My Confession: I Refuse to Go Back

"I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." - Philippians 3:14 MSG

It's too late for cold feet. I put my faith out there and now it's time to commit to the plow. A part of me feels unprepared and the other part feels unequipped, but my trust lies in God, rather than the measly crumbs I bring to the table. I refuse to go back.

Can I confess that there are those days when I can feel His yoke and I'm thinking 'if this is easy, I would sure hate to feel a yoke that's heavy'. And even though His burden is lighter than the one I had, I'm struggling to keep on pushing this plow, 'cause I refuse to go back.

I refuse to go back to the fear or the shame. I refuse to go back to the closet that I hide in when I'm afraid of the success that awaits me outside the door. I'm not going back to pleasing people who could care less about pleasing God. And going back to who I was before He made me into who I am now, isn't even up for consideration. I refuse to go back.

Can I confess that I refuse to go back to the nights filled with anxiety, secretly worried about who's hating on me. I refuse to go back to crawling under a rock when certain names are dropped; I absolutely refuse to go back to making other people feel comfortable by being silent when I should be speaking up. I just simply refuse to go back.

I confess that I'm waving goodbye to all my inhibitions, all my inadequacies, all of my hesitations; I'm a new creation and yes, it's STILL the God in me that lives, moves, and breathes. Moving ahead, with only the promises of God in my view. I refuse to go back.

Just a confession from my heart,

Tracy Gale

I Lost it All

"Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6

I'll be the first to admit it; I lost it all. I lost my faith. I lost my joy. I lost my dreams. I lost my fight. I lost my hope. And I nearly lost my life. Everything I thought that gave me definition and affirmation was gone and there was no shortage of folks ready to finish off whatever was left of my broken life. I lost it all, but all was not lost

David found himself in a situation where he lost it all. Not just for himself, but for everybody! Ziklag was burned and all of the women and children had been kidnapped, including his own. As the leader of his men, he found himself in a place of great loss and there was very little mercy for him. It appeared that all was lost, even David's life. I believe someone is reading this who has lost it all and feels like you're looking up from the bottom of the barrel, and you're wondering how are you going to get out of that pit. There may even be a few crabs at the bottom trying to pull you back down, but you can and you will break free. You may have lost it all, but all is not lost.

Just as David strengthened himself in the Lord and recovered ALL. It's time that you put your strength back on and get yours too! You've been through all the stages of grief. You've cried over the loss, gotten angry over it, now put it in the past. God allowed what you had to be destroyed so He could replace it with that which cannot be. I'm prophetically proclaiming today that what you recover will be greater than that which you lost!

You may have lost it all, but it's nothing compared to what you're going to find through Christ! Get your peace of mind! Get your joy back! Get your ministry! Get your financial security! Get your stability! Get your health! Yes, you may have lost it all...I lost it all...but all is NOT lost!

Recovering all,

Tracy Gale

God's Got it!

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." - Isaiah 43:2

I've been at the point where I've done all I could do. I've cried all night long. I've tried everything I know and it still seemed like nothing was changing. Have you been there? You prayed and cried and the doctor's report didn't get better? You fasted and paid your tithes, but the landlord still put you out on the street? You showed up faithfully every Sunday, Tuesday AND Friday night for church, but the judge still didn't throw out the charges? These heartbreaking moments can often leave us feeling like fatherless children left to fend for ourselves, but God is not a fairy godmother, a genie in a bottle, nor a lucky leprechaun. He has never promised us an easy pain-free life. What He did promise was to be with us through the turbulence of life, the storms that rage, and through the fire that burns, simply because we are His. Stop worrying yourself into an early grave...God's got it.

It benefits us to be mindful that the Lord our God is our Jehovah Sabaoth. He is the Lord of Hosts, a mighty Deliverer. As David sang in Psalm 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all". He will be with you when you pass through tough times, you will not be alone. He will not allow your troubles to overflow you, so there's no need to take your own life.  And if you find yourself smack dab in the middle of a fire, you will not be burned and not even a lick of the flames will scorch you! What was meant to destroy you, God will use to rebuild, restore, and refresh you. God will take care of His own, and that means He will take care of you! Lift your hands to the Lord in a peaceful surrenderance and release all your cares to Him today! God's got it!


With hands, heart & faith lifted in Christ,

Tracy Gale

This week's Tuesday Morning Encouragement inspired by:

Who Gon' Check Me Boo?

"For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." - 1 Corinthians 11:31

I've seen so much about judging lately: don't judge me because my sins are different than yours; Judge not; Don't judge me; Stop judging me; Judge yourself before you judge others; Don't judge me if I (you fill in the blank) and the list goes on and on. There's apparently not very much judging desired these days. With that in mind, I have just one question: who's gonna check YOU boo?

In the 11th chapter of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul addressed obnoxious and rude behavior as well as inappropriate conduct during the observance of the Lord's Supper. Folks knew what to do, they just didn't want to do it. It was apparent that the person who started to deviate from structure had no one to check him, but Paul refused to remain silent on the foolishness and had to address the issue on point to establish order. He had to check them. Are you willing to be checked boo?

I've seen tattoos and t-shirts that promote the saying "God is my judge". And if this is true, then who is your god? Because if He is the Lord Jesus Christ as described in His word, there is no way He's happy with your double lifestyle, your prideful heart, or your hateful ways. Who's gon' check you boo? God is. And though He chastens those He loves, the chastening does NOT feel pleasant or enjoyable. Why not correct yourself? We are living in a society that despises order. It encourages our young (and old) to say what you want, wear (or don't wear) what you like, do what you feel and dare the next person to say anything about it because they're not perfect either. Some even treat God the same way by refusing to live by His word or twisting it up so badly that it is beyond the recognition of truth. In essence, you are telling the most high judge that you are above His judgement. How dangerous a life to live.

Most of the time, we are just like the church of Corinth...we already know what's right, we just don't want to do it. We know what's holy, we just don't want to live it. Stop trying to make God fit into your way of thinking and allow Him to transform your mind to His. When that happens, checkin' yourself will become a whole lot easier and others judging you won't even be an issue. Who gon' check you boo? YOU are!

Got myself in check,

Tracy Gale