Give It Back To Him!

A word from Minister Darrick D. McGhee

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My brother, my sister, have you taken back what you asked God to take from you? Have you taken back the same situation or circumstance you laid on the altar? Have you gone against the promise you made to God? If you remember, you said, “God if you get me out of this, I promise to never do it again!” Do you remember saying this? Are you trying to fix the same situation God asked you to trust Him with? Are you trying to help God be God? Have you really surrendered your all to the Lord? Have you really let go of that person, that place and/or that thing? Are you trying to secretly work on the matter as if God cannot nor does not see you?

In life, we know the things we must let go of. We know God is instructing us to release it to Him. We know we must lay it at the altar and never return to pick it up again. Beloved, now that you know, it is time to start doing it. The Bible declares in 1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you. My friend, today, Give It Back To Him! Give that person, place or thing back to the Lord. You cannot fix this. You have tried it your way for far too long. God is asking for you to release it to Him and trust that He will work it out. In your eyes, things appear real horrible. You cannot see how things will get better for you and your family. Right now everything seems hopeless. This is the reason God is asking you to cast your cares on Him. The way you see the matter and the way God sees it is totally different. You see it as over, but God sees it just beginning. You see it as defeat, but God sees it as victory. You see it as bondage, but God sees it as liberty.

Today, whatever the situation is or whomever you are trying to change, Give It Back To Him! The Bible declares in Isaiah 55:8-9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. My Prayer for You: Father, I pray for the recipient of this devotional. Whatever (s)he is holding onto that You are asking him/her to give up, I pray (s)he will obey You and trust in Your word. In the name of Jesus … Amen!

Scripture Reading for Today: Proverbs 23:26

The Great Exchange

"'God made Him...to be sin for us...'"2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

The Bible says: (1) 'You must not steal.' (Exodus 20:15 TLB) Ever stolen anything? A paper clip, a parking space, the credit for someone else's idea? (2) 'You must not lie.' (Exodus 20:16 TLB) You say you haven't-you just did. 3) 'You must not commit adultery.' (Exodus 20:14 TLB) Jesus said if you look at someone with lust, you've committed adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:28);-ouch! 4) 'You must not murder.' (Exodus 20:13 TLB) Before you claim innocence, remember that Jesus treats anger seriously. '...anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...' (Matthew 5:22 NIV) We assassinate a dozen drivers on our way to work every morning. Bad news: on your best day, you still fall far short of the divine standard required to get into heaven. Good news: '...He was wounded for our transgressions...The chastisement for our peace was upon Him...' (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV) A Chinese convert to Christianity understood this. Before her baptism the pastor asked her a question to ensure she understood the meaning of the cross: 'Did Jesus have any sin?' 'Yes,' she replied. Troubled, he repeated the question. 'Yes, He had sin,' she answered again. The pastor set out to correct her, but she insisted, 'He had mine.' And she was right! 'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become [righteous in God's eyes].' This is the great exchange. The holy and the vile change places. God makes right what was wrong, and straight what was crooked. Aren't you glad?

Soulfood Bible Readings 1 John 1:1-3:10, John 8:31-41, Ps 30, Pr 25:13-17

Not A Captive...

"Not A Captive"

"We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion." Psalm 137:2,3

I went through a period of time years ago when I felt like I had lost my joy, my song, my victory and my fight. The verse above was my "theme song"- I had hung my harp upon a willow tree. Each time I thought I could take it off and pick it back up, I was "hit" again with the same discouragement that kept me in defeat.

One day a friend shared something that the Lord had shown her from the verses above. She said that the enemy would taunt Israel while they were in captivity to sing them the songs of their homeland knowing they would not because of their physical condition/location. Then she related what was happening to them on a spiritual level. The enemy tries to make us feel like captives then he taunts and mocks us to sing a "song"- to rejoice, to testify, to sing praises- but we allow the situation to make us feel like captives so we don't. She went on to say that we are not captives; we have been set free. Jesus set us free. He destroyed the works of the enemy that he uses against us. We are not in bondage, the chains have been broken, the prison door opened, we have no reason to hang our harps, our heads or our hands down. We are free.

Once she said that my eyes were opened, I received the truth of God's word and regained my "fight", my song, my joy and my victory! And anytime the enemy has come to attack and try to make me lay my harp down and take away my joy, he can't do it. My situation may not be the best. Conditions around me may look like captivity. It may look like defeat and not victory. It may not look like I am winning, but I am a winner. I am more than a conqueror. I am victorious and not a captive because Jesus already got the victory on my behalf. He broke the bonds of prison for me. I am not defeated, the devil is!

Don't listen to the lies of the enemy. He tries to make you think that you are a captive, that you are defeated, that you have lost, that you will never win, that you have no reason to sing, but it's all lies. Jesus defeated him and his works and he can no longer take us captive. He who the Son sets free is free indeed. Jesus didn't give us a partial freedom, He didn't give us temporary freedom, He didn't open the prison door a little, He didn't destroy a portion of the enemy's power-- He did it all and when He did it... it was finished!!! So pick up your harp and start singing and rejoicing, you are not a captive!!!

Have a great day. You have no reason to hang your harp on a willow tree or lay it down, you are not a prisoner... Jesus freed you!

For Further Reading:
John 8:36
Romans 8:37-39
Colossians 2:15,16
Psalm 98:1
1 John 3:8

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell