UNCONQUERABLE SOULS IN THE WORKPLACE

Unconquerable is that which cannot be defeated or overtaken... it is an impenetrable fortress.

I have said before that most of my teachings are the result of personal experiences that became a message. I began this study as a result of my dealings with my new boss who loves to use me as a pawn in his leadership chess game.

There are several people reporting to him, but he does not like confrontation. So he uses me as his go-between in order to avoid confronting them. I have confronted him about his behavior but he continues to do it anyway. And the way he goes about it has the potential for destroying my relationships with my co-workers. He comes off looking like the good guy and I look like the stupid-bad guy.

After searching Scripture (and my soul) about this, there is one Bible verse that stuck with me... "He always causes me to triumph." Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage because I have overcome the world."

Some years back there was a minister in my church that was always giving me a hard time. The Lord had been ministering through me in a great way, during that season, and he developed animosity toward me as a result. He couldn't stand me and made no bones about it. He made life so hard for me while I was there that eventually, I stopped going. The Lord gave him a warning to stop this behavior but he did not heed God's warning. One day he woke up and didn't feel well all day. That evening he had a heart attack and passed away. I was able to go back to church and continue to be used by the Lord in ministry.

The apostle Paul said that he was in labors more abundantly and beaten above measure and in prison more frequently than his counter-parts. He received 40 lashes by the Jews five times. He was beaten with rods three times. He was stoned once. He was shipwrecked three times, in peril on the sea, in peril of robbers, in peril of his own countrymen, in peril of sinners, in peril in the city and in the desert and in peril of false teachers that were constantly antagonizing Paul's ministry. He was often weary, and tired, couldn't sleep, hungry and thirsty, and freezing with no coat to put on his back. But Paul's testimony to young Timothy was, "Out of them all, the Lord delivered me." In all he endured, Paul was an unconquerable soul. At the end he said, "I fought a good fight and finished my course."

Y'all... Satan is a defeated foe! Jesus said, "Behold, I give you authority over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." He has given us power and authority over the enemy. All we have to do is open our mouths and command the mountain to be removed from here to yonder place. If we believe and not doubt, we can have whatsoever we say.

There is a song I love that says, "Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again."

I feel sorry for people that are working against God's purpose. God is long suffering and patient, but if the antagonizers are determined to be stumbling blocks, God will crush them and move them out of the way.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. We are unconquerable souls. "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men," the apostle Paul said, because God has the final say and He will not always strive with the evil doer.

On a previous job, there were three women that meant to do me harm, but God protected me. Long story short, one-by-one all three were fired and left the company in disgrace. God will not put up with folk messing with His children. If He allows us to endure it for a while (like the minister at my church), He has a greater purpose.

I used to work with a lady named Leslie who seemed to love giving me a hard time. I had prayed many-a-prayer concerning this woman. At long-last, she had gotten into a heated argument with our boss and she terminated her employment. I was rejoicing all the way home from work. Hallelujah!!  God had answered my prayers! I arrived for work the next morning only to find that Leslie had rescinded her resignation. I was Devastated with a capital D. How could the Lord toy with me in such a way? As it turns out, they took her off our team. She said we would never make it without her. The Lord put Leslie far enough, away from me, that I hardly ever saw her, but she was close enough to see that we were thriving quite well without her. The Lord turned on His favor for our team and we began to excel. Every month our statistics was better than the previous month's. The psalmist David said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies." If she had left the company, she would not have seen first hand, how well we were coping without her, despite her prophecy to the contrary.

I feel sorry for people who attack God's children because I know eventually, it will not turn out well for them. Do not be deceived friends, God will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, that same he will also reap. They are seeds in his own ground and he will reap his own harvest.

Haman the Agagite, was an enemy of the Jews and had it in for them. He devised a scheme to annihilate them but his plan returned on his own head. The gallows he built to hang Mordecai, was the exact same one on which he himself was killed.

As I was leaving work on Friday, I prayed to the Lord for a refreshing for my soul because I was beginning to feel discouraged about my new job. A few minutes later, Joel Osteen came on my radio with a message that spoke right to my situation. The Lord recharged my battery.

The apostle Paul said, "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." And He still loves us, so we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" We walk in victory and we are over comers. We are not under achievers but we are over comers.

The song says,

I shall not,

I shall not be moved.

I shall not,

I shall not be moved

just like a tree

planted by the water,

I shall not be moved.

2 Cor. 2:14 - Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (especially in the work place).

Col. 2:15 - Having disarmed principalities and powers, Christ made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Ps. 41:11 - By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.

Mark 10:27 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Jer 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Rom. 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Cor. 9:8 - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Zech 4:6 - So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (and to us): ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Rom. 8:37 - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Numb. 13:30 - Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

1 John 4:4 - You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.

Go in peace... with your unconquerable soul.

We are soldiers in the army of the Lord.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

Harnessing The Law Of Kindness

I was reading Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary yesterday and ran across this phrase... "The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, and shows itself in the tongue." And I could not shake it the rest of the day.

For the last few months, I have had a great burden on my heart concerning violence in the world and the racial and civil unrest America is experiencing right now. It saddens me to see people being bullied and treated disrespectfully by others. Sometimes they do it for no other reason than for sport. It does not make any difference what race or ethnicity we are, we all deserve to be treated with equal respect... following the Golden Rule towards ALL at ALL times.

When the law of love and kindness is ruling the heart, this godly person would dare not mistreat another human being, not for love nor money. That is the kind of world I wished we lived in, where people are just plain old nice to one another and followed the Golden Rule all the time.

That said, I went to Walgreen's and was heading fast down the straight-away when Primadonna dressed to the hills in leopard print (even her 5-inch heel sandles and tippy-toes) almost crashes head on into me coming out of one of the aisles. I was already in a foul mood when I went into the store and instead of her apologizing to me, I apologized to her and Primadonna sashayed on as though it was my fault and I should've apologized to her.

Because I was already in a foul mood, that drove my irritability radar soaring into the red zone. "Miss Thing with her leopard print toe nails thinks she is too good for apologies," I thought. By the time I made it to the check out counter, guess who lands right in front of me? Yes!! Leopard toes herself. So now my irritation is directed to Lord, "You would let her get right in front of me."

At the end of her transaction, she drops twelve cents on the floor. Without thinking, I dove to the floor and picked it all up and handed it to her. She gave me a sincere God bless you and walked out of the store.

In that moment, my heart melted, I forgot about my foul mood and said, "Thank You Lord, You just gave the devil a black eye." I feel bad that all through the store I was thinking bad thoughts about my sister in Christ who happens to dress differently than me. Perhaps if I had not been speeding like a gazelle through the store, we wouldn't have almost had a head on collision. In truth, I did owe her an apology for judging her the way I did, simply because I was angry at someone else.

When I got home and pulled into the driveway, the Lord sent a beautiful bluebird to visit me on my front porch as a reminder that He is with me always... even concerning the thing that initially got me in the foul mood to begin with. I sat in my car and watched the bluebird play in my front yard for a minute or two and the peace of God flooded my soul and washed away the thoughts wreaking havoc in my emotions.

The law of love and kindness is written in the heart.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)

Go in peace.

It's A Wonderful Life

While Job was enduring his time of suffering, he questioned God...

“Why is light given to him who is in misery,

And life to the bitter of soul,

Who long for death, but it does not come,

And search for it more than hidden treasures;

Who rejoice exceedingly,

And are glad when they can find the grave?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

And whom God has hedged in?

For my sighing comes before I eat,

And my groanings pour out like water.

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,

And what I dreaded has happened to me.

I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

In the movie, It's A Wonderful Life, George Bailey hit a wall when his life in Bedford Falls culminated into a successful unravelling and he wanted to jump off a bridge and end it all. In the beginning of the movie, he talked about traveling the world and getting out of the sorry town of Bedford Falls which he thought had nothing going for it. But one thing after another kept him from achieving his laufty dreams and he ended up spending his whole life there in that sorry town having never done any of the things he had planned before graduating from high school. Through Divine intervention, George was visited by Clarence, the angel second class seeking to earn his wings. George told Clarence that he wished he had never been born and the angel grants George's wish. Clarence then shows George what a world looks like where he does not exist. When George discovers how valuable his life has been, despite the fact that he had not fulfilled his life long dreams, George no longer wants to kill himself. Clarence convinces George that he had led a wonderful life and it would be a terrible mistake to throw it away. George runs back to that same bridge and prays to God that he wants to live again. And George is given a second chance at life with renewed zest and joy that he had never known.

Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." The source of life is God so the meaning of life must be derived in Him as well. I wonder if we were all given a chance to see what life would be like without us in it, if we would find significance in our place on this earth like George Bailey did.

Without George Bailey's intervening, Bedford Falls would have become a sleazy and violent town run by the evil Henry Potter.

None of us accidentally appeared on earth. We each have a part to play, some more significantly than others but nevertheless... we are here with a purpose... even the wicked.

For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."

So, life begins with God and any continuance of life finds its place in Him as well. When Satan requested to try Job's faith, the Lord permitted the trouble but prohibited Satan from taking Job's life. God is the giver of life and no one can end it without His consent. Not even a bird falls to the ground apart from the Father's will.

I once heard a story about a young lady that laid on a train track to end her life. When the train ran over her, it severed her legs but she remained alive. That's why Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." He laid down His life, and after three days, He picked it back up.

Satan couldn't take Job's life and neither could that young lady take her own life without God's consent. He is the beginning and the end of life. Even the evil Egyptian Pharaoh was born with a purpose, that God may through him show His power, that He alone is God and there is no other with power like His.

Living our lives without Jesus is like looking at a jigsaw puzzle of a lighthouse with the light as it's only missing piece. The picture is not complete and the most important piece is missing. Jesus is the light of the world and without Him, we continue to drift in the dark floating aimlessly with no guidance and significance. Jesus said He came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows. He does not get His kicks making life hard for mankind or looking at the enemy thrash us around... or seeing children starve to death... or a sick person writhing in pain. These things have a purpose though we can't see it right now because we walk by faith and not by sight.

Jesus and His disciples passed a man who had been blind from birth and His disciples asked who had sinned that this man would be born blind. His blindness was not a result of sin but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated through him.

People wonder how a God who is supposed to be so good, could allow evil and suffering to continue. We believe if we behave like good little Christians, God should show up right away and answer all our prayers. When He does not, we feel slighted. How can He allow the prayers of the righteous to go unanswered?

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.

Truth is, whatever we may think about the fairness of God, we are better off with Him than without Him. He is the bread of life that feeds our hungry souls and the river of life that quenches our thirsty souls. Without God our lives would be drifting like a ship, without a sail.

God's thoughts are nothing like our thoughts and neither His ways like our ways. As far as heaven is from the earth is how far His thoughts are from ours. When we try to figure God out based on our thinking, we are way off base, and cannot reach the truth based on human perspective.

God is love... the very essence of love. Anything we think we know about loving others, we get from God. He's the beginning and the end. Therefore, in love, He does not get His kicks watching His creation suffer.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, king Solomon exclaims that everything is completely meaningless apart from God. Solomon asks a series of rhetorical questions such as:

What good does it do to seek pleasure?

What do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety?

What will happen on this earth after we are gone?

Solomon was very cynical about life, stating that it was meaningless and wearisome beyond description. History merely repeating itself and there is nothing new under the sun. He had devoted himself to searching it out for understanding, but soon discovered that God had dealt a tragic existence to the human race. His observances of everything going on here on earth was as vain as chasing the wind.

But God tells a different story than Solomon's about man's existence, that it is not merely a circular motion of one life after another existing till our time on earth is done.

For thus says the Lord,

Who created the heavens,

Who is God,

Who formed the earth and made it,

Who has established it,

Who did not create it in vain,

Who formed it to be inhabited:

“I am the Lord, and there is no other.

True, it is tragic that Adam and Eve disobeyed God, by eating the forbidden fruit. But even in light of that, God's plan and purpose will still go forth for mankind, with a slight detour through the cross of Christ.

Life is not meaningless and futile and depressing. Life lived in conjunction with the cross of Christ can be quite rewarding. Life takes on new meaning when we open the door of our hearts and begin a life of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When Solomon finally figures that out he said, "Here now is my final conclusion: fear God and obey His commands, for this is the whole duty of man." When Adam and Eve failed to do this, they were evicted from Paradise and life became hard for them and for their descendents. When they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened to evil and it shall thoroughly run its course.

I sometimes wonder why the Lord saved Noah and his family, instead of just wiping us all out. Apparently, it was important to Him to create a family and redeem mankind from a life of tragedies.

We have been promised a time when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. He says that no eye has seen nor ear heard of the things that He has prepared for those that love Him. We may experience some seasons of sorrow and suffering during our journey through this life, but Scripture say that God has promised the crown of life to those that love Him.

My husband said that you cannot see the legacy of a president while he is still in office. It is after he has left the oval office that his legacy begins to unfold. Maybe it is the same with us, that the usefulness and meaningfulness of our lives does not yet appear while we are still on the earth, but after we have passed on. In the same way that George Bailey had been given the unique opportunity to see how many lives he had touched and the significance of his life. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." We are only passing through it to our eternity.

The Holy Spirit said to me, "If you're thinking that your destiny ends once you leave earth, then you are thinking too small."

My relationship with the Lord is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I believe when we begin to live our lives in light of GOD and ETERNITY, then life begins to take on a whole new meaning. A life truly surrendered to God finds great significance. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will surely find it.

It's a wonderful life! Live yours to the fullest. :)

Go in peace.

Stumbling In The Dark

"I know Jesus is the light, but why are His followers stumbling around in the dark," I asked myself.

Often times I wonder to myself if I made the right decision... or if I'm about to make the right decision.

The Lord's response to my query:

"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord for He shall pluck my feet out of the net." (Psalm 25:14-15)

When we stumble around in the dark, He will establish our going. When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He will take care of us. He will pluck our feet out of the net, if we happen to get into trouble along the way.  Sometimes the darkness is so thick that we cannot see Him, but He sees us and is with us in valley of the shadow of death. Even if we stumble, or make a wrong turn, our Lord will pluck our feet out of the net... and work it out for our good.

I just started a new job and I'm still getting to know people. My boss called me from outside the office and said, "Hi Dee!" I didn't recognize his voice at all so I glanced over at Caller ID and recognized his phone number and knew it was him. I'm sure the longer I work there I'll become more and more familiar with his voice, and his ways, that I wont need Caller ID to identify him.

Jesus said, "My sheep know My voice." I believe this takes practice. I believe it takes following the Shepherd at close proximity to get to know His voice and recognize it without any other means of confirmation.

The true light is already shining and darkness is passing away. If today, you find yourself in the valley of decision, not knowing what to do...

"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord for He shall pluck my feet out of the net." (Psalm 25:14-15)

Go in peace.

If I Only Had the Nerve

What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the "ape" in apricot?
What have they got that I ain't got?
Courage!

Cowardly Lion: "Life is sad, believe me, Missy, when you're born to be a sissy, without the vim and verve. But I could change my habits, never more be scared of rabbits, if I only had the nerve. I'm afraid there's no denying I'm just a dandy-lion, a fate I don't deserve. But I could show my prowess, be a lion not a mouse, if I only had the nerve. Oh, I'd be in my stride, a king down to the core, I could roar the way I never roared before, and then I'd r-r-roof and roar some more. I would show the dinosaurus whose king around the forest a king they'd better serve, why with my regal beezor I could be another Caesar, if I only had the nerve." (Nathan Lane's Version)

Sometimes the Lord will stretch us beyond our comfort zone by presenting us with tasks that make us uncomfortable and causes anxiety. Someone said, in that case, we should just do it afraid, but its not that simple. When I'm nervous about something you can see my anxiety, but when I'm confident you can see my confidence. I would rather do it with confidence than do it afraid because I believe it is more effective than stumbling though it.

The Wizard in the Emerald City of Oz told the cowardly lion that he was the victim of unorganized thinking, and that he confused courage with wisdom. Lion thought he didn't have courage because he ran away from things (but sometimes running away from a situation is the brave thing to do). The Wizard awarded Lion with the medal of courage for his conspicuous bravery against the wicked witch and inducted him as a member into the Legion of Courage.

So, where does courage come from in the face of fear? It comes from God.

• Phil. 2:13 (ISV) For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him.

• Phil. 1:6 (ISV) I am convinced of this, that the One who began a good action among you will bring it to completion by the Day of the Messiah Jesus.

• Phil. 4:13 (ISV) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

ISV = International Standard Version

The Holy Spirit is here to replace our fears with boldness and our anxiety with courage. The Lord caused the hearts of the people of Jericho to melt and their courage vanished when they heard the terror of the children of Israel had fallen upon them. No courage remained in them, and at the same time, God built the courage of the children of Israel as they marched around the city walls of Jericho.

After Moses died and Joshua was given the order to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, the Lord gave Joshua a command to be courageous. This was not a suggestion, but a command.

The Lord sent the commander of His powerful army to fight on their behalf. They overtook the city of Jericho and destroyed all inhabitants (except for Rahab the prostitute and her family). Every person and animal was killed. God gave them courage.

Courage is built in us. That is why God told Moses to recount their victories in the hearing of Joshua. He became rooted and grounded in it, and was not shaken by the size of their enemies.

My cousin Phillip was a US Marine soldier. He said that in boot camp, there were men who arrived all gung-ho and ready to storm the battle fields on day one. Then there were others that came in with trepidation and dismay about the uncertainty of what they might face. The job of the commanding officer was to bring the gung-ho soldier down to a teachable level and bring up the ambivalent soldier with courage and instill a warrior spirit in him. I believe in the same way, the Lord put us through a spiritual boot camp to hone our warrior spirits to carry out His will.

The apostle Paul said the Lord shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That includes all the tools we need to carry out His will for our lives. So then I will look to the hills from whence comes my help. My help comes from the Lord.

My advice... don't do it afraid! Do it with conviction, courage, fearlessness and a determination that keeps looking to the Lord for the will and the do to carry out your mission.

Don't call me a conqueror - I am no average conqueror. I am more than a conqueror.

• Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Rom.8:37

• Have I not commanded you? 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 1:9 (NKJV)

• No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. Isa. 54:17 (NKJV)

Go in peace... armed with courage.

Heman's Prayer

Gloom, despair and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren't for bad luck
I'd have no luck at all
Gloom, despair and agony on me.

My pastor told a story about when he was on military deployment. He had a good friend on the ship that he hung out with. The soldier had gotten into a depression about having to leave his wife back home. He had become majorly concerned about her. They prayed but it didn't seem to comfort the young soldier. My pastor kept trying to console the young man, but nothing he said or did could shake this young man's fear of gloom and doom. Finally, my pastor grabbed him up and and escorted him to a part of the ship that was private, and actually very dark. My pastor began to rebuke the spirit that was tormenting this young man and said he could visibly see the devil flee away from him. Suddenly, the young man's attitude changed from deep depression back to his normal self.

I was researching Scripture one day about God's faithfulness and accidentally ran across Psalm 88. As I began to read through it, I was thinking that probably by the end, the psalmist would proclaim hope in the Lord... or, state that his strength was renewed... or, that he was encouraged to wait on the Lord. But when I arrived at the end, the psalmist was just as despondent as in the beginning.

Psalm 88 was written by Heman the Ezrahite of the sons of Korah. Heman was in the throws of depression so deep that he states he is in the lowest pit. This reminds me of that Hee Haw skit from back in the day... "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all - gloom, despair and agony on me."

In all seriousness, this is one of the few psalms that gives no answer to hope. Heman has seemingly hit rock bottom and is desperately seeking the God of salvation for help. He has cried out night and day. Obviously prayers has been made over a period of time and he has not seen deliverance as yet and feels forgotten like someone who's been a long time in the grave. He feels God is extremly angry due to the afflictions weighing heavily upon him. Finally, the psalmist begins to ask the Lord question after rhetorical question concerning life and death - because he feels so utterly helpless, despairing of even life itself but imploring God that He cannot be praised from the grave. He feels all alone in the world. He does not have his God, nor does he have acquaintances, loved ones or friends, he's all alone in the world.

Heman's Prayer

O Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out to You by day.
I come to You at night.
Now hear my prayer;
listen to my cry.
For my life is full of troubles,
and death draws near.
I am as good as dead,
like a strong man with no strength left.
They have left me among the dead,
and I lie like a corpse in a grave.
I am forgotten,
cut off from Your care.
You have thrown me into the lowest pit,
into the darkest depths.
Your anger weighs me down;
with wave after wave You have engulfed me.
You have driven my friends away
by making me repulsive to them.
I am in a trap with no way of escape.
My eyes are blinded by my tears.
Each day I beg for Your help, O Lord;
I lift my hands to You for mercy.
Are Your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?
Do the dead rise up and praise You?

Can those in the grave declare Your unfailing love?
Can they proclaim Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
Can the darkness speak of Your wonderful deeds?
Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk of Your righteousness?
O Lord, I cry out to You.
I will keep on pleading day by day.
O Lord, why do You reject me?
Why do you turn Your face from me?
I have been sick and close to death since my youth.
I stand helpless and desperate before Your terrors.
Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.
Your terrors have paralyzed me.
They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.
They have engulfed me completely.
You have taken away my companions and loved ones.
Darkness is my closest friend.

WOW!  Heman cried out to the Lord God everyday, all day, and was put on ignore; like someone that keeps hitting up your cell phone, but you will not answer. The Lord would not even allow his prayer to come before Him. He prayed the Lord would lean an ear to him. His troubles had overtaken him to the point of weakness and utter hopelessness - just one step this side of death itself. He felt very all alone as if God had given up on him like a dead man whom everyone forgets before he is even cold in the grave, and laid somewhere where no one comes to visit his grave. He felt God's anger against him so heavy that it was like a Tsunami crashing upon him, and he was hopeless to survive it. His acquaintances were all driven far away from him so there was no one to help him get free from the prison of despair that held him captive and tormented him day and night. He had stretched out his hands and sought refuge from the Lord daily, to no avail.

Heman declares his former practice of prayer to the God of his salvation and begs for a present audience. He acknowledged that the Lord God was his Savior and merciful and faithful and righteous and a worker of miracles... and yet, He covered His ears to this man's plight, and rejects him even in his hour of desperation. He wonders how the Lord can turn His face away and leave him in total darkness where no light exists. He is paralyzed with fear and drowning in deep despair.

Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?

Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

My soul refuses to touch them;

They are as loathsome food to me.

Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?

(Job 6:6-7, 30B)

In other words, will you convince me that it is day, when I can clearly see that it is night? I am not one for calling the glass half full, when it is nearly empty. But I admire those who's able to find a silver lining in any messed up situation. Poor Heman was wishing he could find a breakthrough somewhere, any where. But if I could see my way to finding a silver lining in Heman's messed up situation, it is that, at least he has not given up on prayer.

Prayer still works.

Heman is disappointed by God's silence, while the darkness keeps getting darker. What's hard to understand about God being silent, is the rest of the Bible paints the picture of The Great Deliverer... the One who comes to the rescue and parts the Red Sea, then drowns the enemy giving chase.

Heman can't even seem to get God to hear his desperate prayers, let alone answer one. But at least he has not given up on God. There's a song that says, "Don't give up on God cause He won't give up on you. He's able!"

I bought a notebook the other day to embark upon my own Prayer Journey, until I am completely emptied out. And I have to say, God is already responding and opening my eyes to some things that I need to correct.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-16)

Prayer still works.

"The Lord may ask us to walk a path that we would not willingly choose. But we know that His ways are the right ways and even if we walk through darkness and uncertainty, He makes our steps light because He is our strength." - Our Daily Bread 

The Lord turned Job's captivity and restored his losses when he prayed for his friends. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. He was consoled and comforted concerning all the adversity the Lord had allowed the enemy to do to him... never having cursed God to his face, as Satan had predicted. 

Prayer still works. 

Don't give up on God, cause He won't give up on you. He's able! 

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy. 

He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him.

(Psalm 126:5-6) 

Take Me To The King

Truth is I'm tired

Options are few

I'm trying to pray

But where are You?

I'm all churched out

Hurt and abused

I can't fake

What's left to do?

Take me to the King

I don't have much to bring

My heart's torn in pieces

It's my offering

Lay me at the throne

Leave me there alone

To gaze upon Your glory

And sing to You this song

Please take me to the King

Truth is it's time

To stop playing these games

We need a word

For the people's pain

So Lord speak right now

Let it pour like rain

Oh, yeah, we're desperate

We're chasing after You

No rules, no religion

I've made my decision

To run to You

The healer that I need

Take me to the King

I don't have much to bring

My heart's torn in pieces

It's my offering

Lord we're in the way

Keep making mistakes

The glory's not for us

It's all for You

Take me to the King

Don't have much to bring

My heart's torn in pieces

It's my offering

Lay me at the throne

Leave me there alone

To gaze upon Your glory

And sing to You this song

Take me to the King

Take me to the King

Take me to the King

I surrender all
Anybody?

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

Hallelujah!

I surrender

You can just

Take me to the King

Hallelujah!

Go in peace.

Daddy, I Wanna Sing

No Can Do!

Because I love music so much, one of the first things I requested of the Lord when I came to Christ, was to make me a singer. Most of the people in my family have great singing voices or they can play the heck out of an instrument... very musically inclined.

Driving alone in my car (with windows up), or in the shower, I can carry a pretty good note, but publicly on a stage, not so much. So I asked the Lord if He would anoint my voice so that I can fulfill my dream of being a singer like the rest of my family. After all, the Bible says to ask and it shall be given... for everyone that asks receives. I even told the Lord that I would travel the world singing and He would not even have to pay me to do it. I would sing for free if He could get me to the stage and back home. And I meant that. My motivation was not to use the gift to become wealthy, I just wanted to sing. Period. I thought because my motivation was pure, He should be okay with it.

Time passed (and passed) and my many attempts at singing outside the shower proved futile. In other words, I failed miserably at the singing thing and God was pretty silent about it for a while.

Finally, one day, the Lord explained why He would not let me sing.

"Baby, your whole life I raised you up to be a teacher. I let you endure things even as a child that would enhance your gift and skills. I instilled in you the study gene and all the necessary tools that enable you to study My word in depth. If I make you a singer now, it will be a great distraction, pulling you away from everything I have built up in you. I am sorry sweetheart, Daddy cannot make you a singer."

I felt His disappointment, that He had to turn me down. I knew what He said was truth. If He allowed me to sing, I would be too busy writing lyrics, rehearsing and performing to actually give myself over to the study of His word. It was disappointing but I gave up the notion of singing out in public.

Now, fast forward a few years. I was driving to work early one morning and a song came on the radio by The Canton Spirituals called Heavenly Choir. I was listening to the story and I heard the voice of the Lord say, "I'm going to let you sing in the heavenly choir." I gasped! Instinctively, I knew that He meant in the hereafter, I would be a member of His heavenly choir. I said, "Lord, You're going to let me sing in the heavenly choir?" He said, "I'm going to let you lead songs in the heavenly choir." I was speechless and emotions welled up so that I almost had to pull over. Tears were flowing down my face and I forced myself to pull it together before I caused a traffic accident.

When I finally got straightened out, I said, "Lord, I am deeply honored... and this more than makes up for not being the next Whitney Houston, here on my earthly pass-through." (In the shower, I always sound just like her. LOL!) 

Romans 8:28 states, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

In regard to my prayer to be a singer, the answer was no-can-do. But in my opinion, it couldn't have turned out any better, because I am still wow'd by the fact that He will let "me" lead songs in "His" heavenly choir. (SMH) Even the Lord's no, is just like a yes.

Go in peace.

Retribution and Retaliation

When we are wronged our natural instinct is to fight back or be angry and hold a rocket-sized grudge against the evil doer. I, for one, have had my fair share of struggles in this area. I could hold a grudge long after I had forgotten what I was even ticked off about.

But Jesus taught us differently... to love our enemies and bless those who do us wrong. Speaking for myself (and possibly many others), this is a hard thing to do, but not impossible; for every believer has the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us and we are able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we dare to ask or think. The fruit of the Spirit that He brings with Him when He comes to live in us is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and temperance. These virtues are nurtured in us and like a mustard seed they grow as we mature in these areas.

I have to confess my great struggle in this area. When I see victims of violent acts, my first response is not to love the evil person as Jesus taught. I secretly wish they would have the evil done right back to them but in greater measure.

Well, yesterday I watched a movie called The Equalizer played by Denzel Washington.

PLOT SUMMARY: "Robert McCall, a man of mysterious origin who believes he has put his past behind him, dedicates himself to creating a new, quiet life. However, when he meets a teenage prostitute who has been manhandled by violent Russian mobsters, he simply cannot walk away. Armed with a hidden set of formidable skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem with an evil person, and the odds are stacked against them, the Equalizer would help them get revenge." -Sony Pictures Entertainment

You would think that I would have enjoyed seeing these evil people get their just-deserves but honestly it did not hold the satisfaction I thought it would. Because I am not evil at heart, I could not be happy that these evil people were receiving the retribution they so equally deserved. I was surprised at my reaction. I thought I would've been cheering as each one came to his terrible demise, but instead my emotions were saddened. I was relieved that they would not be able to inflict evil on anyone else, but at the same time saddened by the circumstances of evil that existed in them. You think revenge is sweet, but it leaves a very bitter taste.

“Vengeance, retaliation, retribution, revenge are deceitful brothers; vile, beguiling demons promising justifiable compensation to a pained soul for his losses. Yet in truth they craftily fester away all else of worth remaining.”  ― Richelle E. Goodrich

If we are overcome by evil then we are the conquered party. But if we overcome evil with good then we are the victors and have subdued the enemy.

The Lord said vengeance is His and He would repay them. It's really for our own good. There's no real relief in trying to get even with our enemies. God is the best judge for distributing justice and our job is to work with the Holy Spirit so He can heal the hurting places left behind by mean-spirited people.

I really don't want to come off sounding high-and-mighty or make light of how deeply devastating evil can be. Lord knows I have struggled and struggled with my attitude toward these kind of people. But if I end up being the same as them, where is the nobleness in that? How does that make me any different than them? There has to be a difference in darkness and light.

• Rom 12:14, 17-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Proverbs 4:14-17, 19 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
• Ps 37:1-2 Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
• Ps 11:6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.

Heavenly Father, there is one person that I need You to help me forgive and love with sincerity. Forgive my hypocrisy in pretending that everything is okay when it is not. I confess my weakness in not letting You take care of my hurts and wounds. Be my strength in this I pray. Amen

Go in peace. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.