I wasn’t going to write a devotional but God whispered, “Time doesn’t matter because somebody needs a word today!” See, I sometimes get this thang twisted and start feeling like this is all about me when I’ve got to stop and realize that it’s not. Yea, somebody is dealing with some stuff that is getting the best of them but hold on a minute. Somebody is dealing with depression and they’ve been in it a while but just wait a moment. Somebody is contemplating suicide because they can’t seem to get their head above the water that seems to be drowning them but please wait! Somebody, maybe you, is dealing with the after effects from the death of a loved one but wait. Somebody may be lost because they gave up on God a long time ago but He’s still waiting on you to come back so come on. Yea, I know that you may be without a job, health insurance, family may have cast you out, and friends have turned their back on you and sending you to voice mail every time you call but wait because the bible says in Psalm 34:6, “In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.” See, just because you’re dealing with this thing called life and it seems to be hard right now, don’t throw in the towel. God isn’t giving up on you so don’t be quick to give up on Him.
Yea, the doctor may have prescribed you some pills to help with your mood but I’m simply prescribing God because the bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” I know you’re asking, “But what about now?” Well, for now, you hold on and ride out your storm. See, we all have to experience storms and yes, some storms last longer than others but that’s because we aren’t paying attention to what God is trying to get us to see while we are in our storms. We are quickly trying to get the storm to end while God is trying to get us to see His reasons behind it. Yea, see, God is sending you into your storm so that He can get you to let go of those gossiping friends who are hindering your work for Him but all you see is the rain falling. God is trying to get you to close the door on that trifling boy or no good girl yet all you see is the strong winds that are blowing. God is trying to get you to see that the person on your job who you keep spilling all your secrets too is the main one pouring salt in your wounds every time you keep getting passed over for that promotion yet all you feel is the chill from the cold weather. You’ve got to open your eyes to see exactly what it is that God is trying to get you to see. You probably can’t keep a boy/girlfriend long because you still got all the baggage from your previous relationships dragging you down. You can’t get ahead because you constantly keep looking back and you can’t get from under what is drowning you because you keep getting in the boat with the hole in the bottom.
Baby, the only way you stop yourself from drowning is by stop panicking every time it feels like you’re losing. The only way you stop yourself from sinking is by changing boats. The only way to stop folk from talking about you is by stop giving them the information to talk about. God isn’t making you suffer because you’ve sinned more than the next person but He is allowing you to suffer because the bible says in 1 Peter 4:13, “Instead, be very glad–for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” So, go through your trials and then come out triumphant. Go through your storms and then come out shouting. Go through your depression but then come out dancing. Go through your sickness and come out successfully restored. Go through your pain and then come out praising. Go on and cry but then cheer up and come out confessing of your confirmation of courage. Yea, deal with the depression, see about the sickness, cut out the crying, release the rage, hang up the hate, wipe up the whining you keep dropping, handle the hurt and hold up your head, stick your chest out, straighten your shoulders and your back and then put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. The world doesn’t stop because you’re having a bad day so why do you? You’re still living for a reason so find that reason and live! The next moment isn’t promised so make the best of what you have now!
