In it I remember

“As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When your down and out. When you are in the midst of a great issue. When all things are falling apart. When it seems that every time you take a step forward and get knocked back 2. What is the last thing that you remember? What comes to mind when your trying to make sense of it all? What memory comes up? For me it’s Sunday mornings as a child and my mom is cooking breakfast and she is singing gospel songs playing records and it seems that everything slows down and doesn’t matter because of those words that she is singing.

HERE IT IS…

Jonah is inside a fish and is now remembering how great the Lord has been. You missed it! Jonah is inside a fish and is in the middle of a big mess literally and in that moment he remembers how good God is. Sometimes when you are stuck in a big mess your mind may wonder. When your in it it may come up as to what you can do to get out. But sometimes God has to allow you to sit in your mess to remind you of how Great he is. Rev. Berry that don’t make sense. Why would God leave me there to show me how great he is? Because this will let you know that even though you may be in a situation where you should have been digested that you still are being protected. It should have took you out. But God is able to keep all the things that come with the situation away.

He saved me

““I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a child I went to the YMCA with my brother all the time. As much as I loved the indoor track and the basketball court. I loved to go swimming most of the time. When I went I was always given the talk to stay away from the deep end because at that time I couldn’t really swim. However, as a daredevil child I always wanted to see how far I could go before the water was going to go over my head. As I went towards the deep end I slipped on the decline of the pool that goes into the deep end and went under. I panicked and was just being overtaken by the water. The next thing I remember was a big bubble coming up and sitting up.

HERE IT IS…

Sometimes in life we think we are big and bad enough to handle things on our own. Sometimes we think that God doesn’t know what he is talking about telling us to stay away, pushing us away, removing us or even giving us an out. We don’t take it and we just keep getting closer to the deep end until we slip and all of a sudden we are sinking. But just like the life guard that saved me, God does the same thing for us and pulls us out. Pushes on us and we have to regurgitate all that mess we were in. Then he has to sit us down and tell us to stay there. It’s in those moments God saves us. It’s his hand that reached down and pulled us up. Thank you God for your saving power.

Where you going

“The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Where you going? That’s a question I used to ask my kids when they were smaller and I would ask them to do something. It was a learning experience for them to get them to recognize where things were. What things were. And what to do. If they had they’re minds set on something else they would go the opposite direction of where I would tell them. I would pose the question. Where you going. It is in times that God ask us the same thing. When he clearly tells us, directs us, shows us, even makes it look as if there is no where else to go. We find ourselves going the opposite direction.

HERE IT IS…

God told Jonah specifically what to do and where to go and he decides to try and out run God by going the opposite direction. Let’s think about this shall we? How can you outrun the person who made everything? How can you ignore the directions just because it’s not going the direction you wanted to go. It’s funny how we will listen to God and get mad at him for our mess ups and try to say (without saying) I’m not doing that by being disobedient to his word. Then having to turn back around and go back to where he told us to go anyway. It’s a simple instruction. Just go because he’s got you.

He did it

“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Psalms 105 talks about how God kept his promises through verse 15. Tells just how he is a promise keeper from the times before using Joseph, Jacob, and Abraham. What the psalmist does is recount just how great God has been and how he has kept those of the past and how he is still doing it now. So I challenge you to just look back over your life and remember where God has brought you from. Who he has brought you from. When he brought you out.

HERE IT IS…

I like this because after he thinks about it he does something amazing. He recounts and remembers what he has done. Then in Psalms 106 he opens up with these words PRAISE THE LORD! He remembers where he was and where he could have actually could have been and opens his mouth and praises the Lord. It is in this moment my soul and body got happy because I remember where I was. I remember what I was doing. I remember who I was with. Then it hits me. I am not the same person. I am not in the same mindset. I am not doing the same thing. I am not where I was. PRAISE THE LORD!

It only takes one

“He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan. They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf: “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:12-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How can one person change the world? How can just a few people gathering together make an impact on a nation? How can you or I make a definitive imprint on the world to lead them to Christ. Just to make this world a better place? One person at a time. It doesn’t have to be a large group. It doesn’t have to be a million people that comes and changes everything. My prayer is that I could affect, help, change the mind of one person to follow God so that they will do the same for others. It doesn’t have to be you affecting a million but if you touch another and they touch another it creates a chain reaction.

HERE IT IS…

God placed his promise upon Abraham to be a great nation. He pledge that he would help propel his lineage to save many. From one person and one promise from God a nation was born. A leading move of God has been started just by his promise to one person. So my question is this. What has God put inside you that can affect and be effective for one person? The same God that came through all those years ago. Is the same God who will come through this time. It only takes 1.

He keeps his word

“He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations. This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: “I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:8-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Me and my wife had to learn a valuable lesson in our marriage. That is that we are both people who likes to have things done a certain way. In that we also had to understand that because we are human if we start something that becomes apart of routine and miss a time or a day. That it’s not that we did it on purpose. We didn’t miss it because it was intentional. It was just the fact that whatever was going on that time or that day it may have thrown off the whole routine so it makes it harder to get back to the normal routine.

HERE IT IS…

Has God ever missed a day to wake you up? Has God ever missed apart of his routine of making your heart beat? Giving you the movement of your limbs? How wonderful it is to know that God is a righteous God and doesn’t miss those times. His routine of what he does and what he says he will do does not stop or get thrown off. He continues to be there everyday and continues to provide. His promises shall not return to him void and will not ever be missed. Just as he did with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His promises will be kept and met.

Say it loud

“Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:2-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was a time long ago that my older brother had bought us tickets to go see M.C. Hammer in concert. When we found out that we were going and he showed us the tickets we were so excited that we went around telling everyone that we know that we were going to see him live and in concert. We were so crazy about going to this concert. Picking out clothes. Trying to get new clothes. I mean practicing dance moves. We were ready. Then the day of the concert can and my brother could NOT remember where he put the tickets. All the talking and excitement and bragging we did and we didn’t even go. We didn’t want to go outside for a week.

HERE IT IS…

When we get so excited about earthly things and things we are about to get and receive. When we get plans to make something happen and see that it’s on it’s way. We brag and tell everyone. What about when God does something for you? I’m not talking about a house, a car, or a new boo. I’m talking about waking you up. Letting you breathe. The movement of your limbs. God has done so much for us that it should all start at him just being God. Brag about him. Exult his name. Give him all the honor and praise in everything and everywhere you go. Because he didn’t have to do it. BUT HE DID…

Somebody needs to hear it

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yesterday at church our pastor did something we dont do in church anymore. He allowed a portion to be used for testimonials. As we are in a month of prayer at our church. We should already know that once we come before God with what’s on our hearts and lay them at his feet he is already working in our favor. Truth is we may not receive what we asked for immediately but we do receive an immediate response. We may not see the response but he has sent the responders in our favor. So what do you do?

HERE IT IS…

We have to make sure that we make declarations of how great God has been for us, and to us. We have toiled and been through hell and back and yet we are still here. That is a testimony in itself. You prayed and payed before God to take care of that situation and that issue and just because it’s not over yet doesn’t mean it’s not working for you. The reality is that it’s not over but your still here to come out of it. Your still here to show that he is a sustainer. You made it. Your still here. So now you tell someone just how God has allowed you to move through and in it. There is a blessing in your situation and it may be for someone else to see that giving up is not an option. Let everything that has breath praise his name.

He is right here

“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There have been multiple where I thought I lost my keys or phone. I have searched and went to multiple different places to find them. In my car. In the bedroom. In the couches. It always seems that it’s right about the time that you need them. Tearing rooms apart. Looking for them in all the places I would have never put them before but through retracing my steps I look in all the places that I was in and used during that time. While the whole time they were in my pocket or my hand. Have you ever looked for your phone and used the phones flashlight to look for your phone?

HERE IT IS…

God says when you pray that he will listen. When you look for him wholeheartedly you will find him. Have you ever looked for God the same way you looked for your keys or phone? Have you ever torn things up trying to find him? Digging through old stuff and looking in places you last felt his presence? Praying that you find him and still searching? When the whole time he was closer than you thought. The whole time you looked for him in the wrong place and he was already with you. God is right there in your hand. Your heart. Your mind. Your job. Your car. Your house. He is right here.

Say what he told you to say

“But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. “Kill him!” they shouted.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭26:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It can be very hard to relay a message to people sometimes. I believe the hardest thing to hear someone say to you about you is the truth. They do say the truth hurts. However, it does not take away the fact that it is the truth. Having to tell someone something that God have you that is meant to help them knowing that they won’t receive it the way you meant it is hard. It is in those times that the only thing we can do is trust Hod for what he told us to do and leave the rest up to him. It’s often times that we hold on to what God told us to do in fear of what and how they will receive it.

HERE IT IS…

Jeremiah had the task to tell the people what God said. The sad part is that he had been saying it over and over and over again. Even when they didn’t listen Jeremiah kept receiving word from God to warn and tell the people to do what he said. It was this last tome that the people got mad at him for following what he was told to say. It was then that they were upset with him for the consequences they would receive. It’s not your job to try and move them to what they are supposed to do. It is your job to tell them what God said. Even if they try to come against you. You follow God and allow his word to be planted and God will do the rest.