to be and do, because they think it's too big for them? I know, because I used to think the same way. Yes I was scared to move and I let the people around me, talk me out of my dreams. I finally realized that they were scared too. Can you believe that? The blind leading the blind.  And this is the even sadder part: when I would start talking about my dreams, I let people talk me out of achieving things that weren't even that big. They were just different -- different than what was ever done before. So, I took the bait; I let scared people reel me right into their limited thinking. And I achieved nothing regarding my dreams. I didn't know any better. I wasn't as confident as I am now, so I associated with the wrong people. Not bad people, mind you, just scared people.