Go Get It

Photo by Ethan McArthur on Unsplash

“I’ve read through the entire Bible twelve times.” is what our friend said after returning home from incarceration. His words stung a lot.... and forced me to do a self check.

I was privileged to come and go leisurely and not once had I used that liberty to delve into God's Word from cover to cover. Oh, I studied. I knew and quoted scriptures, but hadn’t made the decision to read the Bible from beginning to end. So, I decided to take the plunge and purchased the One Year Bible NLT .

The entire process took about a year in a half. I decided not to be bound by the dates which helped make the journey more enjoyable. Somewhere along the way, Numbers 27 took center stage. The passage challenged me to strive for goals that fear normally prohibited.

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According to unclaimed.com , "Government custodians are holding over $58 billion of unclaimed money owed to 80 million missing owners and heirs." Sadly, we as believers are experiencing the same fate. We aren't aware of the promises neatly tucked away in the scriptures largely because, we haven't read them. But, Zelophehad's daughters refused to let what was rightfully theirs slip away.

If you flip back to Numbers 26, you'll discover a census was taken of all of the males aged 20 years and older. They were allotted land based on their tribal size. Did you notice that? It didn't mention anything about women. In essence, no man...no land. But Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah decided it was no longer business as usual.

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It seemed that the odds were against them. They were unmarried, with no brothers and their father was deceased. And if that wasn't enough, the culture didn't value "Girl Power". But instead of being paralyzed by their circumstances, they took a completely different approach. They came into agreement and decided to go to Moses and challenge the law. It was a pretty bold move but, they stepped outside of the box. My friend, human restraints are no match for our holy God. Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Moses and the other authorities assembled in the center of the camp at the Tent of Meeting. In order to express their concerns, Zelophehad’s daughters had to leave what was familiar and walk pass naysayers that didn’t have their need or vision.

Is there something that God is calling you to walk pass? Do you sense that he's asking you to give up an unhealthy habit or leave a relationship behind?

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Now, James 4:2-3 doesn’t leave any room for misunderstanding. “You have not because you ask not.” is about as blunt as you can get. I’m sure you've heard this scripture more times than you can shake a stick at it. Yet, in spite of knowing this truth, we tend to drift over into worrying about things that God clearly promised to supply. Lord help us do better

But, not Zelophehad’s daughters. They asked for what was rightfully theirs. And after Moses brought the case to the Lord, God made it clear that the land belonged to them. - Numbers 27: 6-8

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So what are you believing God for? I’d like to encourage you to make the decision to agree with God’s word. Leave everything behind that hinders you. And, boldly ask the Lord for your heart’s desire. Girl it’s already yours!

Remember Zelophehad’s daughters and go get it.

Your Sister Friend,

Sandra

“Let Me Be God.”

It was one of many conversations. Over the last year and a half there was so much information, a mountain of questions and countless decisions to be made. They all forced me to lean on wisdom that was beyond me.

But this time things were different. A mask of anguish settled over the nurse’s face as she asked, “Can I be honest with you?” Despite her efforts to carefully choose her words, the four word sentence tumbled out of her mouth like a boulder.

“Your Dad is transitioning.”

I knew.

The thought fleeted across my mind days before. He was sleeping more, refusing to eat and straining to see “the people over there” who were hidden from our eyes.

I knew.

I just didn’t want to know.

I secretly hoped that God would change his mind, you know, perform the miraculous.

I prayed. I asked. I brought God in remembrance of His word. Instead of things getting better, they moved in the opposite direction. The more I sought God, the more the words. “Let me be God.” softly reverberated in my ear.

God was saying no.

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Do you have a need or desire that you’ve placed before the Lord? I’m not referring to that casual thing that side steps your heart. I mean the thing that keeps you up while others are sleeping.

I’m sure you’ve already done your due diligence of confessing, decreeing and declaring the word of faith. But what do you do when your efforts fail to deliver the results you want? How do you respond when God requires that you exchange your will for His?

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Surrender. It’s a word that most of us would rather not use. Our natural inclinations urge us to run away from it. Because surrender requires that we lay down what we long to embrace.

But when we are courageous enough to yield our lives to the sovereign God, we experience blessings that we would otherwise never know.

Five days was the length of time Daddy lingered between heaven and earth. Those days were like a blinding fog. Everything was moving, shifting and changing but for me, time stood still. I had just enough strength to do the next necessary thing.

But on day three, God extended his grace. He allowed moments of alertness, a brief exchange of words and turned Daddy’s distance gaze in my direction as I told him I loved him. That day, I heard his voice and had his audience for the last time. Surrender surprised me with the gift of a cherished moment.

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“Don’t be afraid, the Lord will not leave you and he won’t forsake you.” were the words the small framed woman whispered to me a month prior. I didn’t know her. But, God gave her the word I needed for the days ahead. God was inviting me to trust him.

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My Daddy slipped into eternity moments before I walked into his room. It was just the two of us surrounded by a sacred stillness.

As I wept over my earthly father, my Heavenly Father met me with his presence. God was in the room. He kept His promise.

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There are times when difficult seasons pour in like rain. And it seems that way too often, God denies what we think we can’t live without. But just remember, his ways are perfect and his plans will always work together for your good.

So how will you respond when God says, “No”?

I pray that you will surrender to His will, trust Him and let God be God.

Your Sister Friend,

Sandra

Mundane to Marvelous

The opportunity to combine an ever increasing passion for ministry with advertising and marketing was my dream job. I was already operating in this area on a small scale but, becoming the media director for the outreach arm of our church made it official. And to add a little icing on the cake, the position involved traveling. yes ma’am, I was doing the happy dance

A portion of the job consisted of making sure my pastor‘s preaching materials were packaged to be sold at ministry engagements. Figuring out the logistics was challenging yet exciting until the newest wore off. That’s when the routine and everyday tasks set in.

I became a coordinating, duplicating and shrink wrapping queen. At times the assembly line tasks left my creativity severely dehydrated. sigh

Thoughts like, “This isn’t really what I thought it would be.” took a seat in my mind.

It’s amazing how we ask and even beg God for things and then, once we get what we told God we wanted, start complaining. Lord help us

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After the first service, a lady came over to our ministry table. She began sharing some of the challenges she was facing as if we were old friends. What she needed was right in front of us. Her answer was lying inside one of those shrink wrapped packages, I reluctantly labored over weeks prior.

As she walked away, her countenance was different. She had a joy that wasn’t there before. I on the other hand felt a surge of conviction. For weeks I had inwardly complained and had more than a few moments of down right ungratefulness.

But, while I was privately throwing tantrums, God was answering my prayer. I wanted to be His vessel. He was using me. I wanted to encourage His people. He was positioning me to fulfill that desire.

The mundane methods I thought were taking me nowhere were actually converging to form something marvelous.

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Do you feel like you’re standing still? Are you pouring your efforts into something that doesn’t seem to yield results?

I’m sure it seemed a little odd for Joshua and the Israelites to march around the Wall of Jericho. I mean who would think that marching, blowing trumpets and shouting would cause a wall to collapse?

But their simple consistent acts of obedience made room for the miraculous. God had a plan for the children of Israel and he has a plan for you. - Jeremiah 33:3

Ecclesiastes 7:8 reminds us that, “The end of a thing is better than the beginning.”

So don’t quit because your circumstances aren’t the way you want them to be.

Sometimes greatness is birthed out of the ordinary.

Your Sister Friend,

Sandra