Enjoy the Blessing!

Enjoy the Blessing!

Written by Felicia McKnight

January 13, 2016

“All you who fear GOD, how blessed you are! How happily you walk on his smooth straight road! You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!” (Psalm‬ ‭128:1-2‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

When 2016 came in I had a revelation as I was scrolling through social media and reading various quotes of Pastors at their watch night service or quotes from their 1st sermons of 2016. The common theme every year seems to be that the new year will be a year of blessings or the year of answered prayers and the year your hearts desire comes to pass. I begin to really reflect on this as I looked back over my own life. There were years I started off hearing the same declarations. I would go into the year believing in God for certain things to come to pass and would find myself rolling into the next year with no status update for what I was believing in God for.

After reading Psalm 128:1, ” All you who fear GOD, how blessed you are!”, God reminded me that every year can be a blessed year if we keep Him first, stand on His promises, and remain faithful in prayer. By keeping God first we are acknowledging that He is Lord and Master over our life. We are reminded that He is sovereign. As we read His word and stand on His promises we build our faith and learn to walk by faith and not by sight. We are building ourselves up to enjoy the blessings and the fullness of our Almighty God. 

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NASB‬‬)

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭NASB‬‬)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” ‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭5:6‬ ‭NASB‬‬)

If you are like me, then we collectively labored in prayer for some things in 2015. We fervently prayed for a circumstance to change, a breakthrough, or a desire to come to pass yet on January 1st nothing changed. Many of us have pressed through trials in 2015 that didn’t seem like a blessing at all. If you made it through or still standing in the trial and waiting for answers to prayers be encouraged today that you are still blessed. God’s Grace has carried you through it all and sustained you. His strength is why you are able to make it day by day. His presence is with you. God will never leave you or forsake you. God has heard every prayer. He has seen every tear. He has seen your struggles. God said in His word, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭NASB‬‬)

As you go through 2016 continue to remain faithful to God. Your tears, your prayers, your waiting, and your struggles are not in vain. They all have a divine purpose. Psalm 128:2 says to “revel in the goodness.” To revel means to take great pleasure or delight in something. Enjoy the blessing of God’s presence, His grace, His strength, and His peace. The answers to your prayers are coming. Some may happen in 2016 and some may occur in following years. Whenever they come God’s word says YOU DESERVE IT! Be Blessed, Be encouraged, and enjoy it!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank you for being sovereign. We thank you that you see all that we are going through and we thank you that you hear all of our prayers. Thank you for your grace and strength that has carried us through. Lord we go into a new year with a heart of expectancy that 2016 will be a blessed year! Lord we pray and stand by faith that you would heal all those who need healing. We pray that you would send provision for those that stand in need. Cover and protect every marriage represented here today. Encourage singles. Heal broken families. Bring back wayward children. Save or lost family members and friends. Lord, you see what every person reading this stands in need of. We pray for you to meet every need according to your perfect will. As we wait on prayers to be answered give us strength to remain faithful to you. Cover us in your grace and peace. Align our hearts with your will. Give us the wisdom to we need each day and help us to enjoy the fullness of every blessing you bestow up on us. On this day we choose to enjoy your presence and revel in your goodness. Thank you in advance for the answer to our prayers. Thank you that your word says we deserve every blessing coming our way. In Jesus name. Amen

God Our Protector (Back To School Edition)

God Our Protector
Written by Felicia McKnight
8/25/2014

(Note: If you have a child in any type of school system, then you will want to read today’s devotion.)

Psalm 121:5-8
The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
The LORD will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

I am slowly becoming convinced that strange things happen to me so that I can have something to write about each week. One Saturday evening I went into Office Depot to print out some documents since my printer at home is broken. I was grateful as I found a parking spot just in front of the store. I went in for about 10 minutes and walked out with my documents in hand. When I walked out of the store to my surprise there were several cop cars with their flashing lights on, people standing outside looking panicked and frazzled, and a police officer preparing to enter into Old Navy. Old Navy is in the same shopping strip right next door to Office Depot.

There were two women standing directly in front of my car and to my disappointment an unattended police vehicle with its sirens on was blocking my car. I had several thoughts going on in my mind and was not happy that my car was blocked in and there was nothing I could do about it. I did what most of us would do and asked the women in front of my car what was going on. They informed me that a robbery was in progress inside of Old Navy. Several police officers rushed into the store with their guns drawn and everyone was asked to evacuate the store. The police officer that I seen outside had just put his gun away according to the witnesses. I now go from calm to panic and said out loud “Great, my car is blocked in and I am stuck here!” I watch enough news to know that bullets are random. I was not trying to have any photo opportunities for social media or to share with my friends and family. I just wanted to get out of this crime scene and home safe.

The lady that I was talking to started walking and she yelled back at me that I was not blocked in and that with her guidance she would help back me out of the parking spot. I went to see what she was talking about. The police car was very close, but I decided I would trust this woman’s guidance and pray I would not owe the city a bill later. I got in my car and with a few tight turns of the steering wheel and her direction I was out of the parking spot without hitting the police car or the woman and home safe. Whew!

This encounter reminded me that God is my protector. I can’t help but to wonder how many times I have been in a position of danger without my knowledge yet somehow God protected me from harm’s way. I thought about where I parked at. If I would have parked one spot over I would have been blocked in. God knew the errands I had to run, what was about to take place and had the right parking spot available just for me. When that police officer pulled up to the scene little did he know the angels that have charge over me pushed his car just a few inches up, so that I would be able to get out of dangers way safely. God is my protector!

God is not just my protector, but He protects all of us! I have had so many times where I was running late to work. When I finally get on the freeway an accident may have just occurred. Had I have been on time that day either that could have been me or I could have witnessed it, but God protects. I’m sure that has happened to many of us. Or there are times you may have come close to being hit by a vehicle on the road way, but somehow you were just missed from being in a collision. As we go through each day we have to place our trust in God and allow him to guide our steps. He has eyes all around and can keep us and protect us not just in our vehicles, but everywhere we go.

I love Psalm 121! Today, I read it in peace as I prepare to send my daughter off to her first day of high school (sniffle…tear) and as many of you send your children off to school and college. It is heart breaking every year when we see the breaking news that some tragic event takes place in the school systems killing innocent children. We as parents send our children to school expecting them to come home. We can’t keep our eyes on them at all times, but we serve a God that can. I am convinced that we must send our children to school daily covered in prayer. As you send your children off to school send them with the covering of Psalm 121 and Psalm 91. I repeat keep your children in daily prayer and send them off in peace knowing God has a legion of angels around them protecting them.

Psalm 91:11 NIV/NLT
For God will command his angels concerning (insert your name and child’s name) to guard you in all your ways (NIV) and he will order his angels to protect (insert your name and child’s name) wherever you go (NLT).

In this back to school edition of Feevotionals today’s prayer is a special prayer for all of our children headed back to school whether it be day care, elementary, junior high, high school or college.

Heavenly Father we come to you today acknowledging you as God our protector. Lord, I lift up all of our children who are headed off to school today. We pray Psalm 121 over them that you would protect them everywhere they go. Place your legion of angels around them and order their steps to keep them out of harm’s way. Protect them from violence and accidents. Protect our student athletes from health aliments and sports injuries. Protect every limb and let not one of them be broken. Protect our children as they travel on school buses, vans, and charter buses. Get them to their destinations and back home safely. Protect our children from life-threating dares and challenges and give them the wisdom to be strong enough to say no to anything that may harm their life. Give our children the wisdom to keep their eyes focused on You and their academics and not the foolish things of this world. I pray for a hedge of protection around every day care, school, and university that you would protect them from random acts of violence. I pray for all those with mental health issues and anger issues that they will seek the appropriate help rather than resolving the issues with violence and taking innocent lives. I pray for every educator that you will strengthen them this school year. Give them the wisdom to deal with the students appropriately in all of their daily encounters. I pray for every parent that you may keep our minds at peace while our children are out of our sight. Lord, we give you all the glory, honor, and praise. Amen

For every reader of today’s Feevotional my prayer for you is:
May God command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways and protect you everywhere you go. May he be the shelter by your side and protect you from all of harm’s way. May God protect your life and protect your coming and your going both now and forever more. Amen

Be Blessed and Encouraged on this back to school Monday!