Tag Archives: Encourage

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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PRAYN AND FASTING PIC

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Good Morning Family! GOTTA MOMENT? GREAT! LET’S PRAY…

 

BECAUSE OF WHO U R, WE GIVE U GLORAAA…BCUZ OF WHO U R, WE GIVE U PRAIZ! BECAUSE OF WHO U R, I WILL LIFT MY VOICE AND SAY, LORD, I WORSHIP U, BCUZ OF WHO U R…HERE WE ARE TO WORSHIP, HERE WE ARE TO BOW DOWN, HERE WE ARE TO SAY THAT YOU’RE OUR KING! YOU’RE ALTOGETHER LOVELY, ALTOGETHER WORTHY, ALTOGETER WONDERFUL 2 me…

Father in Heaven, here we are before you once again. We come today with outstretched arms, open hands and grateful hearts, for this is the day that You have made! Therefore we’re rejoicing in The Splendor of Your Magnificent Glory! We know that it’s only because of Your Grace and Mercy, that we’re yet here! It’z because of Your love for us, You have allowed us one more day to enjoy life, health and strength. We’re thankful for another opportunity to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto you.

From our Mother’s womb, You’ve proven Yourself to be Faithful and True; therfore, we’re trusting You to provide everything that we need today to sustain us thru whatever challenges that unfold during the course of this day! Abba Father, we know that You Alone are our God, Guard and Guide!

Father, with eternal gratitude we bless You for allowing us to enter into Your Throne Room, with hope-filed expectation that you will entreat us graciously as we pour out the burdens that seem to overwhelm our hearts, releasing everything that concerns us to you! Lord Jesus, because we know that You are Omniscient, Omnipresent, You see and You already know everything about everyone of us, yet you have welcomed us to come to you, to find Grace and Mercy to comfort, strengthen and encourage us to hold on to every Word that You have spoken over our lives, before we were born.

Daddy, as we stand humbly before Your Sovereignty, before we go any further, we’re asking You to forgive us for everything that we, your children, have spoken, done and even thought that was not pleasing in Your sight. We thank You now because You have assured us that if we would confess our sins, You, Heavenly being Faithful and Just, will forgive us, and wash us in The Precious Blood of Jesus, cleansing us from all unrighteousness, and restoring the breach that our disobedience has caused between our poor souls and our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

Now, we ask Holy Spirit to intercede for us, on our behalf, our family, our friends, even our enemies, as we know that Your love is the same to each and everyone of us!

Abba, we know that You have instructed us, to look not at the temporary things, but to the eternal, yet You know the frailness of our flesh, and how easily we’re provoked and tempted to become overwhelmed by the cares of this world, that our hearts are burdened with the pressures of this life, that some of us are wearied with fear, doubt, unbelief, sickness and disease, financial debt, broken relationships, unprovoked threats, depression, addictions, insecurities.

Lord you know that sometimes we lose our focus on You causing our days to be spent beneath clouds of evil foreboding, while our nites are plagued with restlessness, despondency and hopelessness! Lord, keep us in Your Will, as only You can!

Lord we pray that you will save, heal and deliver speedily by Your Mighty Hand,all those who are crying out to you, seeking Your Face at the very moment! Give us to know that because we belong to You, we are never too far that You can’t see us, reach us, and shield us from anything that the devil would rail against us. Help us to understand that Your Name, Jesus is a Strong Tower, and those that You hve declared the righteous run into it and are saved.

Open up our minds and our hearts, filling us with Your Assurance, and confidence that at The Name of Jesus, every knee must bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord! Grace your children with hope-filled trust that You, Father have committed Your Word towards us that no weapon that’s formed us shall ever prosper and except You allow it, no trouble, test or trial can come near us. We thank you Lord, for fully persuading us our of Providential Presence and Power to turn everything around to work in our favor and to bring about exuberant testimonies and praizes of Your Eternal Magnificence, Honor and Glory!

Father, we thank you now for listening to the hearts of everyone reading and praying with us. We thank you for hearing the hearts of those who have never trusted and accepted Your Son Jesus as Savior and Lord! We are thankful that Holy Spirit is quickening that stony heart now and that they shall come to You humbled by Your Lovingkindness, in obedient to Your call and are now receving your Mercy and Grace to Save. We pray now that You are leading and guiding them to the local church, planting them inYour Vineyard, where they shall be taught and transformed by Your Word of Life to take their position in The Kingdom of Heaven.

Father, we pray for those who are distraught by grief and fear, the elderly, the widows, the downcast who have born the heat of the day, especially those who pushed and prayed us through! Father, give them sweet peace. Lord, we pray for the leaders of governments world-wide, their hearts are in Your Hands, visit them in the night season and command them to do Your Will.

Lord, I pray for every believer who is yet holding on to Your Hand by faith today, that You are releasing Divine power, Supernatural strength and health, provision, prosperity and protection. Father, we’re trusting that You shall preserve them thru the tests that they must go thru and keep them constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word!

Father, we thanking You for an outpouring of Your Divine Favor upon each and every one of your children who are seeking employment, promotion, prompt approval for student/car/home loans and assure them that YOU are YET HE, Jehovah Jareh, who shall supply all of their need according to Your Riches in Glory!

Father we decree and declare 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 of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Abba, we lift up every Bishop, Pastor, Overseer, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. Undergird them with Your Anointing to carry out their assignment, under the direction of Holy Spirit. Cover them as they go in and out amongst Your people and those who would seek to discredit, hinder and even destroy their faith, faithfulness and the ministryYou have ordained.

Lord, there are so many other things, that we have yet to mention, but we’re trusting, believing you to fix it, Jesus, as only You can! Lord, we know that You are not just able, but willing to do anything that we ask, in accorance to Your Word, in Jesus Name!

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

Father, we thank You NOW, for WE believe that it is done! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen 3X

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

THAT’S LIFE!

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THAT'S LIFE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 
 

There’s one thing that each of us faces as we tread through this 21st Century, both believers or unbelievers, and that’s ‘The uncertainty”.  Yes, it’s pretty much a guarantee at some point during our day we will all face some degree of uncertainty.  Whether it’s wondering if we’ll have a job tomorrow,  will there be a massive storm or will the sun be shining, what will the traffic be like, what will I come home to, will I have the finances to take that much needed and earnestly anticipated vacation?
 
Life always entails a mist of mystery that one might reckon to a confusing road trip. Sometimes, we might know where we want to go, but we’re rarely aware of the congestion, structural delays, not to mention the inexplicable road signs that seem to hamper our getting from where we are to where we’re going.

I’m not trying to be flippant, neither attempting to diminish the level of frustration that we’re surely forced to endure, but if I might borrow from Frank Sinatra’s 1966 Hit Song, “THAT’S LIFE”!

It’s been my experience that The Divine Architect of our lives  generally doesn’t pre-announce the details of His Master Plan, nor does He tend to incorporate our suggestions (no matter how excellent we think they are), but works it all out, according to the Counsel of His own Will. (Ephesians 1:11-12) However, He does give us this confident assurance, that as we keep our focus and trust in Him, at the end of our journey we shall realize that every thing we’ve experienced has all been for our highest good and for His Greatest Glory! (Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11)

My fellow sojourner, as we make our way along life’s terrain, remember that our every step and stop has been lovingly ordered by The Good Shepherd who has committed His Presence to be with us always!!

SO, EVEN WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHY, WE DO KNOW HOW? THAT’S LIFE! 

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

ABBA’S HOUSE

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ABBA'S HOUSE 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 3:11

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

 

Have you ever heard a freshly born-again believer lamenting “if I’d only known how great Salvation was, I would’ve given my life to Christ a long time ago”? While this sentiment may shriek volumes of the tremendous gratitude with which every one of us who share this awesome privilege of becoming a part of The Kingdom of God, it might be more aptly acknowledged that as difficult or challenging our life B.C. (before Christ), there’s absolutely nothing within the scope of the un-regenerated man’s spirit that inspires him to seek God on his own! In fact quite the opposite is true. Since the down fall of our original parents, in the Garden of Eden, we’ve been known to invent unparalleled manner of deviant ways of escapism to avoid submitting to God’s Plan for our lives.

Nevertheless, according to The Holy Bible, God’s Love would not be denied! Before the foundation of the world, the entire plan of Salvation was initiated in the Mind of God and through the ministry of Holy Spirit that prompts us to draw nigh to the Heart of a Loving Creator and the Atoning Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Thanks be to GOD,  GOD’s Grace is made available to all who will welcome Him into their hearts and lives.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

The Heavenly Father’s determination to build Himself a Sacred House, a Holy Temple, where He would dwell forever!  Sparing no expense, from the very foundation to the Chief Corner Stone, GOD continues day by day, lying new bricks! The Heavenly Father, takes particular care in adding luxuriously custom-built gold, silver and wood furnishings accentuated by exquisitely handcrafted sapphire, purple and scarlet colored silks and linen cloth tapestries, most befitting of The King of Kings and Lord of Glory, one soul at a time. Hence, while Salvation is free, it certainly wasn’t cheap!

To the absolute amazement of the world’s most renown high-class well-paid fashion experts, most of the pieces in God’s House were presumed castaways, throw-backs, out-dated, worthless and totally unsuitable for such Majestic Display! But The Master Architect/ Designer’s keenness, seeing the potential hidden treasures in the dirt covered cavernous lives of those created in His Image, digs down into the desolate places of our sin-clad spirits, picks us up out of the muck and the mire of our dark desperate pits, power washes us with the Flood of His Cleansing Blood redeems, refinishes, restoring us back into our rightful relationship as sons and daughters of The Most High God of All Creation where we now sit in Heavenly Places as Joint Heirs with The First-Born of Creation. (Ref. Ephesians 2:6)

Who knew? Certainly not the devil, or else he never would’ve crucified The Lord in the first place. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 2:8)

BUT GOD DID! CHRIST IN YOU…THE HOPE OF GLORY! WELCOME HOME TO ABBA’S HOUSE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

THE WELL

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THE WELL

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are theWays of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” (Psalm 84:1-7)

 

James Cleveland penned the verses, “nobody told me that the road would be easy, but I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me”! But can I add my personal P.S? Nobody told me that total surrendering of my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ would just be the beginning of the process either!

Who knew?

Okay, John 15:2-3, does suggest that God has Divinely orchestrated and ordained precisely detailed terrains of testing’s and trials in order to produce Christlike character and strength in those whom He has chosen to be in intimate, personal relationship with.

And yes! The Psalmist does note that the road leading up to The Temple at Jerusalem required the sojourner to pass through the Valley of Baca, (a valley of weeping). Wait a minute, is this some sort of a clue that likewise, the Believer’s pathway to Glory, is often snagged by unforeseen uncertainties and all manner of deliberate satanically-induced abuses to entice you to give up and turn back?

I’m told that the experienced worshipers would make preparation for the drought seasons by digging pits to store up rainwater. And sure enough, their confidence would be rewarded as God opened up the windows of heaven to fill their earthen vessels. Not only would there be sufficient refreshment to meet their needs, but there would an abundance to help out others they might meet as they traveled along the way.

Granted, The King’s Highway is not always the quickest or easiest way, but we’re never alone! The Good Shepherd is always before us opening up The Way.  Our Messiah promised; He’ll faithfully meet every one of our needs – even if it’s one at a time! We go from one level of Grace to Grace, Joy to Joy, Prayer to Prayer, Word to Word, Anointing to Anointing and Glory to Glory!

My fellow Sojourner, take courage! While weeping may endure for a night, Joy is coming in the morning. It might still be dark, but don’t stop now. Keep leaning, keep trusting, trekking on in The Lord! Troubles don’t last, but God does!

Remember, the valley is not our destination, it’s a right of passage thru? The goal is just at the end of the road! Rest assured, while it may be lonely, the road ultimately crosses path with someone who’s needs to know what you have already come through.

Go ahead; jus take another drink! TRUST2KNO, He’s a WELL OF WATER 2 UR THIRSTY SOUL! 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

TRIAL-SIZED gODZ!

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TRIAL SIZED gODS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. (Exodus 20:3-5)

I recognize that the sheer suggestion of idol worship tends to rattle the righteous indignation in the spirit of a true Believer! As followers of Christ, we know how despicably foul such worship is in the nostrils of The Holy God of Heaven and Earth. And for the most part, we’d never consider breaking this Commandment. After all, we don’t bow down before carved images of God nor do we display at the entrances or scatter stone replicas of God throughout our homes or businesses, right? Yet, will closer investigation of our lives reflect closely guarded idols formed in the recesses of our imaginations?

According to the scriptures  ‘O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.’ (Ref. Matthew 12:24) Hence, while man will attempt to hide the true intents, insights and purpose for being, ultimately, his lifestyle will reflect the secret things of his heart and clearly define where their loyalty lies!

Do we worship our personal ‘trial-sized’ images of God?

I see further explanation is in order! We have a tendency to make up our own images to represent who God is to us. The problem is we will never be able to fit “The All Encompassing Is-ness of GOD” into the small-minded-frail-framed-carnal-comprehension of our temporal-flesh. In other words, it’s absolutely impossible for us to fathom “Unlimited Presence, Power and Potential” within the limitations of our humanity!

While The Living God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient, HE can only be known through Revelation!

GOD reveals His character, His purpose and His plan for each of as we traverse through our individual life experiences. It’s the knowledge gained through following The Good Shepherd’s lead, cautiously climbing cloud-covered mountaintops and timidly trembling through the death-valleys of our everyday lives that we learn the rewards of faithful trust, patient obedience and the security of resting in The Eternal Hope! 

Today’s takeaway?

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his… 2 Timothy 2:19

Therefore, Beloved, as you continue to set the Lord  before you, you shall walk in HIS Everlasting JOY! 

AMERICA, WHO IS YOUR GOD?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GOD WILL COME THRU

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GOD WILL COME THRU

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And the redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. Isaiah 59:20)

 

Ever heard them ol’ skool Mothers say, “God’s never late and hardly ever early”? Well, if that’s supposed to make waiting easier, let me assure you, it doesn’t! What about, “A delay is not a denial and a failure is not final”. Granted, these proverbial acclaimations may work in a 11 a.m. Sunday Morning Service, with the musicians crankin’, the praise team rockin’ it and the saints shoutin’! But! What about when you leave the sanctuary and get home alone, again; and the evil one starts bringing up all the reasons why you ain’t  gonna make it through this time! And what if the test results confirm _____; and what if you don’t get accepted; and what if  she did have an affair; whatcha gonna do if He does want a divorce? Hence, ‘Hey you, where’s your GOD NOW!’

The ol’ saints used to sing, “He Delivers, Praise the Lord, He Delivers, Praise the Lord, I was bound by the power of the devil, but HE delivered, Praise the Lord”! Well, let me tell you why they were able to sing those kinda songs. They didn’t have a lot of money at their disposal, so if they got sick they couldn’t afford a doctor. If they had more mouths than food they couldn’t just whip out their credit card at the grocery store. When their car broke down, they couldn’t take it to Mr. Bill’s Auto Shop. And if John Edward got locked up, they couldn’t afford no bail or private attorney!  But, they had a God to pray to! And you know what? They found Him to be an ‘ON TIME GOD!’

Having no other recourse, but to wait on da Lawdd, they resigned themselves to stand planted on The Rock of Ages, not wishin’ and a hopin’; but trusting in the Strength of God’s Love despite what it looked like!

Needless to say, this kind of faith is hard to find in this “busy-booming-High-Tech-don’t need nobody-DIY” generation. After all we have so many other options. Why pray and have to wait on GOD? 

Because He is God and we are not! God has deliberately designated each step and stop necessary to cultivate our realization that we are His Creation; created to fulfill His purpose and without Him we can do absolutely nothing. (Ref. John 15:5) But through His Guidance and Power, all things are possible! (Ref. Philippians 4:13)

Yes, we all experience times when it jus feels like God has turned His Face and given our enemy the nod to ‘walk right over our head’. Except, considering the ambiguity of our emotions, is it really wise to rely upon such in the crucial moments of a time-sensitive-crisis? Exactly? Bible-Faith is based on solely upon The Sure Foundation; The Word of God!

God knows sometimes our flesh becomes weary! That’s why He dispatched Holy Spirit to hover close while we’re waiting for Him to move! (Ref. Isaiah 40:31) The reason God is never in a hurry is because He knows just what it takes to perfect His Will and His Glory in your life. He swore by GOD-SELF to never abandon or give up on you! (Ref. Deut. 31:8) So, why would you ever give up on Him? Am I right, about it? #ijs

Stop trying to figure everything out. Keep trusting and keep expecting your deliverance at any moment! Trust and know that ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough; Ain’t no river wide enough, TO KEEP GOD FROM GETTING 2 U! 

REMEMBER DAT! HE’S ALWAYS COME THROUGH 4 YOU!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

STICK WITH WHAT U KNOW

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STICK WITH WHAT U KNOW

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 43:2-4

 

Time is hurling towards Eternity at the speed of life! And sometimes, life comes at you hard, fast and furious, huh?.

I mean, it can’t actually be 21 years ago? I blink and I’m sitting at my daughter’s bedside in the L & D Unit, only slightly aware of her antagonistic glares, but not the least bit daunted away from my mission. Time after time, warning her of each impending contraction (as if she really needed to hear me tell her).

Was it really that many hours past before the birth of the most beautiful baby girl this side of heaven, Lil’ Miss Dasia? I can still summon up that joy and sheer magic just witnessing this small Wonder of God’s Glory. It can’t be 21 years ago or can it? One moment, she’s sitting on the front steps waiting for Pop-Pop; her first starring role in a kindergarten play; going to the Senior Prom; crossing the stage receiving her High School Diploma; packing up the car; going off to college and now few months shy of graduation…WOOOAH! I guess it must be, huh?

We treasure memories like those, right? Nobody expects those unannounced choatic interruptions. I mean; like waking up the morning refreshed, satiated in anticipation of what adventures are waiting to be unfolded during the course of this new day; totally oblivious to the impact of that 11:49 mid-day phone call, that 5:22 rush-hour accident on the Beltway, or that 2:15 a.m. Police knocking at your door, invading your normal routine everyday as usual life in a way you never thought possible!

Suddenly! By the time your head hits the pillow again, every ounce of hope has been ripped out of you, fleeing to a place waaaaay beyond reach. That peace you enjoyed earlier that day somehow has become lost in the maze of extreme anxiety, depression, and hapless desolation. While something inside of you wonders, was that this morning?

Life has a way of slapping you smack-dab-in the middle of your face, no matter how strong you may think you are. There’s no way to be prepared for something like this, saved-sanctified-Holy Ghost filled or not! Yet not one of us is exempt from the threat of drowning in an unexpected out of the blue situation. And of course, The Tempter doesn’t miss any opportunity to exploit our crisis and destroy our faith in what we do know.

The Israelites faced a similar dilemma in 2 Chronicles 2:12. Surrounded by their enemy with no way out, King Jehoshaphat did the only thing he could do, he cried out to The Lord. “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.”

Hopefuly, we all can glean from this example. Challenged by those “we don’t know why or what to do situations”, focus on what you do know! We do know WHO!

We know God is yet God! We know God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient! We know God is Ruler of All Creation! We know God is in complete control! We know He’s always Present with us and that All Power Belongs to God! We know God knows everything about everything! We know His love is unconditionally faithful and irrevocably established forever! We know He’s Solemnly committed Himself to caring, comforting, protecting and restoring our righteousness, peace and our joy!

Don’t get lost in the quarry of the unknown. STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ENVISION YOURSELF

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ENVISION URSELF

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Where there is no vision the people perish. but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18

Many of you are familiar with this scripture, huh?  Perhaps, you’ve seen it displayed across your pulpits to pronounce your church leader’s vision statement or to introduce the theme for a new year. However, in light of what’s happening in our world today, please allow me to contemporize the general perspective of the text.

Undoubtedly, we’re experiencing what the ol’ skool church dubbed ‘times that try men’s souls’! We’ve seen transition, and in some cases, major upheavals of the foundation pillars of contemporary society. The collapse of financial institutions followed by instability of the housing market; unprecedented political changing of the guards, uncertainty of employment status and education aspirations, judicial reformations and/or redefinition of civil morality have all contributed to pandemic paranoia.

Given the accumulative complexity of the aforementioned, it’s no wonder that people—in and out of the church—are running out of hope! Without hope for the future, there is nothing motivating you to move forward.

WOW! Kinda looks like the Word of God is right, all along, huh? The domino effect of a Godless society is inevitably moral chaos! History substantiates that without God’s Guidance, there’s no restraint to any people limited only by their own understanding. But GOD, unlike a lot of us, didn’t just leave us hanging out there, left to our own devices. That’s not the end of the story. The text continues…BUT he that keeps the law—happy is he!

God’s Living Word, our Eternal Hope of Glory, assures us, who place our personal trust in Jesus, that no matter how distressing our circumstances appear to be, in the end—we win!

Brothers and sistas, in Christ, we have 66 Books of Prophetic Utterance to live by. The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, (Romans 10:8). If you don’t like what’s happening in your life, open up your mouth and re-frame your life. Prophesy to yourself—say what God says… ‘BE STILL MY SOUL, HOPE THOU IN GOD. HOPE THOU IN GOD’S WORD!’

GOD SAYS, ‘I know the thoughts I have toward you. I have made preparations to bless with good and not curses of evil. My precious child, if you only knew the details, you’d be so excited, encouraged and filled with hope for your future!’ (Jeremiah 29:11) 

‘Oh, BY THE WAY, DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR HATERS, AT MY MOST STRATEGIC TIME, I WILL BLESS YOU OPENLY; THAT WAY, MY GLORY WILL BE MAGNIFIED!

I WON’T ALWAYS REVEAL EVERYTHING, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS—THE END WILL BE FAR GREATER THEN YOU EVER IMAGINED– A GRAND FINALE!

NOW I NEED YOU TO AGREE WITH ME. JUST SAY, AMEN!”

ENVISION YOURSELF! C?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee