Good Morning Friend,
Are you ready to make the best out of what you have been dealt?
Often times life doesnt go as we plan it. We set goals and many times the paths that we would like to travel inorder to get to that goal. But I have found in life sometimes the roads we must travel to get to our destination (or destiny) is much rougher and filled with more pot holes, twists, turns and detours than we would like them to be. Many of us were born into unfavorable situations where we found ourselves in the game with a bad hand. Some (like myself) had to endure the embarrassments of not always having enough or not having it as good (seemingly) as others around us. Moreover, if it wasnt enough that you were dealt an unfavorable hand and born into environments which very rarely (if any) produced successful figures in which you were proud to look up to; you are also expected to fail and not to rise out of the barrel. With many times having those around to you (or even older than you) trying to keep you down in the barrel with them instead of encouraging you to go higher and possibly make a way for them to go higher as well. With all these and thousands of other senereos that play out daily in our lives, I want to encourage you today that YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT! Take a look at it from this perspective as well, those of us who have to come up the back side of the mountain or must make a way for ourselves often times are stronger, wiser and more resiliant than those who were just allowed to walk through the front door because they knew the gate keeper (or who seemed to be the gate keeper) but know that [evil] giants they do fall now!!! Futhermore, (as we have heard before) when life gives you lemons, baby its time to pull out your big pitcher, some sugar and a big spoon because its time to make lemonade.
One thing I discovered is that God gets the glory out of situations that seem impossible. His soverenty, omnicience and His love is truly allowed to shine through when we seemingly are at our lowest state. There comes a time in everyones life where we have to make a decision that we are going to push pass the disappointments, set-backs and even the set-ups and press towards the goal that is before us. My friend, when we choose to move pass what is inorder to get to what is to be is when God's overcoming spirit and power can truly be made manifest in our lives. By now, many of you realize that I dont have a problem with being transparent with my experiences inorder to help someone else make it through. This is vital in my ministry because many could look at me and think that I have not a care in the world or as some have shared with me that I couldnt understand their struggle because I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I just laugh and let folks know if you only knew what I had to go through just to get to this space in my life (because as of now I am just scratching the surface of what God has predestined for my life). BUT I take that as praise unto our God because I learned how to dance and praise God in the midst of my tragedies. What that did was provoked God's hand to move on my behalf. So when I say I have turned my share of lemons into lemonade its not just a cute saying that is reality. But the testimony in it all is that I dont look like what I have been through. You need to encourage yourself and thank God that you dont smell like the fire that you just had to endure. Glory to God! I praise God that I dont smell and look like the community and situations that I was raised in. I praise God that I dont have stress marks and wrinkles from all the nights I cried in anguish over visions that God had given me to bring to pass or even visions that others tried to destroy. I thank God that I didnt loose my mind when I loss things and people who I thought were going to be there forever. You need to thank God that He preserved you through your trails! And by the mere fact that He preserved us lets me know that there is something GREATER in store for our lives.
Im reminded of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow down to the graven image that King Nebuchadnezzar had built (Daniel 3). After building the image, the King ordered all the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of this image. Everyone in attendance was ordered at the sound of the instruments to bow to this towering image that had been set up in the midst of their land. Everyone bowed except for these three Jewish fellas. Once they refused the orders set by the king, certain Chaldeans went and told on these men. They were brought before the king and questioned and given another chance to bow at the sound of the music or they would be burned in the firery furnace (stick with me...we are going somewhere with this). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow and told the king that if they were thrown into the furnace that their God would deliver them out of the furnace and out of the hands of the king. They went onto say that even if God didnt deliever them, let it be known that they would not bow or serve this god set up by the king. Long story short, they were placed in the fire, God manifested himself with these men within the fire and delivered them out without a burn or even the smell of smoke being on them. Furthermore, they were sighted walking around in the midst of the fire.
Friend, we have to determine that no matter what situation tries to errect its self in our lives and take resident as a god that we will not bow! I dont care who bows and how important the persons are who bow...I REFUSE TO BOW (or to give in) to anything or any idea that is not of God! I refuse to bow to poverty! I refuse to bow to defeat! I refuse to bow to other people's opinions of me! I refuse to bow to lack! I refuse to bow to sickness! I refuse to bow to the ideology of "I CAN'T!" I refuse to bow to the notions of "it wont work for me!" I refuse to bow to debt! I refuse to bow to hell (and hellish people)! I REFUSE TO BOW! Futhermore, its only at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tounge shall confess that Christ is Lord (Isaiah 45:23 & Romans 14:11)! Oh my...I feel a dance Wendy! I really do! You see we have to stare adversity in the eyes and declare with a pit bull like determination that no matter what comes (or goes) that God will be with us through this trial. Furthermore, even if He doesnt deliver us, He is still able, He is still God and He still loves us and yet and still WE WILL NOT BOW! No matter the pressure, no matter the hurt...DO NOT BOW my friend because your deliverance is near!!! And because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didnt bow, God came and dwelled with them in the midst of the fire and was even in there walking around with them. I want to let you know that God has not forsaken you, He is walking with (and sometimes carrying) you through the flames and vissiccitudes of life. I want to also encourage you to keep pressing, keep moving and stay productive in the midst of the fire, because it can be very easy just to stop when the load starts to get a little heavy to bear. My friend keep reminding yourself that the purpose of the load is to make you stronger inorder for you to make it to your next level and/or dimension. So the pericope wraps up with the men being pulled from the fire without any hurt or harm as a testiment to what they believed. This was so amazing in the eyes of the people that the king ended up bowing to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Friend this week as you walk through your personal trials and fires know that the trying of your faith worketh patients (James 1:3). Patients is the ability to bear or endure pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness. So when you find life giving you lemons...you already know what to do!
Much Love,
Clyde L. Webster
Scripture of Encouragement for the Week
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Psalms 31:24)
Song of Encouragement for the Week
The Declaration (This Is It!) - Kirk Franklin from the upcoming album "The Fight of My Life"
Book of Encouragement for the Week
From Ashes to Glory: The pathway to healing from sexual abuse
by Barbara Smith
Associate Minister of Perfecting Church-Detroit. Bishop Marvin L. Winans, Senior Pastor
Founder and Executive Director of Hidden Jewels International
Foreword by: Delores "Mom" Winans
To order and read excerpts from the book visit: www.hiddenjewelsintl.org
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