Category Archives: Provider

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

GOOD MORNING FAM! GOTTA MOMENT! AWESOME!

We are extremely delighted that once again you’ve joined us in a Weekly Corporate Prayer & Fasting! We count it both a privilege and honor to approach The God of Heaven and Earth, seated upon The Throne of Mercy and Grace, entreating His Divine Presence, confident that His Scepter is forever extended to all who will diligently seek Him in Spirit and in Truth! Shall we enter in…

I NEED THEE, O I NEED THEE! EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY, I NEED THEE! OOOOHHH BLESS ME NOW, MY SAVIOR! I COME TO THEE! I NEED, THEE; OH I NEED THEE! EVRRRRYYYY HOUR OF THE DAY; I NEED THEE! OOOOOHHHH BLESS ME NOW, MY SAVIOR! I…COME….TO….THEE!

 

Our Father and our God , as we come before You today, humbled by Your Loving-Kindness, tender Mercy and Amazing Grace, we’re eternally grateful for one more opportunity to behold The Beauty of Your Presence! We know that it’s only because of Your Sovereignty that we have been allowed to live one more day! We thank You for that Glorious day when You suddenly opened our blinded eyes, revealing to us such wondrous treasures that were hidden from our understanding, when we walked surrounded by darkness, as dead men in the earth without a God on our side!

Abba Father, it’s only because of You, we now live, move and have our being! Therefore, once again, we come with our our hearts rejoicing, hands lifted up and our lips forever praizing You! Oh, how awesome are Your deeds! For You have preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping!

Daddy, thank You for being God of our Salvation, Deliverance, Breakthrough and Provision! Because You know our frame, Your Faithful Compassion continuously allows You to look beyond our human frailties,flaws, faults and iniquities to see and still minister to all of our real need! Not only have You have done so much for each and every one of us, You keep right on blessing us over and over again!  Abba Father, forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to Your Heart. Thankya for the assurance that You’ve given to us, that as we confess our sin, You are Faithful and Just to forgive, pardon and restore us back into rightful fellowship with You, we ask now for Your forgiveness, in The Precious Name of Jesus!

Sweet Jesus, teach us to see sin through Your eyes, acknowledging it as evil wickedness and rebellion against the Creator and Lover of our souls, The Giver and Sustainer of All Life! And when we sin, quicken our spirit to repent immediately, and to confess with our mouth our wrongdoing, that we might receive the Gracious forgiveness of our Heavenly Father!
For this cause, we gladly present our spirit, soul and body as a living holy sacrifice to be used for Your Greatest Glory!

Precious Lord, because no man can come to the Father except you draw them, we intercede on behalf of every unsaved soul. We pray that You will quicken the Spirit of Godly-repentance in their heart and in their mind that they will come to you today confessing a “sincere Yes” to your Amazing Gift of Grace and receive You as their personal Lord and Savior! We’re believing that You will Divinely orchestrate their footsteps settleling them into a local church home today.

Lord, we ask You to put a new “committed YES” in the heart and mind of every backslider! Let today be the day that they come back to You and come back to YOUR church where they will submit their lives to the sound teachings of Your Word, and learn to love and live their lives walking to please You First!

Father, we pray that You will touch our brother, touch our sister, afflicted by sickness and disease, especially the spirit of cancer, kidney disease, heart/lung disease and rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake. Heavenly Father, You have decreed that You are Alpha and Omega, the same yesterday, today and forever! Therefore, even as You walked this earth healing all who were sick, feeble, lame we know that You’re Well Able to do the same right now! Your Word declares that Your stripes have redeemed and healed us and we’re yet standing on your promises that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name! Amen 3x!

Sweet Jesus, we’re believing 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. Preserve each and everyone of us thru the tests that we must go thru and keep us constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE, fully-confident that at the appointed time,You, will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word.

Father, we lift up our children, our children’s children and by faith, cancel every diabolical scheme that Satan desires to inflict upon them, committing them into Your providential care, realizing that You have a plan and purpose for their lives too and we have the blessed assurance that their steps are being ordered by Your eyes!

Father, we lift up every spiritual leader, asking that You grant an immediate manifestation of that special miracle for each and every one of them who are yet standing on the wall proclaiming Your Word under the convicting Power and Anointing of Holy Spirit! Sweet Jesus, 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 with You, trust wholly in and commit to live their lives faithfully and obediently serving You!
Knowing that You Sovereignly Rule and Reign over the affairs of mankind, Father we’re praying for the leaders of our nation, government, corporate, judicial, educational, health care providers and every arena of our society! We’re trusting You to touch their minds and hearts, speak to them in dreams and visions to let them know that You Who Sit Enthroned Above the Heavens are keeping record of the deeds of every man’s heart and will reward accordingly!

In the Precious Name of Jesus, we come against every demonic stronghold, every spirit of manipulation, the spirit of rejection! We trust You to reverse every demonic set back, every word curse, every generational curse; annihilate every soul tie and toxic relationship! Sweet Holy Spirit, we’re believing that even as we’re praying, You are breaking off of us the spirit of religion, compromise, Jezebel, traditionalism, pride and inferiority. Father we decree that every demonic-induced spirit of addiction and fear is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released into the lives and atmosphere of Your people now, in Jesus Name! We plead the blood over this prayer and us in Jesus Name!

Heavenly Father, we bring so many before Your throne O God. Those who are broken-hearted, feeble in body and spirit, those who are at a crossroad of life, the ones addicted to harmful substances, our armed forces, policemen, fire and rescue personnel, nurses, doctors, pastors and leaders, missionaries far and near; our leaders of the world. We’re trusting You to endow the hearts of your children with peace where there is confusion, send love where there is hate, send unity where there is division. Bless the fatherless and motherless. Keep us ALL in Your care. These favors we ask in Jesus mighty name!!

Father, we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shameful defeat, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Abba Father, we stand in agreement with You Who hears ours prayers and forgives our transgressions! Holy Father, because You have chosen us to live in Your House, we shout with exceeding Joy unto The Hope of all the earth, believing that as Your face shines upon us, You are making Your ways and salvation known among all nations for You Guide and Rule justly!

Father, we thank You NOW, for WE believe that according to Your Will, it is done! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen 3X and It Is So!

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL SOMEBODY THAT JESUS STILL SAVES!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

THE WONDER OF GOD!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 2 Samuel 9:7-8
 

“Why me?”
 
How many times have we found ourselves spurting this out? Whether out of a sense of cynical-rhetorical contemptuousness or an overwhelming comeback to the lusciousness of God’s unexpected favoritism, we can all identify with Mephibosheth’s response to King David. (Ref. 2 Samuel 9) Especially, since none of us can honestly claim that we deserve to be so blessed in the first place, huh? Truthfully, any good that we do is generally accidental. So as far as standing up to the standards God’s of Righteousness, we are all lame in both feet! (Ref. Romans 3:23)
 
But that’s the whole point! It’s the Wonder of God’s unmerited goodness that sets us apart from the rest of the world!
 
Knowing us from the inside-out, not just what you did–but why,  your Heavenly Father blessed you anyway! Despite all the justifiable circumstantial evidence to support our accuser’s objections, The Eternal Judge over-rules them, dismissing the case, covers you in His Robe of Righteousness, leaving them (and sometimes even us) scratching their heads, dumbfounded and paralyzed uttering in amazement “What jus happened?” 
 
Creation clearly demonstrates God’s propensity for details. Behold, how marvelously God pieces the individual segments of our lives to fit perfectly jointed together for our highest good and His Greatest Glory! (Ref. Romans 8:28) His Handiwork, often mysteriously hidden behind the clouds, weaving the highs and the lows, the strides and the falls, the haves and the have nots, lovingly bonding the momentary to the eternal, paints a collage that captivates the attention of that passerby to stop and ponder; taking much needed periods of reflection, introspection, covetously inquires “Why not me?”
 
THANK GOD for that day when, like Mephibosheth, we finally get it! Casting off fear, we fall prostrate before our Benevolent Faithful King in humble obedience, with everlasting joy, declaring “For you O Lord are my Everlasting Hope!” (Ref. Psalm 16:5)

GOD SO LOVED ME?  I KNOW IT MAKES NO SENSE, BUT…YES HE DOES!  AND HE ALWAYS WILL!
 
SOOOO., WITH ABUNDANT JOY WE GRATEFULLY  SUCCUMB TO THE WONDER OF OUR GOD!
 
SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!”
 
Ann Caffee

IT’S A NEW DAY!

IT'S A NEW DAY!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth, Shall ye not know it?   I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert?  Isaiah 43:19

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

 
 

I still remember when I would curse the breaking forth of the morning. It only meant another day filled with excruciating pain, sadness, discouragement and disappointment–just like all the others. It is no stretch of the imagination to figure out who had perpetuated those thoughts, okay?  But that was B.C. (Before Christ came into my life)!!!!  But by The Grace of God, today I stand as a living testimony to reality of The New-Life-Giving Power of God! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
Yessirreee Bob, this old gurl’s gotta  new attitude!  Coming from an extremely negative environment, I thought that this was just the way of the world. However, once I accepted Jesus, I learned that God’s Salvation’s Benefit Package included a completely different attitude, faith!  Yeah Baby, this new faith attitude is the heritage of the saints, the children of God! 
 
Once you recognize that you’re really in a personal relationship with the True and Living God, it’s actually possible for you to embrace each day with  joy, hopeful anticipation and confident assurance that this is a great day because God made it! Seriously,  it’s a new day!
 
Before you open up your eyes or your feet hit the floor, you have the power to dictate your day.  You can say,‘Good Lord, it’s morning already or Good Morning, Lord’. You choose whether to approach your day with joyful celebration and gratitude for  another opportunity to experience God’s Glory, Grace and Praise for what He’s already done, is doing now and for what He is about to do or you can claim fear, discouragement and defeat by murmuring and complaining. 
 
Don’t get it twisted. Even as a disciple of Christ, everyday is not the same; however each day you’re becoming new as you grow in the Wisdom, Knowledge and the Grace of God! That’s right saints, the new you makes the decision to enjoy this wonderful gift of present by refusing to allow past sins, past failures, past wounds and past disappointments, to keep you from moving forward into this brand new day! Didjaheardat?
 
The Ol’ Saints used to sing, ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!”  Don’t fool yourself, they lived through some very distressing times. Remember, The Great Depression!  Yet, amidst their adversity, they remained convinced that God was well able to keep them thru and to bring them out of anything that would unfold during a day!
 
When Jesus is your Shepherd, it doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.  God empowers each new day with new mercy, new grace and new faith to believe that today is the first day of the best of my life…because today is MY new day !

Soooooo, I decree and declare that Today, I have the mind of Christ! I believe that God is making a way out of no way, for me! Today, I believe that God is up to something that He’s never done before. Today, I expect to be strengthened, delivered and re-joyed! Today is another chance for me to do better and become more because today is another opportunity to get closer to Jesus!

Now if that doesn’t jumpstart your day, you better check your vitals and make sure you’re still living! OOOHHH GLORRRAAAAA!

HEY YALL, LIFE GOES BETTER WITH CHRIST! O HAPPY EVERYDAY!  IT’S A NEW DAY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

EMPTY POTS

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

“He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Isaiah 44:20

I can only imagine what’s going on in the mind and heart of Elohim gazing down the the portals of time from Eternity, seeing the massive gathering of Sunday Morning worshipers.

Look at us, over there we’re suited down in our St. Johns and over here in our Sean Johns. Got our weaves looking fresh jus like dat and our hair perfectly trimmed tight. Etienne Aigner shoes and our New York Yankees designer hats neatly tucked under the pews, just in case the person next to us gets a bit too unruly.

Once the policeman re-directed the traffic to turn left (because the parking lot was already filled to its capacity) finally, we’re glad to be seated in our favorite row. The stage is set! The sound-man gives the nod, the lighting is in sync with the Minister of Music and the Choreographer has gotten the attention of the Liturgical Dancers, we’re ready! Let’s Get It Done…BAMM!

Not so fast! I see ‘yall’, BUT where’s ‘The Glory’? Where are the God-Seekers? Who’s actually among us here to Honor HIM?

“What’s up with you asking us these kinds of questions? How could you miss HIM? Didn’t you see all those fine automobiles parked outside of this grandiose sanctuary? I bet if you tallied up the cost that was spent at the hair salons this week, you’d probably could buy a small nation. And you know the price for an authentic custom-tailored suit these days ain’t cheap, given inflation. Not to mention the small fortune the church puts out to fuel up our Pastor’s jet. You got some nerve asking about GOD! Obviously GOD has been good to us!”

Okay! Granted, you got a whole lot of stuff going on. You can afford to sit back on your laurels proudly contented and cozy, belly full and satisfied, enjoying the fruit of your successful accomplishments, and resting in the warm of your own fire. Man! that’s the life that God promised us or is it?

When was the last time you actually talked to The God you claim to belong to and serve? Did you even thank HIM for waking you up this morning, giving you the strength to get up (under your own volition) and the mind to brush your teeth with a toothbrush and not a hair brush? Have you really forgotten that there was a time when going to church on a Sunday morning never crossed you mind and the only cross you carried was dangling from your rear view mirror as a token protector for you and your property? Remember when the only word you read with any consistency was your horoscope?

Yeah, Buddy! What a life!

And you call those folk—who just can’t wait to get to Church, not just on Sunday mornings, but Bible Study, prayer meetings, whatever and whenever the doors of the church are open, they gotta be in The House, in fellowship with like-minded spirits after being amidst a bunch of God-Haters all week/day long, we who are desperate for the times of refreshment found only in the Presence of The Lord—out of touch with reality! REALLY?

Come, let’s reason this thing out together.

IS GOD BLESSED BY YOUR WORSHIP OR IS IT A STINCH IN HIS NOSTRILS?

EMPTY POTS, huh?

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee

 

LET GOD RUB OFF ON U!

LET GOD RUB OFF ON U3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Psalm 119:130 

Back in my B.C. (before Christ) days, I met this very special lady. Subsequently, Ms. Annette and I grew as close as two peas in a pod. Whoever coined the phrase “a little bit of country and a little bit of rock n’ roll” had to have met my friend “Anna” (self-identification of her alter-ego). By day, Ms. Annette was a successful-sophisticated-know-her-stuff-RN. BUT! By nite, that Hattiesburg-Mississippi-Black Water-Country-Ebonic-Talk’n-parta’-down-like it was 1999-Anna would emerge! And guess who would try to hang-out right with her? Exactly!

Evrrrr noticed, that if you spend a lot of time around someone you admire, who happens to have a strangely-peculiar personality, the strangely-peculiar affect they tend to have on you? Startlingly, without my consciousness (until my kids so happily pointed out) my conversation conspicuously became sporadically seasoned with some of the same words, same dialect and same mannerisms as my friend. Obviously, a little bit of “Anna” had rubbed off on me!

It works the exact same way when it comes to strengthening your personal relationship with God!

As believers, the Father’s Plan is to mold us into the image of Jesus. The moment you are born again, Holy Spirit begins the process of Supernatural Empowered Transformation of our spirit until it looks just like Him. Spiritually, you were instantly changed on the inside; however the progression of outward change depends largely upon us.

The amount of time spent pursuing things of the Spirit correlates directly to our spiritual growth and development. If most of your time is spent satisfying the lustful desires of your flesh, inevitably your spiritual growth will be stunted! #ijs However, as you begin to separate yourself apart from the worldly things of life and dedicate more time to studying The Word of God, mounting habitual alone-time with Him, The Holy Spirit will ecstatically teach, guide and share Christ-Likeness with you. He’s gonna rub off on you until His ways become your ways!

The more readily you yield the more of you to Him, abiding in His Presence in prayer, meditating in His Word and surrending yourself in worship, you will be absolutely amazed at the miraculous change that will take place on the inside and out! I’m telling you, personally, you’ll hardly recognize that new man in the mirror! Seriously!!!

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1 #Didjaheardat?

Ohh, by the way, guess who introduced me to Jesus Christ? Yep, Anna! THANKYA JESUS!

I “D-DOUBLE-DARE” YA! LET GOD RUB OFF ON YOU!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

BUT, GOD!

BUT GOD!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

 

Oh, I know you’re saved, sanctified, filled with the Precious Gift of Holy Ghost and do speak in tongues as The Spirit gives utterance! BUT! Since you’ve been saved, have you ever felt like saying to God, “Lord, I know You say it’s an honor to be recommended by God to the devil, BUT…here lately, it seems that I’m the only one you’ve been pointing out. If You don’t mind, next time, could you please recommend somebody else!”

Have you ever considered telling God, “Jesus, the next time you decide to pull down the hedge around me and giving Satan a shot at me, I’d appreciate at least a heads-up!” No? Jus wondering!

Unless you just landed on Planet Earth early this morning or were born late last night, you already know that storms are a natural occurrence on the sea of life, whether you’re saved or unsaved! In fact The Holy Bible tells us “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:1 Hence, as long as there is breath in your body, you will experience some measure of adversity and affliction, temptation and trial, distress and disappointment and choas and calamity.

Today’s text shares a story of an average day in the lives of Jesus’ disciples and their response to an unexpected storm that popped-up out of no where. Sounds a bit too uncomfortably familiar, huh?

As the text opens, Jesus having finished teaching classes, traveling from town to town and village to village, decided to take some ‘down-time’ and go across the lake to the other side to escape the crowds that normally followed him. He told His disciples, “Let’s go to the other side” and went to catch a nap. The disciples also seemed to be enjoying the calm atmosphere as the boat sailed on the smooth waters. Until, suddenly a terrible windy storm arose causing turbulent waves to come pouring into their small vessel, threatening to capside at any minute, killing everyone on the boat. Someone thought to wake up Jesus and cried out, “Master, Master, can’t you see we’re about to drown?” As if The Omniscient One had vacated the premises!

The Scripture goes on to say that Jesus, standing up, spoke to the wind and the waves, “Silence, Peace Be Still!” to which they had no other recourse BUT to obey The Master Creator! Turning to His disciples, Jesus sorrowfully inquired, “Why can’t you trust me?”

My Precious Sistas and Brothers, perhaps Jesus is posing that same question to you today. I know it’s been rough out there. I know you have a mindset to follow Jesus all the way, to love Him with all of your heart, soul and body, yet still storms keep hitting your life on the left and the right. But Beloved, Jesus won’t jump ship like some other people might. Jesus has promised to stay with you all the way across the Lake of Life. No matter where you are today, Jesus is always with you.

There are some lessons that prove vital to your personal maturity and intimacy through understanding the attributes of the God Whom you serve you, that can only be learned in the midst of the storms!

Could this be why the astonished disciples inquired, “What kind of Man is this?”

So the next time that Ol’ Deceiving Tyrant comes slithering around, threatening to destroy your hope, joy and peace, jap-slap ’em with this, “I hear ya knocking…BUT! GOD!”

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

ITZ ALL ABOUT THE CROWN

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelations 2:10-11

 

PARDON ME, again! I know this isn’t religiously correct, how—evrrrr sometimes, it’s just hard!

Here you are, as the ol’ saints used to say, ‘living all u know how 2 live for JESUS’, with everything in you clinging to The Testimony of God’s Faithful Witness, who is TRUTH, YET …EVERYWHERE U TURN, U GOT TROUBLE BREAKING OUT!!! #WHADA…???

Seriously, none of us normal human beings enjoy suffering, right?
Nevertheless, life has taught you (and even the Word admonishes us) that those who Name the Name of Jesus must expect trouble. Afterall, even “Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered”! (Ref. Hebrew 5:8)

“Yeah, but but butt”…I feelya, okay? Yet, according to The Scriptures, God has Sovereignly linked suffering and glory into the lives of those who have confessed their trust in His Plan for our lives. Remember the words of The Apostle Paul? “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Roman 8:36

I know, sometimes that doesn’t help MUCH! BUT! We have this confident assurance that before God permits sporadic seasons of tribulations He sets an expiration date before the test begin! Aren’t U Soooo glad, trouble don’t last always!

Beloved, there’s always a greater purpose behind our pain! And no, it ain’t always God punishing you for your disobedience! For His own reasons, God has elected to allow test, trials and trouble along the landscape of our journey to draw us closer to Him, to purify, purge and position us to partake of His Divine Nature—HOLINESS!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

This life has a way of putting you through the ringer, huh? But God has decreed, that nothing you will ever experiene can separate you from His Love! “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Rest Assured, GOD KNOWS!

Today, receive His Words to The church at Smyrna, as your very own! Don’t allow fear of this temporary situation to deter you from your eternal goal! The King of Glory has declared and decreed that I AM ALPHA and OMEGA! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. LO I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAY!  FOR WHO CAN STAY MY HAND! (Ref. Rev. 22:13; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:2o; Isa. 43:13) Didjaheardat? #WOW!!!

Precious ones,  endure persecution with fidelity, confident that “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND YOUR REWARDER! DON’T QUIT! YOUR CROWN AWAITS YOU!”

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

BOTTOMS UP!

 

BOTTOMS UP 4

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:15-16

 

We are a piece of work, huh? And living proof of the Loving Compassion of our Creator! #ijs

Seriously, no other god would put up with us for as long as The Living God of the Bible. Every morning we’re awaken to a brand new day filled with hopeful promises of  fresh Mercy and Grace. Every evening we lie down confident that He who never sleeps nor slumbers will watch over us, protecting and shielding us from dangers seen and unseen, sustaining our bodies, assuring that every particle of flesh and bone is in perfect alignment with its ordained purpose and functioning at the precise rhythm of its appointed origin, without any assistance from us. (Ref. Psalm 121:4) Awemaazin!

Nevertheless, at the first hint or threat that our circumstances aren’t going the way we think they ought to go, immediately we are stricken with an acute case of fatalistic-selective amnesia, forgetting that that Self-Same-God of The Universe Who has elected to be our Father also rules and reigns over the affairs of his most precious creation, humanity!

Unfortunately, our tendency to adapt to the world’s mindset that says, ‘if I don’t, nobody else will’, often lands us smack-dab-center–staged in the valley of despair victimized by fear of lack and hopelessly doomed to looming defeat and death. The truth of the matter is, God never intended us to live independent of Him in any area of our lives!

However, it’s the all-consuming task of our adversary, Satan, to keep us so pre-occupied with our personal comfort that it takes a conscious concerted self-determined humility to commit our entire being into the Hands of our Faithful Savior, fully trusting that He’s already provided everything that will ever be needed to prosper in this life and the life to come!  (Ref. 2 Peter 1:3)  OMG! #Didjaheardat?

As our scripture text unfolds, we see The Sovereign Teacher, using a season of severe drought and famine as the Lesson Plan, to test and strengthen the faith of both His servant Elijah and the un-named widow of Zarephath. The Prophet of God had oftentimes experienced the miracle working power of God’s Grace to deliver him triumphantly over his enemies. Yet when suddenly confronted by a new threat to take him out, finds himself hiding at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of The Jordan River being waited on by God-Sent Ravens. Then God orders him to leave that place and go to another place where he’d find a woman, who God had instructed to feed him. Being the obedient servant that he was, Elijah obeyed.  Howevrrr, unbeknownst to him, this woman was dealing with her own desperately dramatic circumstances. In fact, by the time Elijah got there, she’d made a decision to prepare this last meal for herself and her son after which they’d both die and it would all be over!

God is not limited to temporary situations, neither is His power diminished by our finite ability to accurately assess what, how, where or when He dispenses out miracles. Notwithstanding, God’s miraculous intervention is sometimes limited by our personal willingness to trust Him to do whatever He promises for us! Hence, we must take care to not miss our miracle because it doesn’t look like what we expect.

For instance, imagine if Elijah had allowed the outward appearance and the initial assumption of the woman’s distressing circumstances to direct his steps? He would’ve missed another opportunity to testify to the Glory of The True Source and Sustainer of Life! And, if the widow woman had allowed her wearied fluctuating state of emotions and even the reality of physical hunger to confine her to her own plan, she and her son would’ve missed their Divine Visitation!

The scripture also makes mention that God did not instantly pour down a whole barrel of oil and a full bin of flour. And we know that HE COULD’VE! However, each day The Good Shepherd supplied them with a sufficient portion of bread and oil from the bottom of the vessels! (Ref. Matthew 6:11) Apparently, it is the delight of our Heavenly Father to joyfully greet and so graciously meet the needs of those who offer their personal trust and confidence to Him one day at a time!

REMEMBER…THEY DID EAT! FROM THE BOTTOM UP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee