Daniel 3:14-18 – 14) Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I set up?15) I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you reuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to recue you from my power? 16)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17)If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18)But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego got ratted out! They were turned in to the king for not following an order to bow down and worship the golden statue. The king gave them one more chance. This so called chance was really one more chance to bow down to a statue they knew didn’t deserve the honor. One more chance to sin against God and really to bow down to the world. One more chance to chose life or death. One more chance to reject the world or be part of it.

As you read through this, I ask you where do you stand when your one more chance comes around? What does your one more chance look like to you and those watching you?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before the king and boldly stated they didn’t need to defend their decision. They would not bow down to their god, they confidently declared that the God they served would deliver them.  They could stand boldly before the king because they knew the ability, the power, and authority of God.

My question is Do you know the ability, power, and authority of God?

They knew God would save them from burning in the furnace and even save them from the king.

Again I ask: Do you know that God can and will save you from this burning broken world.

They boldly declared that EVEN IF…EVEN IF he didn’t, they wouldn’t go against God.

And in all those questions at times people walk away because this Christian walk is just too hard. Often times people end up believing the lies that it is better to bow down to this broken world we live in because things seem easier. I remind you again that nowhere in the bible does it say we won’t have struggles or trials. In fact, the bible says:

John 16:33 – I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Can you still boldly proclaim that you trust Him and keep walking through the fire, through the storm?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t back down, they didn’t stray away from what they knew God would and could do. They wouldn’t deny God EVEN IF… His plan was different from theirs.

I want to ask : Can you and will you stand tall and together trusting God through all things EVEN IF… his plan isn’t looking like what you thought it would. Let me tell you at times it can be hard. So hard, but I come telling you that if you trust God with your everything, even in death for his honor and glory, YOU WIN!

Weather the death be life, a relationship, a job or whatever it may be, stay faithful in all situations and remember what the enemy meant for evil God intended for good.

Genesis 50:20 – You intended to hard me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

How deep is your love for God?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego displayed the deepest love for God. Today we actually see many do have a love for God and serve him but in their own selfish ways. They will serve God but still love the world, still sin, and love themselves more.

1 John 2:15 – Do not love this world not the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were bold enough to say, EVEN IF he doesn’t.

I leave you with this thought:

Are you bold enough to deny the enemy when things come against you and be obedient no matter the cost?

EVEN IF… the cost seems too high, Can you still say, “ I will not bow down to no other god but MY GOD ALMIGHTY!

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 

I think that we have all heard of some type of Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame consists of the greats in certain categories in different areas such as sports, music, arts, cars and more.

Hebrews 11 is a chapter of the greats of FAITH!

I shared this devotional at my church, and I shared with them, how I did not want to share this message. I didn’t want to share it because lately, my faith has been a little bit of a struggle. When God placed this in my heart I was at work and as I sat there alone, I was just asking God “Why? Why do you want me to share this message when just two weeks ago I had to take time from work because I just didn’t feel good. I felt completely overwhelmed with everything and just wasn’t sure I could keep going on this walk with Him.” I needed a day for myself because I still was set to give this message but the only thing that I kept thinking was, God the promise you gave me, and my family looks nothing like the life I am living right now.” He then set me straight and told me, “IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE IT TO THEM EITHER!” and well all that was left for me to say was… “Ok, I will give the message.”

By faith, they believed!

By faith they walked in obedience!

By faith they never lost hope!

By faith, the universe was created!

By faith, Abel offered his best!

By faith, Enoch was taken by God, not having to experience death!

By faith, Abraham left the land he knew for one he didn’t know!

Even when tested Abraham offered up his son Isaac!

By faith, Sarah was given the power to conceive!

By faith, the walls of Jericho fell!

By faith, Moses led the people to cross the Red Sea as if it were dry land!

And that isn’t it, there’s more! I pray that what you take with you after reading this is that these are the greats, they were written into this chapter in Hebrews, the Hall of Faith because they are examples of what it means to live by faith. They never lost hope even when they saw no evidence of their promise.

I asked myself, “Am I a good example of what living by faith looks like?” I immediately remembered and asked God to forgive me for complaining about sharing this message because right now the promise he gave me doesn’t look like the life I am living.

So, I ask you:

What example of faith are you displaying with your life?

Where does your faith lie? Because being honest most times we have no problem walking by faith when everything is going great, but can you still live by faith when you feel you have been going though trial after trial and storm after storm and you still can’t get through the storm.

Nowhere in the chapter or even the whole bible does it say that living a life following Christ would be easy. So, I don’t know why I wanted to think that I should not be having any trials or struggles. God has always had a plan for me, just as he does for you, but remember so does the enemy, but his plan is for destruction and for you to drop and walk away from your promise.

These greats all had trials, hardships, and doubts just as we do but they still lived by faith trusting not in what they could or couldn’t see but believing in THE ONE that gave them the promise.

Their natural eye couldn’t see the promise, but it didn’t stop them from hoping for it by faith.

They heard God and by faith they were obedient.

But, I wonder if we can take a moment t think of the times that God has told us to do something and we just did it despite what it sounded or looked like, as these greats did in Hebrews 11. As for me, I am getting better at not questioning and just moving forward and believing that if God said it then it will be done. I’m not saying that I don’t or won’t struggle but I will move by faith as he leads me.

They all died being in this Hall of Faith chapter as being on of the greats and lived by faith. I want to tell you that you could be the very example God is trying to use for someone to see that he is the same promise keeper as he was back then, today and always. Be the example to those that have lost hope and think living by faith is impossible. We need to show them that we serve the God that makes the impossible possible. Like I said, I have been trying to live my life like these greats even as I know that my life is nowhere near the things they had to go through but like them I want to live by faith knowing that if God gave me a promise, then it will come to pass. Even if, right now I don’t see the evidence of that promise.

I leave you with this thought:

IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD, THEN LIVE BY FAITH!

Isaiah 43:19 - For I am about to do something new. See I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. 

That new thing! It has begun! Can you see it! Your new thing is right there, its attainable, if you reach for it, its yours, BUT…are you ready? Don’t let go of your promise just because in your natural sight that new thing seems to dark to see any light shine though or it keeps slipping through your fingers because you’re too focus on the old.

Maybe you messed up! Maybe you took a wrong turn! To be honest who hasn’t messed up or take more than one wrong turn. Can you look past whatever wildnerness or dryness you find yourself in and set your eyes on THAT NEW THING GOD has for you? Is it hard…Yes! Can it be in done…Yes! Phillipians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Do you have room for your new thing? Everything you have been going through hasn’t been for nothing. He’s been preparing you to recieve THAT NEW THING. Can you open your eyes? Can you open your mind? Can you open your heart? Can you open your hands and stand ready to receive that new thing? I sit here writing and feel how much God has been trying to give me if I could only stop focusing on what I see as too hard or too far gone. I am overjoyed feeling HIS love that I know THAT NEW THING, isn’t just for me but for you too.

Let that old thing go! Let it go! It was never meant for you to a hang onto. Don’t risk keeping something that is time to let go of and that the enemy has been using to keep you from reaching for THAT NEW THING or even feeling as if you do not deserve THAT NEW THING. God is ready to give you THAT NEW THING, BUT.. are you ready to recieve it? God won’t give it while your still hanging on to the old.

Is that old thing worth THAT NEW THING GOD has for you? What is that old thing you are holding on to? What do you need to do to let it go? Do you need to say ” I let that old thing go!” Say it! Say, ” I let it go, God Im ready for MY new thing.”

Don’t let that old thing keep you from walking into your victory. Your victory is THAT NEW THING you been praying and fasting about, that maybe you thought was too far gone. I write this to tell you that however you came across this blog, it wasn’t an accident. God knew you needed to be encouraged and wanted you to know…. YOUR NEW THING IS READY! ARE YOU?

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 

This verse has been in my heart over the past weekend. I ended up sharing it at church but even then all I kept hearing was…. HAVE YOU NOT SEEN?

Even as I shared it to help remind those in church but also it was a big reminder for me. Over the weekend read and reread the verse, I began to ask myself this very question:

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN?

I don’t know if anyone reading this at times struggles with having faith through whatever the situation, battle, or trial you are going through because to be honest sometimes it is a struggle for me. Its hard at times to believe for the things that you can’t see when everything in front of your eyes at the moment doesn’t look good at all, it looks like there is no hope, or even that no matter what you do things seem to be getting worse.

I want you to know God’s power is something we can’t always see in a physical sense like we want to and I want you to know, even as I can feel the joy of the Lord so strong and a smile so big over my face knowing nothing can take it away from me because even now God is still telling me:

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN?

Have I not seen that my heart was broken in a million pieces since about the time my mom passed away back in 2008. Receiving the news to come home from Germany because she doesn’t have much time and knowing the time that she was given was shorter than the flight home. I tell you that on top of this heartache, life happens and other things began to pile up on top. I began to ask myself, how can I not see that God has mended my heart and continues to heal the hurts of my heart through every circumstance and trial. I may have been a stubborn person and wanting to seem tough and as if nothing could hurt me but as I feel the love that God gave and continues to give as he picks up every broken piece of me and is forming me into a new creation. I pray that same love radiates through me and touches those that may not know this love.

HAVE I NOT SEEN?

Have I not seen, that as much as I ran away from God and the idea of coming to church and let alone changing my whole life to serve him. I did attend church as a kid but not consistent. I went with my aunt on an occasional Sunday and always wanted to go to the VBS. How was I missing the fact that I never wanted to come to church and now not wanting to miss church because I want to have an encounter with THE ONE that has never left me. He never left me, even during the times that I rejected him over and over. I am not saying I am a perfect Christian because I am far from it and because the bible says there is not one perfect person. Romans 3:10 – As the scriptures say, ” No one is righteous – not even one. I praise God for him finding me when he did because without him, there’s no way that the things I’ve gone through would I even still be standing, let alone sitting here typing the words to this blog for the person or persons that run across this blog. There are people out there thinking there is no God, God isn’t working, or that God has left them. I want you to know that you reading this blog is not a accident or coincidence. It is your appointed time to discover who he is and experience him and his power in a way you never thought possible.

Maybe you’re at a point where you just have been struggling to believe God’s word or his promises over your life, but…..

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN?

Have you not seen the evidence of his power working in your life? Have you not seen forgiveness given in circumstances where it wasn’t deserved? Have you not seen the healing power in a health situation that the only answer the doctor could give was that there was nothing left to be done and if you haven’t witnessed that power, can you believe for it if such a time should come? Have you not seen a healing of the heart in a time when it seemed as if there was no way for that heart to be mended back together. Then to realize that God has mended it to better and stronger. Have you not seen transformation and redemption where and in who you never thought possible? Have you not seen the power of God make the impossible possible? Have you not seen a love given when it is so undeserved because honestly we all fall short at times and realizing his love never ends and his mercy is new everyday. Lamentations 3:22-23 – The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. ²³Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I leave you with this thought:

WHY HAVE YOU NOT SEEN?

James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I sit here thinking, ” How did I get here? How did I get to this point?” Not just today but all last month was all that I kept saying to myself and also the reason I skipped a month to post a blog. Beginning this week in my prayer time I could hear God tell me, “Your resilient!” That’s where I say, ” how did I get to this point, where I pray, and can clearly hear him say “You’re resilient!” and because I feel like there is too much going on in my head or I’m like the disciples on the boat in the storm and I just want to get off, that I still chose to not believe that word could even describe me. I even know what the word means, and I still wanted to look it up. Resilient: (a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult situations or conditions.

How did I get here? How did I get to this point?

This point is me allowing the lies of the enemy getting me to dismiss a characteristic trait that God gave me and in my prayer time to top it off. One day this week I was even thinking of sending out a text to my pastor, my best friend, my niece, my sons, and my sister asking them if they thought I was resilient. I ended up not because I thought, “they will all probably just say yes.”

How did I get here? How did I get to this point?

This point where I needed to hear the opinion of another person, when God clearly gave me the word in my prayer time? How did I get here? How did I get to this point are phrases I’ve played over and over in my head for quite some time and as I type this blog out I think why have I allowed the enemy to keep me here the entire month last month and creeping into this month? Maybe you were led to read this blog because someone you know read it and thought it would encourage you and I praise God if you are encouraged. Maybe you have been feeling like you been beat down and dragged so far down that there is no possible way of getting up as you endure yet another trial, battle, or struggle. As I was encouraged to write this for myself, I felt there maybe someone out there feeling the same way and need to read that they aren’t the only one and that there is hope and that we have a God walks every step with you. Those thoughts that creep in telling you, “QUIT!” “YOU CAN’T!” ” YOU’RE DONE!” I’m here to say, ” KEEP GOING!” YOU’RE NOT DONE!” and “YOU CAN” I don’t know your trial or struggle but God does and I can testify, he does help you through it all. Will you let him?

Each of the many trials you have faced or will face has grown you in ways you never thought possible and has made you stronger in areas you never thought you could be strong. You are resilient! You have persevered! Your faith has been tested time and time again as the enemy hopes to destroy you, your promise, your legacy, and the calling over your life. Maybe you have been feeling completely drained, exhausted and at the end of your rope but I remind you as long as it is God at the end of that rope, you will continue to grow and get so much stronger and closer to “THE ONE” that has been with you every step of the way. Will we fall short, sure we all do but we make it a point to get back up and keep fighting the fight. Know that the enemy has strategized long and hard to test your faith in hopes of TRYING to get you to quit. The last thing that lying devil wanted was for you to believe that you are resilient and could persevere despite the battles trying to destroy you. But know that what the enemy meant for evil God turns to good. Genesis 50:20 – ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.  Your testimony may be the very one someone needs to hear to turn from what they saw as destruction to walk toward the hope we find in Christ. Take a moment to realize, you did keep walking, you are still standing even after every hit and punch made to knock you out, you still got up!

Know that you are set apart and you can keep going and walking toward your promise and victory. Realize that God is about to take you to that next level because if you’re anything like me, you forget that it is what you been praying for and he is simply answering your prayer by growing your faith in him and strengthening you for the process you are going through. He created you to be resilient and to persevere and through Christ you can do all things as it says in Philippians 4:13.

If you take anything with you from reading this, I pray it is that:

YOU CAN!

1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses

To be a fighter in any capacity means that the enemy will always try in all their might to get you to identify as a runner. The enemy would also want others to identify you as a runner.

What is a runner?

A runner is one who runs away. One who wants to run from its present situation.

Believe me when I tell you that, that is what the enemy wants you to do. He wants you to run from the situation that has made you uncomfortable. He wants you to run and have no other option but to admit and identify that you are a runner. Once you run, you can’t deny that you didn’t run.

To be honest, I never paid much attention the word runner until I was reminded of the things, I’ve been through and even some before I even came to Christ, that even then I never ran, I stayed and to fight. When I say the enemy wants you to IDENTIFY with being a runner, I’m telling you, he banks on it, he puts all his focus and strategies on that fight because IF you run, that would be his victory. Genesis 50:20 ^– You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. It would be you running from what God has called you to do. It would be the race the enemy want you to run from and walking away from every promise He gave you but more that you ran away from Him and His kingdom. In the process of running, you also robbed those he would place in your path to introduce them to HIM and entering His kingdom.

The fight or battle you are in, I do not doubt that it is tough, hard, overwhelming, and / or heartbreaking but running proves nothing, only that you didn’t trust in THE ONE that you everything was going to be okay. (I trust those words because has said them to me and sent others to tell me. )

Will you be the runner and run or a fighter and press forward?

Philippians 3:14 – I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I am a fighter! Just let me tell you something: I did want run. I did want to quit but I kept remembering and being and reminded of how much God has already done and will continue to do and that even if I did run the battle will still be there only it would be harder without Christ. Battles are fought on a daily basis. Maybe you are in a season where everything is going great and if that is the case Praise God! Maybe you are in a season where is seems like you are fighting battle after battle and it’s getting so hard all you can think to do is run. To run doesn’t even mean the battle stops, to be completely truthful they will keep coming. To be honest, I feel I been in a season where it feels like battle after battle is coming my way. I admit, I have said “Again God? Another thing God? I try to always remember that God never said this walk would be easy. John 16:33 – I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Even through the fight and even as God sends another person to tell me that even I crawl but keep going, I’m still getting through it because I trust THE ONE, I know goes with me, even when that other person tells me, “Get up! What are you doing there?” that turns out to be confirmation of what I did not want to admit, I have been hearing God ask me, “Melissa, what are you doing here?” In that emotional moment, I would find myself replying I don’t know. But the one thing I did know was that…

I was still standing! I AM A FIGHTER!

I am still standing because despite the battle that the enemy wanted to count me out, despite the fact that he punched me right in the face and thought he knocked me out and surely thought I was out for the count…. HE WAS WRONG!! Instead, he saw he was defeated because I got back up. I got up because through it all and receiving prayers, support, and encouragement and I’m not saying it was easy because there were many times I wanted to run. I thank God that I never let go of the hand of God, even in the moments I felt like letting go was just easier, He never let me go simply because HE chose me and calls me HIS. I AM A FIGHTER! Even if in the moment I didn’t see it or believe it myself, he always had a plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

He has a plan for you too! He created fighters to fight the good fight.

THE FIGHTER IS ME!

THE FIGHTER IS YOU!

KEEP FIGHTING!!!

DIAMONDS ✴✴✴✴ I’m sure your first thought of the word, you probably imagined a beautiful diamond that you would see someone wearing or displayed in a jewelry store. It would be sparkly and shiny and beautiful.

BUT…

Let me tell you one thing about diamonds, they don’t start out as the beautiful piece of jewelry you are imagining. They go through a process. They have to be found, dug up, and transformed into that beauty piece of jewelry that first came to your mind as you read that first word to start the blog. That beautiful diamond you see began its journey as a diamond in the rough. To the untrained eye, finding a diamond probably would just look like a dull piece of glass. No beauty, no sparkle! The process to become the beauty you see in the jewelry stores or in your jewelry box is an intense process. It takes months, but the end result is the beautiful piece of diamond jewelry you may be wearing. A jeweler or gemologist shapes the diamond to bring out the beauty of that diamond, much like how the moment you allowed yourself to be found and God dug you up out of where you were and began to transform you. He began to mold and shape you to bring out the shine in you to display HIS GLORY. Isaiah 64:8 – And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.

A diamond in the rough is basically referring to the original state. The original state in which it was found and had to be dug up. That diamond will have a dirty appearance and the shape would most likely be unappealing to the eye, but it has the potential to become that high quality valued diamond when it withstands the process.

You may not even realize as you read through the blog, that you were once or maybe are that DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH waiting to be discovered. You may not even really know God. Maybe you’re even reading this because you know me and want to support me (by the way: THANK YOU ❤) or a friend or family member asked you to read this blog, but I want to tell you this – IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT that you are reading this blog because God knows you and however way He did it, He led you here to tell you something. He knew you before you were even born. Jeremiah 1:5 – “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” As I sat here writing this out by hand as that is my process, I began to just feel the emotion and realization that there are no words to even describe how I feel knowing that HE – set me apart and appointed me – even as rough around the edges I was and even parts of me still is, He still began the process of removing from me parts that were no longer of any use to me or HIM because they represented the world. He would now bring me through the process the represent HIM to shine for HIS honor and glory. Like I said there are no words to describe the feeling I feel realizing the I am HIS treasure and the value he places on me by calling me HIS and I pray you realize he holds YOU to the same.

You may be in that diamond in the rough state and may not feel any of the words you just read but I tell you from my own experience just as God saw the potential for me to shine for HIS glory. I want you to know you hold that same potential and value in his eyes. Malachi 3:17 – “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.

Just as the rough diamonds found had to go through a process of heat and pressure to become that beautiful Diamond, you will also go through fire, pressure, trials, struggles, and hurts but one thing I can say is that you will not go through them alone. God will remove every part of you that represents the world as long as you allow Him because he won’t force himself on you, He is a gentleman and through that process you will begin to represent HIM.

Are you willing? Will you surrender your will for HIS?

Let me tell you, I stayed in that “Diamond in the Rough” state for so long because I did not want to change anything in my life or myself, but I still wanted what I heard God had to give me. I still wanted to run my life as I wanted and do whatever pleased myself. During those years in my life, I did feel rough around the edges, unapproachable, angry, alone and never realizing that the moment I would allow God to polish me up and shape me to be like HIM, He would use me for things I would never imagine myself doing. Even if it looked hard or scary, I would do it because I now knew that if he called me to do it or go through it, He would equip me and would go with me through the process.

To the world once I gave God that chance as He asked me that rainy cloudy day, I was not good anymore, but to God I was always that precious beautiful diamond and you are too! The enemy will try everything to get to you to go back to the world that devalued you the moment you chose GOD to be #1 but never forget …. THE devil IS A LIAR! Even the many times I have fallen short, God forgave me when I asked, and he still picked me and shined me up again.

I was told once or twice or more (my pastor) on a bad day I was having about people often times look in the mirror and even though there are dramatic changes in them, they do not see it, they see the old them. To be honest, it is a struggle I still have at times but let me tell you God never saw what I saw. He always saw the potentional, treasure, value and beauty I held in HIS eyes. You shine, you draw attention because no matter how much dirt the enemy tries to throw on you, you still shine like God created you to.

I want to end tell you:

You were worth the find. You were worth the process. As you begin the transformation in Christ from that “diamond in the rough” to that new creation of that beautiful diamond you will see it was worth the process. ❤

God Bless You!

Will you declare it!! In the midst of the situation or storm that may feel like this is the last thing you can handle; it becomes easy to let people tell you or even you yourself say:

” That’s never going to work!”

“That situation will never ever change!”

or

“That won’t last!”

BUT….

Why is it that easy to take their word or fall into the trap the enemy is clearly behind that set up that you accept? Its comes easy because as humans we are trained to see things as they are, how it looks with our natural eye, but God is calling us to see things as He sees them because He is already setting things up for you. Is it a struggle? Yes, and to be totally honest at times, I do struggle but I praise God, it doesn’t take me to long to see that God is working. The enemy bets against you and me every chance he gets. The enemy wants us to bow out, he wants us to take blow after blow and just be out for the count. He wants us to fall down and stay down.

BUT…

I remind you what the MIGHTY WORD OF GOD says in Proverbs 24:16 – The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to over throw the wicked.

What will you do?? Be down and stay down or GET UP!!

Another blow will come and another after that will come and will knock you down, but you need to choose! GET UP AGAIN each time and keep fighting because you are never fighting alone.

It’s time to get up and start speaking life into that situation or storm that the enemy is trying to control. Start DECLARING:

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

AND

God is making a way even though it looks as if there is now way.

Isaiah 43:19 – For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Don’t you see! It may look absolutely impossible but I remind you we serve a God that can turn everything around making it possible. I know GOD makes the impossible possible because I can think back on the days when I would say no one will ever get me to TRUST GOD with my everything, yet I do because He gave me everything when I didn’t even deserve it.

I challenge you to speak VICTORY into the situation or storms you see coming or that you are walking through now. The more you speak it, the more you believe it. Stand with me and DECLARE all HIS promises and watch God bring them to life.

DECLARE YOUR VICTORY! GOD IS ALREADY HOLDING IT FOR YOU TO CLAIM AND WALK IN IT!

Quote by Tony Evans ” You are not fighting for victory, you are fighting from VICTORY. This battle has already been won!”

Mark 4:35‭-‬41 NLT
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”


No one wants to go through storms.
  No one wants to have their boat ROCKED! 
No one wants to go through any of the things that involve your boat being rocked.
 There are times that I would ask GOD: Please God! Please don’t let my boat get rocked! Everything is good, everything is fine, everything seems to be going smoothly. Smooth sailing!


But let’s be real!
 Our boat is going to get rocked just like it did for the disciples.
 Reading the passage. 
They thought they were as good as dead. They were scared. They panicked. They questioned.

I want to tell you that just because we call ourselves Christians, just because we come to church once or twice a week, or just because we give that offering or tithe doesn’t mean we are exempt from experiencing things that will rock our boat.
Because to be honest sometimes I would think…” Ok I am doing everything I’m supposed to, so I should be good nothing is going to happen. I’m good and then BOOM! My boat is rocked!

John 16:33 – I have told you all this so that you may have peace in ME. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.

 He tells us in his word – We WILL have TRIALs but to have PEACE in HIM because HE overcame the world.

We have to stand up!!

As I write this part, it definitely hit me first because I realized that these storms that ROCK our boat are the ones that bless our lives the most.
I know right now you’re thinking… WHAT?
How is this storm helping me because all I know right now is that my boat is rocking so uncontrollably and all I want to do is get off this boat.
We begin to as God like the disciples did:
God, can’t you see that my boat is getting rocked?
God, can’t you see that everything coming at me in the boat is going to bring me down?
God, don’t you care?
God, where are you?

But I want to tell you just as God told me as I sat putting this together as HE gave it to me.
He said, “Without me in your boat, where would you be?”
I about cried because I knew, I know that had God not been in the boat with me, through any of the storms I have been through or am going through, I don’t know where I would be right now to be honest. One thing is for sure I wouldn’t be here sharing a devotional.

We learn to have more faith and trust in THE GOD that can calm the storm we are in just as he did for the disciples.

 1 Peter 1:6-7 – 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far mor3e precious than mere gold. SO, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Getting through the trials and storms and experiencing our boat getting rocked isn’t easy but we keep faith and trust God is with us the whole time.

It wasn’t the disciples’ first time out in the water in their boat. It wasn’t their first time experiencing a storm like this because during those times they knew what to do. We have all been through things. We may be going through things now. We have watched God move. We’ve watched God calm the storms too but:

Why were the disciples scared if they knew Jesus was in the boat with them?
Why do we get scared when we know Jesus is in the boat with us too?
Why did they panic when Jesus is the one that told them to cross?
Why do we get scared and panic when GOD is the one that tells us to go this way or that way, or even turn around?
Maybe they expected like I said at the beginning they were with Jesus doing everything they were supposed to do so nothing would happen. It ‘s all smooth sailing.
I began thinking… “Well, I do that. My boat starts rocking and I panic, I doubt, I get scared, and all this knowing that I already prayed, and God said, “Yes go this way. And I do know that HE would never send me any where to harm me. “

But when we are in the storm and we feel our boat is getting rocked, we feel everything coming in our boat as the disciples did when they saw their boat filling up with water and it was about to make them sink and drown. We do the same, we feel everything coming in is going to bring our boat down and we are going to drown, and we feel all this knowing Jesus is in the boat with us and we still panic.
We start running around doing things in our own strength, in our own thoughts, in our own ideas thinking we know better or that we can do better than God because all we want to do is just get off this rocking boat.

We can’t control any storm, but God can! And he will but we have to let him.
Will we stop moving in our own will and move in his?
Can we truly trust the God that has never left us?
Can we focus on the God that has gotten us through some of the most difficult storms and even picked us up when we felt our boat was rocked to such an extreme that we could see nothing good coming out of it We’ve all seen God do big and mighty things for us and others and He wants to tell you there is more coming. There is more to see and experience even if your boat gets rocked.

Give it all to God! I say all because, I have the habit of saying, “well God take this but not that, take that but not this, ok yes God take that. Take it! I challenge you tonight to give it all to God and watch him calm the storm and watch your boat stop rocking.

We shouldn’t need for our pastors or anyone to remind us over and over that is doesn’t matter what the storm outside our boat looks like, because we already know that God is with us in the boat. I know God is with me! I know God gots me! I know God gots you!

Know who it is that is riding with you and calming that storm.

I END encouraging you to never forget who you are and even in the moments when you feel your boat is getting rocked uncontrollably and definitely never forget who rides with you in your boat.