Go Forward.

Exodus 14: 15 (KJV), reads “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward’”.

When we come to this particular verse, Pharaoh had released the Israelites from slavery. The Lord had guided them out of Egypt and into the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. But Pharaoh changed his mind after releasing them so he and his army began to pursue after them. As the children of Israel fled, they began to profess that they’d rather died in Egypt than escaped to only die in the wilderness. They were afraid and complaining despite the Lord showing His glory to them time and time again. I would imagine that they felt stuck between a rock and a hard place as they saw Pharaoh’s army behind them and the Red Sea in front of them. They would surely die, right? They had no way of escape, right? This would surely be the end, right? WRONG! After Moses stopped to reassure the people that God would rescue them and fight for them, the Lord interjected, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” Apparently, this was not the time for the Israelites or Moses to stop. They needed to keep moving forward WHILE trusting that the same God that brought them out of Egypt and continued to lead them would make a way where there appeared to be no way. And as they moved forward, God released instructions to their leader. Friend, the people didn’t see the way out or hear the instructions the Lord gave to their leader. And although they possessed the option to disobey, they decided to continue to follow their leader’s voice. And due to this, the Lord manifested his great power through Moses by parting the Red Sea so they could walk to safety on dry ground. The shift from being stuck between a rock and a hard place to watching their enemies die caused the Israelites to put their faith in God. Let’s Talk!

God is calling you to go forward. I know it appears as if you are stuck between a rock and a hard place just as the Israelites. I know you don’t see your way out of this situation. I know you are weary. I know you’ve noticed the cycle that you’re in, and you’re tired of repeating it. I know it appears as if you’ll remain stagnant with no forward progression. I know you feel as if when you take one step forward, you get knocked five steps backwards. But I am here to charge you on today. You must move forward. You cannot stay in this place. You don’t have time to talk it out within yourself. You don’t have time to talk it out with others. It is time to seek the Lord alone. He has already written the plan for your life. He is already fighting for you. He has already placed within you everything you need to know. He has already defeated your enemy. He has already shown you his great power. Now you must make the decision to follow the LEADER. He is asking you, “Why are you crying out to Me?” because you do not need another confirmation, another instruction, or the blueprint for the next. You only need to have faith in God and trust Him as your leader.

How long will you cry out to him when he has already made a way for you to come out? How long will you remain in this cycle when he has already given you the power and instructions to break it? How long will you place your faith and trust in your family and friends before making the decision to fully believe in and trust the Lord? How long will you dwell in the traditions of your family? How long will you allow the world’s standards and trends to dictate your current state? When will you make the decision to go forward? Friend, it is a decision. You must make it up in your mind that no matter what appears to be blocking your way, you will continue to go forward with God. Let me be clear. I am not referring to moving outside of your purpose within God’s will. Because all movement isn’t Godly movement. You can appear to be productive without being impactful in God’s Kingdom. So make the decision to place your faith and trust in God alone while seeking His Kingdom. And then you will see the Red Sea part. TTYL!

I missed it.

When I was a little girl, my father began repeating a phrase to me each time he would give me money or gifts. He would say, “Don’t depend on another man outside of me”. As a young adult, the phrase remained within my heart; and I interpreted it as have my own, hold my own weight, and don’t ask a man outside of my father for any assistance. Let’s talk!

In the first draft of this post, I was writing about how my father’s words brought life and death because I became independent from people as well as from God. But as I began revising the first draft, Holy Spirit began to give me hindsight and insight. I began to recall times when my father talked about God, the devil, and the fact that he had read the entire Bible. I also recalled these Godly statements occurring during our car rides when I was a little girl. Before today, I had not connected the timing of the original phrase to the timing of the Godly statements. I have to admit that I misinterpreted the phrase, therefore, I missed the lesson my father was truly attempting to teach me. The true interpretation of the phrase promoted reliance on God instead of people with my father assuring me that he would be the backup person if I needed man’s assistance. Do you see how my misinterpretation changed the meaning AND impact of that phrase?

There are two points within this post: you may have misinterpreted what God said, and you should rely solely on him.

Our soulish realms, wounds, life experiences, limited mindsets, emotions, desires, wills, and so much more can mislead us and cause us to misinterpret what God truly said. This is why it is important to be Spirit led. Did God really say that? Did Holy Spirit interpret the word for you? Did you receive instructions to carry the word out? Did you jump the gun and start making it happen out of your own strength and knowledge?

God desires for you to place your reliance in him instead of people. He desires to be your source, not a backup resource. He desires to get the glory out of your life, but that is impossible if you or man can take the credit. What is stopping you from completely relying on God as your source? Or should I say who is stopping you from completely relying on God as your source? Check your heart. Check your source. TTYL!

Be Still and Know!

Psalm 46:10 declares, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Hebrew word for the phrase “be still” is raphah which means to relax, cease striving, and rest.

In previous seasons, God’s command to “be still and know that I am God” translated to believers entering into spiritual rest and total reliability on God’s sovereign power. The command carried a relational undertone which promoted laying down worry, anxiety, the desire to control, and the desire to work and take up being confident in God alone. 

During this season, God is commanding believers to “be still and know that I am God”, but this time the phrase carries a different undertone. God is commanding us to sink down and drop our hands… to SURRENDER COMPLETELY!! We have to surrender to the call. He is not only commanding us to surrender to our individual calling but also to the cooperate call of the houses we have submitted to. God is commanding us to surrender every fiber of our being to seeking His Kingdom and placing it FIRST!! He is also commanding us to exalt Him and His Kingdom higher than ourselves… our plans, our emotions, our agendas, our desires, our circumstances, etc.

And just in case you need a point of motivation to carry with you today, surrendering to your individual calling and the corporate call grants you a greater level of access in the spiritual realm. Those who respond to the command of the Lord today to be still and know that He is God and He will exalted: we will ask and receive; we will seek and find; we will knock and doors will be opened unto us. TTYL!

Are you free?

How many times have you asked that question when desiring someone’s presence? How many times have you answered that question from someone desiring your presence? How many times have you rearranged your schedule to accommodate something or someone you deemed of high priority? In today’s society, busyness has become a standard for us especially women. We attempt to fulfill work schedules while serving in ministry and being wives, mothers, disciples, friends, the go-to person for our families amongst other things. We have made calendars and set reminders in an attempt to prioritize. We have scheduled self-care days and sought out ways to “find balance”. But if we are honest, we will admit that we continue to fall short with prioritizing our lives and in finding that balance. Let’s Talk!

Luke 10: 38-42 reads, “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jewish culture highly valued hospitality while prioritizing women fulfilling certain societal roles. When reading this passage of scripture, Martha appeared to be fulfilling both cultural and societal standards as she focused on preparing dinner for Jesus. But as she met the cultural and societal standards, she found herself frustrated. Fueled by comparison stemming from man’s standards, she expressed her frustration to Jesus. He did not undermine her satisfactory fulfillment of the standards, but he did expose her worries. He pointed out that while she was being hospitable, she had neglected his very presence. According to society and the culture, she was right; but according to Jesus, she was distracted and out of alignment. On the other hand, Mary was not focused on working and fulfilling the standards. She had discovered that being in Jesus’ presence, at his feet, and being taught as his disciple was far more important than fulfilling any cultural and societal standard. Jesus validated that although Mary was “out of place” from Martha’s viewpoint, she was in the right place according to his viewpoint.

Does your life currently reflect being like Martha or Mary? Are you busy? Do you have any availability? Can you make time to sit at the feet of Jesus in his presence? Do you desire discipleship over the cultural and societal standards? Or would you rather be distracted to the point of frustration? Are you ready to surrender at the feet of the One who already has the plan written for your life? Will you answer his call and clear your schedule?

Today, Jesus is asking you, “are you free?”. He desires to talk with you. He desires his presence to be your priority. But He cannot speak to you if you are not available to hear his voice. He cannot force you to add him into your schedule. If you are distracted by your agenda, schedule, desires, societal roles, cultural standards, and a need to control the outcome, you will miss his call to you. And he is not obligated to continue to prompt you to answer that call. If you are worried about fulfilling man’s standards rather than being discipled by Jesus in his presence, you will not hear him calling. I encourage you today to rid yourself, your mind, your life, and your connections of any distractions attempting to keep you from sitting at Jesus’ feet in his presence. I encourage you to align yourself with the call from Heaven. I encourage you to make sitting at Jesus’ feet in his presence your everyday priority. TTYL!

The Greatest Father!

Today, I experienced one of God’s fulfilled promises in a grand way (Joel 2:28). This experience shifted my perspective and filled my heart with so much gratitude. God manifested Himself as the head of this household, the best Parent a child could ever have, the best Husband a woman could ever have, the Comforter, the Source of Joy and so much more. Let’s talk!

After coming in from a late evening walk, my youngest son and I began our nighttime routine. I sensed he was experiencing something internally and asked if he desired to talk about it. He denied the desire, so I granted him space while reassuring him that I was available to talk if he changed his mind. Moments later, he came to my bathroom’s door and informed me that he desired to talk after we finished showering. I praised, worshipped and prayed, as usual, while showering. MY GOD! When I exited the shower, he was patiently waiting outside of the bathroom’s door. He informed me that he no longer needed to talk to me. Although I sensed he was better, I verified by asking him if he was sure. His response was, “Yes ma’am. I was sad and looking down at the floor while showering, but all of a sudden, I got really happy”. MY GOD! Holy Spirit had manifested Himself to him in the midst of his sadness. He helped him through that moment. He gave him something that I could never give him, JOY. He showed up exactly how my son needed Him to show up. He stepped in as a good, good Father. After hearing about his encounter, I stood there in awe of the greatest Husband a woman could ever have and the greatest Father a child could ever have! Praise, worship and gratitude exuded from within me. I truly felt at ease, supported, seen, and loved in a way that I’ve never felt before. It made me so proud to be the bride of the King of kings and the most incomparable Husband! I have prayed many prayers for my sons to experience the manifestation of being Holy Spirit filled with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Although I have not witnessed the evidence of speaking in tongues YET, I am grateful that both of them have evidence of being Holy Spirit filled by way of encounters.

Proverbs 22:6 commands parents to, “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In John 14: 6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. So Jesus is the way; therefore, we should be directing our children to Him and in His ways. Direction comes via words, but it is solidified via actions. READ THAT AGAIN. We must not only tell our children the right way; we must truly show our children the right way. And although the Word declares they will not depart from that way, we must understand that this does not mean our children will not act according to their free will. It means that our directing them in the right way will always be within them to lead them back to the right way when they have strayed off course.

Just as we, parents, need Holy Spirit to lead, guide, correct, comfort, love, and manifest in our lives, our children need Him as well as they grow and navigate throughout life. We will not always be with them, but Holy Spirit will always be present. We will not always know what to say or do, but Holy Spirit will know exactly what to say and do. We will not always be able to meet their needs, but Holy Spirit will know what they need before they even ask and meet the need. Today, it became apparent to me that it’s not enough for Holy Spirit to lead me with parenting my children. It is just as essential for my children to experience personal encounters.

It is my prayer that you are directing your children to Jesus and in His ways. It is my prayer that your children experience the manifestation of Holy Spirit via personal encounters. If you are not directing your children in His ways or allowing Him to lead you in parenting, you can start from this point and move forward. Begin by praying with faith and aligning yourself to hear from Holy Spirit. If you have been parenting His way and praying for Holy Spirit’s manifestation within your children, keep praying, believing and expecting the manifestation to come to past! You will see it happen! TTYL! 💗

Ezekiel, the faithful servant.

Ezekiel 24: 16-18 NLT reads, “‘Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.’ So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do”.

When we come to this particular passage of scripture, Ezekiel was in the midst of prophesying a series of warnings to the people of Jerusalem who were rebelling against God, worshipping idols, committing detestable sins, and defiling God’s Temple amongst other things. As we read, a word from the Lord came to Ezekiel regarding his dearest treasure. The Lord revealed that He was going to take Ezekiel’s wife, but it does not end there. Immediately following that revelation, He issued stipulations to Ezekiel regarding his display of grief. Ezekiel arose, prophesied, and watched the prophesy come to pass. To me, the most impressionable segment of the scripture is, “The next morning I did everything I had been told to do”. Ezekiel had lost his dearest treasure and was grieving internally, YET he did everything the Lord told him to do. Not only did he abide by the stipulations the Lord had given him, he also continued prophesying to the people as the Lord instructed him. Ezekiel did not allow his emotions, the cultural customs, or his friends to interfere with his obedience to God. He remained God’s faithful servant by moving forward with the assignment he had been given. The Lord equated Ezekiel’s loss to the loss of a source of security and pride that his heart delighted in (Ezekiel 24:21). If you continue reading that chapter, you will note that Ezekiel’s loss and display of grief was a demonstration to Jerusalem’s people of how they would grieve after God slaughtered their children and destroyed the Temple— the very people and place they viewed as their dearest treasures.

As you reflect on the passage of scripture, imagine Ezekiel’s emotional response after receiving the prophesy regarding his wife. How would you respond if the Lord revealed such a thing to you? Would you remain aligned with the Lord if He took your dearest treasure? Would you remain obedient to the instructions He gave you despite your loss? Would you remain a faithful servant in the midst of the loss? Would you still carry out the assignment as His chosen vessel? Are you willing to render your life to God to be used as a demonstration to people? If there was any hesitancy within your heart when answering those questions, do not be ashamed. You can humbly take your hesitancy to God in prayer, and allow Holy Spirit to guide you. Ttyl.

Break the Routine!

God is doing a new thing. What was once a routine requiring no thought but strictly action has been broken. God has been challenging the redundant routines of his people. “If I could just get my routine together, things would flow more smoothly” is what I’m hearing. But God has broken the bonds of routine mindsets, behaviors, and lifestyles. He has confronted His people’s desire to control via a “consistent routine”. He has pushed us into a newness where leading by Holy Spirit is essential. In order to be Spirit-led, routines must be broken. In order to experience the newness that he is doing in this season, routines must be broken. We must return to consulting God regarding everything. The truth is most of us “learned” how to function within our gifts, callings, and capabilities. We learned how to fabricate an atmosphere mimicking the presence. And due to that, glory has lifted from many spaces where he once resided. The routines took the place of the glory which lifted. Emotional charges imitated the presence. Truth became scriptures wrapped in compromise. And the hearts, minds, and souls of the people drifted further and further away from God. But He is calling us back to him. He is challenging every routine mindset, behavior, and lifestyle. He is calling for us to awaken to the confines we’ve allowed to bind us and separate us from him. Your response is essential. Your response will attest to the direction of your movement. The time is now to come out of routines which make your flesh comfortable but deprive your spirit. Allow God to break every routine you’ve become self-sufficient in. Allow him to break the bonds of your routine mindset, behaviors, and lifestyle. He’s bidding you to come back to him, his glory… How will you respond to God breaking your routines?

Love.

Friend, God loves you! I want for you to hear his heart as you read this post. God loves you so much that he sacrificed his Son, Jesus, as a pathway for you to avoid becoming spiritually dead, destroyed, and totally separated from him due to your sins. He sent his Son on a mission to save you from the potential consequences of your own sins and redeem you back to him.

“For this is how God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3: 16 & 17 (NLT)

The Apostle Paul’s description of God’s love for you is pinned in Romans chapter 8 verses 38 and 39:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NLT)

Not only did God sacrifice and send his only Son to express his love, but he also provided revelation to Paul of how great his love is for you. Did you know that nothing that God created can separate you from his love? Friend, absolutely NOTHING! Your past cannot separate you from his love. Your current condition cannot separate you from his love. Your sins cannot separate you from his love. No power in hell, in the sky, or on the earth can separate you from his love. NOTHING!

With that being said, what is causing you to feel unworthy of the love worth sacrificing the Son for? How are you not worthy of experiencing the fullness of the only love that does not waver based on conditions? I am referencing the same love that you were created in the likeness of. For the Bible declares in 1 John chapter four verse 16 that God is love. And according to Genesis chapter one verse 27, you were created in his image and likeness. Thus you were not only created out of God’s love for you but also possessing a measure of God’s love. Your very existence is an expression of his love. So what have you heard, read, or experienced that is causing you to believe that God does not love you? If you have an answer to that question, have an honest moment with yourself. After that, have an honest conversation with God. My friend, you are deserving of a love worth dying for! TTYL!

Who’s Your Source?

Source (noun): the origin of something; the point from which information, an object, or energy is obtained; where things begin or are acquired from.

Exodus 7: 10-12, (NLT) reads, “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

Prior to this passage of scripture, the Lord had given Moses specific instructions to give to Pharaoh regarding letting the Israelite people go; God had also equipped Moses and Aaron with signs and wonders which would prove God had sent them. As the scriptures stated, Moses and Aaron followed the Lord’s commands. Next, Pharaoh called in his sorcerers who used magic to perform the exact sign. But even in that, God showed His superiority by allowing Aaron’s staff to consume the sorcerers’ staffs.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Google’s AI Overview, a sorcerer can be defined as a person who uses power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits; a person who practices magic or witchcraft; a person characterized by an ability to conjure spells, cast enchantments, and manipulate the supernatural. We know that Moses’ and Aaron’s source was the power of God. We know that the sorcerers’ source was magic. And as we read in Exodus 8:18-19, the sorcerers’ magic failed, and they professed to Pharaoh that the plagues were the “finger of God”. Friend, even the sorcerers had a moment of realization that after all of their attempts to use their own source, God’s power was the true source. And while you may not be practicing witchcraft or using magic, you also may not be allowing Holy Spirit to lead you. You may be leaning onto your own understanding, allowing your emotions to lead your actions, seeking the validation and opinions of others, or being disobedient to God’s instructions. If this is you, you are your own source. But I thank God it does not end there. Because maybe you just needed a little reminder that the God of the universe remains all powerful and desires to be your only source. He desires to lead and guide you in all His ways. He desires to give you the promises without you having to labor and toil for them. He desires to be your provider. He desires to use you as He used Moses and Aaron. But in order to do so, He must be your source.

I have a few questions to assist you in identifying possible sources you may be relying on. After identifying the source(s), pray and repent of relying on each one. Make a decision to withdraw your reliance on the source(s) and commit to seeking God first and allowing His Spirit to lead you. If you need further assistance, feel free to comment on this posting.

Identify your source(s): Who do you consult when making a decision? Whose example do you follow? Whose advice do you seek out regarding managing your family? What/who do you look to when you need assistance? How are you filled back up after noticing you’re running on empty? Where does your support come from when life is life-ing? Whose advice do you hold in high regard? Do your emotions lead you? Do your own desires overshadow God’s desires for you? Are you living out your will or God’s will? Are you obedient to God’s words?

If we all can be truthful, there is a portion of us that is not completely led by Holy Spirit. And this is the point of this posting. In all we do, we must do it as unto God with Holy Spirit as our guide. In a world full of people who are lovers of themselves, we must commit to being lovers of God and allow Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us. Ensure you have the right source, friend! TTYL!

How will you Respond?

Exodus chapter four, verses 18 through 20 (NLT) read, “So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. ‘Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt,’ Moses said. ‘I don’t even know if they are still alive.’ ‘Go in peace,’ Jethro replied. Before Moses left Midian, the Lord said to him, ‘Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.’ So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand, he carried the staff of God.”

After many excuses, much protesting, and attempting to recommend someone else for what God desired for him to do, Moses finally complied to being the sent one. It is essential to note that Moses could not lead the Israelites out of Egypt if he did not first comply. In other words, Moses had to, first, be obedient to the voice of the Lord. He had to give himself up. He had to submit to the duties of being the sent one. He had to rely solely on God’s leading of his vessel in order to effectively lead the people out of bondage. I pray that this is making sense to you because we can be called, sent, anointed, and gifted; but we can still miss God’s mark if we are not hearing and obeying His voice.

I love how the Lord comforted Moses by telling him everyone who desired to kill him had died. I can only imagine how Moses possibly felt knowing he had to return to the very place he had escaped from. I can only imagine his thoughts as he possibly considered facing the people seeking to kill him. And I can only imagine the possible relief Moses felt hearing the Lord essentially inform him he had no reason to worry about facing death or the people he had escaped from. And friend, the Lord does this very thing for us today. I’ll give you a personal example. At one point in my life, I had left a particular church house and had no desire to return to it for several reasons. Holy Spirit led me to drop in one day as I was parked outside of it waiting to meet my mother. I felt uneasy because I did not know how I would feel or how the people would respond. But I was obedient. Needless to say, they were very happy to see me, congratulated me on my accomplishments, and engaged in a good conversation with me. When I left, I felt a release of the emotions I had harbored since leaving that church. God led me back to that place knowing everything which would occur including the release I did not even know I needed. Although I did not receive the type of comfort Moses did prior to dropping in; I felt it as soon as I was met with a smile and a hug. Let’s get back to Moses!

We read about Moses’ response of “yes” via his actions. The scripture does not mention Moses uttering a yes to the Lord. The scripture does mention Moses requesting release from his father-in-law before packing up his family. Friend, we must not only utter a “yes”, but we must also back up our “yes” with our actions (obedience). The scripture, in any translation, only mentions Moses packing up his family. We do not read of him taking any possessions other than the donkey his family rode on. But we do read about him having something else in his hand; it was the staff of God. The staff in this passage of scripture represented the divine power of God. God would utilize what was once a shepherd’s rod as a tool to manifest miraculous signs. The divine power of God is manifested in today’s times via Holy Spirit. Friend, I pray that as you comply to being the sent one, you possess the divine power of God just as Moses did. Holy Spirit is the necessity, and you must possess Holy Spirit as a sent one. You must be obedient to Holy Spirit as a sent one. You must be led by Holy Spirit as a sent one. You must realize that it is I AM who sends and empowers you via HOLY SPIRIT.

God created you with purpose. God created you as a solution to things/people in the earthly realm. God created you to be a vessel for His divine power to manifest through. Just as He sent Moses, He is desiring to send you. How will you respond?