MY WORD Archives – RhonieSays

Learning To Walk Through Tight Places

RhonieSays — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 18:46:32 +0000

Learning to Walk Through Tight Spaces – Matthew 7:13-14

Included in all of the many teachings in the Sermon on the Mount is this one called The Narrow Gate. Jesus is very clear in two short verses that there is a way that is right and a way that is wrong, and as God offered to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30, Jesus is saying choose life, choose the right way, but you may go it alone.

As parents there is a lesson we have to teach over and over again; everybody who surrounds you is not your friend. Everyone who has your ear does not have your back. Jesus, our Daddy teaches us this lesson as well. The prodigal son that we are introduced to in Luke 15 discovered this when he left his father’s house with all of his earthly possessions and took off on his own. He was doing fine until he ran out of money. He chose the gate, the path that was broad and wide and every hanger-on and leach that could use him, used him up until he had nothing. This young man known as the prodigal son had to find out the hard way, it’s better to be in a tight space by yourself than in a wide place with those who don’t really care about you. So after all the money is gone, after he stops making it rain with his finances and his alcohol, suddenly he’s left all alone and he finds himself in a tight space. He finds himself unable to feed himself, he can’t support himself and he ends up working for a hog farmer feeding the hogs. He’s in a tight space but it is here that he comes to himself.

Here is a young man who has had it all, he’s had fine clothes, he’s had women and he’s had many friends. He’s had jewelry and he’s had the music and he’s had the parties and now he has nothing. The gate he entered when he left home was wide and broad and big enough for all these deadbeats to suck him dry and they did! Now he is in the pigpen, and as a Jewish man, this went against every law and teaching he had known all his life.

When we don’t heed the voice of our Father and choose the right path, thank God for mercy that sometimes He forces us into a place of revelation! It was in the pig’s pen, while he was slopping the hogs, cleaning and feeding the most disgusting animal a Jewish man could encounter, it was here in this wretched place that he found his way to the narrow gate that would lead to his future. It was here, alone, defeated, poor and beat down that he began to as the bible says, come to himself.

It was here in the tight space that he talked to himself, he came to his senses. It’s amazing how clearly we can hear when all the noise is gone. How clearly we can discern when all of the chatter of the crowd has faded away and he says to himself, here I am starving to death in a pig pen and the servants in my father’s house have food to spare! I’m going home! It was here in this tight space that this young man discovered his true self, he found what he was made of and the first thing he did was say I will tell my father that I have sinned. I have sinned against heaven and against you and I am sorry. I’m not worthy to even be your son, make me a hired hand in your house, but I want to come home.

The story tells us that he picked himself up and began to walk home. What a lonely tight walk that must have been. All alone, but on the way home. All alone, but walking toward destiny. All alone, but anticipating a home and a meal and purpose. All alone, but suddenly renewed in hope. And the beauty of this story is that the bible says the father saw him while he was still far off down the road. The father didn’t wait in the house until he got to him, the bible says that the father had compassion for him and ran to meet him, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Aren’t you glad your Father didn’t wait for you??

Beloved, there is a consequence to our decisions and beloved He does give us choices! Jesus, our Father, our Lord and Savior tells us, enter by the narrow gate. Luke’s gospel adds a word to this passage and he says, strive to enter into the narrow gate. This word strive means to press forward with all your might, to use every muscle in your body to strain to enter, it is a word that means to agonize.

Strain with all your might to enter into the right decision, pray and pray again. Press with all you have to get past your own feelings to get to the place of the spirit where the Father can speak because our flesh wants to take the easy road, the wide road the broad road but Jesus, the good, good father says no, don’t take that road! You’ll have lots of company but it leads to destruction. Many choose that road because it’s an easy one. Press in, agonize over your decision and then choose the narrow road that leads to life, there are few who find this path and live.

Jesus is saying if it was easy everybody could do it. Learn how to walk in tight spaces, learn how to find peace on the narrow road, learn how to get rid of all the noise and the distractions because you’re going to need to know how to hear the voice of the Father to make the right choices and decisions.

Learning to Walk in Tight Spaces. Somebody said, it’s tight but it’s right. Jesus is the narrow gate, He is the door, He is the way. The road to Him is narrow and so few choose it, but great is the reward of living for Him.

Grace and peace, Pastor G

Minister in the State of Ohio. In September 2013, Geneva and her husband started The Way Community Church and since then they have been serving the community and equipping believers for ministry. Geneva’s passion is teaching and developing and in September 2018 Geneva launched gwmiller ministries as a platform for her teaching, training and equipping of Kingdom people all across the globe for Kingdom building and Kingdom empowerment.

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It May Look Bad but It’s Not Hopeless

RhonieSays — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

As I sit on the patio on a beautiful sunny day and assess the world, I can’t help but realize how it is in so much turmoil and needs healing. We are experiencing tragedy after tragedy. Parents are stressed to make ends meet. Young people are finding themselves involved in adverse activities on a daily basis. And yet, the world turns as if nothing is occurring. It seems as if there is no hope for mankind. Where is the consideration of others? What happened to the unity in the communities? The Bible states in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Although this is from the Old Testament, it still applies to us today. God’s principle above all is to forgive and when He forgives us for repenting, it establishes an awesome relationship. Now, we are in position for restoration. However, it seems that many are not willing to turn from their immoral ways and therefore, we continue to go down a path that’s less desirable.

I recall the women who had an issue with blood for twelve long years. She had consumed everything she had on doctors. However, none of them could resolve her issue. One day she heard Jesus was passing by and as soon as she came up behind Him and barely touched his garment, her issue stopped! She was healed immediately!

Jesus told her because of her faith, she was now well. This is the type of faith we must exhibit, if we want to witness change for the better. Regardless, how a situation may appear, it may look bad but it’s not hopeless. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalms 89:34).

I know there may be times when individuals may feel that they are all alone. They may feel that no one cares, and at times, they feel like giving up due to the challenges they are faced with and all the chaos that surrounds them. I’m here to tell you today that God is yet in control. You are His child and He cares about you tremendously. “For the LORD thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” (Deuteronomy 4:31). God has promised to be faithful to His people. This is His commitment to us. In return, all we have to do, is remain faithful and continue to seek God and His righteousness. God is completely reliable. He won’t fail us like man. We can trust Him. Psalms 37:3-5 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” David calls us to take delight in the Lord and to commit everything we have and do to Him. This means entrusting everything such as our lives, families, jobs, and possessions. God knows what is best for His children.

My brothers and sisters continue to believe and don’t allow the enemy to steal your joy. I don’t care how things may appear right now; remember God is yet in control. He’s faithful to us even when we fall short. In the book of 2 Timothy, it tells us how Christ is faithful even when we are faithless and how He cannot disown Himself. He stands by His Word. “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee” (Isaiah 54:10).

It may look bad but it’s not hopeless. We must continue to stand firmly and remember we walk by faith, not by sight.

BY: Minister Frederick Dawson

Minister Frederick D. Dawson is a graduate of Bishop State Community College, where he received an associate degree in Business Administration. He earned two bachelor degrees (Organizational Management/Christian Leadership & Ministry) from the University of Mobile. Currently, he is working towards a master degree in Biblical & Theological Studies. Dawson dedicated one-year writing inspirational daily devotionals for the Outreach Ministries for You (OMFY) and recently launched his own inspirational website (DawsonMinistries.Com) on January 15, 2019. His prayer is that Dawson Ministries illuminate truth as we journey down the path of life.

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He Quieted The Wind!

RhonieSays — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 09:12:00 +0000

Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

He quieted the wind! What a place of authority that can speak into the life of the believer. The wind can certainly symbolize those places of trials and tribulation that seem to come out of nowhere to cause disruptions. The kind of authority Jesus displayed is what I often fail to possess when life’s circumstances visit me. How can I gain more of that confidence in my own life?

Jesus speaking to the wind seems like a unique event but there is a life lesson I can acquire. What I should be gaining from His example is the confidence He had in His ability to speak to an adverse situation. He spoke and the winds died down. Wind in and of itself is movement. Not quiet but blowing with full-on intensity trying to cause a commotion by instilling fear. Isn’t that what circumstances do? Yet Jesus quieted the wind and that shows that I can do the same thing when the winds of life blow. The key is I’m backed by Jesus just as Jesus was backed by God.

John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
His example of faith is the same example of faith that applies to me. The authority He demonstrated He also makes available to me.

1 John 2:6 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked
There is a more excellent way to apply to every circumstance I face and that is speaking with authority and confidence that only comes from the Father directly through Jesus who is the author and finisher of my faith. Those strong winds of adversity will be quieted!

By: Rhonie McBerry

Rhonie is a licensed radiation therapist providing care to those battling cancer. She learned to embrace a new normal after being diagnosed with Crohn’s. disease and uses the power of words to encourage others to see past their darkest day to a brighter horizon. She is the author of Embracing a New Normal, God Has Drawn The Blueprints Vol I &II, Words That Surround Your Soul devotionals, and a host of blog posts on her website www.RhonieSays.com.

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Look to Him

RhonieSays — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 05:45:00 +0000

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Look to Him
I recently experienced the death of a dear Elder who spoke such encouragement into my life. It was a heartbreaking moment to realize their life’s journey had come to such an unexpected end. To be honest their death hit me harder than I anticipated. It’s in times like these that a foundation set upon God’s faithfulness can be crushed or shaken.

Things didn’t turn out the way I hoped or prayed for leaving questions about God’s faithfulness trying to blind me versus having me look to Him in my time of grief. Here’s the key-all the promises of God are steeped in who is perfecting my faith. That perfecting factor is Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
When I let emotions speak they will steer me every which way but Jesus. Jesus is where my trust must reside and be built upon. When I look to Him I receive the comfort that assures me that God is indeed faithful.

It takes my feeding upon the Word of God as I look through the lens of Jesus to remain solid and secure. The hurt of this loss is still painful but I know that God is with me and giving me the strength to see beyond the hurt to His faithfulness.

2 Timothy 2:13If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. 1 Corinthians 1:9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

By: Rhonie McBerry

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Nothing Just Happens

RhonieSays — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:47:51 +0000

I was thinking about a hunt from last season. I harvested one of my best bucks. It was about 4:00 p.m. when the buck came through behind me. It was well before dark, and I was hunting with a crossbow out of a rifle stand. I did it because the stand was in a fence line that deer liked to travel. I was on the phone when he came through. I hung up, grabbed my crossbow, and placed the perfect shot. It all happened in a few seconds.

To tell the story, I just tell people, it just happened suddenly, Or it just happened. I have chewed on that phrase for some time, and it has always been a part of my theology. Not that “things just happen,” but just the opposite. Things don’t “just happen.” I believe that with all my heart, even though I don’t understand all the issues around it. Another way to express my belief is this. I don’t believe in coincidence or luck. I know. I know.

There are so many things I can’t explain, I don’t understand, and that don’t seem significant. But I truly believe, nothing just happens. I believe there is always purpose behind every event in our life. That means every problem, every person, and every predicament that comes about in our life are only strange and unexpected to us, but not to God.

They may seem insignificant and temporary, or inconvenient and bothersome, but they will not be wasted by God to bring about something in our lives. He is the ultimate restorer, re-gifter, and re-purposer. He not only makes something from nothing, but he also makes something from everything. And every event in our life, both good and bad, is in his toolbelt.

Every person that comes into your life, is someone God will use to bring about something he wants you to know or be. Every pain that sinks you is God’s seed for a new and better growth. Every suffering that tears you in pieces, is God’s opportunity to put you back together, better. Paul reminded us that “God works all things for our good.” And you ask what does “all” mean? All means all and that’s all it means. That means your failure, tragedy, bankruptcy, incarceration, divorce, abuse, addiction, and the constant reoccurring times these happen, are no match for the designing hand of God.

I can look back at things that happened many years ago and still not see their significance. In fact, some of those things seem like an oddity or anomaly to the general direction of my life. And I admit I may die never having my “why” answered. But if God says things don’t just happen, then I have to trust – and you have to trust- that while we may not understand each piece, we can believe God thinks it’s an important part in making us the perfect person he designed us to be.

By: Gary Miller

Gary leads a church plant and teaches undergrad religion/apologetics. Gary also leads a ministry to hunters & fishermen. He has blogged for 17 years. Gary loves to cycle, run and do anything fit-wise. He is also passionate about prison reform. Gary walks day by day as an encourager.

gary@outdoortruths.org

CLICK HERE TO VIEW BLOGS BY GARY

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Waiting On the Lord.

RhonieSays — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:39:49 +0000

I take refuge in this passage of the word of God. The second half of Isaiah 40 is largely focused on the greatness of our Lord, and concludes with a very encouraging passage.

In a world that encourages people to do everything themselves and it focus is on individual achievement—this is a very encouraging passage. You don’t have to rely solely on your own strength, the Lord will give us what we need to do what he wants us to do. Though, it may seem difficult while waiting, but, Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and-—take heart and wait for the Lord.”

It is also worthwhile, however, that in order to receive the strength of the Lord, we must first recognize our weakness and wait on the Lord. Going to the Lord in humility and allow him to fill us with strength to do what we are called to do.

To wait on the Lord; Is to hope and trust in the Lord. Which requires Prayers, Faith, Patience, Humility, Meekness, Long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:29-31]

Yours In Christ, Shalom.

BY: Kofi Bismark

Kofi Bismark is a staunch believer who zealously profess the Gospel. A graduate of the Word of Faith Bible Institute in Ghana, Africa. Currently studying Bsc. Clinical Psychology and have a ministry name the Gospeller Ministry which aims to reach the lost with the good news of God through outreaches and evangelism. Kofibis.blogspot.com

Follow @kofibismark33

God is not looking for an affair, He’s looking for a relationship with you.

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I Danced With God

RhonieSays — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 19:56:07 +0000

It was like any other normal Friday night except this night I didn’t have plans. My weekdays and weekends are filled with things to do; church things, home things, creatives things, there are always things. But this night was different. I came home, cooked dinner, talked to my daughter, did a halfway job of cleaning up my kitchen and I was in the bed before 9 pm… on a Friday night. I was happy at the prospect of a do-nothing weekend because those come so few and far between for me.

I snuggled up in my bed with the current book I’d been reading, Fervent by Priscilla Shirer, and settled into my happy place. I’m using past tense words like “had been reading” and am speaking about this Friday night as if it was some months, weeks or years ago, but this Friday night happened last night. Today is Saturday, November 16, 2019, and I sit on my living room floor writing about yesterday and today. Let’s keep that in mind as we proceed. So, anyway, I snuggled up in bed with my book, followed by bible reading and one of my favorite pastimes, perusing Facebook. As I scrolled, I noticed a post from a friend saying she would be having a 30-minute workout session live the next morning (today) and asked if her friends would join. Something in me leaped because as I’ve been cleaning up my diet over the last two weeks, exercise has been sparse. I quickly typed that I would join the fun, then set my alarm for 6 am so I’d be good and ready when the time came. However, I woke up at 5 am. I said my good mornings to God, thanked Him, read some scriptures then did my other usual… perusing Facebook. As the 6 am alarm drew near I kept thinking, not today. I would disarm the alarm and go back to bed, but something inside me reminded me… You said you would be there. Ordinarily, that would not have deterred me from making my excuses to gain another few hours of sleep. After all, I don’t get many weekends like this, but this time I couldn’t ignore the reminder. You see, I’ve been asking God specifically in prayer to help make me more like Him, and the reality is when He says He’ll be there… He’ll be there.

When 6:15 am rolled around I got up, grabbed my phone and headed to the living room. I quickly pulled up my friend’s page and true to her word she was there preparing for the early morning workout. I jumped on to tell her I was “in the building” so to speak, and began the fun, Faith-based Workout. My Facebook friend’s name is Faith and her workouts are fun, low impact and full of Gospel music; all the things I needed. I struggled through the routines at times because of lower back issues that like to shoot down my right hip and thigh whenever it gets good and ready, and I was still nursing a bruised Achilles on my left heel. I made it through okay, modifying movements as I went, but toward the end, my lower back was really feeling it. By the end I was sweating, smiling and thankful that I’d gotten up to do the workout. I told myself that my pain issues were caused by the choices that I’d made to carry around all these extra pounds and that it would take my willing obedience to turn it around. I was happy with that criteria, but I was wrong. Sort of… just keep reading.

On the cool down, a song sung by a familiar voice began to play. The voice was raspy, anointed and laced with an island spice like it was reared in Jamaica or the Bahamas even though it was not. The words rang “Be still and know… that I Am God.” The music and lyrics began to take over as I did modified versions of the directed moves; my back, hip, and heel aching underneath each one. At a certain point, I bowed as much as my back would allow me and stretched out my hands saying, “dance with me, God.” It was a gigantic order to fill, uttered through the voice of a 41-year-old woman, but it felt like the sweetest, most simple request of a child to her loving Father when it escaped my lips. I closed my eyes not knowing what to expect and then something very curious happened. I perched my left arm as if cupped around the neck of a dance partner and my right as if resting against his back, and the moves I began to do were beyond my control. I was waltzing, dancing, bending swaying, dipping, doing things I could only dream of doing, but physically could not. As I realized I began to cry uncontrolled tears, and when I opened my eyes I heard; “let Me lead you.” I cried more… harder, but I still obeyed. I danced, and I knew I was not alone. I danced around my living room, twirling and spinning like a trained dancer. I am not kidding you! I was moving and bending in directions my body has never experienced. I spun until I became dizzy, but I never fell, not even almost. I cried and begged Him to never leave. I could feel us, separating and coming back together as ballroom dancers would, and at a certain moment, I felt this spin… this permission to dance for Him as He watched. I was all over the room. My body moved with such fluidity and grace, and I never bumped into anything or stumbled. It was amazing! The pain in my left heel. Gone! The pain in my lower back that reaches down into my right thigh and hip. Gone! I cried like a baby as I danced.

When the song came to an end and the instructor, Faith, began to speak, I quickly rushed to my phone and turned on my “Exalt Him” playlist. I kept whispering through my tears “don’t leave! Please don’t leave!” When I turned on the next song, “Mention” by Fresh Start Worship, I heard Him say He never would. I danced again. I danced, we danced! I know it sounds crazy, but I felt Him in the room. God! The true and living God! The Savior and King! God danced with me! I asked Him why? Why did He come to visit me this way? Why when I am so far from perfect? Why, when I don’t deserve it? His silent response spoke to my heart that it was His nature and that it was His desire to walk the earth to see who would accept Him and invite Him to never leave. I cried and danced. I’m sure I made moves that mirrored those of Misty Copeland! I’m sure of it! And because I’m sure, I knew it wasn’t just me dancing.

By the end of the dance, I flung myself to the floor, no pain in my body and cried! How could this be! I bowed on my knees; my knees that would ache so bad that I rarely kneel on them to pray anymore, those knees bowed to the King and dung deep into the carpet fibers of my floor and I cried and thanked Him. Yes, when I was up dancing, the enemy began for a moment to speak in my mind. “You’re making this up! You’re crazy. God wouldn’t dance with you. You’re living in a fantasy.” But he was quickly silenced because in the Presence of the King every lie must fall… and it did. Just as quickly as it came, it fell, and I thanked Jesus for this experience. I laid on the floor an utter mess of tears, stretching my back and leg looking for the pain to return but it didn’t… as I type it still hasn’t! He healed me. He danced with me, and He healed me! As I rocked in worship He asked; “what do you want Me to do for you?” I whispered my requests back, and I heard; “So shall it be.”

I know these words sound like lies. I know, like the enemy tried to whisper, this experience sounds like a mere fantasy, but it was real! It was so real, and it can never be taken away from me! Shortly after, I sat with my legs folded in worship. I heard my daughter awaken and begin to walk the hallway to get to where I was. I was still in a daze by His Presence and I knew that if He had truly been here… if He was truly there, then her normal “Mom, I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast?” couldn’t be uttered in this holy space. I waited, still in tears to see if what I knew had happened, had truly happened and you know what she did? She sat on the floor next to me and worshipped. I started to ask her if she felt what I was feeling but the Holy Spirit whispered; “Don’t Disturb this Groove.” You might not believe that either, but He really does talk to me in R&B sometimes. He talks to me in the language He knows I love. So, I kept quiet. I didn’t disturb, and within moments, my daughter laid her body across my lap and cried in worship to God, and then I knew what I already knew. It really had happened. It truly did! I actually… danced with God. My prayer today is that you open up your heart to receive a visitation of your own. My word for you today is… I hope you dance… I hope you dance.

By: TruFiyah

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Tough As Geraniums

RhonieSays — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 13:21:31 +0000

It’s funny the pulpits the Lord will choose to preach His best sermons of encouragement on, even outside of the church, if we are open and receptive to His voice and leading. I’ve gotten deep and life-changing revelation in my garden, on nature walks and from a tiny, little butterfly who decided to make my front porch his dressing room. To be sure, I would never exchange these things for the actual gathering together of believers, but I can’t deny the fact that when we need a Word from God, He will use anyone or anything to speak to us.

One of the most profound lessons I’ve experienced came in the small kitchen of my former home in Chicago. My late husband and I had just rented the place from his cousin, and we were so excited to trade in apartment living for the luxury of a four-bedroom home. The place was nice enough, but still needed some work, and while my husband was out working, I was there trying to make this new house, our home.

As I made my way around the space, unpacking our dishes and hanging wall art, I spotted a small flowerpot that contained a withered stump and was half-filled with dried out dirt. It was the kind of thing that looked like it was past ready for the garbage, and that was exactly where I was about to throw it until I heard the still small voice of God challenging me. “You can save it. Don’t throw it away.” I knew what I heard was from God because I’d grown rather familiar with His leading. I was in the middle of a wonderfully, almost romantic season of life with Him, where I’d lie in the floor for hours in worship and not even realize how long I’d been there. He spoke so clearly to me during that time, so when I heard the beckoning to salvage the old pot, there was no question in my mind Who it came from. I surveyed the stump again and shook my head in disbelief. Why would I want to save this? And before the question even had a chance to settle in my mind, the Lord spoke again.

“I want to show you something. Just fill the pot with fresh dirt, water it, and listen to Me.”

I found some potting soil on the back porch and did as He said. I filled the pot with dirt, watered it and set it in my kitchen window. For days I visited the pot to water it, and for days a dried-up stump starred back at me. It didn’t matter to me much though, because if the Lover of my Soul wanted me to water this little pot of nothingness, then it pleased me to do so. I went on like that for weeks, watering the stump and saying good morning, then going on about my day with God. It was a gloriously happy time in my life that I didn’t know was filling up my reserves for the years to come where I would lose my husband and nearly every worldly possession I owned. I watered that little pot until one day, I began to see a tiny green shoot pushing its way through the dirt.

Soon after, the shoot began to grow longer and one day, something miraculous happened… the old tiny stump turned green shoot, began to bud and one day it bloomed! I didn’t even know what kind of flower it was at first, all I knew was that it had white blooms on it, and they were gorgeous! I got up with excitement each day only to find more and more blooms. I thanked God for encouraging my heart to water the ugly little stump because the re-emergence of it had brought me so much joy to my soul… but then, something awful began to happen. Even though I was watering it and making sure it had plenty of sun, my once blossoming plant began to wither again. I shouldn’t have been, but I was crushed as I watched what I considered, my own handiwork, take a dive back into what looked like certain death, but then the Lord spoke again.

“Pick the dead stuff off and continue to water it.”

When I did as He said, I found that within days the green shoot, that now extended halfway across the window, would yield even bigger and even more beautiful blooms. I was so taken by the transformation of it that I researched until I found out that what I had in my kitchen window was a small pot of geraniums! The thing about those little flowers is that they are gorgeous and delicate, but they are also tough as nails if properly cared for. I found out they can survive in cold, sun, shade, indoors or out, all they need is watering and someone to come by every now and then and “pick the dead stuff off of them.” And so it is with us.

On our life’s journeys, we will encounter many things; some wonderful, some not so wonderful. Some seasons make us feel more alive than we ever have, while others cause us to feel as if we are staring in the face of certain death. The good seasons seem to pass like a vapor, while some of the not so good seem to drudge on with no end in sight. What I learned from that kitchen sermon nearly 16 years ago is that no matter how dismal a situation looks, if you water it (with the Word) and give it a little SON-light, a dead situation can become life-bearing and beautiful again. Then just when you think things are so lovely that nothing could go wrong, they can turn bleak in a moment’s notice. However, if we trust God, and allow Him to pick the dead stuff off of us, we will continue to bloom and rebloom again and again.

As I write this message, I have no idea what you might be going through, but I can tell you that the story of the geranium has rung true in my life hundreds of times. I’ve experienced many highs and some very debilitating lows in life, but I never stopped sitting in the Son. I never stopped pouring the water of the Word over my parched soil, and He has never stopping causing me to blossom. Each time I experience a season of pruning, the re-emergence of what the Lord wants to bloom in me gets more and more breathtaking. The principle has never failed, and it never will, because God is just that faithful. And if He could do something so spectacular with a little flower, imagine what He can do in our lives if we trust Him. I know the road gets hard sometimes but keep your head to the sky. Remember, you may face hard times, but you’re as tough as geraniums!

By: TruFiyah

The post Tough As Geraniums appeared first on RhonieSays.

God, I’m Ready to Talk

RhonieSays — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 00:56:04 +0000

Talking to God seems so natural to me, it’s almost second nature, but there was a time when it wasn’t always so easy. Talking to someone you don’t know is difficult and the same goes with God. I found ease in praying for others in times of crisis versus involving God in my everyday life. Sharing my ups and downs, disappointments, and sometimes anger at Him when my life was in disarray, didn’t feel like something I should be discussing. What could He possibly find interesting about my life compared to the universe? If you have similar thoughts, I will share three ways that helped me go from barely uttering a word to God, to talking to Him in a real and tangible way.

1. Finding Out Who God Is

For the longest time I thought God was just some Entity that was always ready to punish me. I’ve gone to church most of my life and the consequences of sin were mostly all I knew about God because I never looked further. If something went wrong in my life, I didn’t turn towards God; instead, I felt the need to run away, because surely, I was going to be punished. I was challenged years later to get to know God for myself. That was the beginning of my halt to running away. Once I began to study who God was through reading the Bible, I began to see God as more than someone just waiting to judge me. He was continually trying to draw me near. I dug deep to study His character, finding out qualities that show His distinctive grace and mercy that covers me daily. I challenge you to do the same.

2. Understanding God Wants Me to Talk

As I began to read His word, I found out He likes talking to His creation. Jeremiah 29:12-13 states “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” What a revelation, God wants to listen. This was just one of the many verses that opened my eyes to God’s desire to have conversations with me. I was beginning to realize that prayer was more than a formal act that occurred on Sundays and that I needed to engage Him more and more.

3. Building Our Relationship Our relationship took time to build and I still work on it every day. Praying to God has taken on new meaning because I realize how important our conversations are to my well-being. He wants to hear my struggles and my successes. He doesn’t punish me for being upset at Him, but I feel that He works that much harder to get me to understand what trusting Him throughout any circumstance looks like. My days go better and are so much smoother when I talk to and include Him in my day to day decisions.

My life, like everyone else’s, is full of ups and downs; but, the peace I feel as life comes my way has happened through no other form than talking to God. I hope my road of discovery helps you talk to God, because he wants to hear from you. Start building your relationship today. Read about Him, study His character; He wants to talk to you. I know you’ll find, just as I did, how natural it will become.

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