Category Archives: Courage

PRACTICE HIS PRESENCE

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PRACTICE HIS PRESENCE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:8-11

 

It’s often being said that these are the times that try men’s souls. And given the traumatic state of events that are happening in the world today, undoubtedly we must agree. But as Saints of the Most High God, we have this Blessed Assurance whispering to our souls  “Peace Be Still” for ‘come what may’ our times are yet in the Mighty Hands of our Lord and Savior!

God, our Heritage, has secured Divine Peace and Joy unspeakable for whosoever that will keep their minds focused on Him by continuously abiding in His Presence. (Ref. 1 Peter 1:8)

The Bible commands us to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”, (Philippians 2:5) Hence, through the assistance of  Holy Spirit we have the power to stop yielding your mind to anxiety, fear, doubt, unbelief and worry.  When we allow these Satanically-induced responses access to our spirit, we give the adversary too much undeserved glory! Instead of meditating on the problems and cares of this world, we must strive to do like The Psalmist David,  by reminding ourselves that whatever circumstances we find ourselves; we are never outside the reach of The True and the Living God!

Be vigilant and watchful! Don’t sanction the enemy’s unlawful entrance to plant intimidating images in your mind!  Our thoughts, if left unrestrained, will become our words, and our words become our reality! The Bible admonishes us to quickly discipline, to bring under subjection, our thoughts and every spoken word, to the obedience of the Spirit of Christ. (Ref. 2 Corinthians 10:5)

What does God say about this situation? The Father of Grace and Peace has told us to not allow your hearts to be troubled. (Ref. John 14:1) He has your back! He is your Shield and your Buckler. (Ref. Psalm 18:2) There is safety in His Arms. He has both the authority and power to keep you. In the Presence of our Faithful Savior we find Eternal Pleasures. In His Presence, is Rest and Hope. Under the Shadow of His Wings is protection. (Ref. Psalm 16:11)

It’s not enough to just memorize the scriptures, but we must put His Word into practice by acknowledging His Presence. As we delight in His Presence and keep His Word in the forefront of our thoughts, we will not be so easily moved by our circumstances.

As we abide in the stillness of confident trust in The Omnipresent Creator and Omnipotent Sustainer of the universe, we’re covered by Glorious Presence of our Lord!

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17 (ESV)

Now unto Him that is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise god my savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen  And so it shall be established. (Jude 1:24-25)

BELOVED, Jesus is calling you to put your faith to work! JUS 2 B CLOSE 2 HIM; IS MY DESIRE, right? ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAIZ! GO ‘HEAD…PRACTICE HIS PRESENCE! 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Cafee

 

SHALLOW CHRISTIANITY

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SHALLOW CHRISTIANITY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for HIM when HE appears, ready to receive Him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when He arrives. Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children. 1 JOHN 2:28-29 THE MESSAGE

 
It might surprise you! One of the greatest deterrents to advancing The Kingdom of God in the earth is not ‘da devil’ BUT ‘Shallow Christians’! What is that, you ask. Well they’re not that hard to recognize. In fact, they’re probably your pew partners. Whhhaaaa? #ikr! While they confess their faith in The Lord Jesus, their walk does not line up with their talk, and as a result, most likely they’re confusing many who’ve yet to invite Christ into their lives as Savior and Lord!

OOOHHH Yessss I did go there! I know how churrch-folk are adamant about not judging, right? But, for your own safety, the Bible says a tree is known by the fruit it bears! More importantly, God knows those who are His! (Ref. 2 Timothy 2:19)

The preaching and teaching of this Gospel of Christ is still the best way to get souls saved, but sometimes His PR staff could use a refreshers course on what it means to live deeply in Christ!

Rest assured, God is not mocked! (Ref. Galatians 6:7) While we might impress some people with our 11:00 A.M. Sunday morning tongue-talking, pew hopping, propha-lyin, shout’n and danc’n, GOD KNOWS the difference between those who are faking it ’till they make it and those who freely rejoice in the mercy, compassionate, longsuffering, unconditional Love of The Heavenly Father, yet acknowledge that sometimes they miss the mark and have yet to reach perfection!

Shallow christians hide behind shameless excuses to continue to satisfy their ungodly cravings, but a true child of God will be quick to repent. GOD KNOWS those who are genuinely striving everyday to mortify the wickness of their flesh and live a life that pleases HIM even at their own hurt! After all, we are living epistles! It’s our holy lifestyle  that will advertise and promote the True Answer to mankinds’ most dire and desperate need–THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, JESUS CHRIST!

I am by no means suggesting that this is easy nor is it a one and done thang! But God already took care of that too. He sent your Guardian, Holy Spirit, to live inside of you to teach and empower you to say no to sin and yes to righteousness!

Sometimes, it looks like Satan is gaining the upper hand, huh?  Beloved, don’t fall for the devil’s tricks and please don’t blame God! Trust 2 know, God ain’t scarred! Remember what happened when Jesus went to Hell, snatched the keys from his puny hands and got up proclaiming, ALL POWER IS IN MY HANDS?

God is raising up an army of disciples that no man can number; building a new nation of trusting believers who will obey His Voice; hewing out a courageous People who’re not ashamed to live righteously in the midst of darkness as a monument to HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, POWER AND MAJESTY!

Examine yourself? REPRSENT JESUS? LIVE DEEPLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

POWER BELONGS 2 GOD!

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POWER BELONGS 2 GOD

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah…God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. Psalm 62:7-8,11
 

Over the past 50 years, we’ve seen a whole lot of changes. Our society has evolved from being agriculturally dominated, thru industrially dominated, into an age where information technology dominates. Some of you remember what it was like growing up in the country. You worked hard and you played hard; but through it all you were able to maintain a healthy balance between the physical labor of working the fields and the ease of drinking a cold glass of lemonade sitting on the porch come Sunday afternoon.
 
Then, the war came, and many of our brothers went off to war leaving the familiarity of the farms for foreign soil, forcing those left behind into factories working the machinery building weapons, mass production of crops, meat, clothing, etc. The dirt roads and shotgun houses were replaced by concrete paved streets and skyscrapers. The Industrial Age had taken over and the ease of those Sunday mornings vacated and swapped with washing the car, 2 hours at the gym, 3-mile runs, kids soccer games, karate tournaments, or at the very least, I gotta get my stuff ready to go back to work next week!
 
As wars and rumors of wars escalate, so has tension, stress and the push for greater technological advancements. The factories have basically come to a hault as the focus shifted away from meeting the needs of common folk  onto which nation will gather the most information proving who’s the best of the best; who’s going to be the first country to put a man on the moon, mars of take over a yet undiscovered universe; who’s gonna build the biggest bomb, and who’s gonna conquer outer space once we blow up this planet. YEAH BABY, WE’VE COME A LONG WAY, huh?
 
Who nu? Here we are in the 21st Century, and for many we got what we wanted, but at what cost? The laughter of our children in the yard jumping double-dutch, playing football, the swish of the ball dropping through a wooden loop, the clicking sounds of cardboard or plastic between the spikes of bikes, roller skates racing down the streets have been silenced by the noise of doors being slammed by rebellious children barricading themselves in their rooms; whispering, texting and yes, even sexing on $500 cell phones/ipads or the clicking of remote controls to $700  video games played on 75-inch flat screen TV’s! Owww Wheeeeee, don’t shout me down now!
 
While we, the parents have bought into the propaganda being dupped with the misguided philosopy, “I’m gonna make sure that my baby has it better than I did”, we’ve created a generation of young people who seem to get everything in life they want, yet have nothing to live for. Meanwhile, many of them are engaging in disruptive habits that scream, “LIFE’S A BEACH! I hate myself, and I hate you too. So why not make a pact to commit suicide, or I’m bored so let’s go shoot up a bunch of folk we don’t even know.”
 
Honestly! If you’re not prayerful, it’s easy to allow all the hell of this world to consume your whole life.  Yall don’t believe it, huh?  Well, it’s gotten to the point now that even the most seasoned saints may ponder the Satanically-induced thought of cutting your own wrist, just to escape the peril of these wicked times. 

BUT GOD! Knowing everything that humanity would experience, left it on record to console those who would become weary in well-doing, ‘while we’re in this world—we are not of this world!’ Although, we are not exempt from test, trials and persecution, we are never alone! (Ref. Hebrews 13:5)
 
Precious Saints, when it looks like there’s no point to living for God (aka) living holy and you’ve come to the end of your rope, that’s your clue—not to give up but to take a stand—tie a knot in the rope and hang on! Cling to the Hope of your calling, Jesus Christ—The Living Word of Life! (Ref. Ephesians 1:18)
 
Remember He Who has called you is Faithful and True (Ref. 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Revelations 19:11) and He Yet Reigns! POWER BELONGS 2 GOD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee
 

 

GOD’S HANDS

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GOD'S HANDS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
And said to his servent, go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said. There is nothing. And he said, go up again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, go up, say unto Ahab.  Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.    1 Kings 18:43-45

 
Anybody can say I trust God, huh? However, it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust!

Life inevitably includes dark times when there’s no evidence to substantiate that God is with you and even less that He’s even listening to your prayers. It’s during these times, when the pressure is on us to faint and to give up, that we learn how to dig in our heels and encourage ourselves. It ain’t cheap! But it is possible! This kind of holy-boldness, that stares suffering in the face, determining that in spite of what it looks like, my heart shall remain fixed on God’s Eternal Word requires time-tested commitment, patience and endurance!

In this 21st Mellinium Age of high-tech instant gratification, waiting has got to be an endangered phenomenon! Can you imagine the servant’s frustration, running back and forth six times before he was able to see what His Master saw? I know I can. (Hint! Hint!) Thank God for Elijah’s faith, not to mention God’s compassionate patience to wait on the servant’s eyes to be opened, huh?

Watching my son’s life ravished by sickness, unemployment, discouragement, hope dispelled by hopelessness grieved my heart unlike anything I’d ever experience. Little did I know that in the midst of everything that the devil meant for evil, God was there waiting behind the cloud, leading and drawing him closer to Himself. I  remember how my soul rejoiced hearing that my he had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! God used the storm to woo my son to seek Him for himself thereby positioning him for the showers of blessings that would follow!

The prayers of the righteous don’t have an expiration date, but your troubles do! We must remain confident that God will do just what He needs to bring our loved one into The Kingdom. Weeping may endure for a night, but with every breaking of a new day, God is reminds us of His Faithfulness to those who trust in Him.

Precious ones, when we can’t see our way, God guides us with his eyes! His vision is far greater than 20/20; it’s from eternity  past, thru present, into eternity future!

Beloved, today, if it seems like the sun ain’t never gonna shine again, keep looking up! You’re not alone! Truth be told many of the saints are under satanic attack and afflicted by all manner of maladies. Tragically, some have lost their hope for life getting any better. But instead of surrendering to what you’re going through, can I offer you a ray of Son Light? Rest assured, absolutely nothings ever happens that takes your Heavenly Father by surprise!

Saints, your Heavenly Father works the night shift! Like Elijah, gird up the loins of your mind and remember WHO you’re trusting! He who promised is failthful! Don’t allow the darkness to scare you! God is using the clouds to position to receive His Abundant Blessings! Look up, your Redeemer’s Hands are in the midst of the clouds!

HIS GLORY RESTS IN THE CLOUD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

HELP IS ON THE WAY!

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HELP IS ON THE WAY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Behold, the Lord God will help me, who is he who will condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old and be worn out as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you who reverently fears the lord, who obeys the voice of his servant, yet who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor in his heart? Let him rely on, trust and be confident in the name of the lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God. Isaiah 50:9-10

 

I gotta confess! It’s gotten to the point, where a lot of us no longer watch the evening news broadcast. OMG!  It’s not that we’re ignorant or unconcerned, but  because there’s so much wrong going on in the world we live in!  Some of us have come to the realization that rather than walking around in a constant state of fear, anxiety and depression, we’d prefer to take the unabating deluge of daily news in small doses! Truthfully, yall know, terror and trauma sells, right? And quite honestly, since the dubiousness of #45’s  texts and fake news, most of what we get is a little too copious for the intellectual palate to absorb! #ijs So generally, the most you can get out of a 30 minute time-frame is a 15 second spot of so called ‘good news’! 

However, there is Hope that’s expands far beyond this world! Every born-again, Blood-washed, Holy Ghost sanctified Believer has the assurance that regardless what they say, our Hope rests confidently upon Truth! Truth emphatically declares that the good news is that the bad news is not the final WORD FOR US! Therefore, we who are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are fully persuaded that it is still the Power of God to save, heal and deliver us out of any of life’s maladies!

While our personal relationship with The Heavenly Father does not exempt us from the impact of this desperately-wicked-fallen world, we are yet able to rejoice in faith, assured that we are not alone, not abandoned nor forsaken! How? Because our Redeemer yet reigns and has no intention of RELINQUISHING HIS POWER NOR AUTHORITY TO ANY ONE OR THING!

Armed with this mindset, we wait in quiet confidence, even if we’re clueless as to why, what, when or where…we know WHO is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think! (Ref. Ephesians 3:20)

The ol’ skool church Mothers used to say, “He may not come when you want HIM, but He’ll Be There right on time”!

Beloved, when darkness, sorrow, trouble or tragedy comes rushing down upon you, remember you are a child of The King! There is a Protective Custody Order over your life that has been signed, ratified, sealed and delivered by The Blood of Jesus! Greater is He Who is in you than anything that the prince of darkness assails against you. (Ref. 1 John 4:4)

Don’t fall for the okey doke, saints! While the devil is persistent, remember ‘he ain’t running nuffin!’ No matter how dark dark gets, God knows exactly where you are! Hence, light and darkness are the same to Him. (Ref. Psalm 139:12)

As our knowledge of God increases so does HIS GRACE empowering us to trust him, even when we can’t trace him! REST ASSURED! God is near to all who confidently trust in Him and wait obediently and patiently for His appearance. Now that’s Good News, huh?

Trouble in your way today? Don’t give in to the pressures of contradictory circumstances and don’t even try to figure it out! Just hide yourself in HIS LOVE, grab hold to The Living Word, as if your very life depended upon because it surely does!!

BE STILL! TRUST 2 KNOW … HE WHO PROMISED SHALL PERFORM IT! YOUR HELP IS ON THE WAY!

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

SELAH!

Pause, Pondder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

EXPERIENTIALLY!

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EXPERIENTIALLY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this, I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.” (1 Kings 17:24)

 

We’ve all heard it, probably said it ourselves! ‘We found Jesus’, as if He was lost, huh? Truthfully, no man can know GOD except GOD reveals GODSELF. It’s God who initiates the search and orchestrates the circumstances for the encounter.

God has so wondrously fashioned man so that the ultimate fulfillment of life can only be consummated through his pursuit of intimacy with his Creator! Yet few are driven to forsake the lure of this world’s glitz and glamour to tread the least traveled remote pathways. But every once in a while, a isolated sojourner will catch a glimpse of The Hope that placing ones personal trust in Jesus makes available to any man!

Today’s text is another example of God’s compelling compassion to make Himself known! God sent The Prophet Elijah to an uncircumcised widow in the midst of a distressing situation! Nevertheless, this pagan woman dared to dismiss the visible and grab hold to the invisible (unseen to the natural eye)! Trusting that the Prophet’s instructions were actually The Words of God, her obedience proved a measure of her faith!

However, her faith took a quantum leap, when she experienced the miraculous power of God (the resurrection of her son from the claws of death)! It’s one thing to hear others testify of God’s Supernatural Power; but when you witness His Glory personally, you enter into an exclusively different dimension of faith!

As believers in Christ, our earnest heart cry ought to be that everyone come to know who Jesus really is! But the reality is, that it’s incumbent upon each individual to pursue their own intimate personal relationship with the Creator. This relationship is only accessible through seeking to know The God Who knows you.

The gods of this world work relentlessly distracting us with troubles, in an attempt to discourage us from seeking after the heart of our Loving Father. Overwhelmed with fear and doubt, some stray further and further away from The True Source of comfort and peace! Yet, The Good Shepherd sovereignly uses these challenges to guide us safely through the fires, floods and the storms of this life to a face-to-face encounter with The Redeemer of our Soul!

In the midst of test, trials and tragedy, as you behold His Glory, you will gain unphantomable insight into the length, dept and width of His Loving Kindness and the Sufficiency of His Grace erupting into unspeakable joy and unparalled satisfaction!

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-5

In the midst of a dark fallen world, there’s no need for you to shrink back in fear! God has equipped our hearts with the  Victorious Hope of Eternity! No matter what the challenge, we march on, confident that we are not alone! Faith in The Greater One, empowers believers to become agents of His Glory, touching and transforming as many lives as possible, while passing through to our Heavenly Home!  EXPERIENTIALLY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GOD LASTS!

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GOD LASTS!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

 

The Apostle Paul describes life as a race. However, sometimes we tend to forget that real life is not a sprint, but a marathon! Unlike a physical marathon,  rarely are we privy to advanced knowledge of our designated course. God doesn’t let us in on the specifics that we’ll encounter along the way that could potentially hinder, detour, derail our progress and ultimately keep us from finishing our course.

Whether you’ve been walking with Jesus for a long time or just recently made your decision to follow Jesus, none of us are exempted from faith stresses, test and trials! Hence, The Prophet alerts us, professing faith-walking Christians, to expect trying times.

Our Omniscient Fathers knows that even the young and physically strong, struggling with doubt, unbelief and fear, will become weak and faint. God also recognizes those seasoned in the Savior’s ways experience times where we’ve reached the end of our rope, become weary in well doing, stumble and even fall out of the race momentarily.

Isaiah prescribes the antidote for those seasons when you’re forced to trample through turbulent terrains and valleys surrounded by the shadows of death seemingly alone to fend for yourself, don’t stop—keep it moving; press on, trusting that every minute of every day, you’re never outside of God’s view or His Presence and Power!

The Prophet’s words  yet ring out to 21st Century Saints of The Most High God, assuring us that Jehovah, our Provider, has already gone before us, preparing designated rest areas along the road to renew and energize our spirit and soul!

Beloved, your God is not a dead-beat absentee Father! God never intended us to be struggling to handle things on our own, burdened and burnt out by the cares of this world. Every morning He invites us to come, as a little child running boldly to your Daddy, entrusting all your cares to Him, fully persuaded, absolutely confident that ABBA FATHER CAN DO ANYTHING BUT FAIL !

Now Beloved, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him; don’t fret yourself! (Ref. Psalm 37:7) Everything’s coming together in your life, JUST LIKE GOD PLANNED! 

REMEMBER, GOD IS NOT A MAN! GOD DOESN’T COME AND GO! GOD’S LOVE REMAINS LOYAL! HENCE, GOD LASTS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

EMPTY HEARTS & OPEN HANDS

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EMPTY HEARTS OPEN HANDS

SELAH Daily Devotions!

I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?  Ruth 1:21

 

Personally, today’s text is one of the most saddest scriptures in the entire Bible. These words, uttered from the lips of Mother Naomi, can’t help but resonate in the wounded  hearts of any one of us who’s ever had their life, brutally interrupted by tragedy!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned saint or a rank sinner, none of us wake up in the morning anticipating that today is the day that my life as usual will be ravaged by an out of the black catastrophic event. Yet tragedy is an uninvited, unbiased, self-imposing and most certainly unwelcomed guest that arbitrarily shows up anywhere , at anytime, at any one of our doors!

While The Bible clearly tells us that as new creations in Christ, we ought not to look at the things which are seen but rather, through the eye of faith, we’re encouraged to focus our attention on those things which are invisible to the natural eye. By the way, faith in God does not suggest that we deny that our current circumstances are challenging, but rather because we know that it’s only temporary, we must not allow fear and panic to rob us of The Eternal Hope we have in Jesus Christ! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 4:18)  Nevertheless, when tragedy strikes your life, it’s difficult to see real-time in an eternity perspective!

Mother Naomi’s words depict the pit of a woman’s soul devastated by despair and terrorized by hopelessness due to circumstances that were not of her own doing! Have you ever been victimized because of someone else’s choices? As you read Naomi’s story,  you discover that doing the right thing doesn’t exempt you from bad things happening to you. (Ref. Psalm 34:19) However, you’ll also recognize that you’re not the first person to have their life’s dreams crushed leaving your soul vacant and despondent!

While this may offer the faithful a glimmer of hope, sometimes the pressure of all the present circumstantial evidence stacked against us, blinds us from the spiritual reality that GOD is yet seated on The Throne, and has not lost–nor relinquished one iota of His Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Omniscient Glory!

That’s the point! The real root of the enemy’s constant plotting against God’s Chosen is not to steal your husband, wife, house, car or job. The bottom line is, the devil wants to destroy your trust in our Heavenly Father!

My precious ones, whatever you do, don’t allow the devil to intimidate you. Before you give up and throw in the towel,  REMEMBER.THE DEVIL IS A LIAR! And if he lies, he’ll steal, and if he steals, he’ll kill! (Ref. John 10:10a)

Now, the question is, who are you gonna trust?

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PLEASE GOD, YOU’VE GOTTA TRUST HIM, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVEN’T GOT A CLUE WHAT HE’S UP TO!

Reach out to your Heavenly Father, trusting that He Who makes all things, holds all things together! That’s what Naomi did! She made a decision to go back to Bethlehem! Back to the Land of Promise! Not only did she reconnect to her relative, the Land-Lord, Boaz, she became the Great-Grand Mother of  Israel’s Greatest King, David, the descendant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! WHEN NAOMI OPENED HER HEART TO GOD, HE FILLED HER HEART AND HER HANDS! Hence, is your heart opened to God’s Plan or yours?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

BLESSED LIKE THAT?

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BLESSED LIKE DAT

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrew 6:11-12

 

Can we talk?

None of like waiting, right? Yet, life teaches you that it’s inevitable! Hopefully, eventually we will get to the point that we understand since it’s virtually impossible to avoid, how you wait is vitally important!

For some mysterious reason, (The Wisdom of God) even the most sainted of us will be challenged in this area. On one hand, The Bible encourages us that ‘the promises of God are Yeah and Amen’; yet in order to inherit the promises we must wait–in confident expectation! Okay, but how?

Let me be frank with you up front, it’s not easy but IT IS POSSIBLE! Some folk  (a lot wiser than I) now honored in The Hebrews Hall of Faith, left an example for us to follow. In order to fill that gapping season between when the promise is given and the manifestation of the promise, you’ve got to talk to yourself! Now don’t just swipe this under the rug as ‘holy talk’!

Experience has proven this to be factual! Because there’s someone waiting for you to throw in the towel and surrender to your circumstances so he can begin to talk to you! And can you guess what he’s gonna say? The conversation will probably go something like this, “whatcha waiting for”; “what you got now is all you’re ever gonna get; none of your people ever got any higher, further, never accomplish anything greater than where you are right now” “Your Momma wasn’t nothing, your Daddy wasn’t’ nothing…WHO DO U THINK U R?”

Can I tell you something? It’s time to let your ears hear your mouth, talking to yourself! Even if it means standing in the mirror and saying out loud in your best MLK voice, “I have a dream!” Next, add some fuel to the fire by writing the vision, making it plain so that every time you read it, it will fortify your will and re-affirm your resolve that no matter what it looks like, “I’m determined to run for it!” Hence, this will help you to line your thinking in that direction and curtail your actions to take you towards that dream.

Stop sabotaging your future with your mouth! What ‘they say’ is not as important as what you say to yourself. Make sure that you tell your feelings that they don’t get a vote! Above else stop procrastinating and command your feet to run in the direction of your vision!

Watch it! Ihearya! “But! Obviously, you don’t know what I been thru”! SHUT YOUR MOUTH and set your face like a flint towards the vision that God gave you then SHIFT! The fact that you’re still here means that you’re a survivor and most importantly, God is not thru with you yet!

At the end of the day, it boils down to this…CAN you STAND TO BE BLESSED LIKE THAT?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

CONTRADICTIONS

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Contradictions!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
 

I’ve heard that some scholarly skeptics, after critiquing the Holy Bible, conclude ‘how can they be taken in by this foolishness, considering that The Word of God appears to contradict itself!’ But! The devil is still a liar!  The Word of God emphatically states that, the secret things of God are sacred and cannot be discerned by the carnal mind.  (Ref. Deuteronomy 29:29) Oh, there’s no denying that we’re often challenged by circumstances and situations that appear to be totally contrary to the promises of God!
 
And yes, it’s difficult to hear that still small voice of comfort and reassurance, amidst the boisterous tempest of compelling circumstances! We’ve all had those periods where our experiences challenge our expectations. Yet, hope compels us to stand firm being confident in this sure thing!  God is not a liar and God is yet faithful!  Remember, if God did not hold back the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, the very best He had to offer, then how shall He not deliver you from the snare of the adversary again, and again!
 
Perhaps, today, it seems as if God has forgotten you or at least miscalculated just how much you can actually bear.  But He has not!  He is Alpha and Omega!  He planned every episode of your entire life from the end to the beginning.  Sometimes, it may seem like you’re not even on the winning team, huh? But rest assured, Beloved! God has decreed that though your beginnings appear humble now, and your problems seem to be overwhelming…..your Deliverer is about to arouse Himself to restore you to your rightful place. Everything you’re going through is a sure sign that you’re being positioned for purpose. (Ref. Mark 10:30)
 
Jesus is not impressed nor is He ever moved by anything that Satan is trying to do in your life! He already dealt with him on Calvary! Remember, Jesus said, ‘IT IS FINISHED’!  If God said it, He shall do it; if God spoke it, it shall come to pass.  His thoughts toward you are for good and not for evil and your future is brighter, joyful and more prosperous than you could ever imagine!
 
My precious saints, wait patiently on your God! He is the same God who came through for you in the past! He’s already proven His Faithfulness.  He’s already proven that He is worthy of your trust! He’ll do it again too!
 
Don’t focus on the contradictory circumstantial evidence, but continue to look to the Almighty God knowing that not only is He your sufficiency HE IS YOUR SOURCE!  (Ref. James 1:17-21)
 
Don’t take the enemy’s bait. Never allow your past experiences nor present conditions to determine your future destination!  The Promises of God supersede and overrule every apparent contradiction!  It ain’t what it looks like!  CONTRADICTIONS, huh?

SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee