Journey Note
75Today’s Gem
It’s D-Day! Don’t worry though—the battle has already been won. The devil is launching his missiles of deception, depression, disappointment, denial, discouragement, doubt, distractions, disease and dysfunction. But 2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Thanks be to God which always causes us to triumph in Christ.” Today be a graceful warrior! Your weapons of choice are deliverance, determination, destiny, diligence and your dreams. Devastate the enemy of your soul with your desire to please God. Deny access to anything that pulls you out of place. Declare what has been written about you in eternity! Delight yourself in the Lord! Life and death is in the power of the tongue and you have been commissioned to speak those things that be not as though they were!
Journey Note
76Today’s Gem
Our eyesight is the number one source of stimuli to the brain. We receive 80 per cent of our information through what we see. That is why blindness is so devastating to a person’s ability to function independently. Likewise in the spirit, what we see through the eyes of faith determine our ability to navigate challenges. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” It is the devil’s job to keep truth hidden from you. Therefore, he blinds us with disappointment, discouragement and disarray. This is why we keep bumping into barriers in our lives—because our spiritual eyes of faith are handicapped. Do you want to please God? Then activate your faith. Release your spiritual walking stick of fear. Through your eyes of faith—see yourself free! See your future in the past tense so that it can become your now. Know this—your faith has already made you whole.
Journey Note
77 Today’s Gem
Are you blessed and highly favored? Of course you are! But today God wants to add flavor to your favor. The favor is for you—the flavor is for others. Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste—then it is good for nothing.” What are you good for today? Are you prepared to sprinkle joy in a sad place? What about a dash of love where there is hatred? Can God count on you today for a pinch of light in a dark place? Or are you so consumed with your favor that you can’t recognize the needs of others. You are blessed to be a blessing! You are healed to help somebody else. You are anointed to change situations, places and people. There is life in you to give away. The best part of it is that you don’t have to do anything but show up and smile. God will show off through you—if you let Him!
Journey Note
78 Today’s Gem
Several years ago many believers starting asking “What would Jesus do?” when confronted with various quagmires and situations. But to ask that question is to ask yourself—am I really ready for the answer? Why? Quite often, the answer will require you to grow or expand beyond your comfort zone. To follow Christ requires a commitment. Commitments either develop you or destroy you. Either way, commitments define you. Every single choice you make has consequences so choose wisely. Christlikeness is the result of making Christlike choices. Listen, sis, God accurately reproduces His character in you when your choices honor Him.
Journey Note
79 Today’s Gem
Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the words of Christ enrich your life by living in your heart and mind to make you rich, wise and full of insight.” Many of us suffer from spiritual malnutrition and it shows when a crisis occurs in our lives. For your soul and spirit to prosper and be healthy, God’s word must become your first priority. To embrace this truth, women of God, is to live. To hear it and ignore it, is to set yourself up for failure and frustration. God’s word must be the counsel for making decisions and the reference for evaluating relationships. Stop making choices based on culture (everyone’s doing it); tradition (we’ve always done it this way); or emotion (it just feels right). These are flawed authorities. God’s word is flawless and will never lead you in the wrong direction.
Journey Note
80Today’s Gem
God does not want a religious, ritualistic relationship with you. He desires an intimate heart-to-heart, transforming friendship with each of us. Psalms 42:1–2 says, “As the deer pants and longs for the water brook, so my soul longs and pants for you, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God.” Too often in our rush to perform for God, we fail to simply enjoy His company. Enjoying His company means you seek, long for, thirst for, wait for, see, know, love, hear and respond to God. Set aside quality time to work on your relationship with God. It’s a journey you will never forget and a gift you won’t want to return.
Journey Note
81 Today’s Gem
Temptation needs your cooperation to complete its mission. Temptation has no respect for wisdom and is specialized in making its victims forsake knowledge, wise counsel and common sense. But God’s word never changes. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “For no temptation—no matter how it comes—has overtaken you that is not common to man or beyond human resistance.” But God is faithful to His word and He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to resist and endure, and will always provide a way out. In other words, we are without excuse. Choose God, girlfriend, and be blessed!
Journey Note
82 Today’s Gem
Compromise is never worth it. In reality, most of what we compromise for only lasts a moment anyway. After the fact, we often ask ourselves, “Is this what I broke my relationship with God for?” Submission is active and not passive. When my flesh is struggling, I must throw myself in God’s direction. Disobedience defers the blessings of God. Anything I give power to has the power over me. Take your power back and you’ll get your life back. Order follows obedience and obedience releases overflow! The word of God works if you work it!
Journey Note
83Today’s Gem
Your life is a game of connecting dots to God. I remember playing this game as a child and initially, the image didn’t make sense. However, as more dots became connected, the picture became perfect. Know this, sis, God has a plan for your life and you need to trust Him daily. If you don’t, you’ll waste time being frustrated by your own past or trying to figure out your future. When God gets through with us, what looked like an image that didn’t make sense will be a picture-perfect image of Him.
Journey Note
84 Today’s Gem
We must do the work. A friend shared recently that we must understand that the only way for ungodly behavior to loose its grip on our lives, is for us to memorize, commit our lives to, and gain an understanding of the principles of the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is quick, powerful, and full of life; sharper than the sharpest dagger; it penetrates deeply, even to the dividing of soul from spirit; yes, to the inmost parts thereof. It is skilled in judging and sifts the purpose, intents, and thoughts of the heart!” The word of God works. Follow the instructions in Psalms 119:11: “Hide the word in your heart, so you won’t sin against the Lord.” Find a scripture, commit it to memory and watch it work wonders in your life. Remember, you must do the work.
Journey Note
85Today’s Gem
You were born to do the ridiculous. That means, you’ve been called to do what’s never been done before. Don’t worry about being equipped—for God promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. When God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary work expect to be ridiculed. Remember Noah? God called Noah to build a boat in a place that had never experienced water. The people thought Noah was crazy for obeying God. In the end, Noah’s obedience saved his life and it changed his life. Sis, what is God calling you to do that has never been done before?
Journey Note
86Today’s Gem
Whenever God calls you to do the ridiculous, revelation must be your reality. Every day you must ask, “What did God say to me today?” When revelation is your reality, you live your life according to the vision and not according to the visual. Habakkuk 2:3 states to write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he
may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time—but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Write what God shows you so you won’t be distracted and detoured by what you see. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us to walk by faith and not by sight. God is faithful to perform what He promised…it’s just a matter of time.
Journey Note
87Today’s Gem
The season of defeat is over in your life if you would just activate the word of God. The season of struggle is over in your life if you would just actualize the promises of God. If God said it, that settles it. God knows that. The devil knows that. Do you know that? God’s will is stronger than any force on earth and His will is available to work in your life if you would just agree with God. The moment you agree with God’s will for your life is the moment your life changes. Why? In this dimension of restoration, you can expect unexpected blessings.
Journey Note
88Today’s Gem
Make this your season to pursue purity. This can be your season to pursue purity in your thoughts, purity in your heart, purity in your relationships and purity in your walk with God. Purity is produced when you seek truth. Truth releases power, which is attached to purpose and provision. How? An empowered life means you are now equipped to tap into the omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of God. Release the presence of God in you to help you seek Him. Can you imagine what that meeting will be like? When you position yourself to meet God—He will greet Himself!
Journey Note
89Today’s Gem
There are no missed opportunities in God—only divine providence! You are where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. The supernatural sequence of your life is perfect. Stop being driven by unresolved issues, unanswered questions and uncertainties that plague you. It’s best to be led by God, not driven by other forces. No matter how long it takes, wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart. Girl, remember—your times are in His hands.
Journey Note
90 Today’s Gem
Some pain can’t be prayed away and it can’t be taken away by the laying on of hands. For some pain, God has to reach into your place of pain and snatch it out. However, you have to be still long enough to allow God to do it. Staying busy, running from relationship from relationship, or ignoring the pain only numbs you temporarily. Eventually, the pain creeps back to the top and cripples you. Sis, you are entitled to be whole. Flip the script on your pain—be still and let God do it. Once you begin to heal, you’ll realize that your pain has become the fuel that drives you back to your divine position—where’s that? Walking and living as a woman of passion and purpose. Remember, God never wastes a hurt! 2 Corinthians 1:4 states, “God comforts us so that we can comfort others.”
Journey Note
91Today’s Gem
God is turning your situation around. Even when you can’t see God moving, He’s working on your behalf. Stop being bound by your context and focus on your content. Don’t see the obstacle—see God! The Bible declares in 1 John 4:4, “Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world”. If the greater one is in you, then your situation must change. If your turmoil is great, your peace will be greater. If your sickness is great, then your healing will be greater. If your bondage is great, then your freedom will be greater. If your brokenness is great, then your wholeness will be greater. Shift your thinking from great to greater because your content (Christ in you) is much greater than your context (what’s happening around you).
Journey Note
92 Today’s Gem
Psalms 61:1–4 says, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I (yes, a rock that is too high for me).” Many of us have felt overwhelmed by life’s many light afflictions—especially when we try to “help God” resolve what we perceive to be negative circumstances. However, after having cried out to God in the midst of “fiery trials,” I’ve discovered that God uses these times to increase my capacity to receive more of Him. More of God means less of me! With each life encounter I build God an altar and name it! My journey to the “high places” in God are full of lessons on trust, acceptance, security, peace, joy, love, longsuffering, compassion, obedience, kindness, gentleness, humility and maturity.
Journey Note
93 Today’s Gem
Purity is a powerful witness! Don’t let the devil fool you. Don’t let what the media portrays fool you. Don’t let your need to be affirmed, approved and accepted fool you. When you make a determination in your mind and a commitment in your heart to be faithful to God, you set in motion the divine providence and protection of God. A life of purity provokes a man to respect, honor and value you—even when he doesn’t understand. In spite of how it feels, hold your ground and know that God is up to something on your behalf. When God says no—when God says don’t—it’s because He has something greater in mind for you. Keep standing, girl—rejection is God’s protection on your life!
Journey Note
94Today’s Gem
In John 2:5, the mother of Jesus told the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” The servants took the water pots, filled them with water and at the wedding at Cana of Galilee, He turned the water into wine. Today, if you will begin to do whatever Jesus tells you to do, He will turn your water to wine. He will turn your misery to ministry; your frustration to freedom; your depression and discontent into destiny if you would only completely surrender everything to Him. Remember, sis, Jesus is Lord whether you declare it or not. Jesus is Lord whether you live it or not. Come out today. How? With your hands up!
Journey Note
95 Today’s Gem
Why do some people never seem to grow in the Lord? Why can’t others move into the fullness of purpose and destiny God has for them? I believe it’s because we say “Yes, Lord” with our mouths, but our lives display “Not now, Lord.” To completely surrender means dying to myself and to my desires. To live a “yes, Lord” means I will fast when I feel like eating. It means I will give when I would rather spend my money on myself. It means I will enter into praise and worship as my first reaction and not my last resort. The attitude of surrender means putting God first in all my ways, thoughts and words. Our acknowledgement of His Lordship determines the success and quality of our lives.
Journey Note
96Today’s Gem
Behind the passionate life of every passionate woman of God is a passion for God and His word. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 declares that “scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, that the woman of God may be complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Through His word, God speaks straight from His heart to yours. God’s word is the heart of God. It gives you strength, wisdom, guidance, joy and instruction. Psalms 34:8 invites you, O passionate woman of God, “to taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Journey Note
97 Today’s Gem
There is pleasure in doing things God’s way. It’s called the order of God. Order releases favor, abundance and wealth. Order releases promotion, promise and prosperity. Trust God and leave the details of your life in His hands. He has already worked it out and it’s beyond what you imagine. Remember, He is able to exceed abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that works in us. The moment you lose yourself in Christ, with all the pretense and pressure of trying to impress people—at that very moment—you’ll find your true self. You are not forgotten—you are being preserved.
Journey Note
98 Today’s Gem
Today is a good day. It’s a good day to celebrate your strength. It’s a good day to recognize that anything the devil sent your way to kill you no longer has power over you—because you’re still here. It’s a good day to square your shoulders, hold your head up high and stand up straight. You’re not bent over anymo
re. You are more than loosed—you’re free to take a step in the direction of your destiny. You’re not just a leading lady; you’re the producer of the show. Take your life back and get ready—for your best days are ahead of you. Ahead begins—right now.
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