He's Got It!

He's Got It! 

Hebrews 10:30 says, "For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, The Lord will Judge His people."

        I remember the hurt, disappointment, ugly words, negative responses, and the overall negative energy often expelled toward me by others. Here lately, every time my flesh tries to seek revenge or take me there when something mean happens, the Spirit tells me to let go and let God. When I try to treat others like they treat me, I remember that His word says, "Vengeance is Mine," and I can not do it. This is all it takes for me to let it go. When God says, He has got it; He means it. Right then, I have a choice to accept and believe His word or not. I choose to believe it.

        I heard a famous pastor say the most profound thing once. He said, "The way people treat you is between them and God, but the way you respond to how people treat you is between you and God."  I was like, "Oh my God! I get it, now. I understand." I can not act like they act or respond like they respond. He reminds me that I am different, I am a peculiar person, and I am Holy, because He is Holy. I am set aside for His purpose to be effective for His kingdom. 

        It is not easy, because I live in the flesh and my flesh likes what it likes and wants what it wants. If I would let it, my flesh would rule over me and keep me distanced and disobedient to the Spirit. When that happens, there are consequences to pay. Over the years, I have had to pay many consequences, and that was no fun. Now, I am doing better.

        A few years ago, I worked to bring a well known local theater to my high school to perform a live play for the students. I presented the idea to the principal and the faculty at a meeting. The principal was hesitant because of the culture and climate of the school at the time, but a teacher spoke up saying, "I think it will be good for the students to be exposed to something different." The principal finally agreed, as well as several teachers. That teacher speaking in favor of it, is the reason I assumed I had some support. I worked diligently to make it happen. I shared the information in the mail boxes of the the main ones whose support I thought I had, but it just sat there. I soon realized that I would have to make it happen by myself. I decided to invite the middle and elementary school students to participate. Their principal accepted the invitation, and two buses of students from their schools joined us at the live performance. 

        It was a success. The teachers whose support I thought I had did not come to work that day. Neither did the principal, but I had the Holy Spirit's help. I had prayed about it and was pleased with my attitude and determination to make it work. I was grateful to God for blessing my efforts. I got the school a discount on the performance, and the principal paid the fee to the theater for coming out. It all worked out. 

        As it turned out, I had all the support I needed. I do not know what that experience meant, or why I thought about it. I only know not having help did not feel right at the time. Nevertheless, my prayers were answered. What was meant for bad, turned out to be pretty good.

        Oxford dictionary says, vengeance also means a comeback or satisfaction. Again, I was pleased with the outcome. I share this scripture to say, as believers, we must have faith in His word and let go and let God; then everything will work out like it should.

Faith in What's Next

 

Faith in What's Next

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." NKJV

        This scripture is another one of my favorites in the Bible. I particularly like this version, because it speaks to me personally. In my mind, He calls me by name and says, ever so gently, come here Tammy; let me talk to you for a minute. As I read this scripture, I am reminded of the truth, and this is how it plays out in my mind when I meditate on Jeremiah 29:11.   

        I imagine Him saying, "Daughter, listen to me. Do you still not know that you can trust me and you can put your hope in me?  Do you not know you can trust my plan? Why are you dismayed? Why are you anxious? Why is your head cast down? Why do you worry; and- why do you listen to your flesh before you listen to me?" In my mind, I hear Him saying that I do not have anything to worry about. I hear Him reminding me that He has known me from the very beginning when He created me with a blueprint for my life.  After all, He did strategically form me in my mother's womb. He reminds me that He is still "Present" and  He has me in the palm of His hand. 

        I need to repeat this part. "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord." At this point, I feel utter amazement towards Him. I am thinking, "Wow! He has thoughts of me?" I truly believe that God has the blueprint for my life; He has the final draft to my book. Better than that, He wrote my book! His plan for me is peace and not evil. His plan for me is to give me a future and a hope. Why should I worry about the next chapter of my book? I know the Author, and I trust His plan. He is the same One who formed me in my mother's womb and created a plan for my life. He is "Present" and He is Hands-on. 

        I marvel at His Awesomeness. My faith in what's next, is my choice to walk by faith and not by sight. Faith is my spiritual gift; sight is my natural gift. Faith is my supernatural ability to believe in the intangible things around me. Sight is my natural ability to recognize the tangible things around me. I believe faith is far better. I need the ability to see in the natural, but I also need the ability to see in the supernatural (the spiritual) as I walk by faith. 

        My sight can grow weak, and it can even fail or deceive me, but my faith can only grow stronger and bigger when I exercises it. Also, when I nourish my faith by praying, meditating, believing, reading His word, and communing with other believers, it will grow stronger. 

        I believe this is my truth and the truth for all believers. My faith in what's next, is this path that I am on- which is to walk daily in faith and to trust God's plan for my life.

Who is Grace?

 Who is Grace?

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is              made perfect in weakness." 

        I know I have vices. I know I have faults. I know my flesh is sinful. I know I am weak. I know all these things about myself. I know I have more growing to do.

        I also know that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I also know that once I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, I was born again. I also know this means I have shed the old self and put on the new. I also know that His grace is more than enough for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness. I still make mistakes, but I have Grace. I still fall short sometimes, but I have Grace. I still fall down, but I have Grace. His Grace is sufficient! His Grace is more than enough to strengthen me when I get weak and mess up. 

        I know my Redeemer lives and His name is Grace. When I was a teenager, I remember being chastised a lot by some girls at school who did not like me. It made going to school hard for a long time. I did not tell my parents how hard some of my days were at school. One of the girls, in particular, lived two doors up the street. Our parents made us ride to school together. One week my sisters and I drove, and the following week, she and her sister would drive. 

        We had a good schedule worked out. Then it got messy. It seemed like time we pulled up at school, the trouble began. That was an uncomfortable time in my life, but I got through those difficult days as a teen.  As I grew older, a lot of other difficult days came behind them, and I got through those days too. Recently, I experienced some difficult days, but Grace got me through them. Grace continues to do what the scripture said it will do.   

        As a matter of fact, the tough days always seemed to know my address no matter where I'd moved to. Many years and several addresses later, the tough days still visits me from time to time. My Mama used to say, "Keep a prayer on your lips, because trouble will always find you." What Mama was saying is His grace is sufficient for you.

        Now that I am no longer a teenager, but a woman growing in a relationship with the Lord, I know his grace is sufficient for me. I understand what it means. Today, I am still growing and receiving help and strength from Grace. I can say this with such joy in my heart. 

        His grace was adequate all along during those younger difficult years and even more so today, because- I know Grace. Life is difficult, people can be difficult, but His grace is sufficient for you and it is sufficient for me too.

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Why Not?

Isaiah 54:14 says, "I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me."

         I am on a journey to see the fruits of my labor over the past several years. I have been laboring and toiling for quite some time now. Like anyone else, I have made my share of mistakes in life, but I have  never given up on trying to get to my dreams. I have always held onto the God given hope inside of me. I am sure over the years, I have messed up some opportunities that were provided for me to step into my dreams. I know now that I gave into the fear of not knowing. If I am to be honest, I did not have the  faith to walk towards my destiny when I had a chance. 

          Oppression is not just physical, it is mental as well. It is a mental state of being or sense of being that I put in my own mind. I thought I had more faith since I had been in church for many years and was taught about the Word at a young age. As a teenager, I was still attending church every Sunday for five or six hours a Sunday. My lack of faith in God's grace, hope, and love meant that I was not where I thought I was. Now, I often reflect to try to figure out why my choices and decisions were grounded in senseless fear. 

       The truth is during that time, I did not have enough faith in God, but now I do. Looking back, I am so glad He never let me go. My upbringing taught me more than I realized. I am grateful to my parents for keeping me grounded. I was raised up in the church, so when I got older, I never gave up on hope. 

        Here I go again. I ask myself why stop trying? My failure or delays are not reasons to give up on my dreams. Here are the questions I ask myself. Why not finally take God at His Word and see where my, "today faith," takes me? Why not get out of my head and get out of my own way and trust the God of grace, hope and love? Why not walk in faith and obedience while God has given me another opportunity? Why not stop wearing the badge of fear on my chest and embrace faith? Why not free my mind and continue to grow? Why not believe the scripture when it says that I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me? 

        God's word tells me that I will not be disgraced or put to shame. I know God is my Redeemer and He is my hope for today and every day. He is my everlasting kindness. He tells me that in righteousness, I will be established and have no fear. I believe Him.

        I have spent too much time trying to do freelance writing for other people. Today, I am stepping out on faith and writing for myself. God said write; start your blog. Today, I am doing it; I am obeying Him and I truly love it. I only hope my story resonates with someone reading this post and it blesses you.