Kindle
As another year is coming to a close, our minds are bombarded with our failures and our successes. What did we plan to achieve this year? What did we actually achieve? What did we completely miss the mark on? What were some areas of unexpected growth? Let go of your expectation. Revel in the blessing of today. Next year, next week, tomorrow, let your heart kindle with a renewed desire.
Decree
Back in the day, kings would decree things. They would set laws. They would call corporate fasts. They would give mandates. They would exert their authority publicly through decrees. God has given us this same power to speak, to declare, and to decree things. Most of us do not utilize this power. We speak lack. We speak illness. We speak ill-will into our lives everyday. (I’m sick. I’m broke.) We accept our circumstances and deny our power within. I challenge you to decree life, health and wisdom into your life and those around around you. I challenge you to reiterate God’s mandate for your life in this season. I challenge you to decree wealth and opportunities and blessings to overtake you. I challenge you to decree God’s perfect will be done in your life.
Civil
There are a lot of things that come to mind when you mention the word, “civil.” Civil Rights. Civil War. Civil Union. Civil Liberties. When I hear the word, “civil” I think of being courteous and polite. Then, I think of civil unions. It’s funny how the right to love is political. Who you love and how you love has been a source of contention for centuries. Yet, the very word “civil” means to be polite. Are we civil in our marriages? Are we civil in our politics? Are we civil in how we exercise our freedoms? Are we civil in how we practice our beliefs? Are we civil in how we express our love for each other? The root word of civilization is civil, and yet we struggle with basic rights and social interactions. What would happen if during this Christmas season, we actually practiced what we preached? What if we were civil in all of our human interactions? Food for thought.
Cheer
I've never been a fan of cheerleaders. Not them personally, but the big bows, the pom poms, the big smiles, the high voices...it all seemed a bit fake to me. I couldn't understand how you could just turn on that much cheer, that fast. Ah, but then I learned that sometimes you have to smile to keep from crying. You have to make yourself focus on the goodness of God to truly have a cheerful heart and a spirit of thanksgiving. I've learned that when you count your blessings they outnumber your woes. I've learned that cheer is contagious. I've learned that God loves a cheerful giver. I've learned that I have more than I need, so giving shouldn't be hard. In the words of Lil Duval, "I've got a lot to be smilin' for." And if you think about it, you do too.
Behold
There are over 1200 instances of the word, "behold" in the bible. There are over 1200 instances of God trying to get our attention in the bible. In Genesis, God used the word, "behold" to show Adam and Eve the garden of Eden. God used the word, "behold" to establish a covenant with Abraham and Noah. John used the word, "behold" to identify Jesus as the lamb of God. What is God using to get your attention? What are you ignoring? What do you need to behold?
God's Best
Most of us don’t have a clue of what God’s best looks like in our lives. It’s not because we don’t want it. It’s because we’ve been conditioned to accept the status quo. We think that because the struggle has lessened that that is God’s best. Not so. God’s best is beyond our realm of comprehension. It’s bigger than we could think or ask. It’s more than we could ever imagine. Stop settling for good. Stop accepting better. There’s more.
Aim
Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV) No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment. You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.
We are all walking around with targets on our backs. For some of us we have targets because of our race, our politics, and our religion. We find ourselves in opposition at every corner. We are constantly in the crosshairs of our enemies. I find comfort in knowing that the weapon will not prosper. God never said it wouldn’t be formed. We tend to get frustrated at the formation of the weapons of our destruction. God says, “they won’t prosper.” Keep this in mind, when the enemy takes aim….he will miss. No matter how close the accident. No matter how close the health scare. No matter how low the funds. No matter how crazy the kids are acting. No matter what takes aim at you. It won’t work!
For your Friday listening pleasure: https://youtu.be/BzAkMvK1Ljw