Category Archives: freedom

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

 

 

WANTED!

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WANTED

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  Ephesians 1:5-6

Most of us didn’t have a choice about what family we were born into, not to mention who our family members are.  We came through the old fashioned way.  In other words, you kinda got who and what you got!

But, looking back, adoption has been a common, yet always celebrated, event in our family. I guess, it’s ‘cause, generally, we’re just big-hearted!  A lot of my folk, opened their hearts and homes to little boys and girls whose biological parents, for whatever the circumstances, were unable to provide the nurturing love that they needed.  I can’t tell you how awesome it was to welcome and embrace a new cousin, niece or nephew.  I remember thinking, “Wow, they must be pretty special to be picked out like that”!
 
I’d seen those black and white movies about orphans who were waiting and waiting for parents.  Someone would come in, look them over, decide if they were cute enough, little enough, big enough, smart enough, strong enough, good enough. I imagine their list of criteria could’ve been as unique as their handprints, huh?  

Sometimes, a few of them would get “lucky” and be adopted. But more often than not, many more were left behind. The rejected kids probably assumed that they didn’t quite fit the model the prospective parents were looking for. Can you imagine what it’s like to feel that kind of rejection? Sadly, many of us can.
 
But Thanks Be to God!  According to our scripture text, there is One looking down through the portals of Eternity! Before we were even born, GOD Personally and purposely selected you and I to become His Very Own!
 
I mean, He actually legally adopted us through His First Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be legitimate sons and daughters!  And what’s even more amazing to this seemingly unbelievable reality, is that God chose us knowing exactly what He was getting!
 
I know, right? 

The Bible attests that “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly… But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6, 8)!
   
Didjaheardat? Not only are we lovingly accepted into God’s own family, but as justified believers, we’re joint-heirs with The King of Glory, Christ Jesus!  Now that we’re God’s sons and daughters, we’re free to share and enjoy the same rights and privileges that Jesus Christ does! (Ref. Romans 8:17)  Ain’t that Amazing? Good God Ta Mighty!

I don’t know how you feel about it, but to me, that sounds a whole lot like He Really Does Want You! 

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

 

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

 

UN-HOLY COWS

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UN-HOLY COW!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LordGod of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 12:1-4

 

Due to the incredible technological advances, we’re now living in an Age of constant transition. As knowledge increases, our world appears to be getting smaller by the second. Yet many of us escape the stress and chaos that often accompanies such swift changeovers by clinging to the Hope and Comfort of The Holy Scriptures, which profoundly proclaim to 21st Century Believers, that while time is spiraling down into Eternity at unprecedented speeds of Life, Jesus remains the same; Yesterday, Today and Forevermore! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8)

While there are no shortages of intellectually astute scoffers who, sparing no punches, continually dispute its validity  and adamantly renounce the relevance of The Bible’s antiquated moral code to their sophisticated culture! HOWEVRRRR, that’shouldn’t surprise any of us!

The Holy Spirit already told us these days were coming, right?  Certainly does! The Good Book lets us know that there will be those who would choose to ignore what their eyes clearly observe, trivializing Truth into fabricated self-delusions and imagining themselves excused from the obligation of submission to any authority outside of the god of self! (Ref. Romans 1:18-23)

Nevertheless, what’s more even vexing to the hearts of God-Honoring followers of The Lord Jesus Christ, is the misconception of some New Millennium converts who have latched onto the false doctrine of “Come as U R and Stay as U R”!  C’mon nah, don’t yall shout me down!

Hence, on any given Sabbath Day, padded pews are filled with unsuspecting people clad in their mindset, clinched fisted and unashamedly determined, “Preacha, I’m Good! Okay, so don’t bother me with your out-dated version of un-realistic expectations. After all, we’re no longer under the Law, we’re under Grace! And besides that, who are you to judge me anyhow?”

BUT! Before you get a little bit too happy, can we allow The Living Word of God to shed some Truth on what God thinks about this matter? Isn’t that what every Born-Again, Blood Washed Child of God has sworn to live by? Right!

God sent His Son, Jesus seeking to save those of us who were lost (outside of Covenant-Relationship with The Father of Glory)! Jesus Sacrificial Blood redeemed you from darkness and dominion of Satan! By personally trusting in HIM, you have become a Child of The Kingdom of Christ! Now, that your eyes have been exposed to The Light of Truth, why would you want to continue in bondange to the works of wickedness and evil? If it was all that good, why did you want to leave Egypt in the first place, huh? EXACTLY!

R U listening? God has stratetically placed you in The Body of Christ, under the direction of His Shepherd, Holy Spirit, whom He has appointed to lead, guide, instruct, encourage and discipline you in The Ways of Righteousness, Love, Peace and Joy! So…stop kicking against the prick!

Now! Isn’t it time to make that change!  Ooops, I jus felt a ‘tomato throwing spirit’ in da house!  Seriously, The  rules of engagement in The Kingdom of God demands both a change of mind and heart! Tear down those sacred shrines and stop making those un-sanctified offerings of yester-year (when you were out there doing everything and anything that the devil, your former Hard-Task-Master, COMMANDED YOU TO DO)!

DIDJAHEARDAT?

#IJS…Now that Jesus  HAS DELIVERED YOU INTO HIS ETERNAL ABUNDANT LIFE, STOP THE BULL! UN-HOLY COWS! #ijs

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

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WHAT'S IN UR HEART

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger andfed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word[a] that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV

 

We’ve all been there! At some point in this journey, we’ve found ourselves, barraged by seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against us, huh? There I was, sitting there unsuccessfuly attempting to make a 911 connection to The Throne Room. This one, was a time sensitive—not later—but I need you right now—Lord situation! As my eyes skimmed over to my laptop and I realized that somehow it was in the middle of running an unscheduled scan! Immediately, I understood what the Holy Spirit was trying to do in me.

Remember when you thought you knew, but didn’t really know? Exactly! It’s during these moments of mental confusions and conflicting emotions that we need the aid of Holy Spirit. According to Isaiah 11:2, no one but The Spirit of True and Wisdom, can scan the the inner most chambers of the human heart, assess the situation, identify the dangerous infectious viral components, quarantine and eliminate them before they’re able to contaminate our heart’s drive! WOW, and He was doing this way before Bill Gates or Steve Job! Awemaazing, huh?
With that being said, once again I had to admit that before I could make a right connection with Jesus, I had to clear the line! No, God was not saying that my issue was not valid, but that there was an even more life-threating situation that demanded immediate attention. There was something going on in my heart that I was not willing to confront and deal with at the root! Sometimes we do that, you know? We like to justify our rebellion by playing the blame game. “Lord, if they hadn’t….then I never would’ve …” But God wasn’t buying none of that!

There’s no denying that there’s something embedded in the DNA of humanity that resists repentance. It’s difficult for us to acknowledge that we’re at fault. It’s a whole lot easier for us to judge others by their actions and ourselves by our good intentions, huh? But God is not intimidated by our self-deceiving, willful, prideful hearts NOR IS HE IMPRESSED BY OUR CHURCH TESTIMONIES!

God strategically sets up unscheduled heart scans to illuminate potentially critial viruses that left untreated could result in the hardening of the arteries causing damaging blockages. For instance, that spirit of jealosy, envy, anger, resentment, bitterness and yessss the unforgiveness haboring in the crevices of your heart against someone, who probably doesn’t even know it! You know how fake the saints can be sometimes. Problem is, chances are before the end of the day, you’ll probably gonna need somebody to forgive you for something! The scripture is clear on this, if you don’t forgive others, neither will Your Heavenly Father forgive you your faults! (Ref. Matthew 6:15) OMG! Kinda sheds a different light on it, huh?

Beloved, I don’t know about you, but I NEED THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD, ALL DAY…EVERY DAY!

I know it’s not always easy, especially since you’re the one who’s been hurt. But considering the repercussions, sounds to me like, by God’s Grace, whatever the offense, we just need to release it, drop it, leave it and let God handle it! God always knows everything about everything –and we don’t!

SO, WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HEART? #GOD REALLY KNOWS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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PRAYN AND FASTING PIC

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Good Morning Family! GOTTA MOMENT! Great!  Once again, we encourage you to join in our weekly Thursday’s Day of Corporate Prayer and Fasting!  

We love You Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You. Oh my soul, rejoice! Take JOY my King, in what You hear, and let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your Ear! We adore Thee! We adore Thee, We adore Thee, O Lord! Let’s pray…
“Almighty Lord God, as we bow our heads and our hearts to thank you for this day we honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for the privilege to enter into Your Throne Room confident that You welcome us and rejoice in the confident hope that You are listening to our prayers!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for our being able to see, and to hear, and to speak, and to feel, and to taste of Your goodness this day and every day.

We’re blessed because You, being Holy and Righteous continue to be such a loving forgiving God, and such an understanding and caring God. You have done so much for us and yet you keep on blessing us. Lord forgive us this day for everything we have done, or said or thought that was not pleasing to you. Abba Fahter, we are sincerely sorry, humbly repent asking for Your forgiveness trusting in Your Promise that You are Faithful and Just to give us.

We thank You for being The God of our Salvation, our Deliverance, Breakthrough and Provision.We’re thankful that because You know our frame, Your faithfulness and compassion allow You to look beyond our human frailties, faults and iniquities to see and minister to all of our need!

We pray for renewed strength, understanding and power that comes from a heart open to, depending and relying only on You. 

We pray that as Your eyes continue to search the hearts of mankind that you save the lost, and reclaim every back-slider and that You will place them and settle them into a church home today.Father, I pray for those who are unsaved, put a yes in their heart and in their mind that they will come to you today and receive You as their Lord and Savior.

Father we lift up every government official, education, financial, judicial, health care and spiritual leader, asking a special miracle for each and every one of them who are yet standing on the wall proclaiming Your Word under the conviction and anointing of Holy Spirit.

Father, we’re trusting and believing that you will Grace them to be the examples in their homes, churches and community that will cause everyone who comes into contact with them to fall in  love, trust wholly in and live their lives serving You!

Father, we commit our children, our children’s children and by faith, into Your providential care! Lord, we realize that You have a plan and purpose for their lives too and we have the blessed assurance that their steps are yet being ordered by Your eyes!

Heavenly Father, stir up the hearts and minds of those who are professing Your Name that they will have a desire for an even greater personal, intimate relationship with Creator God through fellowship of Holy Spirit that they might prove what is the perfect and acceptable will of The Lord Jesus!

Knowing that You Sovereignly Rule and Reign over the affairs of mankind, we pray and thank you for our President Obama and his family trust that no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper.

We ask that you continue to open the eyes of understanding so that your people are not easily deceived by those who would desire to entrap your children in bondage once again to anything that You have delivered us from.

Lord, I pray for every believer who is yet holding on to Your Hand by faith today, that You will release Divine power, Supernatural strength and health, provision, prosperity and protection. I pray also Father, that You will preserve them thru the tests that they must go thru and that You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word.

Father, we rejoice now in confidence and quietness, trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shame, turning their backs from Your people, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayers as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Father,  we thank You, honor and praise You now, for  I believe that it is done!  In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen and It Is So!

CHALLENGED?

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Goliath meets his match

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 1 Samuel 17:28-29

The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want! Psalm 23:1

Life is challenging! That’s what I call grossly understated, huh? If you can’t say Amen, the ol’ saints used to say, ‘Jus keep getting up in the morning and going to bed in the evenings!’ There is always going to be something or someone who’s sole purpose in existing is to challenge your peace, patience, prosperity, position or your purpose. Okay?

Here’s the clincher! Sometimes your worst adversity comes from your own house! I mean, one might expect oppositon competing for a job, after all the unemployment rate being as high as it is. And of course, given the deminishing numbers of viable bachelors/bachelorettes these day you kinda know how steep the competition is for someone looking for the whole package (head, body and heart). But when you gotta overcome rejection and disrespect from those who are closest to you, even your own brothers and sistas, well that’s a whole different kinda beast!

Most of the time  when 1 Samuel 17 is preached or taught the focus is on Goliath, but upon closer observation of the context, David faced serious oppositon even before he dealt with the 10 ft. Philistine. Remember what happened that day God sent Samuel to anoint the next King of Israel? (Ref. 1 Samuel 16) Well, it was only after much resistance from his Father,  Jessie, that David was even considered an option. Isn’t it something when your own kinfolk can only see you the way you used to be or never acknowledge that where you are now is not necessarily your final destination?

Even more difficult, is rising above those who’re secretly intimidated by your desire to excel to dimensions beyond where they’ve chosen to settle in the comfort of complacency, paralyzed by their fears rather than risk failure. WOW! #OHNOSHEDIDN’T #YESSHEDID!

But the young shepherd boy had somehow learned that when you can’t find support or encouragement from without, don’t give up! Look to the only One truly qualified to determine your worth or define your destiny! The Creator and Giver of Life, The Lord Almighty! David drew strength, courage and unfailing unconditonal love abiding in the Presence of The True Shepherd, Yahweh, translated I  AM THE ONE,  or I AM WHAT I AM!

In the midst of  foreboding clouds of impending threats, persecutions, peer pressure, hopelessness and despair, David found respite rehearsing holy moments he’d spent searching the Heart of His Lord!

Like David, most of us can look back at those ‘almost’, and rekindle those ‘look what the Lord has done’ moments! But sometimes it takes us a while to regroup after we finally back  off looking for our own way out, huh? When you realize the folly of depending on self and others,  you’ll come to the realization that when God decides to bless you, it doesn’t matter who tries to curse you! Oh Gggglorrra!

Life has a way of teaching you that you can’t overcome what you’re not willing to confront! However, even more rewarding is understanding The Good News! God’s got a plan for your life and it’s all good! (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11)  You already got the victory; you jus gotta fight the good fight of faith! Didjaheardat? Trust2know! CHALLENGED?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray and Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

DRIVE AND GO FORWARD!

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DRIVE & GO FORWARD 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.” 2 Kings 4:24

 

The context of today’s scripture text tells the story of a Shunammite woman’s unselfish generosity towards God’s Servant, Elisha! Being so grateful for their hospitality, The Prophet sent his apprentice, Gehazi, to find how they might be a blessing to her.

Sometimes people will do something for you yet their motives may be suspect, if you will? Sometimes, their generosity comes with strings attached. You know, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Remember, sometimes, you might get what you wanted but lose whatcha had, huh?

However, this woman’s generosity towards The Prophet was never intended to obligate him in any manner. She simply recognized a need and was convicted to meet it.

When Gehazi inquired if they could repay her by hooking her up with the King or the Captain of the Army or something, she respectfully declined. Yet, Elisha , determined to reward her kindness, refused to let it go. Then Gehazi spoke up, “Sir, I did notice that they don’t have any children .” Elisha immediately sent for the Shunammite woman! After thanking her and her husband again for their hospitality, the Prophet began to prophesy to her, telling her that “because of your kindness, this time next year you shall have a baby boy.” 

Can you imagine the astonishment of this woman? Obviously, nobody BUT GOD could’ve revealed this secret desire tucked away in the heart of this barren soul!

Nine months later, she gave birth to a son just as God’s Servant had spoken. The next several years their home was filled with such joyful laughter more than she ever thought possible. Until that day, while in the fields with his Dad, apparently from a sun stroke, and died sitting on his Mother’s lap. Has the devil tried to kill your promise?

After carrying her dead son upstairs and laying him on the same  bed that she’d prepared for Elisha, she immediately called for a servant to take her to see The Prophet. Shaken and perplexed, her husband inquired, “why you going to church, it ain’t even Sunday!” Sounds like some of our relatives, huh?

Not bothering to explain, she simply said, using today’s vernacular, “it’s all good”! When the servant arrived with the donkey, she instructed him, “Drive and go forward and don’t slack up until I tell you to”. She didn’t do what some of us do—throw up our hands and start accusing God and stop coming to church. But she kicked it into 4th gear, put the pedal to the metal and kept it moving!

I submit to you, my brothers and sisters, that in the seat of the soul of every individual, there is something that is driving them to either push beyond their inabilities or admit defeat and throw in the towel! What drives YOU?

Contrary to popular opinions, there are  many other things that drive a person besides sex. Some folk are driven by fear of rejection, a compulsive need to be the greatest, the bestest, the smartest; the cutest, an insatiable, unquenchable, uncompromisingly addiction to succeed no matter the cost or the loss!

Living in a world  hurling with gianormous (datz my word, yall) distractions, it’s easy to become entanged with seductive spirits that promise multiple avenues to epic fulfillment!  I’m talking, even God’s elect, yall! Hence, failure to keep your faith  firmly rooted and grounded in the faithfulness of God’s Love, you might suddenly find yourself stuck in spiritual quicksand, sucked under by a spirit of complacency, and ultimately lose your drive to go forward.

Perhaps, today you feel like you’ve hit a brass ceiling, reached a plateau in your level of consecration, your prayer life, even your relationship with Jesus? Well, honey, you are not alone!  Don’t allow what you’ve been going through, to shut you down. Know that Now is Not Always!  

Trusting God means not only trusting His Word but trusting His Timing! Beloved, if God is for you, regardless of what the circumstantial evidence says, it fails to compare with God’s plans for your future! (Ref.Jeremiah 29:11)  After all, WHO CAN STAY GOD’S HAND, huh?  (Ref. Romans 8:31) Just like the Shunammite  mother, you grab hold to  the promise God gave you in HIS Immutable Word and come hell or highwater keep saying “IT IS WELL!” Beloved, look around, someone’s depending on you to raise the bar!

Didjaheardat? DON’T SLACK UP NOW, “DRIVE AND GO FORWARD”!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee