Category Archives: Confidence

SACRED TRUST

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SACRED TRUST!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” Psalm 91:14-15

Ever heard, (perhaps you’ve said it yourself) “I’ll forgive you, but I won’t forget!”? What I think the person’s really saying is, “To err is human, but trust is Divine”!
 
One of the most catastrophic casualties of any broken relationship is trust!

Personally, I believe that’s why God hates sin. Given the uncertainty of the expansive lapse of time and the incomprehensible impact of devastation’s consequences of their high-treason against El Elyon,  any attempt to describe the trusting intimacy of the fellowship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with The Creator as unimaginable, would at best only be a severe under-estimation!
 
Nevertheless, The Bible does reveal sporadic glimpses into the pure delight of The Heavenly Father’s Heart strolling through The Garden in the cool of the day, the intimate communion with the most precious of creation, sharing secret Eternal Wisdom, proudly affirming and re-affirming man’s authority and dominion over all living creatures and expressing Loving-Providential Care towards that which was created in His Own Image!

Despite the palatable convenience and more advantageous point of view for man to deflate the effect of our transgressions, both in Heaven and in the earth, from God’s perspective sin corrupts! Therefore it demands separation from Holy. Hence, sin brutally interrupts the intimacy that God purposed between God-Self and humanity when He made us! Thereby emphatically grieving the Holy Spirit of God! Yet, we have the audacity to describe our unrighteous infractions as ‘my little issue’, ‘a slip up’ or ‘to miss the mark’! WOW!

Fortunately for us, God’s love would not be denied! Today’s scriptures tells us that knowing the innate frailty and the proclivity of human flesh to fall hopelessly into the temptations of sin’s lure, The God of Compassion and All Comfort , determined to restore the sacred communion (trust) with His Family, sacrificed His Only Begotten Son, the 2nd Adam, to repair the breach ruptured by our rebellious nature. (Ref. John 3:16)

Even more awesome, is the reality that we, (the offender), have only to accept this free offer (made by the Offended), Salvation by Grace, by confessing a faithful heart-filled prayer of repentance (Godly sorrow) and commitment to live throughout the rest of our lives wholly unto The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 
 
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
 
WOW! NOW THAT’S AMAZING!  TO KNOW GOD IS TO TRUST HIS LOVE! SACRED, huh?
SELAH!
 
“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”
 
Ann Caffee

FAITH TALKS!

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FAITH TALKS 3

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrew 11:1

 

Contrary to contemporary Millennium thinking, faith is not a new theological doctrine. Biblical faith doesn’t have to be complicated. Genuine Faith is simply a patient confident trust in the integrity and power of our Loving and Caring Heavenly Father. Didjaheardat?

Faith is the currency of exchange in the Kingdom of God! The Bible emphatically states that we can’t even approach The Creator of Heaven and earth, The True and Living God without first believing, not only that He exists, but that HE is WHO HE SAYS HE IS!  Furthermore, we can’t expect to get anything from God unless we believe that HE IS ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING HE SAYS HE WILL DO! #SERIOUSLY!

Hebrews 11:1 says, “NOW” faith, not “THEN” faith! The Eternal God reigns from Everlasting to Everlasting; and because JESUS is the same, yesterday, today and forever, we can expect Him to be the same God NOW that He’s always been! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8)

Beloved, words are powerful containers! Hence, as long as you continue to call those things that are, then you will continue to get jus whachasay! However, if you want to see  that situation change for the better, then start calling it whacha want! Jesus did! #ijs (Ref. Romans 4:17) 

Remember how them Ol’ Church Mothers used to encourage themselves while waiting on their Lord by singing faith songs like “GOD Specializes” and “I know the Lord Will Make a Way, Somehow”. Their hope, just like ours, was not in what we can see now, but what we can expect God to do. Faith says “I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but I just believe that God is already working on my situation; turning everything around to work in my favor and for His Greatest Glorrraaa!   (Ref. Romans8:28)

TRUST2KNO, Faith is not limited by our natural eyes…but says, “I don’t have to see it to believe it!  AMEN 3X…IT IS SO! FAITH TALKS!

SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee 

THE MASTER’S BOUQUET

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THE MASTER'S BOUQUET PIC

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:10-11

 

Living on the East Coast,  allows us the opportunity to enjoy the experience of watching with sheer delight as the seasons transition displaying God awesomeness! BUT! Don’tchajusluv SPRING? 

WOW! Ever looked at it like this? The whole earth is waking up from a long cold winter’s night and suddenly exploding under the light of a brand new day, huh? Seems like everywhere you turn, flowers are bursting up with blossoms filling the air with the sweet frangrance of fresh!

The Light of HOPE springs ALIVE dismissing the dismal depths of past failures, disappointments and desolations, arousing passion, promises and potential. Feeldat? Aaaaahhhhh! Oh Yeah, LOVE is in the air!

Didjaheardat?  Even the birds are tweeting songs of thanksgiving and praise to the Faithfulness of their Benefactor’s sustaining Grace. Listen! The streets and playgrounds are filled with children’s lalughter, dancing beneath the afternoon showers as the joy revives the strength of many who have been wearied and burdened by  far too many lengthy tear-filled restless nights!

That’s simplly awemazing, huh? I mean, inspite of all that gossip, sibling bickering and too much unsolicited advice, once again families are gathered round banquet-sized tables, anxiously anticipating the first bite! That’s if PopPop ever gets finished boasting about his culinary skills and brings the BBQ chicken, ribs and those famous ever-so-slightly burned hot dogs and burgers to the table and puts them along side Aunt Bessie’s baked beans and Big Mama’s infamous potato salad!

OMG! Now where dem older kids, think they slippin off to? Funny how they think us old folk were born old! Ha! Ha! ‘Can somebody go tell them guys, if they keep walking back to the trucks, they ain’t gonna get no pig feet!’

‘Can you believe that Uncle D thinks he’s getting away with slipping all those extra cookies, candy and chips to dem kids (as if anyone could miss it—with all that noise behind the side of the house)!’

‘Can you tell Pastor to come bless the food, please?’

Gotta Luv It! NOW THAT’S LIFE—MORE ABUNDANT AND FILLED WITH GLORRAAA! THAT’S THE HANDIWORK OF THE MASTER’S BOUQUET! #um..um…umm! Can hardly wait, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DON’T SELL YOURSELF CHEAP!

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DON'T SELL URSELF CHEAP!

SELAH DAILY DEVOTIONS!

 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

 

Granted, given the peer pressure of this 21st Century society that we live in, it ain’t no easy task, howeverrr, sometimes, we just gotta learn how to appreciate ourselves for the fearfully, wondrously and gloriously made creations of God that we are! (Ref. Psalm 139:14) #ijs!!!

 For some of us, by the time you get to Jesus, you’ve already suffered years of psychological damage, mis-use and abuse. As the psalmist said, we’ve been ‘ buked and scorned, lied on, cheated, talked about sure as we’re born; slammed and crushed by life that you’ve subconsciously de-valued yourselves so much so that when you hear some preacher say ‘God loves you’, your initial response is an overwhelmingly cynical—REALLY? But the Good News is that God is not intimidated by  your fragile-self-incriminating state. He specializes in restoring broken things!

As you continue to feed on The Word of God, through the enabling Power of The Holy Spirit, your eyes are opened to Truth and astonishingly, you will begin to see yourself through the “blood stained” Savior’s eyes. As God’s relentless Loving-kindness and Amazing Grace begins to penetrate the callousness of your heart, you get a revelation of the Magnificent Compassion that your Heavenly Father has toward you. Honestly, It’s almost unbelievable!

Come to think of it, no one BUT The Creator can determine the true worth of His creation! Remember, God Himself  deliberately and intentionally chose you in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world! Once you have accepted God’s Love, there’s no need to crave validation from anybody else. REALLY! 

NOW AIN’T THAT AWEMAAZING? 

ITZ DA TRUTH!  BELOVED, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT ‘THEY’ SAY,  IN GOD’S EYES YOU’RE INDELIBLY PRICELESS! DON’T SELL YOURSELF CHEAP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THE FAITHFUL DELIVERER!

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THE FAITHFUL DELIVERER!

SELAH Daily Devtions!

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delliverth him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

 

The Bible doesn’t lie to us! Neither does it sugarcoat the challenges facing our spirit to overcome a myriad of human experiences! The Scriptures reveal numerous accounts where God’s people found themselves in dire straits and having no other recourse, but to cry out to The Lord their God!

It’s been suggested that David penned today’s scripture text, reminiscing back to a time where, once again, he found himself  having to flee from King Saul’s armies, being surrounded by his enemies, and narrowly escaping with his life. And here again, David testifies of God’s miraculous deliverance. (Ref. 1 Samuel 21:10-15)

We see The Apostle Paul declaring in 2 Timothy 3:12…’Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution,’ echoing David’s sentiment as he encourages his young protégée, Timothy, to expect afflictions and persecution as you walk with Jesus Christ.

The Bible never tells us that after we make the decision to live holy as unto The Lord, that we can just relax on a flowery bed of ease. Quite the opposite! Your very life becomes a reproof to those who do not live a Godly lifestyle and testifies against the Godlessness in others.

Afflictions, denotes suffering, pain and trouble that lasts for a loooong time. And many of us can raise both our hands and kick up our heels to attest to that fact ; YES!  We have been enduring afflictions, persecution, pain and trouble for what seems a long time. Nevertheless, I come to remind the saints of God that we do have a remedy for every single one of life’s maladies.

Psalm 34:17 says …“The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

As believers, we’ve been instructed to walk by faith, not feelings or fear! It’s during these night seasons when you can’t see God’s Hand,  when you truly learn to trust His Heart and His Plan! No matter what you may be experiencing now, whether its physical, mental, financial or spiritual affliction, my precious sista, brother we can all rest assured because our God is always just one prayer away!

Your Adversary, Satan, feeds on your fear and works over-time to convince you that what’s now will be forever. BUT! As usual,  the devil is a liar and he ain’t running nuffin!  In fact, God knows exactly where you are and  before He allowed you to enter into this season of testings and trails, HE HAS PREDETERMINED THE EXACT MOMENT OF YOUR DELIVERANCE!  #didjaheardat? Oh Yeah! AIN’T NOBODY GOD BUT GOD! 

You must never allow intimidating circumstances to lure you away from Abba’s Love!  Commit yourself to The Sovereignty of The Lord Almighty. Afterall,  He’s The One Who says when enough is enough!

PRECIOUS ONE, BECAUSE GOD HAS COMMITTED HIMSELF TO FAITHFULLY DELIVER HIS CHILDREN, WHO CAN PREVENT HIM? #juskeepinit100–flatout! 

 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

BEGIN…AGAIN!

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BEGIN, AGAIN!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Therefore they shall come and sing in ‘the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the Lord–…Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all… But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more. Jeremiah 31:12, 33,34

As a parent of four, I know, personally, just how exasperatingly challenging it can be to put up with a stubborn hard-headed off-spring. I mean, after repeatedly instructing them for the umpteenth time, and they still insist on ignoring and refusing to comply with what you tell them to do, will push even the most Sainted tolerant parent out-of-bounds! Can I get a witness?

Who else BUT GOD could continuously show such relentless patience, compassion and love for an ungrateful, rebellious, disobedient self-willed child! Oh, what a Mighty God we serve!

The Scriptures record the Israelites’ response to God’s Loving-kindness. Their continuous rejection of God’s Righteous commandments demonstrated not only a total lack of respect for The Sovereign Lord but a complete disregard for compliance to the things that God required of them. Their lack of concern for pleasing God periodically provoked Him to withhold Mercy and enforce Judgment upon His Beloved in order to train them and make them aware of the consequences of their disobedience.

Nevertheless, we know that God took no pleasure in seeing His people experiencing the wrath set aside for the wicked! The Joy of God is satisfied by the Outpouring of His Abundant Goodness upon His Own chosen people. #Didjaheardat?

In today’s scripture, the Prophet Jeremiah brings a word of Hope, Comfort and Restoration to God’s Covenant Nation.  The Weeping Prophet assures them that God (Israel’s Husband) yet refuses to divorce them (pushing them afar off), but has already decided that at the appointed time, when Judgment was complete, He would intervene gathering His sheepfold back unto Himself.

God grieved as Israel faced poverty, oppression and captivity. Remember, how our human parent used to tell us as they meted out the rod of correction (in my day that meant the belt or switch or whatever they could get their hands on) ‘this is gonna hurt me more than it’s gonna hurt you.’ Of course, at the time, we couldn’t possibly see that being the case. Yet at the core of the very nature of our Heavenly Father is Love. His Grace makes it possible for us to get back into proper fellowship with Him. That’s called Repentance, yall!

No matter what we’ve done and how many times we’ve done it, if we would sincerely return to Him, admit that we’ve sinned against God by refusing to obey His Word, acknowledge that He (thru Christ’s Blood) has the power to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, God is Faithfully waiting eager to release His Divine Favor upon us restoring us to our proper relationship to Him!(Ref. 1 John 1:9) HE IIS OUR GOD AND WE ARE HIS PEOPLE!

BELOVED, this is the New Covenant that God has made with us in Christ Jesus! WE CAN  BEGIN…AGAIN! #4REAL…#4REAL!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 Ann Caffee

FIRED UP!

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FIRED UP!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

 

There’s a lot of teaching going around regarding Generational Curses. But, thankfully, we who have been crucified with Christ have also inherited The Generational Blessing!

Today, our scripture text finds The Apostle Paul urging his young protégé, Timothy to keep that same passionate desire that was passed down to him from his Grandmother, Loise, through his Mother, Eunice, and finally imparted to him through the laying on of his own hands!

Remembering the faithfulness and fervency with which these women embraced the Message and Ministry that was entrusted to them by the Grace of God, The Apostle Paul took great joy in sharing the rich heritage of this young pastor, knowing the importance of being equipped for the task set before him! Paul’s personal experience prepared and qualified him to effectively mentor Timothy to successfully overcome every obstacle that he’d face in walking out his pastoral call.

While many covet the charm, fame and prosperity that supposedly accompanies the title and position, Paul cautions Pastor Timothy to stay acutely aware that there’s a tremendous cost for the real anointing that follows the appointment! And it ain’t cheap! “Timothy, there’s a whole lot more to pastoring than preaching, brotha!”

I believe The Apostle was saying, “You better get prepared to be picked out to picked on. Everybody who says they’re with ya, won’t be!  Son,  I hate to tell ya, but a lotta them folk who’ll claim that GAWD sent them to help ya, will leave you in a heartbeat…when GAWD changes their assignment! ! #ijs!!! But that’s okay! As long as you never forget Whose you are and Who’s in you.  Rest assured, that because The Greater One—is in you, always; everything is gonna work out for you! Above all else, my son, keep this at the forefront of your mind, whatever is going on around you or what’s coming against you, don’t let the flame of the Holy Ghost die out!”

“Don’t allow the cares and challenges of this world to consume your heart and mind. Encourage yourself! Remember, EVERY DAY is not the same! There will be those days when you feel as if you can’t make it another further. But TRUST2KNO  GOD STRENGTH WILL BE PERFECTED THROUGH YOUR WEAKNESSES!  It’s the Love and Grace of God that will empower and sustain you to carry out God’s Purpose, bringing His Glory for and through your life! Carry on, my Son!”

#DIDJAGETIT? #AWESOME! #ijs #GODZGOTCHA!!!

STIR UP THE FLAME AND STAY FIRED UP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

WEIGHT ON THE LORD!

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weight on the LORD 3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:13-14

“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you;He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Isaiah 55:22

 

Glancing up at the TV screen on my way into the kitchen one morning, I couldn’t help but hear this early morning’s breaking news report that sometime, while most of us slept in the comfort and safety of our homes, a group of bomb-strapped terrorist had stormed into a Pakistani school house killing over 120 people, including  a number of 1st to 6th grade students, teachers and anyone else who crossed their sight lines. As I tuned my ears, the commentator continuing on said that Isis had proudly stepped up, acclaiming  responsibility for this heinous act in retaliation for a previous attack against their forces.

After reminding myself again,why I’m not an avid news watcher, I came up stairs to ask my husband whether or not he’d heard about it, and he had. Almost simultaneously, both of us asked “What is this world coming to”?  ” It’s as if nothing is sacred, nothing is restricted by basic human morality!

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit cut into our conversation; “The End!” I repeated, as if the light had just been cut on. “The End!” The world, as we’ve known, is coming to an end,  live and living HD color! Who nu? The 21st century generation would be eye witnesses to the actualization of the antiquated prophetic utterances of God’s servants.

I found myself praying, “Lord, as Pastors, preachers, teachers, evangelists, your servants, what are we supposed to do? How can we continue to preach trust and hope to comfort and encourage your people surroundied by the presence of lawless gross darkness? Especially when we ourselves are fainting, wearied, overwhelmed and being choked by the cords of cares and chaos!”

The Holy Spirit interrupted my self-induced saga; “Tell them about JESUS! After all He is The Only Hope of the World! Preach, JESUS! The Eternal Light that yet shines out of the darkness. Remind them that all these things must be before The Kingdom of God ushers in The New Life! Hail to the scattered sheep that NOW is the time for Salvation! Warn them that time is winding up, spiraling intently towards eternity and NOW is the time to prepare to meet their Master in peace; for He could show up at any minute!”

“Encourage your fellow-sojourners to take full advantage of these days, not trembling in fearful foreboding but celebrating God all day,every day!”

My mind went back to the wisdom of those ol’ skool  Churrch Mothers? ‘Wear this world like a loosing fitting overcoat, that you can drop-off at a moment’s notice!’ That was their way of reminding us that we are not home yet. We are still passing through this barren land on our way to Heaven!

Beloved, if all your hope is wrapped up in what you can collect, seeking man’s approval and striving to attain society’s standard of success, then my precious one, the best you can expect to see in this world is constant decadence of morality and amplified misery. But asThe Redeemed, we have an resounding advantage over those who are yet in darkness. GOD IS STILL GOD!

God is not surprised at anything that’s happening! He Reigns Supreme Ruler over His Creation, astutely aware and actively involved in the intrinsic detailed affairs of man-kind! And to top it all off, God loves us with an Everlasting Love that compassionately invites us to come boldly before His Throne daily to find Hope, Help, Mercy and Grace!

Therefore, Beloved, we do not give up HOPE! We contend for the faith, waiting patiently in earnest expectation, resting in quiet confidence and believing to see that THE ONE WHO HAS PROMISED IS FAITHFUL TO PERFORM! WEIGHT ON THE LORD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

FILL ME UP LORD!

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FILL ME UP LORD3

SELAH DAILY Devotions!

 

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23:5

 

In Ancient Near East, according to The Bedouin Law of Hospitality, it was the custom and duty to be hospitable to foreigners, strangers and travelers. The host was required by custom to provide food, water and shelter to the wayfaring traveler. In doing so the host was accepting the responsibility of protecting the traveler as long as he remains in his territory.

According to the historical Eastern culture tradition, when a host wanted to let his guest know that he was truly welcomed and that in his house there was plenty to accommodate the comfort and happiness to his guest, he’d ask the guest to lift up his cup and the host would pure the wine into it, and keep on pouring wine until it overflowed and spilled out onto the carpeted banquet floor. The guest would then know that he was doubly and abundantly welcomed!

As part of this hospitality, guests would also be anointed with oil, so that their robes emanated a delightful fragrance, indicating that the host would anoint his honored guest, not sparingly but to the extent that their heads would glisten in the candle-lights! Failure to do this was recognized as a deliberate rebuff and insult! WOW!

Now I get that this might be difficult for most of us westerners to comprehend, given the fact that for the most part, hospitality has become a lost art. However, thankfully, with God, it’s a tradition that never goes out of style. God’s Benevolence is exuberantly extravagant! He lavishes His gifts upon all who will embrace His gracious loving-kindness with up-stretched hands and open hearts, anxiously awaiting His unending ever-flowing river of compassionate providential care!

In the Scriptures, oil is a figure of God The Holy Spirit. While it’s the mission of our common arch-enemy, Satan to suppress the Children of God, enslaving you in small places, confined to poverty, lack and diminished hope, joy and peace, The Holy Spirit intercedes on your behalf, ushering you into large lands flooded with showers of blessings! (Ref. John 10:10)

Needless to say, faith in Christ does not exempt believers from trying times of tearful sorrow, wearied by disappointment, the dishonor and rejection of shameful lies! Nevertheless, we’re yet able to rejoice as The Spirit of God infuses our soul with joy and gladness, grace upon grace, love without measure and peace beyond understanding!

Beloved, God is not content with your being satisfied with just enough! He’s The King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Therefore as His Heritage, He’s chosen to give us more than we could ask or think! (Ref. Ephesians 3:20) Amazing, huh?

Our Great Shepherd invites you to be seated at the table He has prepared today, making a public announcement to your enemies—‘don’t even try it,’ lifting His cup over your head, signifying that as His guest, you’re not just getting leftovers, but you’ve got the keys to the whole house to enjoy the finest of provisions! 

Hence, God delights in running your cup over so that you can’t contain the blessings, and will be able to share with others so that His Grace is reaching more and more people, multiplying thanksgiving to overflow to the Glory of God. (Ref. 2 Corinthians 4:15)

Didjaheardat? Well, whatcha say?

“HERE’S MY CUP LORD, I LIFT IT UP, COME AND QUENCH THE THIRSTING OF MY SOUL!” …DRINK UP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 Ann Caffee

WHAT’S THE POINT?

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whatz the point

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“ I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:8-11

According to Biblical Historians, today’s scripture text was penned by the highly-acclaimed, wisest and wealthiest man in all of the known world, King Solomon! WOW! Here he is, King of the most powerful nation in the world during that time, Israel! The off-spring of Israel’s King, David, Solomon, having been hand-picked by GOD to carry on the lineage to The Seed promised to Abraham; privileged and honored to build The Temple where God promised to dwell in the midst of His people forever! I’d say King Solomon pretty much qualified as top-dog—back in dat day, huh?

The Bible tells of Solomon’s humble, earnest, passionate prayer of dedication of The Temple, that so touched the heart of God. He did not ask for wealth and fame, but for wisdom to lead God’s people in such a way that they would honor God before the other nations of the world. And because this prayer pleased God so much, God responded “I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou will walk in my ways, to keep my statues and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy day” (1 King 3:5-15)

SO, WHAT HAPPENED to cause the smartest, richest man in the world, to get to where we find him in Ecclesiastes?”

Apparently, Solomon came to a point in his life where he began to realize that none of the glitz and glamour of this world’s luxurious creature comforts that one might accumulate, could ever fill that God-size void in each of us. Unfortunately Solomon spent a life-time of pursuing and getting; yet not recognizing and understanding that the true value, wealth and treasure of what was right before his eyes. GOD!

WHAT’S THE POINT?

In all thy getting, get understanding! WITHOUT CHRIST—LIFE IS NOTHING!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee