Mini Bites 43.0

In hope he believed against hope...

Romans 4:18

Abraham had no child of his own when God said that he'll be the father of many nations.

It didn't make sense to Abraham because he and his wife were past the child-bearing age.

There was no hope in his circumstances, and he was resigned to the fact because he considered his servant as his heir.

In the natural, to hope for a child at the age of seventy-five did not make sense. Yet, in the certainty of that bleak space, God spoke into Abraham's reality and said, "I will make you into a father of many nations."

In that dark place, a promise glowed.

His circumstances didn't change; God's word made no sense. They were still the oldest couple around the block. The clock didn't turn back. When Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, Abraham's first son, God said no. The promise will be fulfilled through Sarah, his wife as He planned it, knowing full well about the situation of Sarah's out-of-work womb.

His circumstances didn't line up with what God said, so Abraham did the only thing he could do.

He rested inside the promise. He rested in what God said.

He planted himself in the only place that made sense: God's word.

That's what you have to do. When the world says no, but God says yes, you plant and cover yourself in His "Yes."

You hold on to His word when nothing else agrees because His word will come back, and it will come back fulfilled.

When your hope (the likely hope, the possible hope) in the natural runs out, this is when the impossible hope rises up to fill you.

The hope that stands against all sensibility.
The hope that opposes the facts.
The hope that says yes to the impossible.

When it shows up, hold on to the hope that is found in God's word.

Mini Bites 42.0

There's the sensible kind of hope:

the hope that is most likely to win,

the hope that stands a chance,

the hope that makes a whole lotta sense.

This is the hope that you and everyone 

around you can see.

Then there's the impossible hope.

The hope that rises up as the other kind is

buried beneath the odds,

The hope that has no type of sense

That has you snatching up all your marbles

Otherwise you'll be left feeling crazy,

and you don't want to be crazy.

No, you want to be like everyone else.

Sensible and attainable.

You want nothing to do with the hope that sees

beyond- beyond all the dwindling chances

and still hopes.

Because that kind of hope holds some serious standards,

and you cannot settle.

It won't let you settle; it won't set you down.

It waits, and you

You wait with it.

You two will wait.

Until the answer comes.

Mini Bites 41.0

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

That's what we all want- what I really want: to know God's will for our lives.

But it's not as cryptic as we sometimes make it out to be.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen... Romans 1:20

And we know that God's will is tightly tied to His character. God will not do something that does not align with who He is.

So in order to know His will, we have to learn who He is.

When we have a crush on someone, we get a Ph.D in cyber-stalking our crush. We know their favorite color, the car they drive, where they go to school, if they are dating anyone and this is all without talking.

But then we have God's Word, the bible, the only book where the Author actively interacts with us, speaks to our heart while we're reading it and we sometimes couldn't be bothered to open up its pages.

God is not hiding. His will isn't difficult.

"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord... Jeremiah 29:13-14

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 

Come near to God and He will come near to you... James 4:8  

He wants to talk to us and He will when we make the time to talk to Him.

He's not far from us. God's already with us.

For in Him, we live and move and have our being... Acts 17:28

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things... Romans 11:36

We can't discover ourselves, we can't uncover our purposes outside of God because without Him we are nothing.

There is no way we can recognize God if we don't take the time to know Him.

Open up your bible, invite Him into your life and know that He will meet with you and talk with you.

Always.

Mini Bites 40.0

And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

John 1:32-34

I have issues with God: trust issues. I want to see the whole picture for my life. Just knowing a corner of the frame is not enough for me. 

But that's how life with Him goes: no matter how many times I've begged Him for my life manual, the unabridged version not some pamphlet, God continues to shine just one part of the canvas, asking me to step into the current spotlight.

And I fight and I struggle because that small illumination does not quell my fears of getting it wrong, of failure, of missing Him. If I see one part, who's to say that in this part I would not make decisions that could mess up the rest of the painting? I need to see everything to make sure that no mistakes are made.

But with those fears, I forget that if I do get it wrong, if I fail then God will make it good and if I miss Him, then He will find me. I need to trust He is more than enough in those places where I lack.

God is not playing hide-and-seek. He's not hard to find. He wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to lead us and once we understand that, we can fearlessly go where He calls us, trusting He'll share the rest of the details when needed.

In John 1, John the Baptist is baptizing people in the Jordan River. He's making way for the Messiah but as the verses above illustrate John has no clue as to who it is.

But that doesn't deter John. John was committed to what God called him to do. He doesn't abandon his post when, after baptizing countless people (who came to the river to hear his message of repentance), it turned out that the Messiah wasn't among them. 

It didn't matter how long he had to stay in the water or how many people he saw: if this is where God wanted him, John knew it was for good reason.

And it was, because one day Jesus finally showed up. Although, John didn't know who He was, God clued him in when it was time. Jesus didn't have to introduce Himself, God did. John didn't have to guess, God pointed Him out.

We can learn a lot from this moment:

1. Be committed to where God has you. It is not a waste of time, it is not a detour. It is a divine appointment where God is going to reveal something to you.
2. Be committed to what God wants you to do in this moment of your life. John knew his purpose was to bring people to repentance so that the Messiah might be revealed. He didn't waste his time trying to unveil who the Savior was. John stayed in his lane of preparing the people to behold the Lamb of God.
• What you are doing is important. If John got it inside his head to go find the Messiah then those people would have never been ready for Jesus' coming. Don't discount what God has you doing. It's important.
3. Allow God to do the revealing. He will do it at the right time in the right way. He has all the pieces, He knows how everything works together. Rest in God, knowing that He knows what's best.

When you're on mission for God with three pieces of the puzzle, it can be frustrating because it seems that you don't have enough. But you do and when you've exhausted the three in your hand, He'll give you the other set of three when the time is right.

You don't have to relocate, you don't have to change lanes or do something different.

Where you are and what you are doing has purpose. And when it's time for the next thing, God will tell you. You can trust in that truth.

Mini Bites 39.0

Don't underestimate the little.

Don't do it cause you never know what that little can bring about.

A little faith enabled Peter to walk on water. Yea, he began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus but none of that would have happened if Peter didn't have that small faith to step out in the first place.

A young boy's lunch of five loaves and two fish fed 5,000 hungry men and their wives and children. His one serving fed at least 15,000 people and there were leftovers that filled twelve baskets.

Don't underestimate the little.

David's huge faith in God brought him in front of the giant, Goliath, and all he had in his hand was a slingshot. He brought a slingshot to a sword's fight but David still brought down Goliath with a rock.

God put Gideon in charge of an army of 32,000 men then put them through a series of tests that left Gideon with 300 men to fight against the Midianites that were as numerous as the sand. Gideon won.

You never know what a little can bring about.

Because you can't put a limit as to what God can do. He has unlimited resources. God is the Source and He never runs out. Why are you so worried about the little you do have? Why are you worried when God can still do something with your small contribution?

Let it all go. The reservations, the fear, the mentality of lack. God's not worried about all that. He wants you to give it to Him.

Do you trust that God can do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or imagine? Do believe that He can do more than what you have?

Then give Him the little and watch Him do more.

Mini Bites 38.0

I remember when I first read this verse. I was at risk of losing my scholarship and my friend sent me this verse to encourage me. It quickly became a staple part of scripture that I would recite whenever I was fearful, whenever I needed assurance that God was and always will be on my side.

So tonight, it pops up as one of the verses for the Hope devotional offered by the YouVersion Bible app.  And I've probably seen the heading of chapter 29 a thousand times but it hits me this thousand and one time.

The heading is A Letter to the Exiles and I got excited.

Context means everything especially in the bible. Although its truth lasts forever and can have an impact in the here and now, there was a reason why it was written in the first place.

When Jeremiah wrote this letter, it was addressed to the Israelites who were carried off into exile. The Israelites have this long history of turning away from God and following useless idols and turning back to God when they realize their mistakes. But this one time, God allowed the nation of Israel to scatter from its promise land and some were sent to Babylon.

The exiles thought life was over. Many thought they would never see their homeland again and that they were cast off from God forever. They probably thought that this was the last straw, that God wanted nothing to do with them.

But that's never the case with God. Jeremiah's letter was to remind the exiles that God didn't turn away from them, that God did not rinse His hands of them.

And that's what I want to remind you as well.

You can never be too far off for God. You may have gotten so off track that you can't tell what's up and down anymore. You may think that what you did is so unredeemable that God can't save you, let alone restore you. You may think you're finished but you're not.

God is not finished with you yet. You have to understand that you were born with a purpose, His word over your life. And God takes His word very seriously. When He speaks it, He expects it to happen. And that expectancy doesn't change when your life has been derailed by mistakes, by pain, by disappointments. He doesn't change His mind about you. He doesn't change His purpose for your life when bad things happen. He is as sure of you now as He was when you were first a thought in His mind.

God has a plan and it's the same one He had at the beginning of time.

It doesn't matter how long it's been, or where you are, God still wants to accomplish His personal word for your life.

He knew where you would be right now and He still put that plan into motion.

Don't write yourself off when God hasn't.

Mini Bites 37.0

Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’..."

Amos 7:12-15

Amos was stirring up some trouble. He had a word for the Israelites from God and the priest, Amaziah was not having it at all.

Because God's word didn't align with what the Israelites wanted to hear. They didn't want to hear what the Lord had planned if Israel refused to repent and turn back towards the Lord. 

They wanted to remain complacent, they wanted to delve deeper into the world's luxuries and riches. They didn't want to turn away from what pleased their eyes, their flesh so they closed their hearts against God.

Amaziah was in charge of keeping the status quo of his people, rather than raising the people up to God's standards and he asked Amos to leave and stop sharing God's word.

But Amos stood his ground. He wasn't going to be bullied by the priest. And you shouldn't either.

Stop settling for the status quo.

I'm not sure what is discouraging you from doing or sharing the word God gave you.

Maybe someone is trying to kick you out because you are disturbing the peace. Maybe you don't fit the mold or the vision that is normal, familiar to those around you. Maybe they don't understand where you're coming from. Maybe you're weird and no matter what you do, you cannot fit in the place to which God called you. Maybe you were better off where God got you from and maybe you're thinking of going back to that place...

Stop where you are. Don't you dare uproot from where God planted you.

People may try to label you, move you and misplace you but you've got to remember what God spoke over you.

Remember when you were minding your own business, tending to your own grass, occupying the lane you were in, then God interrupted and gave you a different agenda, a different lawn and a different street to take care of...

God did not make a mistake.

GOD DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE.

He called you to the place you are because He has a word, a purpose inside you that needs to be unleashed there. 

DO NOT MOVE.

Because no one can move you.

Like what Amos experienced, God opened a door for you, gave you an opportunity that no man can alter.

People can huff and puff but no one can keep God's word from moving forward. No one can keep you from moving forward with His plan.

So do it, whatever it is that God gave you to do in this moment.

Don't give up because no one is rolling the red carpet to welcome and accept you.

Their reactions, your circumstances do not and will never null His word.

His word cannot be void. His purpose will be fulfilled.

So be faithful where He placed you.

Be faithful with what He entrusted you.

God did not make a mistake in choosing you to be a light.

He knows what He's doing although people might be looking at you, confused.

Remember He gave you the vision, not them.

Be faithful and walk it out.

Mini Bites 36.0

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41

You have to remember that when Jesus says, "We are going to the other side," it is not open for discussion, it's not up for interpretation. When He says "We are going to the other side," He meant that you will see the other side.

Storms may try to drown you, fires may surround and try to suffocate you, you may be thirsty in the desert, but God's report is still the same. It hasn't changed with your circumstances. It didn't bounce back void because people said no to you.

You can hold on, you can trust in God's word. It will come to past. Don't stop believing. God won't put you to shame. He won't embarrass you for waiting in faith for Him. God will do what He said He will do no matter what is happening around you.

Stay expectant. You will see the other side.

Mini Bites 35.0

I have faith. I believe that God can do anything but when it comes to me, I'm not so sure. I can see that God does wonderful things through other people but when it comes to me, I feel as if I'm a clogged pipe. Something within me stops His power from flowing through me. I'm an intricate mess of insecurities and insufficiency but His grace can work through my issues. When God says that nothing can separate Him from us, He included you and me in that exhaustive list. There is nothing in you, there is nothing that you have done or ever will do that will stop God from accomplishing His plan through you. Get that in your spirit. You are not a hindrance to God. You are His crowning glory. You are not His weakness. You are His masterpiece. There will be a few bumps along the way, many mountains and a lot of valleys but through it all He is with you, working in you. Don't forget that. You are not a lost cause. God is not done with you yet.

Mini Bites 34.0

Jesus died for you so that you can be forgiven. He rose from the grave so you can approach God's throne with the confidence that you will be heard and you will be answered. And then, He puts a treasure, a gift, a talent inside of you, a body of clay. So what are you going to do? What is the appropriate response to such a lavish display of His grace? What do you do? You nurture that skill, that ability and use it. That's all you can do. Don't allow your gifts and talents lie dormant under insecurities and comparisons. It doesn't matter how many people can do what you do because no one can do it like you. No one else is you. And if you bury your talent because you're scared, you're not only keeping the world from your gift but you're robbing the world of you. The world needs you and what you have. Don't hide and don't be scared.

Mini Bites 33.0

Our God is an active God. He could have finished with the cross and the resurrection. That would have been more than enough if He would have dipped on us then. But He didn't stop there. He's with you each second of every day, making your paths straight and negating all weapons formed against you. God doesn't leave you to figure it out all on your own. With each sunrise, He is doing something new for you, through you and in you. The cross isn't a shrine of things done; it is a living promise for more to come.

Mini Bites 32.0

When God told Moses to lead His people out of captivity, Moses was quick to decline His offer, asking God why him? And God, in one sentence, both acknowledged and dismissed Moses' insecurities: I will be with you. Isn't that amazing?! He doesn't care what you are facing, what you don't have or who you think you aren't because He will be doing most of the work. All He needs is your willing heart. Are you going to keep being insecure and forget that the One who created the universe is by your side? Or are you going to step out and trust that the One who made you is going to catch you when you fall? Where is your trust: in Him or in your doubts?

Mini Bites 31.0

I'm a little impatient. I just want to get my life going to the good parts. I have dreams I want to live out now but God has other plans. He wants to uproot and mess up errryrhang to make sure that I have a good, solid foundation in Him before He sets me loose with my purpose. But what He does call me to do now is to love those around me. At first I'm like, that's it? But seriously, without love, anything I do will be useless, it wouldn't mean anything if I don't love the people who God brings into my life. If I can't love, then I am nothing. I am not like the God who created me. And that would be the worst thing ever...
1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 13 "Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled... But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."

Mini Bites 30.0

When you feel shortchanged, cheated and bankrupted, when you feel like you have to accept scraps and crap and good enough, when you feel like you deserve what the world is offering at the cost of your dreams, hopes and happiness, remember that God already has the best for you, remember that God can do better, remember that God is never limited by your circumstances, resources or by people's opinions of you. Remember that it won't cost a thing to wait on God. He's already paid the price on the cross. He's worth the wait.

Mini Bites 29.0

Do you get what that means? The Lord is your portion. He is yours. His being, His essence is available to you. Do you get it?! He is your peace when you are restless. He is your strength when you are weak. He is your Redeemer when you feel useless. He is your Savior when you are lost. He is your Provider when you have nothing. He is your Healer when you are sick. He is your meaning when you feel insignificant. He's yours because you are His. God is fulfilling. If you really delight in Him, if you truly trust in Him, He can satisfy you. Anything besides Him is just fluff and cherries. It's extra. But God is the prize, the goal. He's the one at the end of the finish line. He's the one you've always wanted. "Philippians 3:12- I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me."

Mini Bites 28.0

It's easy to conform, to become what society wants you to be. But the thing is, the world did not buy you, it did not redeem you. God did and He called you for more. He called you to be you. Don't worry about how the world will accept you or how you will fit into the world. When authenticity walks into the room, everything else bows down. God set you apart to stand out, not fit in. When you finally accept yourself and approve yourself and love yourself like God does, you'll see that open doors and opportunities will find you easily. You won't have to work so hard for what is yours. So stop trying to fit into some mold. There is a need for your voice, your talent; there's a need for you, so be you. Have faith that God knew what He was doing when He made you.

Mini Bites 27.0

The disciple John throughout his book refers to himself as "the one Jesus loved" and I usually give him the side eye and look for a pin to burst his bubble. I really thought he was being cocky. But that wasn't it at all. He was calling himself what God called him, Beloved. He was just agreeing with the Father and my question to you is if you do the same? Do you claim what God calls you or do you hide behind the facade of humility and secretly wonder if He even cares about you? I know I do. Jesus lived, died and rose from the grave to reconcile Himself to you. What more do you need in order to believe that you are everything to Him? Trust me, He would have done it if you were the only one to save. He would have died willingly, knowing all the messed up things you did and will do. He loves you that much!!! You are the one Jesus loves!!!

Mini Bites 26.0

You never know the impact you have on people. You may feel insignificant where God has placed you but that couldn't be further from the truth. In God's presence, nothing is wasted, nothing is less than. A few fish and loaves of bread fed thousands. A slingshot killed a giant. A mustard seed of faith moved mountains. Shouts of praise leveled a fortified city. Prayer opened wombs. Jars filled with water turned into wine all because it was given to God. Stop looking at yourself from a place of insufficiency and realize you are full of potential that God is waiting to tap into. What you have may be small and it may seem impossible to make a difference but remember that's where God makes the miracles happen: in the small, ordinary, insignificant stuff like being a janitor in God's palace. Or a baby born in a manger...

Mini Bites 25.0

I woke up with the thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
And before anyone throws a party, I will continue talking (let's get that straight) but I don't want to talk about my dreams anymore.
I don't want to open my mouth and say the same words over and over again and realize that nothing's changed, I'm still saying the same thing that I shared last week, last month, or God forbid, last year!
And this morning, I thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
I really don't and my subconscious had this revelation way before my lips spoke it because every time someone asks what's up with me, what's new with me, what's going on with me, my reflex is "nothing," because I don't want to see or hear the pity in their voices when they realize that I'm still the same as before, that I haven't changed. If I don't share my expectations, my goals then no one can keep a tally of my failings.
So I woke up with the thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
But then I thought about it, mulled it over because, trust me, I wake up on the wrong side of the bed always, and I realized that's what the devil wants, that's what the world wants, that's what my flesh wants.
I am a daughter of the King of kings, the Lord of lords. I follow in His footsteps and I inherit His gifts. The power of life and death are on my lips and whatever I speak out according to His will has to come about.
Of course, the devil wants me to shut up.
Because if I shut up, then that allows others to speak into my life.
If I stop talking, then my life will start reflecting the words said to me.
If I don't surround myself with my voice, with my aspirations, with my hopes, then I'm susceptible to other people's plans.
It's so much easier to fit into a cookie cutter or a cardboard cutout when you're not filled with your own desires, your own fire, your own dreams. It's easy to be a statistic when you don't have your own vision. It's easy to be a copy when you don't recognize and invest in your own uniqueness.
Don't stop talking. Don't allow your atmosphere to be void of your words because if you don't speak, someone else will.
Continue speaking out no matter how much time has passed.
Through the challenges and circumstances, you keep praying for that breakthrough .
Do not give up. Do not shut up; your blessing, your change is coming.
Keep talking.

Mini Bites 24.0

I do not play sports of any kind. Although my laziness does contribute to my incompetence, my fear of getting hit by the balls (i.e. basketball, baseball, soccer ball, tennis ball, racquet ball and dodgeball) keeps me staying in the sidelines. And not in the floor seats either; I would be in the nosebleed section where I was certain that no wayward ball had any access to my pretty face.

But life is funny, isn't it? 

Because I usually find myself in the front row, with no protection, watching the game.

Correction: watching the ball.

My eyes follow the ball and my limbs are in the stage of flight in case the ball decides to plummet in my direction. 

I tend to forget that the ball doesn't have a mind of its own and it isn't plotting to smack me across the cheek at full speed.

No, not at all... unless...

No! The ball is an instrument in the hands of the ball player and most of the times, if not 99.9% of the time, the ball player is competent enough to make sure that the ball doesn't go out of bounds and bludgeon someone to death.

I should have confidence in the players to keep the ball within bounds but I don't.

I watch the ball and I can't enjoy the game.

And sadly, the same can be said of my life.

I harp on the bad and miss out on the good.

I miss out on God's goodness because I'm looking at the circumstances.

 Matthew 8:23-27 and Matthew 14:22-33 reveal the disciples losing their faith when they're caught in terrifying storms and Jesus shows us the correct responses when life throws us curve balls.

He rested in the boat and He walked on water.

He didn't freak out with His disciples.

He didn't abandon ship.

He wasn't frantically looking for plan B when plan A looked like a failure.

Jesus rested and Jesus walked, both actions opposite of what we would do when caught in a storm.

And you know why He was able to do that?

Because He knew that God was in the midst of the storms.

We have to remind ourselves that storms, horrible circumstances, bad breaks and bad habits will never separate you from God.

Storms can surround you, overwhelm you and try to drown you but God has His hand on you the entire time and will never let you go.

Trouble can come but Jesus is with you.

Temptation can be overpowering but Jesus is reaching out for you to set you free.

Don't look at the chaos in the background when peace and rest can be found in the foreground, in Jesus.

Shift your perspective; it's better that way.