The Verdict is in..

-Contributed by Daily Dose weekly contributor Sharessa Bass"-

"And those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory." - Romans 8:30

I bet like most of us you have grown up hearing the elders of the church say “the end is near, and these are the signs of the times”. And, if your past remotely resembled that of over 80% of Americans; then you were probably praying that what they were saying had more truth then not. Because you had been through so much; and the enemy had convinced you that it wasn’t going to get any better and you were worthless. There are some of you who are still going through your own storms and you’re asking God when will it end, haven’t I been through enough, or maybe what did I do to deserve this? And now you have emotionally checked out, and you’re at the verge of throwing in the towel.

Her Story

I would like to encourage you on today by telling you about a young  lady I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. I won’t bore you with a long dissertation about her life.  But I will reference a few important life altering events that she had to face, and how she overcame them. As a child this young lady encountered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of the ones she loved. Having no one to turn to she sought shelter within herself. She barely spoke to people hoping that her silence would make her invisible to the world. But, due to the way she decided to cope with her abuse; unknowingly she had begun to contribute to her own demise. She realized this one day while outside surrounded by a crowd of familiar faces, but yet she felt like a stranger. Because she had decided to engage in idol conversation with her peers, she quickly became the “butt” of everyone’s jokes due to her speech impediment. Then she started to feel even more inadequate and worthless, but life’s hits for her did not stop there. As an adult she battled cancer, a sleeping disorder, failed relationships; amongst other things. The enemy had an assignment over her life that he was determine to fulfill, but God.

But God

Everything this young lady touched seemed to tarnish right in front of her eyes. Her pain seemed to have no end in sight, and life was becoming hard to bare. The thought of getting out of bed to face the day had become paralyzing to the mere marrow of her bones. I would like to confess that I too know how she felt, because this young lady that I speak of was me. But I’m no longer held captive under the snares of the enemy, because the Father has set me free. I made a choice one day to live and not die.

So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
(John 8:36)

If you are going through your own struggles right now and the enemy has tried to convince you that there is no end in sight, I invite you to say this payer along with me.                                        

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  Enter into Prayer

Heavenly Father I come to you as humble as I know how, asking that you will change the things concerning my life. That you will pour into me a Spirit of BOLDNESS like Goliath, and a FAITH in You that is unwavering. I relinquish all ownership to my past, and today I will allow You to create a new thing in me. I surrender all! I thank You for what You are doing, what You have done, and most importantly what You are going to do. In Jesus name I pray.

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11 -13) Amen!