Whitnee's journey with Christ

I got up shortly after 2am to start my day as I have for the past several weeks. After the fresh, brisk air hits me and I re-enter the house, a sense of tiredness normally comes over me. But not this morning. No, this morning I had a burning sensation to get home and spent some time in the Word. My heart was so heavy and reality had kicked in over a certain situation but I must admit, I didn’t want to face the truth. Or what I thought/think was the truth. So I calmed my spirit, and began to read.

My Bible had been bookmarked on Genesis chapter 40. As I began to read over the misfortune Joseph endured, I started to see a similarity as I thought of my personal life and “the cards I had been dealt.” Personal reflection: Often times I would question God and wish I had a been dealt a different hand but after reading chapters 39 through 50 of Genesis where I remembered the sweet promises of Joseph on his death bed, I found peace and know like Joseph what the enemy meant/means for evil, God will use it for His good!

There were two questions in my Bible that stood out to me. The first was Does God bring us adversity? The second was Why doesn’t God answer my prayers sooner? For scripture reference please read Genesis 39:20 and Genesis 45:20-46:4.

Reading God’s Word in the mental state I am in, brought about uncontrollable tears. Some would think I’ve gone mad, I was in pain, overwhelmed with grief, anxiety, or sadness but the tears that ran down my face and run down my face as I write 452am in the morning are tears of peace, restoration of mind, and gratefulness.

I’ve heard the expression and read the words, “there is nothing new under the sun,” and to read all the turmoil and what one would think “being dealt a bad deck of cards,” God actually used for His good and for the good of Joseph and his family and for the nations who would suffer seven years of famine after seven years of great plentifulness.

Right now I want to share a song that lifts me up when I feel down and spiritually weak. I pray this too will bless your soul.

Though I didn’t play the song, I remember the words. So being in the headspace I’m in and just looking back over the events that took place I’ll say the last three to four years of my life; to be in the space that I’m in, is truly a blessing.

In Sunday school this past Sunday the title of the lesson was Hope Come Down. The scripture reference came from Isaiah 64:1-5. For the purposes of doing what God put on my spirit to do, I want to share for you the introduction.

Notice the first line in the introduction, it reads, When things around us seem chaotic and the world feels troubled, the presence of God brings us hope!

Wow! I don’t know who needed these words this morning but God is telling us as we are watching and waiting (hence the season of Advent that we are in), we can find HOPE IN HIM (GOD)! In my head I can imagine the seasoned black Baptist preaches learning their arms over the pulpit and putting emphasis on the words GOD BRINGS US HOPE! In this situation of Christmas where many folks have had to bury one too many of their loved ones, I think we could all use a little hope. I think we could all be reminded that God has not forsaken us, we are not alone, and when we are weary and faint, we can find rest in the Lord.

🗣️ YALL DON’T HEAR ME THIS MORNING! 🗣️

While looking back at how Joseph never blamed God, cursed God, questioned God or had hate towards his brothers who sold him into slavery, or hated Potiphar’s wife for falsely accusing him of taping her which caused him to be thrown into jail, or the fact that he had been forgotten about for two years. That’s a lot! Man I know some folks that would be using all kinds of offensive language and wishing bad upon them, if they went through half the stuff Joseph faced. And on the flip side of things looking at the Sunday lesson how the folks in the Book of Isaiah tried to rationalize their behavior or sin because they thought God had left them.

Don’t leave me hanging, how many of us have been mad at God and questioned His love for us when we went through hell, had financial problems, lost loved ones, were sick, or even on your death bed? I know I was angry with God when my dad died and I will admit in my guilt and loneliness after my mom passed for months maybe even a year or so I questioned God, did my mom have to die?! In moments like that I have to remember the scripture that Tatayana so beautifully reminded us in the women’s support group, Mark 9:23-25. The New King James Version reads, Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

That just gave me chills children of God.

For the one who is reading todays message and find yourself still reading in hopes of finding encouragement, I want you to repeat this words: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Lord like the people in Jerusalem, I need hope to come down. Lord I am asking you to remove the spirit of _________(whatever you dealing with right now), Lord I need you to make me whole again. Lord renew my mind, renew my soul, strengthen my faith, help me Lord, deliver me from the hands of ___________(whatever has you bound). Lord as I go through this season of Advent, I will continue to trust and wait on You. Lord there is no one like you God, no one greater Lord. So I am asking for Your strength, Your wisdom, Your discernment, Your faith to see my through this. And Lord I pray I will have lips that continuously praise Your Holy name in the midst of what I’m going through. Lord I thank you in advance for delivering me out of my unbelief. For it is in Jesus name that I humbly pray, Amen.

I don’t know about y’all but this weight that I’ve been carrying around since last Friday wondering what I could have said or done to offend someone has been lifted. I don’t know if you going through something right now where you need a weight lifted, take it to God in prayer. He does not put more on us than we can bear. And when God takes it from you, leave it there. Stop picking it back up cause your mind worrying, stop overthinking things. It will and it has come to pass. Stop trying to figure out the end results, and live in the now. There is not a moment in our lives that can be duplicated, there is not a moment that can be repeated so stop thinking about what happened yesterday, it’s gone. Stop worrying about tomorrow but praise God right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop saying I’m waiting on this or I have to have that to live my best life!

Y’all I’ve been waiting to get to ideal weight to really get back to how I used to dress, but the last week or so I’ve decided to bargain shop and get me a new fit to step into 2024 like a DIVA because being overweight or not, I’m stepping into not only the new year but the new day, the new minute, the new second with a grateful heart. I’m not waiting for the weight to drop to look God, no I’m going to give God my best EVERYTHING NOW!!!

You see sometimes we allow “that thing” (whatever that think is for you) to cloud our judgement. And we be blaming God, being mad at your friend or neighbor, when we done got our brains jacked up and twisted. Sometimes we have to stop thinking so much and just do!

We have to speak life into our existence. We have to speak prosperity, healing, restoration, financial freedom, happiness, love, joy, good health, ______, ______, ______, and ______ into our lives.

God shows Himself to us daily, sometimes we just looking for a more tangible solution or response from God, but if we quiet ourselves, and just take the time we need to pause and reflect, we will see Him. Even in the midst of our adversity, God is there. He never left you, He won’t leave you, and all things that the enemy meant for your evil…God is turning things around.

A breakthrough is amongst us. Get ready!!!! And that’s now false hope, this is God’s word! And His Word will not return to His people void!

Sharing Gods word:

Page 110 of my Sunday school book says: It is not hard for us to remember times in our lives when we witnessed God’s power in both subtle and unmistakable ways. Perhaps we received clarity through a dream or a time of silence. Perhaps God’s presence was a steady comfort as we journeyed through rough terrain. It is helpful for us to recall these times of hardship, because when we know God has been faithful to us in the past we can trust that God will be faithful to us again. We can turn to God when we need God’s presence because God has been there for us before when we needed comfort and strength. 

As I prepare to close todays message, I pray that you your spirits have been blessed as we patiently wait and trust God during this season of Advent. Some of us have been watching and waiting and been in the season of Advent (waiting) before it actually came to pass, and it’s alright. Hold on my brothers and sisters, God’s promises are alive and real just like how it was in the days of Joseph and Isaiah.

Sharing God’s word:

It can be difficult for us to speak to God as boldly, and honestly as Isaiah does. We may fear that our honesty might be mistaken for your irreverence. In healthy relationships, however, one is invited to speak bluntly without fear of retribution. We are invited to pour ourselves out before God, as ugly, as it may seem to us. Isaiah is not just lashing out at God or being disrespectful; rather, he is acknowledging the truth of what the Israelites have allowed themselves to become. We have all experienced the unpleasant consequences of our own poor behavior, so we can understand the humility of sitting in a mess that we have made for ourselves. 

Too often we are distracted by our lives or burdened by painful struggles, and we unintentionally allow our relationship with God to slide down our list of priorities. Isaiah rightfully recognizes God as the center of Israel’s identity. God is their loving parent and their creator, their very reason for existence, and their relationship must reflect that importance. Israel was to be a set-apart people in whom all nations could recognize God’s power and mercy. Our lives, too, should reflect God’s parenting and the Potter’s handiwork for all to see. 

In the book of Exodus God made bitter waters sweet. Exodus 15:22-23 says, So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it is we called Marah.

It goes on in verse 25 to day the waters were made sweet.

Whether you are experiencing need or abundance, I sincerely urge you to trust God. Obedience always brings about a blessing. Let’s not be like the folks in Israel and blame God or other people, because God’s word tells us He allows adversity to happen. Any and everything that happens to us good or bad is for a reason. God has a plan and His hand is in every part of our lives. We don’t understand but it is His plan. NOT OURS, BUT HIS! Stop complaining and stop worrying…the human in us I know it gets hard…..but we have to try harder exercise Faith while trusting in and waiting on the Lord.

Lord I admit that I am a sinner. God I have sinned in thought and in deed and I ask for forgiveness. Lord even out of my what you have blessed me with, I could have given more or did more. Even though you’ve shown grace, my heart might of been ungrateful. Lord forgive me. Lord help me in my unbelief. Lord help me to live in the now and stop focusing on what was or what could be, but live the life knowing I don’t know the day or the hour when I will take my last breath. Lord if I have wronged my brother or sister, I ask them for forgiveness too Lord. I want to made whole in You. For Lord you are the potter, I’m the clay. Mold me and make me new God. Restore my hands before I suffered with carpel tunnel and the side effects of whiplash from the accident so that I can use my hands to write and tell my story of how Your love, grace and mercy have helped me through. God heal my mind, heal my heart, strengthen me where I am weak, Lord I pray You can use a sinner like me to spread Your Good News so everyone will know that You are Lord of Lord and that You still reign! I love you Lord and I ask for forgiveness. In Jesus name, Amen.