Author: marquitabp

To know me is to accept me, and to love me is to help me.
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Daily Devotion

What about Your Friends?
"Stop becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. What partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? What fellowship can light have with darkness?"  2 Corinthians 6:14
 
Hey yall!!  I'm great!! I'm tired, but great!  I hope that everything has been going well in your life and simply that you are just enjoying the walk.  Okay so here's the scoop.  Lately I have been evaluating my friendships and associations.  One of my best friends has been doing the same thing.  And in this process we have been allowing ourselves to be open to the changes God brings.  I was checking my facebook as I have not really sat down and looked on it in a while.  One of my friends posted a video from Pastor Justin out in LA about being unequally yoked.  His was directed at romantic relationships, but I felt it on my heart that it also applies to all relationships and associations we have.
 
  My title makes me think about that TLC song (I LOVEDDD THEM growing up lol).  But really, what about your friends? What kind of people do you surround yourself with? Are they people that are hindering your growth and keeping you away from God's light? Are they extinguishing the embers that fill your soul or do that add fuel to it?  Are they building you up? Are they encouraging you when you are weak? Are they filling you on the word of God? Are they pulling you out of the pity pit when you take a weekend (or week) trip there or are they the ones that took you there?  Are they telling you its okay to party all night and not to go to church on Sunday or are they calling you to go with them?  Are they joining you in a roasting your ex session or are they helping you see the blessings God has given you, the deliverance, the prosperity?  What about them??? Are they adding to your life or taking away??
 
The video I watched pointed out 10 things about being in a relationship were the two were unequally yoked.  But some of us are being pulled down by the "friends" we have, people that want us to stay where we were 10 years ago.  We've got to stop people!! I don't know about you, but to me its truly a divine privilege to be set apart by God and to live wholeheartedly for Him!  Even if I don't keep a friend, guy or girl, because they don't agree with where God is leading me, I'm all the better for it because He has truly helped me to see what is more important…and that's to be friends with Him.  I'd rather have Jesus as my friend any day that someone who is not adding to my life.  Good night!! 
 
"You are my friends if you do what I command."  John 15:14
 
Here's the link to the video that I saw earlier:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5ePPBWJy8E
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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
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Daily Devotion #6

No Substitutes

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

I don’t know about you, but when I was in school whenever there was a substitute teacher, we never got any work done. Some of my classmates would act a fool and get in trouble later on with the principal. But the crazy thing is that nothing has changed…my friends that teach tell me how their kids act crazy when they are out. My, my, there’s nothing new under the sun. There is no one like the real teacher to make you act right hahah!

But for a different twist, have you realized that when you try to substitute something for the real thing how it just isn’t the same? Mainly, when you try to fill the voids in your life with money, meaningless relationships, and other people instead of with God? Lately, my prayer has been that God fill the voids left open in my life. And I really realized today how He has done that. For my earthly father, He himself has stepped in to make me really see what love is. For a lack of relationships with members of my extended family, He has blessed me with a huge extended family of Christians to be there for me. He has had my friends and other family members step up when I feel lonely; He has blessed me with new friends to make my home feel like my home. He has blessed me by having my little brother and dog stay with me this summer so that I will not be by myself so much. My mama told me I used to ask for a little sister, and I always secretly wished I had an older sister and if you don’t know that God has given me plenty of sisters, through Delta, church, and just life so I know that He does provide. Every need I have asked, God has provided. When I was trying to substitute people and things for His presence, I felt empty and truthfully, under attack. It wasn’t until I went back to the source, to the original, that things started going right again. Don’t ever try to use a substitute in place of God because it just won’t work.

“Who is like you among the gods, O LORD? Who is like you? You are glorious because of your holiness and awe-inspiring because of your splendor. You perform miracles.” Exodus 15:11