Category: Devotions

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

All It Takes is a Seed

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11

A corn stalk grows from a single seed; a tulip or onion from a single bulb. Faith is like that…and so is fear and doubt. Have you ever notice how you can be thinking about something and your mind goes off on a tangent with the insertion of one word? Or have you ever realized that one bad thing can spoil your entire day, that is, if you let it?

For me, growing up all it took was reading one scripture during the church service to stimulate me to read the rest of the chapter (and often resulting in me ignoring what the preacher was saying). Even now it takes one word or thought for me to get upset, one word or thought to change the direction that my mind was going in. We have the power to uproot negativity. We can choose to plant the seeds of God, the Word of God, in our hearts and minds so that we bear fruit reflective of Him or we can continue to feed on the negativity and defeatist seeds that serve to destroy our souls. Prime example: if you keep telling a child how bad or worthless they are, they eventually believe it, and start doing things that line up with that way of thought. They rebel, they do things that are unhealthy and destructive until they hit rock bottom. And why? Because someone planted the seed that they were worthless and that they had to conform to the image of worthlessness that they began to construct of themselves. Choose the right seed! Speak life into everything you touch and everyone you come across because as you speak you hear for yourself…

“For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.” Matthew 12:37