Category Archives: Hope

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

 

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

 

COME AWAY…WITH ME!

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COME AWAY WITH ME

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Song of Songs 2:10

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. Song of Songs 3:4

 

It’s about that time again, yall! Don’t get me wrong, I so enjoy looking at the snow covered rooftops, grounds and trees …out of my living room windows! But,  I jus love the sounds of Spring bursting in the freshness of new beginnings! As a child, I could hardly wait. Not just for school to close, even though I worked hard to get good grades and deserved a break!  But, in the Newton clan,  it meant  new shorts, tank tops and Kenny Kapers, backyard cookouts with loads of family, food, fellowships and street games tournaments. As days got warmer and longer, smiles got brighter and hearts seemed lighter, as if love was in the air!

But then you grow up, huh? Life doesn’t always allow you to play as hard or often when you’ve got obligations and resposibilities to family, commitments to friends, schools, jobs, careers,  and yes church! Sometimes you’re pulled in all kinds of directions, huh?

In the mix of the longer lunch hours, and crammin more fun-n-da sun weekends, it can be difficult to carve out that one-on-one time with the True Light of The World! That still small Voice whispering, “COME” is often muted by the sermonic selections of the birds, blooming  buds and booming music, not to mention the blasts of callings to cruises, amusement park outings and island gettaways! After all, you deserve a little personal  R&R, right?

It ain’t my business, but I’m jus saying, this year, let’s not get so caught up in the heat of the dayz, that you neglect those holy moments with The Daystar, Jesus! In fact, take The Lord God with you, everywhere you go. Chances are, you gonna need Him!

Oh yeah, feel free to invite a friend… that’ll really make Jesus smile! ‘Come, ye… after me?’ Didjaheardat? SERIOUSLY? #don’tdolifewithoutHIM!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

SUPER-NATURAL!

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Super-Natural

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

 

Don’t you just love hearing these words ringing out in a blazing testimony of the overcoming, triumphant power of a believer—or not? Perhaps, you can you remember hearing these words and being overcome with a sense of disappointment and failure in self for having weaknesses that you are yet struggling with.

Sometimes, like the world, the saints concoct their own sanctified Hollywood version of their personal lives to escape unpleasant realities. Yet, the Bible does not teach this kind of fantasy life. In fact, Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16.33

Looking at the preceding verses of today’s scripture text Philippians 4:11-12,  the confidence exemplified in The Apostle Paul’s comments might easily be interpreted as the words of a super human of great faith—able to leap over walls and run through troops, scale tall buildings effortlessly, conquering the unconquerable! And in many instances, indeed they are! However, what many of us fail to recognize is that The Apostle’s faith was developed through personal suffering and patient endurance through tremendous temptations, test, trials and tribulation, totally reliant upon The Lord’s Sustaining Grace! Just like any other human being born into planet Earth.

The problem is, often times we’ll read this text with the focus on the ‘I’, rather than recognizing that the real emphasis should be on the “through Christ” of Paul’s testimony. Think about it! Oh how liberating it is to cast the burden of proving The Word of God in its rightful place. In the Power of The One Who watches over His Word to perform it. (Ref. Jeremiah 1:12) This is the True Hope and Peace-filled Joy of every saint who aspires to experience the manifestation of God’s Promises! U C? It’s all about HIM not us! God gets the Glory by putting Christ’s SUPER ON OUR NATURAL!

It pleases The Heavenly Father to anoint us with HIS Amazing Grace, empowering us beyond our natural ability! It’s The Anointing that enables us to do above and beyond everything we can ever ask or think.

Remember, God is Omnipotent! Hence, God has unlimited resources of Glory yet to be revealed! As we relinquish our self-reliance and embrace Christ-Reliance, we can dauntlessly proclaim, “It’s the GOD IN ME!” (Ref. Galations 2:20)

My precious Sista/Bro, oooohhhh what a relief it is—when we learn to ‘Let go and Let God!’ THAT’S WHEN IT GETS SUPER-NATURAL! #4REAL!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & 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

 

WHO KNEW?

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WHO NU

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 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 1:3-6

 

Shhh!!! Quiet as it’s kept, sometimes even seasoned-saints are overwhelmed by a daily dose of mass media infiltration of ‘you- just-gotta know current events’! Oh, don’t shout me down yet!

You know what I mean!  What about that hefty serving of derogatory remarks from the ‘people in-the-know’, mixed with a side order of another senseless school slaying and alleged child pornography arrests, sandwiched between two slabs of multiple assault, batteries and robberies along with a ear-full of not-so-subtle-any-more racial slurs directed at high ranking politicians coupled with the collapse of another financial institution due to the greedy boardroom antics, the increase of bankruptcies, foreclosures and the unstable employment stats, and for dessert we get a heaping dollop of flamboyant ungodliness in some pulpit way across the country. It’s bound to jangle the lifestyle of the comfortably complacent and vex the very soul of the righteous, huh?

And we haven’t even gotten to those ‘real-time-scandalous-drama-pop-ups’ that keep recurring in your own personal day-to-day life! 

May I offer this Word of consolation? Absolutely nothing ever catches God by surprise!

Really! According to Scripture, God knew that men would audaciously rebel and reject Godly Wisdom and Truth, and go about doing that which ‘seemed right’ in their own eyes. (Ref. Judges 17:6) Nevertheless, He didn’t change a thing! Why? Because He controls everything in Creation! Before laying the foundation of this world, God deliberately put in place everything we could possibly ever need to overcome anything we’d ever face!

As we go about the daily business of life, rubbing up against the ungodly on our jobs, riding the subway, in the malls, the grocery store, at the bank and even in our homes—rest assured, no matter what it looks like—GOD KNOWS!

That’s why He sent Jesus to preserve the faithful and vindicate the righteous! 

Can I tell you something else? God never intended you to set this whole world right! Neither does He want you to run thru life scarred and terrorized by the lord of Destruction.  Well, what am I supposed to do? The answer is found in The Book! 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Yes, somethings happen in life that are beyond your control. However, you have the power to choose your response! Make a decision to rest in God’s Love, trust in His Faithfulness and depend upon God’s Power!

Beloved, today, may your faith be affirmed, your strength renewed and your peace restored through The Knowledge, Absolute Authority and All Sufficient Grace of your OMNISCIENT FATHER GOD!

WHO KNEW? GOD KNEW!

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

FAITH 4 NOW!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

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

 

Several years ago, I heard a teaching by Kenneth Copeland, reminiscing about his early experiences in the family church. Bro. Copeland said that just about every Sunday morning, it was pretty much guaranteed that you’d hear the Preacher say ‘you gotta have faith’, or ‘you need to increase youaith’, or ‘if it’s not of faith then, it’s sin’. Bro. Copeland remembered how frustrating it was because the Preacher never told them how a poor soul might procure this precious gift of faith!

Well, guess what? Not much has changed, huh? Even now, given the popularity of 21st Century prosperity doctrinal teachings, I’d venture to say that a whole of churchgoers are still confused about they can exercise true biblical faith in their lives. Contrary to New Millennium mysticism , faith is not a new theological doctrine reserved for the elect seminary scholars. God has given every one of us ‘a measure of faith’…and it’s a free gift, yall! No one can work hard enough or be good enough to earn or deserve it! But The Heavenly Father so graciously pours it into us when we open our hearts to HIM!

Simply put, Faith is a patient confident trust in the integrity and power of our Loving and Caring Heavenly Father!

Faith is the currency of exchange in The Kingdom of God! Duuhhh! God doesn’t need our money! EVERYTHING, including all the silver and gold belongs to Him! However, we need faith to get anything from Him. In fact, you can’t even approach God unless you believe that He exists and is able to do what you need Him to do for you. Sounds like it’s virtually impossible to please God without it, huh? (Ref. Hebrew 11:6)

Hebrews Chapter 12, dubbed The Hall of Faith, highlights several examples of ordinary men and women, who activated their faith and achieved extraordinary things thru God! Nevertheless, to relegate God’s Faithfulness to an historical phenomenon seems to suggest that He’s changed—and that’ll NEVER happen! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8) Perhaps that’s why Today’s text says now faith and not then faith, huh?

After all that God has done for us, trusting Him seems only reasonable! (Ref. Romans 12:1-2)

Did you know that your Heavenly Father is absolutely delighted when His sons and daughters genuinely trust in Him! Seriously!

Faith in God says, ‘Father I believe that You love me unconditionally and always have my best interest at heart. Even if it doesn’t look like it, I am fully persuaded that my God is working everything together for my highest good and His Greatest Glory!’ (Ref. Romans 8:28)

WOW! REMEMBER, IF HE did it before, HE WILL DO IT NOW! —NOW THAT’S FAITH!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee