Category Archives: The Fullness of God

LOYAL LOVE!

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MORNING GLORAAA

 

ETERNAL TRUTHS!

 

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life, Weeping may endure for a night, BUT joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

O, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful. And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage. And He shall strengten your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. PSALM 31:23-24

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who He is!  2 Timothy 2:13

TRUTHBTOLD, PAIN AND SUFFERING IS A PART OF THI# LIFE! However, those of us who have placed our personal faith in The loyalty of our Heavenly Father’s Love and commitment to preserve us thru times of hardship always have a reason to hope and trust that precariousness of these temporary times of adversity fail in comparison to the CERTAINTY of The God of Heaven’s deliverance!

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I Am GOD, and there is no other! I have sworn by MYSELF; the Word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return… Isaiah 45:22-23

#Didjaheardat? #WOW!!! GOD’S LOVE REMAINS FAITHFUL 2 HIS WORD, EVEN WHEN WE’RE NOT!

ETERNAL TRUTH! #CARE2SHARE

AFTER THIS, LOOK 4 THE GLORRAA

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after-this-look-4-the-glory-2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And said to his servant, 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

 

It’s one thing to say that we trust God, but it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust! #Didjaheardat?

Life inevitably includes intervals of those pesty impositions I call ‘the dark times’! Like unexpected uninvited guest, trouble has a way of poppin in and staying way longer than we’d prefer! And to make matters even more unsettling, it’s during these seasons that we’re most likely to experience times when all evidence to substantiate that God is still with you and any sign indicating that He’s even listening to your prayers is essentially non-existent!

Knowing personally, it’s not easy watching our children’s lives being ravished by sickness and their youthful dreams and ambitions dissipated by helpless-hopelessness. But this is where the clichés that we so impressively sprout off to others are proven real or Memorex!  Beloved, the longer we walk with Jesus we discover that it’s in the midst of the storms that God reveals His Best Handy Work!  Who would’ve ever imagined that in spite of the dire forecast, The SON yet shines, leading and drawing us closer to Himself! Clearly, He’s determined, through any means necessary, to prove unequivocally that everything that the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around and make it work in our favor! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Oh My! How my soul rejoiced that day, hearing that my son had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! Little did I know that God would use this storm to woo him into seeking Him for himself , thereby positioning him for the miraculous showers of blessings that would follow! And most certainly, I never imagined as I was praying that God would stretch my faith and increase my knowledge of His Wisdom and Power, that I’d have to bury his twin brother to experience a whole new dimension of God’s Super-Sustaining Grace!

The Prophet Elijah teaches his young protégé that even when we can’t see no way to escape the very real threat of emminent destruction, we can yet trust God’s Heart and His Hands. God’s vision is far greater than 20/20. It’s from eternity past to eternity future! God watches guardingly over us thru The Blood stained eyes of Jesus. And through Divinely-inspired confident trust and quiet patience we discover the inexhaustible treaures God’s Faithfulness!

Today, you may find yourself plagued by all manner of maladies. Many of God’s people’s lives are being wounded and worn out by the insidious attacks of the enemies of God and  unfortunately, many are losing hope for life getting any better. But remember, anything is possible with God! TRUST2KNO, while our troubles have a predesignated date of expiration;  our prayers are eternal! #DIDJAHEARDAT??

As people of Hope, instead of surrendering to the pressures of circumstantial evidence, we pray; committing ourselves and our circumstances to our Omnipotent, Omniscient Omnipresent Savior and Lord! By doing this, we’re demonstrating to God that we are relying wholeheartedly upon His Love and the sufficiency of His Grace to sustain and deliver us! As we pray, God intervenes in His designated timing, turning everything the devil meant for evil—around for our greatest good and His Highest Glory! (Ref. 1 Chronicles 7:14)  #4REAL!

Don’t allow the darkness to deceive you. Could God be using the clouds to shield you from your enemies view, aligning you up for an unexpected miracle? (Ref. Exodus 13:21) I know it’s been a long night, but don’t give up!  They tell me, the darkest hour is just before the break of a new day. #Ijs!

Beloved, go take another look! SEEDAT? AFTER THIS, LOOK 4 THE GLORY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

MORE JESUS!

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MORE JESUS!

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. days (before Christ, y’all), 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 consciously realizing when nor how, (until my kids so happily pointed out to me) 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!

Didjaknow? It works the exact same way when it comes to strengthening your personal relationship with God! #4REAL!

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,  when you sincerely ask God to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, you were instantly changed on the inside; howevvvrrrrr, the progression of outward change depends largely upon us! #Didjaheardat?

Evidently, there’s a significant correlaation between the amount of time spent pursuing the things of the Spirit and the rate of our personal spiritual growth and development. If most of our time is spent satisfying the lustful desires of our  sin-loving flesh, inevitably our spiritual growth will be stunted!  Don’t shout me down nah! #ijs!

However, as you begin to separate yourself apart  from the worldly (carnal and ungodly) things of life (#sanctify) and deligently dedicate more time to studying The Word of God and mounting habitual alone-time with Him (consecrate), The Holy Spirit will ecstatically teach, guide and share Christ-Likeness with you.  Hence, 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!!!

Truthfully, until you have a real-life personal encounter of The Divine-Kind, you are clueless of Who and Whose You REALLY ARE? Not to mention the worth and purpose that’s yet to be revealed in and through The GOD IN YOU!

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!  My friend has since gone HOME to be with The Lord, BUT THANKYA JESUS 4 unexpected Angels, huh?

I “D-DOUBLE-DARE” YA! LET MORE OF JESUS RUB OFF ON YOU!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

A FULL HOUSE

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A FULL HOUSE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

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

 

Anyone that knows me, already know, if they ever wanna win a card game, don’t pick Ann as a partner. The only game that I evrrr remember having a remote chance of winning was “Go Fish” or “I Declare War”! Uuum, maybe God was trying to tell me something, huh?

Anyhow, I took the liberty of Googling what ‘A Full House’ meant and ascertained that “Any three cards of the same rank together with any two cards of the same rank. However, “Aces full of Kings” is a bigger full house than “Kings full of Aces.” Evidently, when comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher, huh? Oh well, as you’ve probably already surmised, none of that means a hill of beans to me because Mama said ‘scarred money never wins’ and SINCE my money was terrified!  #gotit? Therefore, I ‘d better stick to what I’m best suited for, huh? Catching souls and slamming demons!

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

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

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

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

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

Beloved, God is not content with your being satisfied with just enough! He’s The King of kings and Lord of lords! Therefore as His Heritage, He’s chosen to give us more than we could ask or think! (Ref. Ephesians 3:20)  Didjaheardat card jus hit da table? #BAMM Amazing, huh?

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

Hence, TRUST2KNO, your God delights in running your cup over so that you can’t contain the blessings, and will be able to share with others so that His Grace is reaching more and more people, multiplying praises with thanksgiving from grateful hearts to overflow to the Glory of God. (Ref. 2 Corinthians 4:15) 

Well, whatcha say?

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

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DEEP WELLS

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DEEP WELLS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” John 4:13-14

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:23-24

 

As you study the WORD OF GOD, throughout Jesus’ public ministry, you’ll discover that most of his criticism came not from the heathens, but from religious folk! Can I tell ya something, Jesus hates religion!

Now that might shock some of you, because all your life, you’ve been lead to believe that that’s what church is all about. But Jesus never came to start a new religion! in fact there’s too much of that going on now and it makes God puke! Didjaknowdat?

According to the scriptures, religious folk claim to be close to God, but their rebellious lifestyle of disobedience proves otherwise. They’re simply going thru the motions and their religion boils down to just a shallow  practice of routine rituals. God looks into their hearts and seeing that there’s is nothing real about their worship because there is no real love for Him nor sincere thankfulness to HIM for all of Lovingkindness towards them! Because there’s nothing personal about their relationship, they’re simply empty pots making a whole lot of noise—but ain’t saying nothing to touch His Heart!

The Prophet Isaiah says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men –who turn my words upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Can the pot say of the potter, HE KNOWS NOTHING!” (Isaiah 29:13-14)

In other words, God’s not impressed with our performance, for God is SPIRIT! So those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth! Hence, God longs to have intimate fellowship/communtion with our spirits. He wants us to meet Him Spirit-to-spirit. That’s what the scriptures means when it says, deep unto deep. He wants us to approach Him humbly, transparently, honestly, witholding nothing. Recognizing Who He is and realizing who we are in His Presence!

Saints, what separates christianity not  just apart, but above every other religion, is when we invite Christ into our hearts, immediately we shift from one Kingdom to another Kingdom! That’s what salvation thru Jesus Christ is all about! Yes, The Heavenly Father welcomes all to come as you are, but once you come into The Body of Christ, you don’t just stay where you are! It’s a rite of passage, to taking a quantrum leap from religious rituals to personal relationship! Once you taste of The Goodness of Jesus, you can’t resist the Holy Spirit’s promptings and urgency to change. YOUR WELL GETS DEEPER! #4REAL!

Could this be why carnal folk don’t understand why you go to church on a Tuesday nite, pay the whole 10% of tithes, and give an offering every time you come to church?  #interesting, huh?  However, you can’t get mad at them, because spiritual things cannot be carnally discerned. Some folk are just content to be CME …CHRISTMAS, MOTHER’S DAY AND EASTER WORSHIPERS! They’re just speaking out of their shallow well! #ijs

Nonetheless, some of us can testify, “Since I met Jesus, my well is continuously getting deeper. I no longer need my environment to consent that I need to praise God. I don’t have to have my circumstances to be perfect to determine whether or not GOD IS WORTHY 2 B PRAISED! BUT I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES, GOOD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT…MOUNTAIN TOP OR VALLEY…I WILL LIFT UP MY VOICE AND MAGNIFY HIS NAME…FOR IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE LORD ON MY SIDE, I WOULD NOT EVEN BE HERE TODAY!”

C’mon now! HOW DEEP IS UR WELL? WOW!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HOW MUCH I OWE?

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HOW MUCH I OWE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:12-13

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

 

I’m not trying to start nuffin, BUT! Have you noticed that ‘hoof-n-mouth disease’ has reached pandemic proportions amongst so many church-folkes? #ijs

Perhaps that’s why other folk seem to so easily tell you what you should do in any given situation, ‘because if it were me, I’d _____!” Someone once said, unless you walk in another man’s shoes, you’ll never appreciate the depth and weight of each footprint. Okay, I just made that one up, k? However, the point is, unless you personally experience each moment in every episode of that person’s journey, (which is virtually impossible) not from the perspective of a spectator, but as the starring participant, you can sympathize but not really empathize with them!

Even more perplexing is how long we struggle with submission to the commandments of The Only Savior as Lord of our lives! Could it be that we can never fully understand the passion of Jesus that caused Him, after being shamelessly mocked, brutally beaten, scorned and scourged all night then jokedly crowned with thorns, to make His way up Golgotha’s Hill, carrying that Ol’ Rugged Cross where His hands and feet were nailed, crucified for what you and I would do? Didjaheardat? #braintilt!

Awemazingly, the scriptures reveal that it was the Heavenly Father’s pleasure to see Jesus endure every second of this crushing death. (Ref. Isaiah 53:10)

Ever since the Garden of Eden, there are somethings that God never intended us to know. Why? Because He loves us too much to jus sit back and allow the fatality of sin to run it’s course, separating us from Him eternally? But, but? I know, that makes no sense at all!

We forget that His Thoughts are infinitely higher than ours and His Way are beyond humanity’s limited capacity of understanding. (Ref. Isaiah 55:9) Astonishingly, Jesus agreed to this before the foundation of the world, and while we were yet sinners!  (Romans 5:8) The Life dying in order for the dead to live? WOW! That’s Grace, huh?

According to Romans 12:1-2, all that God expects for so great a Salvation is for us to live out everyday, blessed, trusting in Him, as beaming reflections of His Love and Glory to a lost and dying world! Unfortunately, yet still many reckon that more than they are willing to give! (Ref. Luke 18:18-24)

However, there’s a remnant of believers who’ve sold out for the sake of The Cross and are gratefully committed to sacrifice their all to see more souls come into The Glorious Kingdom of God!

What shall U render? Well…HOW MUCH DO U OWE? #countupthecost

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

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SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:8-9

 

Whaa Da?  I get it! In the midst of the myriad of prominent prolific pastors, poised preachas, pulpit pounding prosperity phophets, packed out padded pews, dazzling mood lighting and symphonic sound systems and praiz and worship leaders (auditioning for Stella Awards), its kinda easy to lose sight of what qualifies as true spiritual success! Can the courageous church say, Amen 3x!

 

Didjakno? Spiritual success is not measured according to perfection, fear, fainting, failures nor even wanting to give up.

It’s not measured according to how many scriptures you memorize or quote, your church affiliation, the number of zero’s on your tithe check, your designer labels, your zip code, what you drive, your last name or how many titles/degrees you have in front or behind your name!

Believe it or not, it’s not indigenous to your melodious prayers, swarming soul-stirring testimonies, how high you jump, or how fast you run around the church!

Spiritual success is the culmination of maneuvering your way thru the mine-fields of this life, maturing while mastering and maintaining the knowledge and power of being saved, sane and survival at the same time!

WOW! THAT’S SPIRITUAL SUCCESS–GOD’S WAY!  Now, WHO OR WHAT’S BLOCKING U?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

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UNDER THE INFLUENCE 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to god must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6

 

The other day I heard someone say something that I thought was quite profound, at least thought provoking. It was said that “we are swirling towards eternity at the speed of life!” History is being written every day. Memories are being made, every day. Lessons are being taught and learned, every day. Attitudes are being formed and developed, every day.

As I began to think about this, several questions flooded my mind. First, does God’s Presence influence your life? How has the Presence of God influenced your life? What impact has God’s Presence made in your circle of influence?

We love to sing the song, “Jesus you are the center of my joy, all that’s good and perfect comes from you; you’re the Heart of my contentment, Hope for all I do….” But when the music stops, how’s your walk?

The Bible does not merely ask us to have faith to believe that God does exist. But we must also believe that God is who He says He is, that God is with us and that God is for us. (Ref. Hebrew 11:6) Accordingly, if we desire to please The Lord we must walk out our lives under the influence of His Presence that we may exemplify our beliefs throughout the course of daily living.

Does your character reflect the Presence of God in your life? Does the influence of God’s Presence affect the choices that you make? Does your life style reflect the influence of God’s Presence?

We are living epistles (letters) and folk are reading our mail, every day! How is the Presence of God in you influencing your readers? Just a thought! #ijs (Ref. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

The Bible says, we are the salt of the earth. I believe that means that we ought to make someone who doesn’t know God, thirsty for a drink of The Living Waters. (Ref. Matthew 5:13-14) As Christians, our greatest desire should be to allow the influence of God’s Presence to be reflected on those around us so much so that it provokes them to envy  and thirst for The God that we worship and  ultimately seek to claim Him as their personal Savior and Lord! 

KEEP IT MOVING! LIVE EACH DAY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE! 

SELAH! 

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SINGLE VISION

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SINGLE VISION

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
(Matthew 6:22-23)

 

Have you seen that optical illusion photo of Jesus where you’re instructed to stare at the four dots continuously for about a minute, then look away to the light and watch the darkness evaporate revealing The Face of Jesus?

DID YOU SEE HIM YET… still too dark, huh?

Belief it or not, that’s a challenge for most believers? I mean, seriously! How can we be expected to focus on The Light of the World, when we are constantly encompassed and distracted by such gross darkness? As with most of the things Our Heavenly Father expects of us, it’s not always easy, yet if we make a conscious effort to disciple ourselves, it is possible!

We must stick  to the Living Word of Truth; not just on crisis days, but every day; as if our very lives depended upon it. And it does! Beloved, remember we’re strangers sojourning through this life on our way to a Glorious Family Reunion. (Ref. John 17:16) Jesus prayed to The Father that He would keep us in this world until He’s sent again to fully restore us to The Kingdom. Knowing fully well that we’d be hated by His enemies, just like He was while he walked this earth; Jesus asked The Father to put HIS Light in us to ensure that His followers would never be without His Presence. (Ref. John 17:15; Matthew 5:14)

The Apostle John wrote, “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. “ (1 John 1:7)

Remember, thou weary one, you are God’s Chosen! Despite the random patches of darkness, we are never abandoned. Jesus guaranteed that there will always be just enough light to guide us through these momentary afflictions! (Ref. Hebrew 13:5)

DON’T TRIP! STAY FOCUSED ON THE SON LIGHT! THAT’S RIGHT…SINGLE-VISION!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

YOUR WATER IS BREAKING

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My Water Is Breaking

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“He that believe on ME, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John u:38

“Because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen…” Isaiah 43:20b

 

In the natural, most expectant mothers anticipating blessed arrival of her new baby with unrestrained excitement, shops until she drops! At the same time, the realization that before she actually holds her beautiful bouncing bundle of joy in her arms, she must first endure the grueling discomfort and pain of labor and delivery, can’t help but cause a certain degree of apprehension.

Every woman who has had a baby knows that as the labor progresses, the pain intensifies. Although we’re unable to accurately determine what the baby goes through, we can safely assume, by reason of anatomy, making its way through some extremely tight places causes a certain amount of discomfort for the child as well. For nine months, the womb has been his home and now, he’s reluctantly forced to transition into the next level of life.

Spiritually, our rebirthing process also requires intense laboring for deliverance. Every blood washed, born-again, child of the Living God has been impregnated with purpose and potential. However, making our transition from one realm of spiritual reality into another, (from grace 2 grace) ultimately involves some degree of violent struggle. The ol’ church used to say, no pain – no gain!

As we matriculate from one level of spiritual maturity to the next, we’re often forced to navigate through some tight circumstances. Sometimes, just as in the natural birthing process, in order to hasten the birth and avoid the complications and dangers associated with a dry birth, the doctor may deliberately puncture the embryonic sack. This process is called “breaking the water”.

Likewise, to ensure that a believer transitions spiritually into our highest potential, the spiritual mid-wife, The Holy Spirit, fills His chosen with soul refreshing, sweet living waters drawn from the Wells of Salvation! This water is called Joy.  (Ref. Isaiah 12:3) This joy is not a state of mind neither is it a fleeting emotion; but to a believer facing the famine and drought of the desert storms of life, joy is a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Saints, whatever you’re going through now, just remember while weeping may endure for a night, God has promised us that Joy is coming in the morning.  (Ref. Psalm 30:5) Beloved, keep this in the forefront of your mind, that if you’re experiencing pain, it is only a sign that God is moving and positioning you into the next stage of abundant everlasting life.

Don’t sweat the process, Holy Spirit’s just induced your labor and your water is about to break!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee