strength – My Grace Untold

The God Of Infinite Chances

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…”

Proverbs 24:16

Sometimes I wish it were as easy to obey God as it is to love Him. I love the Lord and I thank My Father for loving me first.

Friend, how fortunate are we to be serving a God of infinite chances?

I am amazed by how many times I have strayed and looked away from the One who saved me and gave me eternal life, the One who broke chains and strongholds and removed me from the pits of sin. HIS love remains.

God’s Love is as mighty and powerful as HE IS.

I want clarity. I want strength. I want a willing heart to obey. I want to honor my “Yes Lord.” I want peace. I want quiet. I want stability. But more than anything else, I want and need to fulfill Destiny!

God purposed you and I for a destiny when HE breathe life into us and formed us in the womb. And as we both know now, the road to destiny is never as clear as a blue print image. No, it is not clear, but it is certain because the Way-maker made it certain.

God has paved ways to our destiny that we cannot even begin to fathom with physical sight. It gets even harder to see or understand purpose when we stumble and hit the ground on our way to what God has called us to be.

There are countless, painful battles along the way. Sometimes we wage them against ourselves and fall even harder. We lose sight of hope. We stop drinking from the cup of faith and begin chowing down regret of past mishaps and wrong turns.

We disobey and venture deeper into the lustful arms of sin. We speak lies and deceit rather than love. We forsake God and question the HAND who has saved us countless times.

And still HE LOVES US time and time again because HE IS A GOD OF INFINITE CHANCES!

You and I can rest in the blessed assurance that God will never leave nor forsake us for we are HIS beloved.

If you are like me, looking back on your life, you will surely lose count of how God kept you over and over and over and over and over and over again. HIS love is SURE.

This time is no different.

Friend, it’s not over until God says it’s over. Destiny is still waiting on you to reach it. The heavenly hosts are still cheering you on. And the fact that you are reading this ought to be a confirmation that the Lord is still working, moving, and slaying demons to clear your path to the destiny HE ALONE has called you to.

You will surely get there by the grace of God.

May you be refilled today with strength, fearlessness, hope, and the faith from heaven to get back up and on your way towards the crown in Jesus name. Amen.

Raise Your Head, Don’t Look Down!

“Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”

Isaiah 57:2

There is a danger to looking down while on the move.

As one who is literally on the move in this walk of faith with God, I confess that there is indeed an ill to looking down while moving.

Take for example in the natural physical realm, we are all too aware of the great danger in texting or operating on your cell phone while driving. When you look down, there is a great likelihood that you miss what is in front of you.

You could run into something or someone and in the careless collision, kill that thing or even yourself.

Friend, it’s no different while on the move with God.

I can’t imagine what we would miss if we dare look down for too long. I cannot imagine the consequences of that moment of forgetfulness and recklessness when we forget to look forward and keep our eyes on God.

What would we miss? what would we run into carelessly?

Undoubtedly, we have crawled, cried, and sometimes cursed (and immediately repented) on our journey thus far. But still we keep on walking even with our limp. Even with the uncertainties of life ahead, even with the pain in our body of fasting and praying endlessly seeking God in all things, even with the heaviness in our hearts when the call feels too overwhelming, we must keep on moving.

Stop looking down at how worn or dirty your ‘shoes’ are in this walk of faith.

Although I do not mean that in the literal sense. But for some of us, it may very well apply. You may have been pushing that lemon of a car for a long time, waiting on God to grant you the favor for better. You may still be waiting on that great big miracle that is yet to come. But as long as God lives, it will come in its due time because you serve a faithful God.

I can personally attest to how ‘worn’ some areas of my life have felt from time to time. There are things I would love to do for my family and communities, but until God says its time, I keep on walking in faith.

And I urge you today to do the same.

As tempted as we often are, we cannot afford to drop our head in despair even momentarily, for the joy of the Lord is indeed our strength.

Rather, we will raise our heads up towards the heavens in gratitude for God’s abounding love and mercy having brought us out of sin and bondage to walk with Him in glory.

Know that our Father in heaven will not leave nor forsake us. You have all that you need right now to do what God has set out for you to do.

Stop looking down. Keep your eyes on the Way-maker. The Lord will ALWAYS MAKE A WAY.

May the Lord our God who knows all things and can do all things, continue to mold us into a better posture to keep walking from faith to faith and glory to glory in Jesus name. Amen.

If It Was…

“…Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…”

2 Peter 2:9

Too often, we try to make sense of what was, the pain of our past, and even the present discomfort. We try to pinpoint where we went wrong in a decision that dug us into a deep hole. Grace pulls us out time and time again, but yet, we are left with scars and wounds we do not readily have the wisdom to interpret. So we carry them along the journey in Faith. I am here to tell you these truths,

If it was meant to kill you, you would have been dead,

If it was meant to break you, you would be broken,

If it was meant to crush you, you would be crushed,

If it was meant to take your hope, you would be hopeless,

If it was meant to harm you, you would have been harmed, (Being hurt and harmed are degrees away from being similar)

If it was meant to lock you up, you would be in that bondage,

If it was meant to keep you helpless, you would not have received help,

If the lies were meant to keep you bound, the truth would not have set you free,

If they were and are meant to be a part of your life, they would be and they will be,

If you were meant to fall and never get up, you would still be wallowing in your failures,

Friend, every single one of your painful moments, has held with it a greater purpose. Not one single tear has been left to hit the ground without reason. God has them all in His jar of mercy and grace.

We must learn to trust God in all trials.

Yes, when it rains, it pours because sometimes we need the healing rain of God to wash us clean again and heal our wounds, to purify our souls.

Through the turbulent times, let God be your seat belt. You will not hit the ground as long as you lean completely on God’s grace and fall on His Majesty.

I pray that God Almighty will grant us the wisdom and enlightenment to see in the higher spiritual realm of matters we do not understand so we are able to walk with Him in confidence. I declare in Jesus name that we will no longer give the enemy power over what is supposed to lift us up to another realm of capacity and purpose. We shall live and not die in Jesus name. Amen.

Lord Keep My Eye On You

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

1 Chronicles 16:11

If you are like me, finding grace in the sight of God to know Him in another realm than before, has got a hold of you in ways you never imagined. But it is such an amazing hold; one that you could never be pure enough to hold onto but graceful enough to never lose.

But the thing is, as life goes on and you start to see things from this new dimension, you realize just how lost you have been when your focus was on other things or other people than God alone. If not for grace…

As more time passes and trials and tests arise, it gets even harder and even more necessary to keep your eyes on God.

The world is so busy. Everything is moving all around us in such a fast pace, that we long to catch a breath but wouldn’t dare in fear of missing something. We get distracted.

We get distracted by the weights of our pending bills, sick loved ones, discomforting relationships, demanding careers, confused missions of purpose, and ultimately how fast time is passing. We hope and pray that we are still on track for destiny.

How easy is it to be side-tracked by the many distresses of this world?

It’s one thing to miss the beauty in this world, but it’s another to miss God altogether. And I wonder if the enemy is using your very own flesh to tempt you away from the courts of glory by taking your eyes off of God.

So many of us, in our worry have not only lost sight of purpose, but have lost sight of the Most High.

Friend, how do you keep from losing sight of purpose? How do you keep from losing hope of what is greater? How do you keep the faith and the strength? Is your eye still on God?

Do you still look to Him to counsel you through your chaos and confusion? Do you still look to Him to do what appears impossible? Do you still look to Him because He is able? Do you still look to Him to speak into your life choices? Do you still look to Him to fix what is broken? Do you still look to Him to make a way? Do you still look to Him to examine your ways? Do you still look to Him to be the judge? Do you still look to God to do what only He can do?

IS. YOUR. EYE. ON. GOD?

There is no other way, none, whatsoever than to keep your eye on the One who is still in control.

You do still believe that don’t you? You do still know that He who never sleeps, is still in control?

No matter what it looks like, no matter what it feels like, or what it even seems like, I urge you today to keep your eye on God. I pray for you, for me, that our merciful Father who knows all and sees all will grant us the faith we need to keep our eyes on Him. As we make our way to destiny, may we never lose sight of His greatness and glory in Jesus name. Amen.

When Strength Fails – Part 2

“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.”

Psalm 121:7

Am I malnourished? Am I praying enough? Am I praising enough? Am I present enough with God? Or have I been inadvertently disobedient somehow?

God I need to see something move, tilt, break, shake…LORD I NEED SOMETHING. SPEAK TO ME LORD. I CANNOT HEAR YOU FATHER!….”

I CANNOT MOVE BECAUSE I AM PRESENTLY BENT BY MY FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY!… but I know I am unbroken because of you. I am not a wasteland because of you, for you LORD are my rock and refuge.”

LORD…I trust You…but my strength is weak…carry me Lord…please fill me up again.”

I know I lay in wait for You. But am I to be completely still?…”

Or am I to work and literally apply myself while waiting?…”

Lord, Your will, not mine, but Your will be done…”

These are my days. These are my most silent and vulnerable prayers…

Then again…
I remember the days when I was tired from work to talk to God like I ought to. I remember the days when my work schedule demanded that I put God on a schedule and only speak, praise, and worship while on the go…

Thank God that He has never been tired of me…thank God that He has never been too tired to hear me, nor has the Great I Am ever been too tired to be my strength…

Glory to the God “who never sleeps not slumbers…”

HE is carrying me.

If I am not sure of anything else, I know that I know that I know that my strength alone has never been nor would it ever be enough.

Friend, HE has more room for your burdens too.

Like Jesus said, “I am going to prepare a room for you in my Father’s house.”

Friend, how wonderful is it that the room has already been created in His house for you to unload your worries, fears, and burdens?

How wonderful is it that the strength of the Almighty God whose Power is like no other, is more than enough to carry our burdens? Yours, mine, and all of God’s children?

Not one single teardrop has been wasted.

Not one prayer has gone unheard.

How much of your strength do you think has carried you this far?…and if you didn’t before, I hope you know now Whose strength has moved you time and time again when you thought it was the end.

If you are like me, that moment, that time you thought you could not possibly take another step, go another day, pick up one more foot forward, the strength of God picked you off the floor, placed you safely on its back, and helped you to journey on in purpose.

Allow me to remind you friend, that “you shall live and not die.” By the grace of God, you shall prosper till the end in Jesus name. AMEN.

When Strength Fails

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

Isaiah 41:13

Since January 15th, I have fallen completely on faith. I have leaned all of my body, mind, and spirit on the eternal rock of ages.

The last two weeks have been a different kind of journey as opposed to the first two weeks since my obedience. I have cried more and talked less.

Have you ever been tired of NOT working??? NOT getting up in the morning to go out and head to a place in mind?

If you are like me, not planning too far or not getting up to dress up to leave your house to go to a place of work is unbelievably tiring. Ironically, not exhausting time, effort and energy on a job, turns out to be exhausting after-all.

I soon discovered how overwhelming the other symptoms of exhaustion can be when you are living without a source of income.

After countless responses of jobs I applied to, no longer applying to me because I was so deemed ‘most suitable,’ I remain hopeful because God is still the hiring manager of my life.

I mean here I am, 24, with a psychology degree and countless abilities and skills I have been forced to attain just to get HERE! Rent, car note, car insurance, credit card bills, grocery plan, and all. I would be lying if I said the weight of these burdens listed do not tire me.

Since God moved me to this unfamiliar place, I have learned to braid my own hair, cook much more of my own meals, and count just about every penny I spend because I dare not waste a dime. There are times when my bank account has been full of faith and nothing else. There are many days where my pockets are full of hope and nothing else. And there are more days where my spirit is full of questions and nothing else.

To whom much is given, much is required,” says the Word.

My burdens weigh on my heart, mind, and body so much that it begins to feel like I cannot bear them anymore. I want to smile and speak with joy to my loved ones when they call, but even that requires energy I don’t always have.

There were times, where sitting alone would hurt because I just feel immobile. I am working faithfully on what God has put on my spirit. But I did not imagine this type of discomfort.

God how am I to do this?”
How am I to remain in faith when the thoughts of what I am lacking rush in?”
How do I shrug off the weight of irresponsibility or confusion?”
How do I not question what tomorrow will bring at the beginning of today?”

These notions often tear down at my resolve without mercy. CONTINUE READING HERE.

Strength In Solitude – Part 2

“So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him…”

Deuteronomy 32:12

You often need to be alone to hear the voice of God. You need to hear the voice of God to learn His ways and His truth. Even meditation requires alone-ness. That is no coincidence. God is intentional in what He prescribes so his children can get to know Him and be closer with Him.

It’s also no coincidence that most people are terrified to be alone. Many of God’s children would rather dwell in the loudest crowd and be lost in worldly noise than to stand alone and be led in the walk with God…It takes strength to be alone, because it takes strength to live a life of purpose in a world of lust, lies, and wickedness.

Remember that even Jesus faced the biggest temptation of his life by the enemy when He was alone on the mountaintop…And He overcame…There is strength in solitude because God equips you with it!

So I wonder today if you’ve been running along with everyone else in order to avoid alone-ness. I wonder if the enemy has convinced you that alone-ness will bring loneliness. But the devil is a liar!

I wonder if you’ve been absently present in the midst of chaos rather than present alone at the throne of grace…

Do you feel the pull of God to a place of alone-ness? Do you feel the hand of God leading you to a place by yourself? Has God told you that you alone are destined to walk this road? Do you know if the friends, the job, or the family cannot come with you to the mountaintop?

It. takes. strength. But God’s strength is more than enough, because He already promised that He is our strength when we are weak.

And if you are in your time of solitude, you are NOT alone, but only alone with GOD! Although you may feel pain, or feel like you are being pulled and stretched, you will not break. God is with you. God is for you. God is in it with you. His will be done in Jesus name, and God will get the glory over your story in Jesus name.

I am here to tell you that you will not succumb to your weakness in Jesus name. You will answer the call in Jesus name. No strongholds will blur your path to solitude in Jesus name. And if you are reading this post alone, know that this is already the beginning of your solitude with God. This is the beginning of new strength, and faith, and hope, and courage. May your walk be a testament to the glory of God in Jesus name. Amen.

Strength In Solitude – Part 1

“Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”

John 16:32

Loneliness hurts. Alone-ness often heals. How ironic is that?

I remember a sociology course I took back in college on Family relationships. We analyzed the vast differences and common confusion between being alone, and feeling lonely. The differences are so clear.

Loneliness often evokes sadness or a yearning for something you don’t have. Alone-ness often gives security and clarity in its own process because it is usually a choice to be alone. Think about it.

Whenever someone is upset, they might need to be alone to clear their head. Whenever a writer needs to put their genius mind to work on paper, they need to be alone to concentrate. Whenever your mind is heavy with an important decision ahead, you often need to be alone to hear yourself, not others, think.

When it comes to solitude with God, it is almost parallel, but only more powerful.

I heard a young man’s testimony yesterday. He stood on a stage and glorified God, telling a story that the spirit compelled him to share. He was a child from a broken home. Parents got divorced when he was five. Mother got remarried when he was a teenager. Bonds were broken. Love was strained. Forgiveness was forgotten. He recalled witnessing his mother endure physical abuse from her new partner. He recalled leaving to live with his grandmother then returning to a home that no longer felt like a home. He recalled sleeping in his car in empty garages in the desperate need for solitude…

He needed solitude but was drawn to noise. This young man went on in his story, telling the crowd how he went down the path he constructed out of the brokenness and loneliness he felt. He was an aspiring singer. Unknowing to him, God’s purpose for his talent was not in the clubs or in the loudness of his career choice…So God drew him nearer and he needed to be alone to discover God’s purpose.

Although the tears threatened to spill over during his testimony, the young man continued and magnified God for the strength He gave in solitude.

Friend, that is what God does.

Even when it’s uncomfortable, even when we are weary in alone-ness, even when we are uncertain in alone-ness, God will put you through the time of solitude needed to walk in a realm with Him alone. For HE alone is God, and HE is God alone.

Think of the great names we learned of through the Word – Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, even Jesus. God’s strength was found in solitude! God drew them all nearer and solitude was a must. CONTINUE HERE

You. Are. Coming. Out.

“According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.”

Micah 7:15

This morning, God put a word in my spirit as I listened to Jonathan McReynolds’ Coming Out. From the soothing voice of the musician, to the passionate words of encouragement in the lyrics, I was compelled to share the spirit that coursed through me as I myself internalized the message I was receiving.

Friend, God says, “You Are Coming Out!”

You’ve been in this state of ‘getting by’ for so long that the enemy has started to convince you that this is where you belong, or this is where you’ll stay, unless.

But the devil is a liar!

I need you to understand today that the Lord your God is not lost on the struggles that have plagued your journey for some time now.

That job you wanted and felt so qualified for did not fall through. That opportunity you longed for skipped your doorstep. That relationship you put so much effort and heart into fell short. That person you trusted so much betrayed you. So you have been in this place. And you have stayed in this place.

Depression, fear, uncertainty, discouragement, sorrow, sadness, and hopelessness can no longer contain the spirit of God. You are coming out.

The spirit of the living God has declared today as your day to break out and break free of the chains of what felt like failure but was really fulfillment of God’s divine purpose for your life.

The Word proclaims to us that the Lord has set his people apart for his glory. Friend, don’t you know that depression cannot glorify God? Sadness cannot glorify God. Discontent cannot glorify God.

The Lord tells us in Psalm 50 vs 15 to call upon him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us for his glory!

Have you been calling on everyone else but God? And even if you have been calling on God, have you been listening to his response?

The Lord is not silent to the cries of his children. When it was time for the people of Isreal to leave Egypt, the Lord declared to Moses that it was time for Pharaoh to let God’s people go so they could serve GOD!

Friend, the Lord has declared to the chains in your life that is is time for them to let you go so you can serve and glorify HIM!

You. Are. Coming. Out. Because you are more than a conqueror in Jesus name!

I declare it in the name of Jesus, in the power of God, you will come out today out of this place and glorify the Lord your God for what He has done and has been doing. May strongholds be broken in the mighty name of Jesus. May you rise up and heed the call of glory of your Father in Jesus name. Amen.

God Gives Even When He Takes Away (2)

“Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.”

Proverbs 25:4

The lady’s testimony over the radio was amazing to me. The strength that coursed through her voice was God’s own strength.

God gives even when he takes away.

As I think about the young lady who I am currently praying for, I can’t help but praise God for what He has given her through her short pregnancy, and what more He is about to give her through her healing.

Friend, God restores. And He does so bountifully. Psalm 23 vs 5 testifies to that overflow when it says, “my cup runneth over.”

I wonder if your cup feels empty right now because of the loss or losses you have endured overtime. God says to remind you that He will give you beauty for ashes, because He that made heaven and earth is capable of giving you so much more than you can ever imagine.

Take a minute to absorb the beginning scripture above.

Could it be that the losses you feel are only remnants of the dross that God is taking away to present the finer vessel within you?

The glory of God will surely shine through you for the world to see, you just have to keep standing, sitting, kneeling, and living in faith. No matter what you’ve endured, no matter how bad it hurt you, no matter the discomfort, I pray over your circumstances in Jesus name that the Lord your God will restore you abundantly.

Friend, I give God praise over your life and the doors He shut for you even when you tried relentlessly to pry it open. God knows it all. He sees it all. He alone is God and He is God alone. He knows your wants and needs even before you utter a word of request to the heavens.

When God takes away, He still gives.

You may not see it or feel it, but I know that our merciful God gives and gives. We just have to believe that He is more than able to heal our broken hearts over what we think we lost and open our spirits to receive what He knows we need.

May the Lord almighty touch every broken piece within us over our losses and put it back together for His glory. I pray that our Father in heaven restores our joy and faith in Him to give him praise for the blessings that we have and not yet see, and the ones that we see but don’t recognize, in Jesus name. Amen.