Let’s talk about John 20!

After Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead, He appeared to His disciples; all of them were present except Thomas. He showed them His wounds in His hands and side. After this occurred, the 11 disciples went back and told Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them. Thomas stated he wouldn’t believe until he saw the wounds in Jesus’ hands, put his fingers into them, and placed his hand into the wound in His side. So Jesus appeared to Thomas instructing him to look at His wounds, place his finger in His hands and place his hand into the wound in His side. After Thomas had done so, Jesus told him to not be faithless any longer but to believe.

Thomas was much like you and I are today. Despite the testimony of 11 people that he had walked closely with while they followed Jesus, he still needed to see things for himself. But seeing the wounds wasn’t even good enough for Thomas. He wanted to see them, put his fingers in the ones in His hands, and put his hands in the one in His side. Thomas had a faith problem just like you and I have had at least once in our lifetime. Hebrews chapter eleven verse one describes faith as the reality of things we hope for and the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Thomas, like us, desired the evidence in order to believe. The interesting point behind this scene is that Jesus had foretold the disciples that they would see Him again (John 16). So not only did Thomas doubt what the disciples said, He doubted the Word that Jesus, Himself, had given him.

Can you relate to Thomas? Have you ever experienced a lack of faith? Are you currently experiencing a lack of faith? Do you believe God’s promises and words alone? Or do you need proof in order to believe? Are you doubting the words and promises that God has given you because you cannot see anything within the physical realm?

Friend, there will be times within your walk with Christ that you will not be able to see anything moving in the physical realm. There will be times when it appears that nothing is working out for your good within the physical realm. There will be times when it appears that everything is coming up against you in the physical realm. These are the types of times that you will have to live by faith alone. These are the types of times that you will have to say, “Lord, I don’t see anything happening, but I know you’re working things according to Your good and perfect will; Lord, I don’t know how You’re going to do it, but I know you’re a way maker; Lord, I am yet hoping for it, and I am standing on your words”.

Consider verse 29 as your source of encouragement. It reads, “Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me’”. In other words, blessed are the people who have FAITH! Let your faith speak to Him for you during times when you cannot see His manifestations within the physical realm. Stand firm on God’s words as they have to come to pass.

Read, dissect and meditate on John 20: 19-29.

In my morning reading, I read Jeremiah chapter 28. Jeremiah was the Lord’s prophet who warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem to turn from their evil ways and become obedient to God. After many warnings, the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the people that war, famine, and disease would consume their land and drive them under the rule of Babylon if they did not obey. During that time, there were also false prophets proclaiming peace instead of war. In this particular chapter, Hananiah was that false prophet. In front of the priests and people within the Temple, he claimed the Lord had said the captives of Babylon and the Temples’ treasures would be brought back to the land from Babylon within 2 years. He also claimed that the Lord said the yoke He had placed on the people’s necks would be broken. [Side note: in chapter 27, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to construct a yoke and place it on his neck with leather straps. So he was standing there with a yoke around his neck.] After Hananiah was done speaking, Jeremiah told him that he hoped his words were true. He actually challenged what he had said as the true prophets had warned the same things that Jeremiah had warned. Hananiah responded by taking the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and breaking it before claiming the Lord would do the same with the yoke around the captives’ necks. After this incident, Jeremiah left the Temple. The Lord instructed Jeremiah to go back to Hananiah and deliver a message. God told Hananiah, via Jeremiah, that the yoke of wood that he had broken would be replaced with a yoke of iron; the people and animals would be under Babylon’s control; that he was not a true prophet and was leading the people astray; and as a result of his rebellion, he would die. Two months later, Hananiah died. Let’s Talk!

I want you to imagine Jeremiah standing in the Temple in front of the priests and people with that yoke around his neck. Imagine how he looked. Imagine what the people were thinking and saying about him. Despite all of that, I must note his obedience to God. He didn’t care how he looked or what the people would say. He just obeyed. Standing there with that yoke around his neck, he challenged a false prophet. In verse 10, we read that in response to being challenged, Hananiah took the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke it before delivering another false prophesy. In verses 13 and 14, we read how the Lord sent Jeremiah back to Hananiah with a word that proved he was lying. In verses 15 through 17, we read that God judged Hananiah for leading the people astray.

I want to encourage you today to speak the words that the Lord gives you when He tells you to speak them. Many of us know God’s voice, but we are afraid that we will “get it wrong” or “look crazy”. When you hear His voice telling you to speak the words, BE OBEDIENT. Do not allow your mind and flesh to get into God’s way. Do not second guess His voice. There are many people who are sitting on words that the Lord commanded them to release to others. You do not need a stage or a microphone. You do not have to be in the church. You cannot worry about how the person will receive the Lord’s words. You cannot worry about all of the details as God and that person know them. I encourage you to be confident when you KNOW the Lord has spoken to you to release a word. I encourage you to release the word only if He tells you to release it. Not every word is meant to be released; sometimes, God just wants you to address that thing in your prayer time. Just as the situation with Jeremiah’s snd Hananiah, the word that God tells you to release may bring challenge to the recipient, release the words anyway. If you receive a negative response, only respond back if God tells you to. If He doesn’t tell you to, walk away just as Jeremiah did. God will avenge you when you are obedient to Him just as He did Jeremiah. Allow this to be a warning for those of you that are acting as Hananiah did. God is not pleased when you speak for yourself utilizing His name. He is not pleased when you lead His people astray. Do not speak in the name of the Lord KNOWING He has not given you any words to speak. Turn from your ways and to God.

Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures. I invite you to engage by leaving a comment with your feedback from the posting or asking any questions that you may have. I look forward to engaging with you!

In my devotional time this morning, I read Jeremiah 18. In verses one through six, God instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house. When Jeremiah arrived, he noticed that the potter was working at the wheel. The vessel being made became marred so the potter crushed it and began to make it over again. After this, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah. Let’s Talk about it!

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, synonyms for marred include impaired, disfigured, damaged, spoiled, imperfect, and flawed. To some extent, we are all marred due to our past experiences, upbringing, carnal nature, etc. This is why it is important for us to leave our old ways behind and embrace becoming new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are transformed into new creatures via our closeness with God as we develop our relationship with Him. This transformation is empowered by God’s Spirit, His Word, and His grace. Our minds have to be renewed, our hearts have to be purified, and our carnal nature must continually die. This journey requires faith and involves continual learning, growth and evolution.

As mentioned above, the vessel that the potter was making became marred. The potter knew that since it was marred it would not be useful for the purpose he was creating it for so he crushed it and begin to remake it. The potter could’ve just thrown the clay away and started with new clay. He could’ve gotten frustrated and walked away from the project. But he didn’t. In verse six, God correlated the potter to Himself and the clay to us, His people. He desires to mold us into the people He created us to be. He desires for us to be more like Him. So imagine our God loving us so much, having so much patience with us, and desiring for our purpose to be fulfilled so much that He commits to taking His time with molding us. Even when we are marred, He doesn’t give up on us. He doesn’t throw us to the side and begin something new. He doesn’t condemn us for our actions or words. Instead, He crushes us with hopes that in the remaking, we will become molded into vessels that will carry out our purpose.

The crushing is necessary. The pain from the trials and tribulations is necessary. Your faith during the unseen and unknown is necessary. Whatever you may be going through in your life right now is necessary. Believe that you will come out of it better than you went in it. We are forewarned that we must go through the testing of our faith, trials, affliction and suffering, but these things are sent to produce endurance, perseverance, humility, etc (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Peter 1:6-7). I want to encourage you to gain a different perspective of your crushing season. I know you feel as if the pressure is too much for you to bear, but with God, you can bear it. I know you are desiring to give up and walk away, but keep pressing. I know you desire your greater to come sooner rather than later, but trust the process. God is making you over again. Be patient with Him and yourself. Focus on lying at His feet and seeking His face. Release your control of your life and embrace God’s will. Give God a true yes, friend. He cares for you! And although it may not seem like it to you at this moment, the crushing is a true display of His love!

Read, dissect and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures.

I am currently reading the book of Jeremiah, but I am only seven chapters in. Jeremiah was God’s prophet, and within these first seven chapters, he was being used to warn the people of Israel and Judah of impending destruction. The people were evil, disobedient, serving idols instead of God, teaching their children idolatry, wicked, and very comfortable in their sin. They were even committing sin within God’s temple. God was angry with the people because they had turned away from Him, turned to idolatry, and had no desire to serve Him. Let’s talk!

Repetitively within the chapters that I have read, God used Jeremiah to call the people out on their sin and warn them of the destruction that would come if they did not repent and turn from their evil ways. And repetitively, the people ignored God’s warnings. They were confident that God would not destroy them although they were not living according to His standards. They were confident that He would not destroy the land as it was a fulfilled promise to their ancestors. They even spoke against God’s prophets as if they had not saw their words come to past.

After reading chapter seven, I heard the words, “Warning comes before destruction”. Now hearing that took me back to my bedroom as a 13 year old girl who had become interested in boys. Although I hadn’t committed any sexual acts at the time, God had told my mother some of my business. She kept saying that one phrase, and when she said it, it was right on time as I had either talked about committing the act or gotten one step closer to committing it. Eventually, I did go through with it and became pregnant. God, via my mother, was attempting to warn me of the things that I could not see. God knew that if I engaged in that act that I would become pregnant. He knew that my son’s father would become abusive. He knew that he was not interested in being a father. He knew how stressed and depressed I would be. He knew that I would end up becoming a single mother. He knew the pain and grief that my son would endure due to the feelings of rejection and abandonment. He knew that once those feelings took root that they would greatly affect my son’s growth and development. He knew how satan would feed me lies regarding myself and my future due to my disobedience. He knew that I would also be affected by the feelings of rejection and abandonment just as my son was. He knew how long it would take me to forgive myself. He knew how long it would take me to finally face the reality of the situation. He knew it all. And with knowing it all, He sent my mother, as His prophet, to issue a warning to me with hopes that I would reconsider committing the act. If only I had trusted my mother’s words as ones of protection and redirection instead of looking at them as a means of control. If only I had taken heed. {And this is not to say that I regret having my son because I do not regret that decision at all. Abortion was never an option for me. View the point in relation to the topic not as a downplay of my son’s existence.}

Have you received any warnings from God? Have you allowed your flesh to continue to drive you down the path that God is attempting to detour you from? Are you ready to repent and turn before God sends “destruction”?

God knows everything (Psalm 139: 1-7). He knows your future. He knows the best route for you to take to get to His promises. He knows what you will encounter if you continue down the route that you are stuck on traveling just as the people of Israel and Judah were. He knows how that destruction will impact you and your future. He knows! That is why He has sent His messengers to you to present a warning. Take heed to God’s warnings! He has your well-bring in mind!

Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures!

Have you ever questioned God after finding yourself in a trying situation despite your obedience to His instructions? Have you ever asked Him “why me”? Have you ever felt as if you are held to a higher standard than others? Have you ever considered the potential reasoning for this standard? Have you ever considered that you are marked by God? Let’s Talk!

{I will be referencing Luke 1: 26-38 so feel free to take a moment to read that passage of scriptures.} The angel of the Lord, Gabriel, came to Mary and greeted her; at first, she was afraid because she did not understand Gabriel’s salutation. After explaining his salutation, he informed her that she would become impregnated and birth Jesus. After hearing this, Mary was confused and asked him how would this happen considering she had no husband and was a virgin. He informed her that she would conceive when the Holy Spirit came upon her and overshadowed her. Mary’s response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (NLT).

Let’s talk about Mary. God favored Mary due to her relationship with Him, her humility, her obedience, and her willingness to please Him. She was marked by God. He could have chosen any other vessel with a “better” marital status to birth Jesus, but her marital status did not matter to God. Her purity did. In regard to the scriptures, Mary did not question Gabriel of why God had chosen her. She actually knew why (Luke 1:48). She accepted God’s prophecy and was pleased to be His vessel. There is no mention of Mary being concerned about her relationship with Joseph or what he would think or do when he learned of the prophecy. There is no mention of Mary being concerned about her safety as she could have been stoned to death as a result of the fulfillment of this prophecy. There is no mention of Mary being concerned about what the people would say or think about her. There is no mention of Mary asking Gabriel when the fulfillment of the prophecy would happen. Actually, in the following passage of scriptures (Luke 1:46-55), Mary praised God. She heard the prophecy, believed it, received it, and praised God for it. And despite the circumstances or obstacles she may have had to face, she was willing to be a sacrifice for the King. She desired for the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, to inhabit her vessel and move as He pleased. She knew how God had performed in her past so she trusted Him with her present and future.

Are you like Mary? Humble? obedient? Possessing a clean heart, clean hands and a pure vessel? Can God utilize you at any given time? Can God give you an assignment without giving you all of the details and trust you to press through the unknown? Can you praise Him when things do not make sense to your carnal mind?

Let’s talk about you. I desire for you to know that despite your background, societal status, or marital status, you are be marked by God, and He desires to use you within His Kingdom. No matter how your significant other may respond or feel regarding God’s prophesies to you, you are marked and should be willing and obedient. No matter what people may say or think about you, you are marked and should be willing and obedient. No matter the possible consequences of that thing you have been assigned to carry out for God’s Kingdom, you are marked and should be willing and obedient. No matter how long it may take for God’s prophecies to be fulfilled, trust Him. The path to the prophecies may become difficult and confusing to your carnal mind, but you must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through those moments. Remember, God’s words are powerful and will be fulfilled.

Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned passage of scriptures.

{My background was MESSY, but God assigned me to write about it in my book, “The Fun Girl”. It is on my heart to include this here because someone is thinking that you are too messy and deep in sin to be marked and used. I need you to know that God still loves you, and He desires to set you free. He did the same for me! You can read all about it in my book which can be purchased on Amazon.com.}

Typically, this phrase warns us that we should carefully consider what we pray for as the answered prayer may yield unexpected circumstances. When we pray, we are typically praying for a change within our current circumstances or for a pleasing future. We are typically expecting this positive shift to occur within a short time frame. We don’t truly consider how our petitions may manifest. We don’t truly consider God’s timing versus our timing. Let’s Talk!

Prayer is a form of communication with Jesus, the Mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). When we pray, we are supposed to: go before the throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16); be persistent (Matthew 7: 7-8); have faith (Mark 11:24 and 1 John 5: 14-15); pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17); be without anxiety and exhibit thanksgiving (Philippians 4: 6-7). But there is more to just praying. We have to be striving to be one with Jesus. According to James 5:16, the prayer of a righteous person is effectual and fervent; this means that the prayers are powerful, impactful and very likely to be answered by God because He is listening intently to those who live upright. This brings me to the point of today’s posting.

Recently, I began going through a season in my life that caught me off guard. I didn’t understand what Jesus was attempting to show me so I begin to quiet the noise around me. I began to slow down. I began to take time for myself. In doing so, Jesus revealed to me a portion of what was occurring. He brought to my remembrance a certain prayer that I had prayed. I remembered praying the prayer at least twice with the first time being approximately 6 months ago. During that time, I had cried out to Him because I was uncomfortable, confused and desired to give up. So in His revelation, He showed me how that prayer had been fulfilled. I felt both relieved and upset. Relieved because He had answered my prayer but upset because I had not considered how it would manifest. I did not expect grief, hurt, or pain to be associated with the manifestation of that prayer. But truth be told, I should have expected those things as the prayer involved a separation, more dying of my flesh, more loss of control, more of God’s will being fulfilled… And just like I was, you may be living within an answered prayer and missing it because it does not look like what you envisioned.

Today, I desire for you to take a survey of your current season. Are you potentially living in answered prayers that did not manifest as you envisioned for them to? Are you missing God’s move because of the grit associated with the answered prayers? I desire to encourage you to be more attentive to your prayers especially those lifted up during trying times. Lastly, remember, we are not in control of the how, when, where, or timing of what God performs for us. Stay encouraged!

Read, dissect, and meditate of the above mentioned scriptures.

Last night, in preparation for this morning, I selected my workout location. When I woke up this morning, it was cloudy so I felt as if the location would be perfect. I performed my morning routine and drove to the location. When I got close, it began to sprinkle. I parked my truck and waited. The more I waited, the harder it began to rain. I was hesitant about leaving so I continued to sit there with hopes that the rain would stop. Needless to say, it didn’t. I looked at the forecast for the rest of the day and noticed the afternoon would be a better time for me to try again. In that moment, God said, “Wrong timing”. Imagine you have prepared your mind and body to perform, but the timing is wrong. Imagine getting somewhere to perform, but the environment isn’t conducive or beneficial. Imagine arriving somewhere prematurely and realizing how unprepared you are for the occasion. Let’s Talk!

God made me wait 2 years after receiving my NP licensure before He allowed me to work as a NP. He had spoken to me regarding the promises that He had for me; but those promises depended upon the condition of my heart. To be honest, I knew what God was referring to. I needed my character, ways, attitude, work ethic, and all other parts of my mind, heart, and soul to be transformed, sanctified, pruned, and refined. After God spoke to me, I stopped applying for NP positions and began searching for a position as a RN. I saw a RN case manager position for a hospice company, but I was unsure if the company was the same one my dear friend, Stephanie, worked at. I gave her a call only to find out that the position was with another hospice company, but the one that she worked for had an opening. I applied for and accepted that position which came with a pay cut, but I was at home and would be more available for my children. I told God that I wouldn’t move until He gave me instructions and opened the door for me. I also told Him to make it obvious when it was time for me to transition into my NP career. I worked that position while God began to work on my heart. I settled into the waiting.

At that time, God had aligned me into the right position, and I didn’t even realize it. A little over a year passed, before He saw that the timing was right for my promotion. The young lady that was in the NP position decided she would move back home which would leave the position vacant. AND GUESS WHO WAS IN THE PROPER POSITION? ME! The director knew how great of a RN I was. She had witnessed my growth and development within my attitude, character, and work ethic. SHE CAME TO ME and told me if I wanted the position, I could have it. THE NP POSITION CAME TO ME! I didn’t have to do anything but be led by GOD!

I want to encourage someone on today to not jump the gun. God knows when the timing is perfect and when the environment is conducive for a release. Do not get discouraged because that thing that you’ve been praying for hasn’t arrived yet. Do not get weary while serving Him. Do not focus on the thing, instead focus on Him. Right after you begin to focus on God, He will show you the ways in which you need to focus on yourself. Make sure that you are submitted to God’s preparation for the thing that you are petitioning Him for. God hears you! God sees you! If that thing is within His will, it will come to pass. If He promised you that thing, He will fulfill His promise. Make sure that you are in the proper position to receive that thing. When the timing is right, God will perform. You do not want God to release anything that you are not prepared for. Today I want to encourage you to focus on God’s preparation process. Focus on getting ready. Focus on getting into the right position. Don’t allow those thoughts and feelings associated with the wrong timing to halt your preparation for God’s promises. Be encouraged on today!

Read, dissect and meditate on 2 Peter 3:8-9, Habakkuk 2:3, Galatians 6:9, Isaiah 40:31, and Psalm 27:14.

Between our work schedules, school schedules, children’s schedules, church’s schedules, families’ schedules, and friends’ schedules, we have more than enough events to keep us busy. Busyness has become a social norm in today’s society. We feel the need to continue to show up and perform due to our desire to fulfill the social pressures and our lack of boundaries. Unfortunately, we end up showing up emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted, and mentally exhausted; we are merely performing instead of being productive and truly present. Let’s Talk about Rest!

According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, the seven types of rest include physical rest, mental rest, spiritual rest, emotional rest, sensory rest, social rest and creative rest. Physical rest promotes recovery and repair within the body. Mental rest involves declutterring the mind via prayer, meditation, or enjoying hobbies. Spiritual rest involves turning inward to connect with your purpose through religion. Emotional rest includes sitting in and expressing your emotions as well as detaching from emotionally draining situations. Sensory rest involves stimulating your senses via listening to calming music, use of aromatherapy, and spending time in nature. Social rest emphasizes taking time away from social interactions and embracing solidarity. Creative rest involves engaging in activities which ignite creativity and allows for self-expression which can be done via writing, painting, or music therapy.

Since November 2024, the one word that has been repetitive from God to me is “rest”. Considering the types of rest mentioned above, God wasn’t merely telling me to sit down and put my feet up. He was telling me to stop performing according to social pressures. He desired for me to realize that I needed to take a step back from all of the noise and look inward. He desired for me to take care of myself. He desired for me to become more productive instead of just showing up. God desires for our bodies, minds, emotions, senses, and spirits to be in a state of rest. Through our resting, He performs. Through our being still and knowing (Psalm 46:10), He fulfills every word He speaks to us. Through our willingness to take the backseat, He takes control of the “will” and directs us where He desires for us to go. Within the rest, we are exercising our faith while God provides us with peace in the unknown (Philippians 4:7). Within the rest, we are encouraged and allowed to take care of ourselves while God takes care of everything else. Within the rest, God works His will through us via Holy Spirit-led instructions. Friend, resting in Jesus is essential for your next season. You must believe that everything within His will for your life will happen no matter what it looks like, feels like, or sounds like! YOU MUST BELIEVE NO MATTER WHAT! Rest in Jesus, my friend, as He will do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!

I want to encourage you today to stop performing and simply REST for God desires willing, yielding VESSELS not performers (Romans 12:1)!

Read, dissect, and meditate on Ephesians 2: 8-10 (you can’t “work for” anything God has for you), Mark 6:31-32 (take some time for you), Hebrews 4: 9-11 (enter into God’s rest), and Matthew 11:28 (God will give you rest).

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, doubt can be defined as a lack of confidence or an inclination not to believe. How many of us can be real and say that we have had instances where we doubted God’s Words that He spoke to us? I can admit that there have been instances where I have doubted God’s Words to me. The primary reasoning included me entertaining negative thoughts that I had allowed the enemy to plant into my mind. These thoughts typically lead me to a place where my emotions became bigger than God’s Words spoken to me or to a place where my focus shifted from God’s Words to the circumstances around me. I recently had a moment where I had to say, “Lord, help my unbelief”. Let’s Talk!

In Mark 9: 17-27, you can read in detail about a father who sought to have his son delivered from a dumb spirit. I’m not going to leave you hanging so I’m going to give you a summary. In verse 18, the father encountered Jesus and described how the spirit had affected his son. He told Jesus that he attempted to have His disciples to cast the spirit out, but they could not cast it out. In verse 19, Jesus calls the people an unbelieving generation and told the father to bring his son to Him. In verse 21, Jesus proceeded to ask the father how long the spirit had inhabited his son to which the father replied since he was a child. In verse 22, the father told Jesus that the spirit had attempted to kill the boy on multiple occasions before proceeding to tell Jesus that if He could do anything, to have pity on them and help them. In verse 23, Jesus replied, “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’; Anything is possible if a person believes.” In verse 24, the father cried out and said, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” Jesus did cast the spirit out of the son (verses 25-27).

Let’s get into a few key points within those scriptures! In verse 21, the father reveals that the spirit had attempted to kill the boy by throwing him into the fire and the water. Isn’t that the enemy’s agenda when it comes to us as well? Doesn’t he seek to kill, steal and destroy our focus, mindset, future, plans, progress, walk with Jesus, vision, direction, families, relationships, etc? Yes, he does according to John 10:10. Do you think the enemy wants you to believe that God can do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)? No, he does not. He desires for us to doubt God and His capabilities. In verse 22, the father says “if”. This made me wonder if the father actually knew what Jesus was capable of doing. In verse 23, Jesus lets the father know that if he believed, all things would be possible. This verse solidifies the need for us to believe or in other words, HAVE FAITH. In order for us to receive what God has already spoken and continues to speak to us, we must first believe that those things can and will happen. How do you think it will look if God blesses you with a 4 bedroom house when you can’t even imagine yourself living within a 4 bedroom house? How do you think it would look if God blesses you with a loving spouse when you don’t think you deserve love from another person? How do you think it would look if God blesses your business with overflow but you can’t see beyond the amount you are currently making? How do you think God will give you exceedingly abundantly more when you only desire “enough”?

Do you think the father truly doubted what Jesus was capable of doing? He had to have heard about the signs, miracles and wonders that Jesus had been performing. We know that Jesus’ name rang amongst many conversations between the Jews, Scribes and Pharisees while they were attempting to identify who He was. Remember that the father had described what this dumb spirit had done to his son and informed Jesus that it had inhabited the son since he was a child. Hear me out. Imagine how witnessing this spirit control his son affected the father. Imagine how helpless he felt when attempting to protect and save his son but couldn’t. Just imagine. So maybe his focus was on the situation and circumstances instead of on believing that his son could be delivered. ORRR maybe he was so exhausted and hopeless that he allowed his emotions to override his belief. After all, he had dealt with this situation for years. He had believed that the disciples could help him and his son, but they were not able to cast the spirit out. Could that have affected his belief? Maybe so. And even then, Jesus was so gracious, merciful, and kind enough to fulfill the father’s request. And He will do the very same for us, but we must have faith!

I want to encourage you today to do a faith checkup. It is essential for us to continue to walk by faith despite our circumstances and emotions. I would like to leave you with two verses to wrap this post up. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. In other words, you have to believe it before you see it and receive it. And as mentioned above, Mark 9:23, says anything is possible if a person believes. You must believe that God is capable of doing anything. You must believe that whatever He has told you will come to past. You must believe.

Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures.