devotions

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14

You may look out at the big world and wonder how you can be used by God to do great exploits as only one woman. But just as a small pebble thrown into a lake produces a ripple effect that stretches far and wide, your act of obedience to God right where you are, produces such a powerful effect in the earth that grows wider and wider. Let God use you, my sister, and it will produce a ripple effect that reaches far beyond you into your vast surroundings. Don’t despise the size of your gift or your small beginning. Offer yourself to the Lord and let Him do with you as He wills.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to me. I choose to let you use me right where I am. Let it produce a ripple effect that stretches far and wide. Help me to not despise the size of my gift or my small beginning, but to offer myself to you to be used for your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work” John 4:34, Berean Study Bible.

What does success look like to you? Think about that question for a moment.

Understand real success is not huge profits, large turnouts, a hundred likes, or fame. Success is not luxurious houses, fancy cars, or expensive trips. Some people have the appearance of success, but wonder why they are still unhappy. It is because real success comes from 1) surrendering our lives to the Lord, and 2) obeying Him.

My sister, you are successful when you are obedient to the Lord. I’m going to say that again. You are successful when you are obedient to the Lord.

Sometimes God will tell you to leave the Fortune 500 company with the six-figure salary to follow Him and step into your calling. If you do, you are successful. Sometimes God will have you say something that will not be applauded but bring ridicule and attacks. If you do speak, you are successful. When God does this, He’s teaching you what real success is—surrender and obedience.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for renewing my mind and transforming my life. I want to be what you consider successful, so help me be obedient to you. Help me, Lord, to obey and leave the results to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read John 6:38; Psalms 40:8)

“The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth” Luke 3:5, NLT.

My sister, you will experience God making your rough places smooth. Every area of your life is being smoothed out by the Spirit of God. There will be no more rough places in your heart and soul. There will be no more rough and rocky, or dangerously jagged cliffs in your life. God is smoothing out and leveling out your path. You will see a constant provision and flow of His wisdom as you’ve never seen. Some of His wisdom, you will ask for, and at other times, it will just come to you from those around you without asking. This wisdom will help you make wiser choices that will help to smooth out your life. You’ve endured hardness, but your life isn’t supposed to be hard and rough all of the time. Follow His wisdom and counsel. The Lord wants to bless you and make you a blessing. He wants to make your rough places smooth.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to my heart. You are my God, and no one can do what you do. Some areas of my life has been rough and hard. I receive your wisdom and invite you to come in and smooth out every rough place. Thank you for smoothing it out, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Isaiah 40:4; Proverbs 13:15)

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2

When my husband and I were married, I thought I came to the marriage a spiritual giant that could teach him so much about the Lord. Since I had been saved longer than him, I was planning to teach him how to win spiritual battles in prayer, how to prophesy, how to quote scriptures and how to storm the gates of heaven and get God to move. I was so impressed with myself and my “spiritual growth.”

…until

I kept coming across situations where I had to love people. I kept facing situations where I needed to be patient, kind, believe the best, and forgive. I would fail the love tests almost every time.

All of my faith and all of the Bible knowledge I had didn’t mean anything because I didn’t know how to love the way God had instructed me to. He helped me to locate where I was spiritually, and little by little and day by day, the Lord began the process of planting His seed of love in my heart and causing it to grow. He began to show me through His Word and my husband’s example, how to lay down my life for others, how to accept people for who they are and how to love them through the challenges they faced.

My sister, it doesn’t matter how much you can pray if you don’t know how to love people in a way that pleases God. It doesn’t matter how many Bible verses you can quote verbatim if you don’t know how to treat people right. A sign of real spiritual maturity is in your ability to love like Jesus.

Challenge: Take a closer look at 1 Corinthians 13 and see how well you measure up to God’s standard of love.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to my heart. I need you to teach me how to love. I haven’t been doing a good job at it. Plant your seed of love in my heart and cause it to grow and produce visible results in my life. I want to grow spiritually. I desperately want to learn your ways of doing things. Help me Lord to be more like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” Philippians 4:11, NKJV.

I remember one day I told my husband that I felt exhausted and that I needed a vacation. Although we couldn’t afford it, I wanted to take everything we had in the bank and go anywhere to escape from the pressure. I feared that if I didn’t get away, I would explode. But God spoke to my heart and said, “You’re not going to explode. You’re not going to lose it. You’re going to be alright. That’s just fear talking. You’re in a new place in Me now, and it is time you begin to operate by faith and not fear.” At that moment I decided that with or without a vacation, I was going to be alright, and I was.

Fear can make you feel like you won’t make it unless you get what you think you need or want. The truth is, you’re going to be alright, my sister, even if you don’t get the job, the house, the vacation or time away with your friends. Take a deep breath. God didn’t give you a spirit of fear; He gave you a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7).

I’m going to tell you the same thing God spoke to me that day, “You’re not going to explode. You’re not going to lose it. You’re going to be alright. That’s just fear talking. You’re in a new place in Me now, and it is time you begin to operate by faith and not fear.”

Prayer: My Father God, thank you for growing me up and helping me to mature in Christ. Thank you for showing me what it means to be content and trust you with all my heart. I know everything is going to be alright because you are in control and you love me. Help me learn to operate by faith and not fear. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46

“I am the Lord your God, and I’ve made it simple for you. If you do what I tell you to do, you will experience stability in every area of your life. Let Me govern your every move. Let me have My way in you and through you. There is a difference between those who call Me Lord and those who do what I say. When you obey Me, you are letting Me be Lord. When you walk in obedience to Me, you are trusting that I have your best in mind. When your faith in Me produces obedience, I build your life on a rock, and I bless you with stability and longevity as you’ve never seen. I am separating the wheat from the weeds. I am making a clear distinction between those who only call Me Lord from those who are doing what I say. I will gather the wheat into My barns, but the weeds, I will not. They will be cast out. I allow both the wheat and the weeds to grow together, but it’s the wheat, those who are completely surrendered to Me, who will inherit My kingdom.”

(Scripture Reference: Luke 6:46-48; Matthew 13:24-30)